Falk Clan Tales - Chapter 69: Chapter 69
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“When and where did you come from?” her mother asked.
“What are you two doing back? You said you were extending your stay,” Jozette interrupted. stepping in front of Castor to deflect her mother’s questions.
“Our plans changed, Jozette. This is our home, not a motel. I am shocked and appalled by your behavior. Is this why your last boyfriend left? This kind of reckless behavior—”
“The heat went out, and we had to sleep by the fire last night—”
“And what? You had to have sex to stay warm?” her mother asked nastily.
“Wow, Mom! I’ll clean the living room. I just wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”
“It’s a good thing we came back in time to catch you making a fool of yourself. Where is the car, anyway?” her father asked, muttering.
“What?” Jozette asked. She might be used to her mother’s dismissal, but hearing derision in her father’s voice was new and entirely unwelcomed.
“Jozi, honey, you just got out of one bad relationship and here you are—”
“Okay, you know what? We are not having this discussion and I am a full-grown adult—”
“Really? You still live at home, sweetheart. You have no prospects,” her mother said.
“I have a job. And you said I could stay at home while I work on—”
“Yeah, yeah, honey. We know you say you are writing a book, but is that actually viable? And lord knows you can’t make enough at the store to afford rent.”
Her parents looked at each other and then back at her. The condescension was just too much. All her life, whenever she’d had a dream, they’d been there to point out the irrationality and unlikelihood of it. She wanted to tell them then and there that they were wrong. That she had a bright future. But before she could say another word, Castor stepped out from behind her.
“Enough! What foolishness is this? My parents were both killed before I could know them, but I swear they would have had none of this nonsense you call love!”
He glared at the two of them, and Jozette couldn’t stop her mouth from hanging open at his brazen approach. The Keepers were renowned for their ability to make even the most learned of people feel small and start to doubt themselves. It was just who they were.
“Your daughter is a treasure! So full of warmth and generosity, a kindness of spirit I see she must have found elsewhere, for it was not from the likes of you.”
“How dare you call yourself father when you dismiss her ideas and hopes? How dare you call yourself mother when you deny her affection? I say again, Jozette is a treasure on this dark and cold earth. She is the best of us, and you are lucky to have her in your life. The gods know I am.”
“Jozette,” her mother said, frowning so hard her lips had become a straight line. “Just who is this person?”
“Never mind, Mom. Castor, get dressed. We’re leaving.”
Usually, when she’d been berated by her parents, Jozette was moody and quiet for days. This time, she was angry. Castor was right. Her parents were not supportive of her at all. Never had been.
But the thing of it was, Jozi was not a child anymore. She did not need their permission or approval. But she also could not live with them, or as they saw it, off them, any longer.
It was time to stop looking for love where it did not exist. Time for her to take her Dragon and learn to trust her own instincts.
“Are you alright?” Castor asked as they gathered their few things.
“I will be,” she said, and kissed him on the mouth.
And for the first time, Jozette Keeper truly believed that.
Later that day…
“Thanks for the ride, Mar,” Jozette said to her bestie.
She was watching amusedly as Hector tried to teach her Dragon how to play table tennis. Amazing how a silly game could get so heated between two men, er, Shifters.
In fact, it wasn’t long before they’d resorted to wrestling. Honestly, if they weren’t both so good looking, it would have been laughable. And where Hector was built and handsome, she only had eyes for her Dragon.
“Should we break that up?” Jozi asked.
“Who? Them? Nah,” Marissa shook her head and handed Jozette a mug full of spiked hot chocolate and a tin of homemade fudge.
“So good,” she sighed, and took her first sip.
Marissa was always a great friend, and the second Jozi had texted, she was on her way. Good thing Maccon City took care of plowing and salting the roads earlier that morning. It was after the snowstorm had suddenly stopped, of course, and the temperature rose to a balmy thirty-seven degrees. February at the Jersey Shore was temperamental at best.
“Shifter males are like perpetual teenagers,” Marissa continued.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Jozette said, shaking her head.
“It was my point,” Castor growled, flipping Hector over.
The Dragon was winning for a moment, but the Lion was strong too, and more used to playing with others.
"No, it wasn’t. It was my serve!”
He flipped the Dragon once more, leading to more tumbling through the main living room of the other male’s Maccon City home.
“Can I ask you a question?” Jozette asked seriously.
“Sure, fire away.”
Marissa was blowing on her own mug of the hot cocoa and vodka infusion when Jozette dropped the little bomb her lover of the previous night had shared with her.
“He’s what?”
“He says he is dying,” she whispered, hoping the music in the background and their wrestling was enough to keep the guys from overhearing.
“Oh, Jozi,” Marissa replied, leaning forward to touch her friend’s leg.
“Is it true, do you think? Cause I don’t know if I can take that,” she said hating the crack that sounded in her voice.
She turned her head to wipe her eyes, and Marissa grabbed the tissue box and handed it to her, joining her on the sofa. Her BFF wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Then she stopped, sniffed, and pushed her back.
“Holy fuck! You’re mated!”
“What?”
“What?”
Hector and Castor stopped rolling round on the floor, the Dragon had the Lion in a headlock. Castor tilted his head to the side and looked at Marissa, then Jozette, and back.
“Mated?”
“You bit her!” Marissa accused.
“Yes, well, I, um, got carried away, but I did not harm the lady,” Castor said.
He stood up with his arm still wrapped around Hector’s neck. The Lion was turning red, but no one really seemed to notice. Except for Hector, who started slapping at the Dragon’s beefy arms.
“Sorry,” he murmured, dropping the other man.
“What does that mean, we’re mated?” Jozette asked, blinking rapidly.
“Well, I am assuming you had sex,” Marissa said.
“Yes, well, we—”
The Lioness closed her hands over her ears, shook her head, and started yelling before Jozette could finish.
“Don’t wanna know details. La La LA!”
“Okay, already.”
“Look who got all slut-tastic last night!”
“OMG. Look who’s talking. We only—”
“La La LA!”
“OMG! Shut up already with that! Sheesh Mar, grow up!” Jozette said, slapping Marissa with the pillow.
“Alright,” the Lioness replied, giggling. “Seriously though, he bit you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re mates.”
“We’re mates? Like friends?” Jozette asked.
“No. It is like being married, but more,” Marissa explained.
“Pardon, but what does that mean?” Castor asked, interrupting their banter.
“What it means, lizard breath, is you are truly fucked,” Hector answered.
The Lion was patting Castor’s shoulder and shaking his own leonine head when Jozette stood too suddenly. Maybe Marissa was too heavy handed with the vodka.
Or it could have been the shock of being told she was essentially married to Castor that caused Jozette to faint. She could not be entirely sure as the room began to spin and tilt dangerously.
The latter, she thought as her body hit the floor. Definitely the latter.
“What are you two doing back? You said you were extending your stay,” Jozette interrupted. stepping in front of Castor to deflect her mother’s questions.
“Our plans changed, Jozette. This is our home, not a motel. I am shocked and appalled by your behavior. Is this why your last boyfriend left? This kind of reckless behavior—”
“The heat went out, and we had to sleep by the fire last night—”
“And what? You had to have sex to stay warm?” her mother asked nastily.
“Wow, Mom! I’ll clean the living room. I just wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”
“It’s a good thing we came back in time to catch you making a fool of yourself. Where is the car, anyway?” her father asked, muttering.
“What?” Jozette asked. She might be used to her mother’s dismissal, but hearing derision in her father’s voice was new and entirely unwelcomed.
“Jozi, honey, you just got out of one bad relationship and here you are—”
“Okay, you know what? We are not having this discussion and I am a full-grown adult—”
“Really? You still live at home, sweetheart. You have no prospects,” her mother said.
“I have a job. And you said I could stay at home while I work on—”
“Yeah, yeah, honey. We know you say you are writing a book, but is that actually viable? And lord knows you can’t make enough at the store to afford rent.”
Her parents looked at each other and then back at her. The condescension was just too much. All her life, whenever she’d had a dream, they’d been there to point out the irrationality and unlikelihood of it. She wanted to tell them then and there that they were wrong. That she had a bright future. But before she could say another word, Castor stepped out from behind her.
“Enough! What foolishness is this? My parents were both killed before I could know them, but I swear they would have had none of this nonsense you call love!”
He glared at the two of them, and Jozette couldn’t stop her mouth from hanging open at his brazen approach. The Keepers were renowned for their ability to make even the most learned of people feel small and start to doubt themselves. It was just who they were.
“Your daughter is a treasure! So full of warmth and generosity, a kindness of spirit I see she must have found elsewhere, for it was not from the likes of you.”
“How dare you call yourself father when you dismiss her ideas and hopes? How dare you call yourself mother when you deny her affection? I say again, Jozette is a treasure on this dark and cold earth. She is the best of us, and you are lucky to have her in your life. The gods know I am.”
“Jozette,” her mother said, frowning so hard her lips had become a straight line. “Just who is this person?”
“Never mind, Mom. Castor, get dressed. We’re leaving.”
Usually, when she’d been berated by her parents, Jozette was moody and quiet for days. This time, she was angry. Castor was right. Her parents were not supportive of her at all. Never had been.
But the thing of it was, Jozi was not a child anymore. She did not need their permission or approval. But she also could not live with them, or as they saw it, off them, any longer.
It was time to stop looking for love where it did not exist. Time for her to take her Dragon and learn to trust her own instincts.
“Are you alright?” Castor asked as they gathered their few things.
“I will be,” she said, and kissed him on the mouth.
And for the first time, Jozette Keeper truly believed that.
Later that day…
“Thanks for the ride, Mar,” Jozette said to her bestie.
She was watching amusedly as Hector tried to teach her Dragon how to play table tennis. Amazing how a silly game could get so heated between two men, er, Shifters.
In fact, it wasn’t long before they’d resorted to wrestling. Honestly, if they weren’t both so good looking, it would have been laughable. And where Hector was built and handsome, she only had eyes for her Dragon.
“Should we break that up?” Jozi asked.
“Who? Them? Nah,” Marissa shook her head and handed Jozette a mug full of spiked hot chocolate and a tin of homemade fudge.
“So good,” she sighed, and took her first sip.
Marissa was always a great friend, and the second Jozi had texted, she was on her way. Good thing Maccon City took care of plowing and salting the roads earlier that morning. It was after the snowstorm had suddenly stopped, of course, and the temperature rose to a balmy thirty-seven degrees. February at the Jersey Shore was temperamental at best.
“Shifter males are like perpetual teenagers,” Marissa continued.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Jozette said, shaking her head.
“It was my point,” Castor growled, flipping Hector over.
The Dragon was winning for a moment, but the Lion was strong too, and more used to playing with others.
"No, it wasn’t. It was my serve!”
He flipped the Dragon once more, leading to more tumbling through the main living room of the other male’s Maccon City home.
“Can I ask you a question?” Jozette asked seriously.
“Sure, fire away.”
Marissa was blowing on her own mug of the hot cocoa and vodka infusion when Jozette dropped the little bomb her lover of the previous night had shared with her.
“He’s what?”
“He says he is dying,” she whispered, hoping the music in the background and their wrestling was enough to keep the guys from overhearing.
“Oh, Jozi,” Marissa replied, leaning forward to touch her friend’s leg.
“Is it true, do you think? Cause I don’t know if I can take that,” she said hating the crack that sounded in her voice.
She turned her head to wipe her eyes, and Marissa grabbed the tissue box and handed it to her, joining her on the sofa. Her BFF wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Then she stopped, sniffed, and pushed her back.
“Holy fuck! You’re mated!”
“What?”
“What?”
Hector and Castor stopped rolling round on the floor, the Dragon had the Lion in a headlock. Castor tilted his head to the side and looked at Marissa, then Jozette, and back.
“Mated?”
“You bit her!” Marissa accused.
“Yes, well, I, um, got carried away, but I did not harm the lady,” Castor said.
He stood up with his arm still wrapped around Hector’s neck. The Lion was turning red, but no one really seemed to notice. Except for Hector, who started slapping at the Dragon’s beefy arms.
“Sorry,” he murmured, dropping the other man.
“What does that mean, we’re mated?” Jozette asked, blinking rapidly.
“Well, I am assuming you had sex,” Marissa said.
“Yes, well, we—”
The Lioness closed her hands over her ears, shook her head, and started yelling before Jozette could finish.
“Don’t wanna know details. La La LA!”
“Okay, already.”
“Look who got all slut-tastic last night!”
“OMG. Look who’s talking. We only—”
“La La LA!”
“OMG! Shut up already with that! Sheesh Mar, grow up!” Jozette said, slapping Marissa with the pillow.
“Alright,” the Lioness replied, giggling. “Seriously though, he bit you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re mates.”
“We’re mates? Like friends?” Jozette asked.
“No. It is like being married, but more,” Marissa explained.
“Pardon, but what does that mean?” Castor asked, interrupting their banter.
“What it means, lizard breath, is you are truly fucked,” Hector answered.
The Lion was patting Castor’s shoulder and shaking his own leonine head when Jozette stood too suddenly. Maybe Marissa was too heavy handed with the vodka.
Or it could have been the shock of being told she was essentially married to Castor that caused Jozette to faint. She could not be entirely sure as the room began to spin and tilt dangerously.
The latter, she thought as her body hit the floor. Definitely the latter.
End of Falk Clan Tales Chapter 69. Continue reading Chapter 70 or return to Falk Clan Tales book page.