Masked SheWolf (MSW book 1)

Chapter 29 - Michael

I pout. "That's because I cleaned out all the eggshells."

No one says anything for a moment. They don't know what to make of my behavior, and I can't force myself to say something anymore. Wordlessly, I take my usual seat at the table and wait for them to follow my lead. Surprising me yet again, Daniel is the first to join me on the chair to my right. Mason then takes my left and the rest follow.

Needless to say, breakfast is incredibly awkward. All I hear for an entire ten minutes is the intensified sound of chewing and the clinking of the utensils on plates. I've never paid attention before to how loudly my brothers chew their food.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Nate finally speaks up, "but I can't ignore the elephant in the room much longer. Mickey, are you going to tell us what happened yesterday or what?"

"Nathan!" Mom scolds.

I almost expect someone else to shut him up too, but my mom is the only one to object. I guess they're all as curious as he is, just not as nosy. Especially Dad... he is staring at me silently, waiting for answers.

Don't think, don't think, I remind myself.

"I just needed some air," I say. "I didn't expect to be out so long or I would have taken my phone with me. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Damn right we were worried," Dad replies, somehow beginning to get angry. "You were gone so long that by the time we thought to go after you, there wasn't even a trail to follow. You could have warned us before leaving so we wouldn't be scared shit-less that something's happened to you. We thought you were kidnapped for God's sake!"

Wow, I think to myself in disappointment. Nothing's changed, huh?

Even when I could have been dead for all they knew, it's still somehow my fault.

"Sweetie, why were you crying?" Mom asks softly when I don't say more.

"And what happened to your head?" Nate adds. "You look like you landed on a rock."

I glare at him. "That's exactly what happened, so don't joke about it," I retort.

The wound itself is healed, but it must have been deeper than I thought because the scar is not gone yet. Plus, I don't think I cleaned the blood off yet.

"Dylan," Mom forcibly calls my attention back to her. "Why were you crying?"

Gulping, I say the first thing that comes to mind. "It was just a little too much for me to handle. I need some time, that's all."

The tone of my voice is certainly enough to back me up; I sound as tired as I feel, although not for the reason I'm making it out to be. Right now is not the time to feel guilty about lying to my family, though. Besides, I really do need space, and it really is too much for me.

However, I have to face it at some point, and right now, I've given them enough reason to leave me be and allow me to think in peace.

I'm going to have to face this sooner or later, so might as well go do it now while I can get some privacy, I decide, resigned.

"I need to take a shower," I announce and begin to stand up.

My father stops me. "Wait," he says. "Before you go, your mother and I would just like you to know that, although we don't like it, we're going to trust your judgment concerning Sadie and Cade. I still think it's dangerous, but if you trust them, I will learn to live with that."

Speechless, I stare at him for a bit, then nod and hurriedly leave the table. Five minutes later, I'm standing under the scalding water, trying to gather my thoughts. When I allow myself to think, a surge of emotions and ideas rush through me and make it impossible for me to really focus. I want to cry again, but I still don't know why, and I can't process the jumble of things going through my mind to be able to make sense of anything.