The Challenge (The Pack 2)

“What’d you do?”

“Set the bathroom on fire,” he answered promptly and my eyes almost bugged out of my head. “Just the trash,” he added hastily.

“I showed you how to start a fire in case of emergency,” I reminded him, shaking the spatula at him.

“It was an emergency!” He shouted in exasperation. “Don’t burn my eggs.”

“Don’t be such a demanding little shit,” I retorted as I turned back to his eggs and moved them around the skillet. “I can’t believe you set a bathroom on fire.” I eyed him. “I don’t know if I’m terrified or impressed.”

“Impressed,” he said, stumbling over the word slightly.

“You’re a little too smart for your britches,” I told him, scooping his eggs onto a plate. “One day that’ll get you in trouble.”

He shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth and gave me a gap toothed grin. I grabbed his chin and examined his mouth. “You lost another one,” I commented and he nodded excitedly.

“I still have it,” he said eagerly, dropping the fork and digging into his pocket. “I was waiting till I saw you before I put it under my pillow.” He shoved it into my hand and went back to his eggs as I inspected the little tooth. We both knew he’d waited because without me there was no tooth fairy and it hurt that he already knew that at the age of five, and I squeezed the little tooth until it made an indent in my skin.

“You better hope the tooth fairy knows where to find you,” I replied, making a good show of inspecting the tooth for any cavities. “There’s a lot of wolves around here, she might get eaten.”

“Wolves don’t eat tooth fairies,” he dismissed. “They eat deer, elk, moose, caribou, and bison. Occasionally, rabbits, beavers, birds and fish.”

I blinked as he rattled off the list, impressed in spite of myself. It always amazed me how smart he was considering his parentage.

“You clearly didn’t get your intelligence from Mom,” I answered and he grinned.

“I got it from you, Sissy,” he told me confidently and I didn’t correct him. He most definitely didn’t get his higher than average IQ from me, but who was I to tell him differently? “Aren’t you supposed to be at school?”

“I am,” I answered, swiping some of his eggs from his plate. “But seeing as how you showed up unexpectedly I think I’m going to be late.”

“I can go with you,” he offered and before I could reply, I heard the familiar rumble of a Jeep. He hopped off the barstool and raced to the window. His eyes grew wide when he saw the jacked up Jeep parked right in front of the door and I wondered if Dom had bothered to put the top on. He didn’t get cold like I did so the sharp bite of the weather didn’t bother him.

“Sissy,” he said uncertainly the emotion so unusual for him, I glanced over. “There’s a giant outside.”

A heavy thump followed his words and he jumped.

“Maybe you should let him in,” I replied, smiling. I only allowed it because I knew it was Dom on the other side. Jess? He whispered against my mind when the door didn’t open immediately.

One sec, I replied as Monster screwed up his courage and opened the door. Dom’s eyes met mine instantly and I saw when he realized I was across the room. He glanced down and both eyebrows lifted.

“Who are you?” They said in unison and I giggled.

“You first,” Monster retorted, straightening himself. “My house.”

Dom blinked and then proceeded to cross his arms, the muscles bulging in his tight black t-shirt. “My girl,” he replied in a low rumble. Monster quaked but didn’t back down.

“My Sissy,” he answered back, his tone clearly stating his claim trumped Dom’s.

“I’m Dominic Navarre. I’m here to pick Jess up for school.”

“You look to old to go to school,” Monster replied.

“I coach,” Dom answered through gritted teeth. “And you are?”

“Monster,” he answered promptly and with a quick glance back at me, he lowered his voice. “You have any cookies?”

Dom shot me a helpless glance and I raised my hands. “He showed up this morning,” I told Dom before adding, “And quit begging for cookies, Monster.”

“I’m just saying if he wants to date you, it’d go a lot easier for him if he gave me cookies.” He stomped back toward me as I opened the cabinet with the cookies. “It’s a guy thing.”

“Ohhhh,” I drawled, dropping a cookie in his palm and mentally counting how many I had left to bribe him with. “A guy thing. You should have said something sooner.” He crammed the cookie in his mouth and maneuvered the straps of his backpack on to his shoulders.

“I’m ready,” he told us through a mouthful of crumbs.

“Ready?” Dom mouthed helplessly.

“Monster is going to school with us today,” I answered with a shrug. “Dad is in Boise and I can’t afford to miss any more days.”