Pivotal Moments (In Time #1) by Trinity Hanrahan Read Free Book Online Page A

hell out of Dodge; the hallway was about to become ground zero. I looked up and saw Connor giving Teagan a murderous glare while Teagan’s face looked like it had been carved from stone.
    “Um…” I started easing by both of them. “I’m just going…” I blanched when Connor swung his gaze to me, but warmed when Teagan gave me a quick wink. “I’ll be in the kitchen.” I jerked my thumb in the direction of the stairs and then hauled ass to sanctuary.
    Mom and Pen were talking when I rushed through the doorway. The conversation stopped, of course, but I was too wigged out to care. Maybe Connor and Teagan would get into a fight, and the trip would be called off? No, Connor would go regardless. I was still stuck.
    “What’s going on up there, Ash?” Mom asked as she finished up a pan of eggs.
    I shrugged, cringing at the thought of eating eggs. Maybe toast and some juice…
    “Aislinn Margaret, what is going on with you this morning?”
    The sharp tone of her voice, paired with the dangerous combination of my first and middle names, pulled me out of my zone-out, and I focused on her. “Sorry, Mom. Um…Connor was being a douche nozzle and Teagan called him out on it, and…”
    Mom rolled her eyes and went back to breakfast prep. “Well, if anyone can knock some sense into that boy, it’ll be Teagan.” She handed Penny the platter of food and Pen headed for the table. A cold nose bumped my dangling hand. Zver huffed and nudged me again, so I gave him a scratch behind the ear. A strange gurgling rumbled, and Zver gave a little whine.
    “What’s wrong, pooch? You hungry?” He rose up on all fours and pranced. Snickering, I said, “Mom, do you know where Teagan put Zver’s food?”
    “It’s in the fridge.”
    I found a gallon sized zip-lock bag full of what looked like chili. Zver was written on the front in black marker. I opened it and sniffed. It smelled better than canned dog food. “Do you know how much of this he gets?”
    “Half of that baggie, I think. Teagan pulls a new one out of the freezer when he uses half of one.”
    I turned from the fridge and let the door slam shut. Zver was doing that dog dance again, and I giggled. “Are you hungry, ZiZi?” I walked over to his dish and he froze, staring at it. What was that word Teagan used to tell Zver to sit? Oh yeah. “Zver, sidet.” He looked up at me with a quizzical expression and then sat. A little thrill went through me; he’d listened.
    I bent down and dumped half of the bag of doggie chili into his bowl, then stepped back. Zver’s eyes were still on me, but he was trying to see his food at the same time. “Go ahead, Zver.” He shivered and seemed to pout, but didn’t move. I crouched down and picked up his bowl, placing it just under his chin. “I thought you were hungry. Don’t you want to eat, boy?” I said, shamelessly using a baby voice with the monster dog. Why wouldn’t he eat? Someone gasped, and turning my focus from the dog, I frowned.
    Connor’s eyes were as big as plates, and he seemed to have tripped over nothing as he entered the kitchen. Teagan was staring at me, his face pale. It was Teagan’s expression that seemed the more important of the two.
    I froze. It seemed like the thing to do.
    Teagan took a slow, cautious step toward me. “Aislinn…what do you think you’re doing?”
    Wasn’t it obvious? “I’m feeding Zver.” Duh.
    He took another step toward me, his eyes shifting between the bowl in my hand and the dog eyeing it with intense concentration. “Aislinn, please. Slowly put the dog bowl down.” He clenched one hand into a fist, as he held his other out to me.
    Frowning, I did as he said. Zver’s eyes followed the movement and then looked back up to me. I could see he was waiting for something. Was the bowl too far away? I reached back to move it closer.
    “No!” Teagan shouted. I jumped. Zver’s muscles tensed. “Please,” Teagan said in a quieter voice, “just leave the bowl alone,