Trifecta: Ice [Complete]

Ch 30: Not Losing Ground

I was having a really good time at Matthias's house, relative to how I was usually feeling.

His party this year was not like the ones I had bullied him into having with our friends, rather this was an Allen clan gathering in full force, brought to life by his mother's clear concern about Matthias's wellbeing.

The chaos of the room did not bother me as much as I might have predicted.  The curse felt very neutral about members of my old pack and it seemed to have difficulty keeping up specific punishments with all the noise and movement around me.

What if someone did say something disparaging about Serge?  Someone else was commenting on the flavour of cake and someone else was trying to balance a spoon on their nose at the same time.  The curse's attention was spread as thinly as mine.

The curse contented itself with only punishing me with icy shivers if I said, did, or thought the wrong things, or if I dared to get a little bit too happy for a lowly thrall. So, all in all, pretty good as prepared to my new normal.

Matthias' family had always been welcoming to me and after almost a couple decades of hanging around they treated me like just another member of the family with one small exception.

For the last few years, none of them seemed capable of comprehending that Matthias and I were just friends.

No one ever actually said anything directly to me, but I would have to have been completely oblivious not to spot the considering looks, or occasionally overhear the little comments with which they would periodically jab Matthias.

The disgusted expression on his face when someone prodded him about me was enough to keep me from ever imagining we could be anything more than we currently were.

He was attractive, so of course once or twice I had considered what it would be like to be something beyond friends, but I was hardly going to pressure him into a relationship he would not want.

I had always been careful to keep myself from thinking about Matthias in the wrong way, because that was a recipe for ruining what we already had.

I imagined I was too much like his sister for him not to be revolted.  I did not take it personally.  I was perfectly happy with him as we were.

A pleasant warmth filled me with the familiarity of being surrounded by Matthias and his family.

* *  *   *   *   *   *  * *

I spent some time talking to Ruth.  She brought me up to speed on some of what had been going on in our pack and then she went to get something she could use to write her satellite number down.  We could not directly put them into our phones, because I had not brought mine along.

When I had tried to grab it on the way out, my hand had felt like I was touching frozen pins.  I considered forcing myself to take it anyway, but I did not want to make Serge wait for me so I abandoned it on my desk and left.

While Ruth was gone, Ernie sat down.  I could tell he was trying to impress me or something.  I just humoured him.

I kept glancing at Matthias across the table.  He did not look like he was enjoying his party.  I smiled through the lingering ice at what a curmudgeon my friend could be.

Ernie told me I was looking good, but he forgot to add the subtext "for a thrall".

He kept talking and I responded sort of automatically.  I saw Matthias get up on the other side of the table.

Ruth returned.  "Here," she said, slipping a piece of paper into my hands.  "Text me if you need anything."

"Th-thanks."