Chapter 4

“I hate my parents.”

“I love your parents.” Eva looked at her friend, Tara, in disgust. Tara had her eyes glued on Eva’s parents.

Tara was one of the few people in the pack that Eva called her friend. She was the same age as Eva, with skin as dark as dark chocolate, a thick afro, black eyes, full lips, and a soft, curvaceous body.

“You know, I’m very sure if I look close enough, I’d see hearts formed in your eyes.” Tara made no response. Eva shook her head, giving up trying to tear her friend’s eyes from her parents, who were making a spectacle of themselves.

“Can you guys wrap it up already?” Eva rolled her eyes. “I’m this close to plucking my eyes out.” She said, holding her thumb and index finger together, with just an inch between them.

“Your mother’s going to be away for a week at most, and I’m going to be stuck in this house with you. Don’t blame me for wanting to hold on to her longer.” Eva’s dad, Diego, sassed back, his head on his mate’s.

Eva gasped in shock. “How dare you?”

Temi detangled herself from her mate’s hands. “Okay, break it off, both of you, before you start arguing again. I’ve never met a father and daughter who love each other so much but argue like siblings all the time.” She said in amusement. Eva stuck her tongue at her father, and he returned the gesture. Temi smiled endearingly at them.

“Eva is just jealous she doesn’t have a mate, Mrs. Rodrigo.” Tara joked at the expense of her friend, causing both parents to laugh, while Eva looked at her in betrayal.

“Well, maybe if she spent less time being Mother’s favourite, she’ll find a mate.” Temi gave her daughter a pointed look, which she ignored. “Also, I’ve told you not to call me Mrs. Rodrigo. Temi is just fine.” Temi scolded her daughter’s friend softly.

Tara blushed at the reprimand. She rubbed her neck nervously. “It just feels weird calling you your name.” She murmured.

“It’s the African in you.” Temi provided an answer. “How about you still do the African thing and call me Aunty Temi instead.” She suggested, to which Tara nodded enthusiastically. “It’s settled then,” Temi told the young wolf.

Eva rolled her eyes at her mother and friend’s conversation. Tara was her mum’s biggest fan girl. “I’m more upset that we don’t get to follow you guys on this hunt like we were supposed to.” Eva whined.

Tara’s smile wiped off her face. “Yeah, that’s true. I don’t know why they can’t just let us follow them. It’s the only training we haven't done yet.” Eva watched as her friend regained her dorky persona.

“I’m sure Mother has her reasons.” Temi tried to calm the two girls. “She was the one that suggested your class come with us on our next hunt, yet she changed her mind last minute. So I’m sure there’s a logical reason.” Both girls nodded sadly. Temi held back a chuckle. Though they were twenty-one, she still saw them as her children.

“I was looking forward to seeing how the hunters from our pack worked with the hunters from other packs in Damonda Forest.” Tara mumbled with downcast eyes.

Eva gave her friend a pointed look. “More like you were hoping to see the male hunters and hoping your mate would be one of them.”

Tara’s eyes widened. She looked at both of Eva’s parents. “Eva is lying. I just want to go so I can see how the hunting is done.” She panicked. All three wolves just stared at her in silence.

Diego was the one to break the silence by laughing. “It’s okay, Tara, no need to be embarrassed. It just shows you’re a multitasker. You learn about hunting while hunting for your mate.”

Eva and her mother laughed while Tara just stared at the floor in embarrassment. She shot a look at Eva that said you’d pay for this later.

“I wish Eva could be interested in multitasking too,” Temi interjected, giving her daughter a death stare.

Eva groaned. “Please don’t start, Mummy Carmen. Papa, please sort your mate out. Tara and I need to go somewhere.” She said, “I’ll miss you, Mama. I love you, bye.” She hugged her mum, waved both parents goodbye, and dragged a confused Tara with her.

Tara stumbled behind Eva. “Wait- what? Need to go somewhere? Where is this place? I didn’t even get to tell your mum bye. Bye, Aunty Temi.” Tara turned to wave at her friend’s mum while Eva continued dragging her away. “The least you can do is slow down so I don’t fall. You’ve got longer legs than I do.” Eva ignored her.

They finally stopped at the training grounds. Eva dropped Tara’s hand. “You could have just told me to follow you, you know,” Tara said, rubbing her sore wrists.

“Sorry, babe. I just needed to skidaddle before my mum starts her mate-talk.” Eva explained. She saw Tara rubbing her wrists and went to her. “Fuck! Sorry, babe.” She said in remorse.

Tara waved her friend off. “It’s fine, my body is already healing. Why did you drag us here?” She waved at the training grounds.

Eva shrugged. “I don’t know. I had no destination in mind actually. I just wanted to leave my mum.”

Tara pursed her lips and folded her hands on her chest. “And your feet brought you to training grounds? At least your feet admits it’s obsessed with training.”

“Fuck off.” Eva shook her head, laughing.

Tara looked at her friend knowingly. “So, what is it?”

“What is what?“ Eva asked, confused. She sat on the grass-trimmed ground, and Tara sat beside her.

“Don’t give me that. You’ve been off all day. What’s wrong?” Tara asked in concern.

Eva just shrugged again, then released a long sigh when Tara gave her an unimpressed look. “I don’t know really, I’ve just been put out since last night. I can’t really tell what the reason is. It’s like I feel scared and anxious, yet I don’t know why.” She rubbed the spot between her eyes, feeling a headache forming from trying to figure out her emotions.

“Last night? Do you think it was the thing with Thomas?” Tara guessed.

“What? No,” Eva rolled her eyes. “That little boy doesn’t scare me. He was just spoiling for a fight last night and got angry when I ignored him.” Eva rolled her eyes at the memory. Thomas had been bumping into her on purpose while Mother announced to them that they weren’t going to follow the hunting group. She had ignored him, more bumped out at the announcement than at the death stare he was giving her.

“I worry about his obvious dislike of you sometimes,” Tara confessed. “I hope he doesn’t do something he’ll regret one day.”

Eva shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s his business. Let’s just hope they come back with cool supplies from the human world. That’s the only thing I like from that weird-smelling place.”