Miri's pov
"Why are you late?" she asked the moment she spotted me, eyes narrowing with that piercing mom-glare she'd perfected over the years.
I scrambled for a reasonable lie—one that didn't involve mates. "I, uh... got stopped on the way by a student. She needed help with something."
"Something like what?" Sera folded her arms, unconvinced.
"She dropped her books," I lied smoothly. "All of them. It was tragic."
She stared at me for one long moment, then sighed like she'd picked her battles and this wasn't worth the energy. "Fine. Lisa's waiting in your room. Go. Now."
"Yes, ma'am," I said, slipping past her with a guilty smile. Or think about anything involving tongues.
Aunt Lisa, as expected, was lounging on the edge of my bed, already in her party dress with her hair done in soft waves. She looked like someone pulled from a boutique poster and then given a personality upgrade.
"Took your sweet time," she said, eyebrow raised. "Why are you late?"
