into his face.
Wow.
“How dare you! I raised you! I fed you! I always loved you, and that’s what you have for me now that I'm ill? Neglecting me wasn’t enough? You want to spite me too?” She cried, sucking in breath as if she were about to break down. “If your father saw this, he’d be so ashamed of you!”
Radek was still shocked by the sudden aggression that ended up with tea soaking into his clothes. He slowly rubbed his face dry with his sleeve and got up. “You don’t need me to prove you’re crazy. I don’t know how Mrs. Irena bears with you. We don’t pay her enough.”
Mother’s shoulders were rising and falling as she stared at him, eyes wild, and while she was furious, it was surprising to see her pale. “I don’t see why we have to employ a stranger when my own son lives locally. It’s not like you have come up with anything sensible you might want to do with your life, have you? You made a mess of the farm, forced others to work so that your ideas come to life, but you still spend your days lazing around!”
Radek grabbed the jacket and hugged it to feel safer with Yev’s scent. “I’ve sent out lots of CVs, so no need to worry about me.” Another lie. He had no idea what he wanted for his future. He used to think something would come up, but while that plan had some merit in a big city, he doubted prospects would magically fly his way in Dybukowo. Without the farm bringing profit, his inheritance would dry up, and his carefree days would be over. The skin above his lips felt itchy, and he scratched it nervously.
“Of course you did,” Mom said in a tone that suggested she saw through his lies. “Let the foxes breed. End of discussion. And I want you to move back home by the end of this week,” she said and started her slow, laborious walk toward the staircase, as if she were certain her authoritarian behavior would make Radek follow her wishes rather than reject them.
“I was actually thinking Mrs. Irena could move in here. It would be easier if you could count on her help whenever it was needed.” And maybe someone would actually get to use the pool.
Mom glanced over her shoulder, her gaze shooting daggers. “She has a daughter, and I’ll not have a brat running around my house and damaging the furniture!”
Radek cocked his head with a smirk as his nape tickled. “Oh? I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I brought my fox with me though? Coal would sure love how spacious this house is. He’d mark it all as his territory.”
Her mouth opened, as if she wanted to say something, but even in her anger, she held back the words from leaving her mouth and hurried out of the room, punctuating the uncomfortable silence with the tap of her walking stick.
Radek shook his head and collapsed to the sofa, exhausted by this bickering. Regardless of what he’d said, he wouldn’t have brought Coal here. He’d be too afraid Mom might kick him or some shit, and the little ball of fur was still nervous. The fact that they could communicate was a big help, but it didn’t erase months of abuse.
Goosebumps had prickled his skin throughout the argument, but now that he was alone, he recognized the sensation as a growing urge to shift. He could control it, even though a part of him wished to shrink, and permanently become a fox who didn’t have to deal with human responsibilities. But then he also wouldn’t get the pleasure of fucking Yev, so there was that.
Yev.
Yev had changed everything for him.
Radek had been telling himself he’d go back to Cracow as soon as he became confident about shifting, but the truth was he liked living with Yev. He loved waking up next to him, he felt safe in the cabin they shared, and had never before wanted to please anyone the way he did with Yev.
The other day, despite only having one hand, he’d made sandwiches for their breakfast, just to impress him. He craved Yev’s approval like some attention-starved puppy, and had no idea how he’d go a day without it once he moved away.
Because it would happen.
He wasn’t the kind of person who could ever find their freedom in a tiny mountain village, and Yev had never made it a secret that he’d be