Chapter 64

Hazel stood in the doorway of Nathaniel’s bedroom and watched her younger brother get ready for his so-called date. The room smelled like him, body spray and that coconut soap he liked. Anime posters of big-breasted women carrying oversize swords covered the walls. A half-finished model of a mobile suit sat on the shelf above his bed, next to a sword he got from somewhere. His tail flicked with irritation as he stood in front of the mirror, carefully brushing the russet fur along his cheeks and checking that his black button-down shirt and slacks weren’t wrinkled.

“Don’t go. You’re making a mistake. She’s just going to use you,” she repeated.

Nathaniel sprayed on cologne. “Leave me alone. I don’t care. She’s hot.”

“Just like a man. You’re thinking with your dick. Put a pair of big breasts in your face, a bushy tail, and a smile, and that’s all it takes.” She stepped into his room and shut the door. The soft click of the latch made his ears twitch. “Briar doesn’t give a fuck about you. She cares about what you can do for her. Every girl in school knows it. The only time she ever looks at a male is when she needs something.”