The Paranormal Council: Complete Series

Chapter 11

ARI

Ari pushed her food around her plate, not feeling particularly hungry. While Bjorn had kissed her goodbye, and promised to be waiting for her when she got home, she couldn’t ignore the hurt she’d seen in his eyes when she hadn’t immediately said he could come with her. Everyone thought that Bjorn was all tough exterior, but she knew better. He actually had one of the kindest hearts she’d ever encountered, and she’d hated leaving him the way she had that morning.

“Ari, are you listening?” Her Mum broke through her brooding and she had to think back quickly to try to remember what they were talking about, but unfortunately, she kept coming up blank.

“Sorry Mum, what did you say?” she asked with a smile, hoping her Mum would forgive her lapse in attention.

“Ari’s too busy thinking about a man,” Christine teased, causing her Mum’s expression to change from one of frustration, to one of shocked excitement.

“Really?”

“I was just teasing,” Christine amended quickly, after noticing how uncomfortable Ari looked.

“Is it Kumo? He’s got a bit of a reputation, but he’s a handsome one, and from a good family,” her Mum prattled on, making Ari pull a face of disgust that only Christine saw. She was probably lucky that her Dad and brothers were too interested in their food to be paying any attention to any discussion about Ari’s love life.

“No, Mum…” she started, meaning to tell her about Bjorn.

“Craven then? He’s a little on the grey side, but with your colouring, the pups will be a beautiful colour.”

“Mum…” Ari tried again, but she could see from the light in her eyes that she wasn’t going to stop.

“Oh, and I think one of his sisters might be perfect for Brandon.” Her brother looked up at the sound of his name, but looked away quickly when he noticed both of his sisters shaking their heads and giving him warning looks.

“Diana, that’s enough,” her Dad interrupted and Ari shot him a grateful look.

“I only want to know what fox we’ll be inviting into our family, George.” Ari’s heart sank. Even though her Mum was listing the fox shifters she’d grown up living around, she’d still been secretly hoping that she’d moved past her insistence on Ari mating with another fox. After all, Christine had already done just that. While Ari had never asked her twin if it was a true mating or not, she seemed happy and she’d been blessed with children, so it seemed likely that it was.

“And she’ll tell us in her own time.” Her Dad spoke calmly, knowing how best to approach these situations. Her parents looked at each other with genuine smiles, though Ari knew that it hadn’t always been that way. It had taken her Dad years to convince her Mum that she didn’t have to wait on him hand and foot, but as that had been what she’d been brought up to believe, and it had been hard work to make her see that she didn’t have to act that way. In fact, her Dad’s past show of patience and support seemed very similar to the way that Bjorn had waited for her. That thought finally brought a smile to her face, along with a knowing look from Christine.

“Whoever he is, he’s a lucky fox.” Her Mum clapped her hands together.

“Mum…” her smile fell, and she knew that really it was going to have to be now or never.

“Yes, Ari?” She smiled and put a forkful of food in her mouth, chewing slowly as she waited for Ari to continue.

“What if he isn’t a fox?” Her Mum’s fork clattered against her plate as she dropped it, and even her brothers stopped eating to pay attention. Christine and her Dad both looked interested, but their expressions were nothing like the one on her Mum’s face. Christine nodded and gave Ari a small smile, making her wonder just what she knew. Shifter social circles weren’t large, and if someone had been talking…well her relationship with Bjorn might not be as secret as she thought it was.

“Well why wouldn’t he be? There’s plenty of nice fox shifters for you to choose from, it’s not like you need to look elsewhere.”

“Diana…” her Dad warned, but it was too late. Tears were welling up in Ari’s eyes, spurred on by her Mum’s backwards attitude.

“Don’t Diana me. It’s true.”

“So, you won’t accept me with someone that isn’t a fox?” Ari asked, just about keeping the tears at bay. She chided herself, feeling ridiculous for being so weak. She could hold her own in the courtroom and make other shifters almost quiver in fear in the Council chamber, but when it came to her Mum’s prejudice, it was everything she could do to keep it together.

“I don’t see why we’d have to,” she replied, not even looking at Ari. Christine gestured to get Ari’s attention, mouthing words at her in an attempt to get her to leave before she said anything else.

“Mum, did you know that Evan shifted for the first time?” Christine asked, drawing their parent’s attention to her litter. Ari pushed back her chair as quietly as she could and fled the room while her Mum was distracted. Though Christine’s distraction hadn’t worked on their Dad, and she could feel him watching her as she left the room. She knew he was concerned, but given the tears that were threatening to fall, it was probably best that she didn’t turn around to reassure him.