“Well, if it ain’t young Jaii,” Rick greeted in a mockingly warm voice, looking up from making lunch and grunting in laughter. “I’d ask how your meeting went this morning, but I can guess by that shiner you got goin’ on that it didn’t go well.” He laughed again, as if he’d made some hilarious joke. Vera rolled her eyes in annoyance, her back to the two. “Come on, you can’t take a punch without getting ice? Do I need to call the healer for you, Jaii?”

Jaii, Jaii…was that the son? Jaii Talon, so it had to be. Probably just like his father and uncle…hey, if he was hurt then it might actually brighten her mood to see another member of the family. Vera sat up and turned I her seat, arm thrown over the back of her chair. Hm, she could only see his back. Nice hair…she wondered if it was natural or just done for attention. And he looked buff enough to defend himself, so why did he get hit? What did the [i]other[/i] guy look like?

“So, is that a thing around here? Throw a few punches before lunch, somebody ends up in the hospital by dinner?” Vera hissed at the boys. “My Rick, I see why you came to get me. You wouldn’t stand on your feet for two minutes in a fight.” If she was going to be forced here, she would make her company as unpleasant as possible. Wearing a smug grin her brown eyes flickered from Jaii’s back to Rick’s, until he turned around.

“Vera, dear, what was I thinking making my own lunch? That’s your job now, isn’t it? Next time, then,” he muttered, shoving past Jaii as he brought his lunch to sit with her at the table. “Jaii, have you met my mate? A lovely women, as you can tell already.”