envenoMATE

4. Served for Dinner

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Four.

Adina stared at her reflection in the dimly lit bathroom. The walls were an Egyptian looking brown while the tan, tiled floor carried a pyramid theme. Exotic looking - and surprisingly real - mini tree-like plants reached from the carved holes in the ground where they were planted up to the curved and rustic red ceiling. Heady spices filled the air with a pleasant but overpowering smell, but try as she might, Adina could not find the scent’s source.

“Is she all right?” Dorian, the youngest of the three siblings asked, following his sister’s gaze to the hallway leading to the restrooms.

“I don’t know. I’ll give her one more minute before I go check on her,” Becky said automatically, her mind also wondering if everything was okay.

“This is why you should not have invited her,” Daniel scowled, tracing his sharp steak knife over the menu’s designs.

With a gentle frown, Becky diverted her cool green eyes to her eldest brother. “What are you talking about? You said--”

“I know what I said,” he cut her off, lifting his slate blue eyes to her face for emphasis. “I said, ‘We don’t need any distractions right now.’”

“And she’s a distraction?” Becky asked skeptically.

“We should be talking about hunting right now, but we’re talking about her. We should be eating, but we’re waiting for her. How is she not a distraction? Becky," Daniel's voice softened, but he leaned forward with a stern look in his grey eyes. "We moved here for business, for a job. In case you forgot, what we do isn't for the average person."

"And you think she's average?" Becky shot back.

"It doesn't take a Were to smell the naivety that rolls of her in waves. We can't drag her into this, and there's no way we can take the time off or expend the effort necessary to keep her separated from out world. It's her or the hunt, Beks."

“There’s more to life than,” Becky paused, making sure to not raise her voice too loud. “There’s more to life than hunting, Dan. Most of my memories of mom and dad were of them leaving us to go hunt. I want more than that for the rest of my remaining family.”

“They went to provide for us, to make us safe, to make the world safer. What greater memory could you want? They died honorably.”

Becky closed her eyes with a sigh. “Please, Dan, I need this. She’s normal. She’s young. She’s innocent, for all things! I don’t know. I guess I just want to be able to feel like I was that way again. I've been living in this life of blood and guts and vengeance for too long. I've forgotten what it used to be like.”

“So you’re using her?” Dorian asked confusedly, knowing such a thing wasn’t in his sister’s nature.

Becky threw a glare at him. “No,” she bit back disgustedly. “I just want . . .” Becky sighed. They didn't understand the full ramifications of what she had gone through, of what she had caused. In a way, Adina reminded Becky of herself in her younger days, before Redrick screwed everything up. Becky would give anything to have that time back, but she couldn't. She could, however, protect Adina, and make sure nothing happened to her.

"You want what, Becky?" Dorian repeated gently, his watchful eyes easily picking up on the memories and discomfort in his sister's green gaze. They were both surprised when Daniel answered.

“To be there for her? Guard her? Protect her?” Daniel scowled. He was snarling and digging his knife into the menu, scarring the laminated exterior.