horrified. “No, thank
you,” she said with a tremor in her voice.
Reed barely managed to suppress a snicker. Living around
carnivores, he’d gotten used to all sorts of diets, including the smell of
cooked eggs. Personally, he didn’t eat them or any meal which used
them as ingredients. As a swan-shifter, he wasn’t fond of the idea of
eating another bird’s prospective offspring. But he understood how
things worked, and he’d long ago stopped being bothered by the
scents. Obviously, it wasn’t the case with Norma, who lived in a
somewhat isolated swan community.
But annoying as she might be, she was still his grandmother, and
he owed her a modicum of respect. “Would you like to step into the
living room? The air is clear there.”
“Yes, Reed. That would be great.”
80
Scarlet Hyacinth
Reed led her into Anson’s living room, a lovely, cozy area with a
distinct lived-in look. He had instantly fallen in love with the place
ever since he’d first seen it. The muted, but manly colors simply
screamed Anson. There were books, the occasional adornments, and
even a couple of paintings. It felt like home.
Of course, it was nothing like the swans’ place in their valley, but
to her credit, his grandmother didn’t make any comment. As Reed
nodded toward a couch, she gingerly sat down, her back as stiff as a
board.
“How’s Grandfather?” Reed asked in the awkward silence.
“Grumpy,” Norma replied. “He refused to come with me.
According to him, you’re old enough to make your own choices now,
and you have your parents here to take care of you.”
Well, it looked like at least Reed’s grandfather had the right idea.
“That’s true,” Reed replied. “So you see, you can go be with him
because I can handle myself just fine.”
“I wish that were true, but from what I’ve seen so far, I’d think
that it isn’t at all the case.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What is
this madness you’re doing? Mating with a man that’s more than twice
your age? Your father’s ex, no less. And he turns out to have another
mate, and a son. God, Reed, what are you thinking?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Reed said, irritated that he always had to come
back to the same issues. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but Aria is
not Anson’s mate. And Paris is a great guy. We’re friends now. So
you can just go home and rest assured that everything’s fine here.”
His grandmother blinked in shock. “You’re throwing me out. Is
that it?”
“Grandmother…What do you expect me to say?” Reed suddenly
felt very tired. “Anson is my mate, and I love him. This is our house,
and eventually, if not now, we’ll want to raise our own kids in it. And
yet you and almost everyone else are stuck into the past, as if Anson
still lives twenty years back and not in the present. I’m so sick of it
The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf
81
that you can’t imagine. You should be happy for me, not try to
sabotage me.”
“Reed, you have to understand. Anson is not just any man, and
when we received word of this new development…I just had to
come.”
To a certain extent, Reed did understand. Norma had never liked
Anson. It all originated from Shiloh’s jealousy, something which
Reed couldn’t blame his dad for, especially not now. He was used to
seeing Anson with Liam, so he thought nothing of it, but his blood
boiled whenever Aria got within fifteen feet of his mate. He supposed
it might just be swan nature that made them so possessive.
“Thank you for your concern,” he said. “But you have to trust me
over a stranger. Aria does not mean well. She’s just causing trouble
for me and trying to steal Anson. But I won’t let her.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Reed bid his mate to enter.
Anson peeked inside with an almost-sheepish smile on his face.
“A brief word with you, Mrs. Holden?” he asked.
Reed’s grandmother nodded, and Anson stepped into the
you,” she said with a tremor in her voice.
Reed barely managed to suppress a snicker. Living around
carnivores, he’d gotten used to all sorts of diets, including the smell of
cooked eggs. Personally, he didn’t eat them or any meal which used
them as ingredients. As a swan-shifter, he wasn’t fond of the idea of
eating another bird’s prospective offspring. But he understood how
things worked, and he’d long ago stopped being bothered by the
scents. Obviously, it wasn’t the case with Norma, who lived in a
somewhat isolated swan community.
But annoying as she might be, she was still his grandmother, and
he owed her a modicum of respect. “Would you like to step into the
living room? The air is clear there.”
“Yes, Reed. That would be great.”
80
Scarlet Hyacinth
Reed led her into Anson’s living room, a lovely, cozy area with a
distinct lived-in look. He had instantly fallen in love with the place
ever since he’d first seen it. The muted, but manly colors simply
screamed Anson. There were books, the occasional adornments, and
even a couple of paintings. It felt like home.
Of course, it was nothing like the swans’ place in their valley, but
to her credit, his grandmother didn’t make any comment. As Reed
nodded toward a couch, she gingerly sat down, her back as stiff as a
board.
“How’s Grandfather?” Reed asked in the awkward silence.
“Grumpy,” Norma replied. “He refused to come with me.
According to him, you’re old enough to make your own choices now,
and you have your parents here to take care of you.”
Well, it looked like at least Reed’s grandfather had the right idea.
“That’s true,” Reed replied. “So you see, you can go be with him
because I can handle myself just fine.”
“I wish that were true, but from what I’ve seen so far, I’d think
that it isn’t at all the case.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What is
this madness you’re doing? Mating with a man that’s more than twice
your age? Your father’s ex, no less. And he turns out to have another
mate, and a son. God, Reed, what are you thinking?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Reed said, irritated that he always had to come
back to the same issues. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but Aria is
not Anson’s mate. And Paris is a great guy. We’re friends now. So
you can just go home and rest assured that everything’s fine here.”
His grandmother blinked in shock. “You’re throwing me out. Is
that it?”
“Grandmother…What do you expect me to say?” Reed suddenly
felt very tired. “Anson is my mate, and I love him. This is our house,
and eventually, if not now, we’ll want to raise our own kids in it. And
yet you and almost everyone else are stuck into the past, as if Anson
still lives twenty years back and not in the present. I’m so sick of it
The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf
81
that you can’t imagine. You should be happy for me, not try to
sabotage me.”
“Reed, you have to understand. Anson is not just any man, and
when we received word of this new development…I just had to
come.”
To a certain extent, Reed did understand. Norma had never liked
Anson. It all originated from Shiloh’s jealousy, something which
Reed couldn’t blame his dad for, especially not now. He was used to
seeing Anson with Liam, so he thought nothing of it, but his blood
boiled whenever Aria got within fifteen feet of his mate. He supposed
it might just be swan nature that made them so possessive.
“Thank you for your concern,” he said. “But you have to trust me
over a stranger. Aria does not mean well. She’s just causing trouble
for me and trying to steal Anson. But I won’t let her.”
A knock sounded at the door, and Reed bid his mate to enter.
Anson peeked inside with an almost-sheepish smile on his face.
“A brief word with you, Mrs. Holden?” he asked.
Reed’s grandmother nodded, and Anson stepped into the
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