Fire Proof

Chapter Seven

"Red." I answer, even though I'm pretty sure she already could guess that. "Rubrum."

She smiles so wide I could count her teeth. "Is that Latin for red?" I nod. "Oh, it's such a pretty word!"

I giggle slightly at her enthusiasm. "I guess. What about you?"

"My favorite color?" She looks startled I asked. "Mine is indigo. Like the night sky."

"Pretty." I whisper.

"How long were you in the woods?"

I freeze, not expecting the topic jump.

"Sorry! That one isn't necessarily on the easy, gentle side, is it? You don't have to answer. Here: what's your favorite animal?"

I open my mouth three of four times before I close my eyes and decide what to say. I have to blurt it before I change my mind.

"Four years."

She blinks until understanding lights up her face. And then sympathy overtakes it. "You were on your own for four years?" I nod in confirmation. She lowers her voice to a whisper, "What happened? Never mind, you don't have to answer that. You've already taken a big step."

"I—" I start when a jarring knock on the front door cuts me off and makes me jump.

"Oh! The Addams are here! Mason, will you get that?" She hops up and then glances at my plate of untouched food with concern. "Are you not hungry?"

I shrug. "What is it?"

She smiles and points to the meat strips first and then the yellow fluff. "That's bacon. It comes from pigs and is fatty and delicious. And those are scrambled eggs. They come from chicken."

Chickens lay eggs. Good to know.

I take a bite of both, deciding I like the eggs better than the meat. I think I just miss the meat from home.

"Hello, Mason." A deep voice makes my head snap to the front door.

I see Jasmin's son dip his head in a slight bow. "Alpha." He runs back over to Jupiter, sitting down beside him.

"Hello!" Jasmin says cheerily as she reaches the front door where four people have come into view.

There are two girls and two boys. It's obvious that two are the parents and two are their children. This must be the Alpha Family. I make no move to push myself over there. I just observe from my spot at the table.

Jasmin leads them to the living room and they take a seat on the couches. She offers them drinks, and they all ask for waters.

The family looks strikingly similar to each other, each kid taking after one parent. They all have silky, raven black hair and fairly pale skin. However, while the parents have deep, dark eyes, their children have neither. The girl has pretty ice blue eyes, but I can't get a good look at the boy's.

The boy is taller than his parents, and very well built. The girl is taller than I would be standing up, and she's got muscle, but she's still on the petite side.

The girl smiles at my brother, showing pearly white teeth. She tries to talk to him but he keeps his mouth tightly shut and his eyes neutral. I hold in a chuckle.

Jasmin returns to the living room with the waters and sits in a chair across from them. No one seems to acknowledge me yet.

"I'm glad you brought your children! I think Kiara might be around Azari's age. It'll be good for her to meet people outside of the doctor's and this house."