484- Breakfast with Wolves
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
"Yes, it's a good idea, Edric," Celindra countered. "They're inside the territory, safe. It's the only way I can rest my head on my pillow, knowing Lana is having fun. Some… uh… fatalities may happen, but they're young and reckless, that's normal at this age."
Nicoleta emerged from the kitchen and placed a chocolate cake in the center of the table that made my mouth water. The frosting dripped down the sides.
"Oh, probably someone woke up in a bad mood," Myrion commented.
I laughed at that observation.
"Why?" I asked. He shrugged.
"Nico always makes chocolate cake when someone is sad or in a terrible mood," he confessed.
"It's usually Mom, but she doesn't seem to be today," Aurelka commented, looking at Lunara.
The she-wolf snorted.
"It's not just on those occasions, she makes it to please them too."
"That's true," Lana agreed. "I've never seen anyone more devoted to the Eldoria pups than her."
The old woman smiled all giddy and placed a palm over her chest.
"I've told Mr. Edric that my pups didn't do anything," she said.
Edric made a sound of disdain.
"To you, they're little angels, Nicoleta, they never do anything, even when it's obvious they're the guilty ones."
Myrion blinked slowly.
"We're never wrong, Father, our reasons may just be different from yours."
Edric narrowed his eyes at his son, glaring at him.
"Why doesn't that surprise me at all?"
"Oh, could it be because he's just like his father?" Vladren teased.
The twins were playing on the living room rug, entertained while eating some toast that Nicoleta had left for them. It was the first time I saw them so… calm. At least, much more than usual.
Edric pulled his coffee cup and took a sip before setting it back down. He straightened up in his chair. Lunara massaged her temples as if expecting a stress-induced crisis.
The leader placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward, resting his chin on his closed hands.
"Now, let's be honest. Two of my men disappeared last night after going to your little party," he began. I stuffed my mouth with food, buying time in case I was questioned again, and I noticed that Aurelka and Lana were doing the same. "Rares and Petru weren't seen this morning at the lumberyard. I want to know what happened to them."
"Have you tried looking for them in the city?" Myrion asked, looking firmly at his father, with so much cynicism that I was shocked by his ability.
Edric let out a heavy sigh.
"The last time this happened, pup, you killed the male and buried him in the middle of the forest," he hissed, the mood changing completely.
Then the phrase Myrion had said to Aurelka made perfect sense to me: "this time we gave him a proper wake," because it hadn't been the first time this had happened at one of the bonfire parties. Aurelka had confirmed to me that they had killed before; I just hadn't imagined it would be in such a… familiar place.
Heavens, they truly were insane.
"Then tell your men to search the forest, if you're suspicious of something," he provoked.
Edric stiffened.
"I'm giving you the opportunity to tell the truth…"
"That is the truth!" Aurelka cut in. "We're not to blame if some of your males are irresponsible and disappear out of nowhere, Father."
He looked at the youngest with a furrowed brow.
"Why do I feel like you're also lying to me, to protect your brothers?"
She shrugged, all fake innocence.
"I don't know," she replied, with such sincerity that, if I hadn't witnessed the carnage, I would have believed her.
Vladren clicked his tongue in his mouth.
"I think they're telling the truth," he commented. "If they're lying, they're doing it very well, much better than last time."
Edric closed his eyes and massaged his temples, blowing an exasperated sigh. When he opened them again, he fixed Vladren.
"I know my pups have… a disagreement with Rares." He looked at Anton. "Especially you!"
Anton rolled his eyes.
"I'm not to blame if the female he was interested in wanted me and not him," he defended himself.
That annoyed me slightly.
"And Petru hates Myrion because of his affair with his sister," Edric continued.
"I just took her virginity, we never had anything after that," Myrion protested, gesturing with his hand. "He's the idiot. I didn't do anything she didn't want."
Aurelka choked on a laugh.
"Funny, if someone gets close to your sister and she wants it, then the male also won't do anything wrong," Lyris murmured.
"That's not the point, they're different situations," Myrion hissed. She laughed.
"Oh, yes, the situation only becomes isolated when it comes to Aurelka, and not other people's sisters."
"Absolutely," Anton agreed.
"You're so hypocritical," Lana commented, shaking her head and stirring the food on her plate with her fork.
"Therefore…" Edric continued, irritated, "I have enough reasons to think you're involved in the disappearance of those two."
"You're thinking wrong!" Anton interrupted. "But if they don't show up, we won't be the ones to miss them."
I was stunned by how well they lied and acted naturally. They had killed and thrown the two into the bonfire hours earlier, and now they were sitting at the family table pretending they had no idea what Edric was talking about.
They weren't just siblings; they were accomplices and defended each other above all else, even if that meant deceiving their parents.
"The pups are telling the truth, Mr. Edric," Nicoleta chimed in. "I know my boys, I know when they're lying."
Myrion winked at her, and she smiled back, completely complicit.
Edric was silent for a moment, analyzing his children meticulously. His eyes wandered to Anton, Myrion, Lana, to me, and finally to Aurelka, trying to detect any trace of a lie in any of us. No one said anything, not even breathing heavily.
I kept chewing, always keeping my mouth full of food.
Finally, he sighed.