Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,29
cat beds tucked throughout the house, and I had installed a kitty hammock on one of the windows in my room. He had a view of a giant maple, where we had hung a bird feeder. Cat TV never failed to entertain.
I danced him around the kitchen—no small feat, given he weighed fifteen pounds—while waiting for Angel to get off the phone so I could find out what was going on. I was nosy, yes, but that’s the way we were. Best friends since we were eight, we knew almost every secret the other possessed, and considered ourselves closer than blood kin.
She finally set her phone down. “Well, that was interesting.”
“What’s up?” I set Mr. Rumblebutt down. He was starting to squirm, and when I let him go, he raced over to his food dish and gave me the stink-eye. Apparently, he wasn’t the waltzing type.
“Cooper had a meeting with the school today.”
“DJ isn’t in trouble again, is he?”
She shook her head. “He’s kept his nose clean since the incident last fall. But they just finished a round of tests and DJ scored so high that they first wanted to skip him a year ahead. But he’s small enough that they’re leery about allowing him to enter middle school. He’s already skipped one grade, and they’re worried that he might get picked on if they just advance him again. So Cooper talked to the Rainier Forest Academy for the Gifted, and long story short, DJ’s been accepted. He’s moving over to the new school this fall. He’ll be among intellectual peers, and he’ll be challenged by the material in a way that just doesn’t happen now. There are several shifters who go there, so he’s not going to be alone in terms of coping with being a wolf shifter nearing puberty.” She looked delighted. “I’m so proud of him!”
“You should be. The boy is brilliant. I’ve always told you that. You watch. DJ’s going to grow up and cure cancer or something of the sort. I hope he enjoys the new school. Do you think he’ll mind leaving his friends?”
She shook her head. “He can see them after school and on weekends. You know, I always wanted to send him to a private school, but no way could I ever afford it. I asked Cooper if it was expensive—you and I both know it is—but he just said not to worry. My little brother’s going to have every opportunity Mama J. and I wanted for him, but couldn’t give him.” Her face was lit up like it was Yuletide morning.
I gave her a long hug. “I’m so happy for both you and DJ. Tell him I’m cheering him on, will you?” I paused. “Is the school still in Washington state?”
She nodded. “Yes, actually. It’s not too far from where Cooper lives, so DJ won’t have to board out. Cooper said the closer DJ gets to puberty, the more important it is that he spends time with the family pack. And DJ’s integrated into their family, so they truly are his pack.” She let out a sigh. “I’m happy for him, but it still feels like every day he moves a little farther from me. I’m afraid one day we’ll be strangers. But if this is going to help him as much as Cooper and the school think it will, then I have to let go.”
“DJ will always remember he has a sister, Angel.” I slid my arm around her waist as we walked up the stairs. “Never fear that. You’ll always be his sister, no matter what.”
The next morning I took extra care with my clothes and makeup. Today was the parley and I wasn’t about to walk into a room with two women who thought I was a pathetic piece of trash dressed to give them more ammo. I said I didn’t care what they thought of me, but I didn’t want them taking any more potshots at me than they already did.
I chose a pair of black jeans that were so new they were still stiff, then paired them with a teal corset top. The back was already laced. All I had to do was zip up the front. I put on a strapless bra, then the corset, and then wrapped a silver belt around my waist. My hair was looking good. Raven black, it coiled in long, looping waves down to my mid-back. I gathered it up into a high ponytail, smoothing it as I wrapped a