As I'm working on this chapter, the TLC novella has been recently released. I haven't read it yet but I've been seeing some mixed reviews about it. As I'm publishing this chapter, it's sitting on my Amazon wishlist.

Hungry Like the Wolf: Part Three

Kai walks out of the kitchen pantry tying an apron he found in there while looking for something to cook. He didn't realize it was decorated in various herbs that he can't name until he put it on because it smelled like mothballs and packaged rice. Would've been nice if it smelled like sage. He did catch the gift tag, reading that it was a wedding gift that Mallory probably never use given its pristine condition.

Kai doesn't remember seeing her use an apron. He does recall being a child sitting in Torin and Mallory's living room. The floor was carpeted back then but it's not anymore. He was watching cartoons while his mother and Mallory were sitting on the couch behind him, surrounded by wedding gifts. His mother and Mallory were going through her and Torin's wedding gifts after coming back from their honeymoon.

Kai didn't pay much attention unless he heard cheers or laughs that caused him to turn around. Mallory was more present in those memories. Her voice, her laugh, and her movements are more vivid than his mother's, but that's probably because she's alive and he lives with her so that Kai could put a face and voice to a person. He could fill in the blanks based on what he knows today.

His mother has always been a blurred shadow, a presence taking residence at the back of his mind. She's more so a myth than his mother.

From the outside, if nobody knew his history, Kai looks like Torin and Mallory's planned child and the twins are miraculous accidents that came when they claimed they were done having kids. Little do strangers know that Kai was the kid dropped on their doorstep by the power of a final will and the twins were planned IVF babies.

"Kai!"

Kai snaps back into reality when he sees the twins running into the kitchen. He had to pick them up from school and make them dinner since Torin and Mallory were both working late.

Kai did say he became free childcare when he moved in with them.

"We're hungry," Skylar says as she and Quinn sit at the table.

"Is Cinder coming over?" Quinn asks.

"After work," Kai responds as he goes back into the pantry to look for something to make. He caught the twins smiling when he mentioned Cinder was coming over and he can't blame them because he's always happy thinking about her.

The twins smile and Kai can relate. He always smiles thinking of Cinder.

"Are you two going to kiss or something?" Skylar asks.

Kai's cheeks burn and he clears his throat. "Sky, you can't ask that."

"He's so kissing her," Quinn whispers.

-o-

Thorne planned the perfect date.

He and Cress both like eating so he made sure to pick a restaurant with the best food. Cress likes studying and he likes "studying," so he chose a restaurant where patrons were free to bring their work and chill for as long as they wanted. Thorne likes annoying Scarlet and Cress is friends with her, so The Rampion during Scarlet's shift makes for the best date.

The entertainment for the night is Scarlet putting on her fakest customer service smile and voice when her boss is running the cash and has a good view of her. He isn't in sight at the moment so he knows Scarlet would try throwing some jabs.

"This is like when Wolf took you on a date to watch me fail a math test," Thorne tells her as Scarlet stands outside their booth.

Scarlet smiles since that was their first date which happened after they got together.

"That was, like, a year ago," Scarlet argues. "Completely different circumstances. You didn't do a test so you had to write it outside school hours. Wolf and I were outside of your test-taking zone merely observing your struggle. You are being served in my workplace."

Thorne smiles, his heart beating faster as Cress softly laughs from behind a notebook. She's sitting on the cushioned seats with her knees up to her chest, her eyes peeking from the other side of her notes, eyes looking back and forth between her boyfriend and friend.

"And it took me this long to come up with a revenge plan," Thorne says. "Now you work for me."

Scarlet fake smiles for him, gripping her notepad and pen in her hands as she opens it. Her boss has just rounded the kitchen and is now helping someone at the register.

"So," she says, looking at Thorne with a plastered smile, "what can I get you kids started with tonight?"

"We'll just have some waters," Thorne says, looking at Cress.

Cress nods. "Yeah, water works."

"Alright," Scarlet scribbles something on her notepad, going all over the page.

She definitely wasn't writing anything since it wasn't hard to remember two glasses of water. Thorne has seen Scarlet memorize a whole diner's worth of orders, big families celebrating and wanting details to their orders. No tomatoes, extra pickles, sauce on the side, to-go boxes.

Thorne grows worried when he sees Scarlet get behind the counter and her boss walks up to a customer's table, back turned from Scarlet.

"How much are you going to tip?" Cress asks.

"Depends on my experience and service," Thorne jokes.

Scarlet returns with a glass of water for Cress and a cup of ice for Thorne. He examines his glass and there isn't a drop of water in it except for condensation forming on the outside and now a rim on the table.

"What is this?" Thorne asks.

"Wait for it to melt and you'll have your water," Scarlet says in her perky waitress voice that's sourer this time. She takes out her notepad and pen again. "Anything to eat?"

"Would you recommend the black bean and cheese soft taco?" Cress asks.

"If you're vegetarian and have low expectations," Scarlet responds, shaking her head so fast.

"Then no."

"I figured you'd give it a shot since you're dating Thorne and like how that's going."

Cress is taken aback but Thorne laughs and raises his cup of ice to Scarlet. She holds up her pointer finger and rushes off to another table where a man is signalling for her.

"You're a bad influence," Cress jokes.

Thorne slides in closer to her. "I never claimed to be a good one. You know this cup of ice is doing us a favour."

"How so?"

"We gotta wait for this to melt before I can even think of drinking it. More time for us to maybe study."

Cress's cheeks burn as Thorne puts his arm around her shoulders and opens the menu for them both.

"I might get the black bean and cheese soft taco just to bother her," Thorne says.

"Don't you think she would change your order if you asked for anything else, and then gave you the taco instead?"

Thorne traces the rim of his ice cup. "You know what, Crescent Moon, that's a very good point. We should just order it anyways."

"Also, it looks good."

"For your low expectations?" He laughs softly before kissing the side of her head.