Talons

Chapter 41: The Butterball

Rhea’s POV

August came faster than I expected, and my wolf and I have put on a significant amount of weight. My grandmother went from telling me that I am too skinny and need to eat more, to telling me that I need to cálmate (take it easy). Her words didn’t hurt my feelings, but the salads she started serving me did.

I took coach Jim up on his offer, and the school has paid the rent of my apartment for another six months. The man wanted me to live on campus, but if my parents found out, they would start to question Raven, who is content living with just me and Tucker.

Once home, I check in on my fish, surprised to see that they are still alive. I had asked my sister to look after them for me, but I didn’t think she would. She had even gone as far as to clean their tank, which I’m sure contributed to their survival.

“B?” I hear, and I spin around to see Tucker. He is looking at me with a weird expression and I know it's because he is having trouble processing my changed appearance.

“I’m back,” I say playfully. I do not want him to comment on my weight and neither does Sylvia. We still have another ten pounds to add before we earnestly start with our recovery journey.

“You look… different.” He says and I shrug. He must have taken my visual cues because he changes the subject. “I took care of your fish for you. Raven wanted to let them die and replace them, but I told her you would notice.” I do not like the fact that Tucker just threw my sister under the bus, but I ignore it as an awkward response.

“Thanks,” I reply, giving him a look that is asking him to get out of my room, but he suddenly cannot read my body language. After my parents pointed out that I smelled of a human male, I have been wracking my brain about whose scent it could have been, and Tucker is the only person who makes sense.

“I missed having you around,” he says, and I don’t like that he didn't use the ‘we’ that is typical of him. “Your sister and I both,” he adds, calming my suspicion.

“Well, I am here now,” Tucker nods with a smile before walking out of my room, and I am grateful that I didn't have to ask him to leave. I might be overreacting, but I don’t want to take any chances. I can probably beat him in a fight, but I don’t want to have to.

I shut my room door and lock it, something I have never done, but I now feel is necessary. I cannot smell, and if the man’s scent is on me, I won’t know. I don’t think my sister would ever accuse me of anything, but I don’t even want the thought to cross her mind, and I make it a point to let her know what our parents picked up on as soon as possible.

Colton’s POV

It has been months and B has not been able to help me choose between Jessica and Gale. If she were a man, I have no doubts that she would be worse than me. When I described Jessica, she dismissed the woman as boring, and she wouldn’t even comment on Gale until I could at least tell her the woman’s favorite anything. 

The problem with that is Gale herself; anytime she and I are alone, she is immediately naked and moaning. I asked her what her favorite food was, and she said it was me. I don’t think she has any intention of being in a relationship, but my gamma says that he has overheard her boasting that she will be the luna of our pack.

Jessica on the other hand, has made it clear that she wants to be with me. Unfortunately, her history is a turn off. She hasn’t slept around, but I found out that she cheated on her long-term boyfriend with me.

Truthfully, that wouldn’t have bothered me if I hadn’t been told that the man worshiped her. I have never been romantic with Jessica, which means that she gave up on a man who genuinely cared for her to be with me.

I don’t have much of my own money, although Mandy is working to correct that, and the only other reason I can think for any she-wolf to choose me over someone that loved them, is rank.

I haven’t given B that information because one, it's a little too much, and two, it would make it too easy for her to figure out who I am. I recently heard Mandy mention me in conversation with B, and the girl remained silent, almost as if the very mention of my name was a taboo.

Brain only started speaking again after her cousin apologized, and even then, all she said was that she had to go. I know what the problem was even if she did not say it.

Mandy and I have become friends, and B doesn’t like that; which I don’t blame her for. If Dolton suddenly started hanging out with a person I disliked I would feel betrayed, and the same must be true for the girl I treated like trash for years.

Rhea’s POV

I walked into the study hall and the room fell so quiet that I could literally hear my own breathing. I take a deep breath before reminding the guys that I am putting on weight to bulk up. Mike is the first one to speak. He tells me that if I keep on ‘bulking’ the B in my name is going to stand for butterball. 

I laugh at his joke, and I can tell some of the guys relaxed when they confirm that my personality hasn’t changed. As long as they don’t start handing me salads, I will be fine.

There are two new students in the class, and I can tell that I am not what they were expecting. They had probably heard the guys mention me as a tiny girl, but I am far from little at the moment. Not that it should matter, but I know that my forty-pound weight gain has given me more of a presence that was previously ignored. I may be the same height, but I am definitely a different girth.

I jump straight into the lesson, pleased that the guys haven't forgotten what they have learned and even more pleased when a few of them take a second to explain the basics to the newer students. 

My phone chirps and I look to see that I have received a text from my mysterious friend. He is terrible toward his girlfriends and the fact that he has more than one is proof of that. I suddenly get the idea to ask the guys their opinion of girl A and girl B.

Like me, they are conflicted, but they are leaning toward girl A, who they say is ‘wife material,’ which must be guy code for dumb.

"Is this advice for your brother?" Mike asks. I shake my head, telling him that my brother is married. While I’m speaking, Raven calls. She knows my schedule and offered to bring me food, which I did not refuse.

Somehow, she made her way into the restricted area despite no longer being a student. I know that she thinks the guys will start being mean to me, and she wants to memorize their faces. I must admit that her actions are pointless but cute.

As soon as the door opens, a series of whistles make their way through the room and my sister gives everyone the finger, at which they laugh. She says a few words to me and leaves, ignoring the guys who, even I can admit don't really have much on Tucker except height. As far as looks are concerned, they are mostly average.

"Everyone is average to you except Jack," Sylvia says, and I shake my head at the fact that she pushed forward to say that.

She dislikes Jack, who hasn’t been a good friend to me. He reaches out whenever he is bored, and most of the time, he gives one-word responses or emoticons. I decide to ask the guys about my situation, but they are still going crazy over Raven.

"You never told us you had a sister who looks like that," Brice says, and I correct him.

"I have two sisters who look like that; Raven is a twin." The guys start asking me to show them pictures, which I do. They take my phone and start scrolling down my sister's social media account. I snatched it back when they see a photo of Raven and Robin kissing my cheeks after I was released from the hospital because I looked horrible.

I am not wearing my glasses, my eyes are puffy, and I am wearing a silly expression, which is somehow embarrassing to me. I had not known that Raven posted it, and I make a mental note to ask her to take it down. 

Some of the guys start asking about my sister’s personal life, especially Robin, who has a fitness social media account. Only after I tell them that Robin is married, and Raven is off the market do they finally relent. 

“Are you adopted?” Gavin, one of the new guys asks, which actually hurts. I don’t need reminding of how beautiful my sisters are compared to me. Colton always made sure I knew, and no one ever let me forget. 

“I just got the short end of the stick,” I say self-deprecatingly, and Mike surprises me when he orders his teammate to apologize. I feel a swell of emotion when several of the guys chime in, telling their younger teammate that his comment was unnecessary and immature. 

I start to feel uncomfortable as Gavin, who is not much older than me, starts to sink into his chair and I quickly intervene. I tell them that I am used to harsh words, and I recall a story that makes Derick, the other new student’s eyes go wide.

“Oh my god, I knew it was you.” My brow furrows at his comment. “I was in the grade under you. Someone in our school almost killed you.” Several of the athletes turn to face Derick, pressing for details. “She was the school’s walking mat,” he says. “I never saw it myself, but there were a group of boys that used to beat the crap out of her.” Mike turns toward me with an expression I haven’t seen on him before.

“Give us names,” he says plainly.