(MxM) Tales Of A Shifter (P1) - The Meeting

Chapter 43 - Moving Forwards

Ezekiel purposely turned from the door, ignored the stairs that lead not only to his , but also to the Mortals bed room. He choose instead to walk to his far right and then he walked under the stair case and headed to the kitchen. To his dual dismay and surprise he ran into his mother.

Her back was too him as she worked. A few pots beside her bubbled and steamed and his mother's hands worked and buzzed around the vegetables before her. She was chopping and slicing and humming as she worked, and as he watched her she turned and shacked all the vegetable she had cut off the board and into the steaming pot beside her.

Trying not to startle her Ezekiel thought to step back out of the room and go straight to his bed, but his mother turned around before he could move. Her bright green eyes sparkled as she smiled and called "Ezekiel? Come in. I'm gonna need your help with this." She beckoned him.

Ezekiel smiled at her as he came into the room. "And what is this exactly?" He asked as he leaned up against the counter top folding his arms out before him.

His mother didn't answer him at first she reached up into the cabinets above the sink and removed a large plate and bowl. Then slipping on a mitten she popped open the stove door and lifted out a small wooden plate with a small loaf of bread in the middle. She lifted the bread onto a tray before her then she turned and grabbed the handles of the boiling pot. Deftly she lifted the tilted the bubbling soup into the bowl beside the bread then she sat the empty pot back onto the counter top.

Glen turned back to him her brown hair brushing her shoulders as they bounced. "This..." She said setting a wooden tray in front of him. "...is dinner for the mortal."

Ezekiel smiled down at the giant bowl of broth and bread sitting before him, chunks of chicken and celery bobbed within the soups steamy depths and the bread was sweating butter, his mother's knife and a small fork sat beside the large loaf of bread. "Did you make enough?" He chuckled standing back from the rising steam of the food.

His mother laughed as she took the cutting board and deposited it into the dish washer along with the empty soup pot.

"I think I did." she told him softly. "The mortal said that he was hungry so I just figured a bowl of soup would help him get back his strength." she explained to him as she turned back to the sink and began washing her hands. When she finished washing the rest of the soap from her fingers Ezekiel watched his mother dry her hands and walk over to the table. She hiked her hip up on the edge of the wood and sighed softly. "So have you spoken to your Father yet?"

Ezekiel nodded. "Yeah. He told me that the mortal could stay at least until the wild animal has been found and neutralized. Then he appointed me his official babysitter for the remainder of his stay."

Glen smiled at him. "Good..." she told him. "You're the one he trusts the most right now."

Ezekiel rolled his eyes annoyed. "Okay. Where did that come from?" he hissed looking at the counter top. "You and Nate have to stop insinuating stuff like that."

Glen frowned at his tone. "What's wrong? What did Nate say to you?"

Ezekiel put a hand to his forehead then dropped it again. "He thinks that I'm attracted to the mortal...that I like him or something." Ezekiel chuckled and shook his head, but then stopped smiling when his mother's face didn't melt into a smile of absurdity.

"I guess I shouldn't jump to conclusions either, but I thought you did like him. "Glen tilted her head at him. She seemed confused by his hesitation. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it. You have to be sympathetic and care about someone to help them. Liking someone is part of sympathizing. It doesn't mean that you have to jump their bones, it can be completely platonic." his mother told him.