Chapter 16 Chapter 16
ELLA
After dinner, I went home to pack up my things. I didn’t know how I was going to explain this to my mom, and I hoped I would come up with something before my mom came home.
I sat in my room, packing up my things into boxes when there was a knock at the door. I opened the front door and my eyes met Zane.
I let out an audible groan.
“Zane, what are—”
“I came to see if I could help. Packing sucks, and I know your mom is busy with my dad planning the BBQ next week,” he cut in.
I rolled my eyes before stepping aside and letting him into our small cabin. I suddenly felt self-conscious.
“It’s not much, but it’s home,” I said shyly as we made our way back to my bedroom.
I was oddly nervous, I’d never had a boy other than Declan in my room, and he didn’t count.
I watched Zane place his hands on his hips and look around the room.
“Well, what do you need?”
I rubbed my head. I wasn’t about to let him touch my clothes. Or my unmentionables.
“Uh, you can empty that bookshelf, I guess. Just throw those books in the box right there on the floor.”
Zane nodded and made his way over to the shelf. After about twenty minutes of packing in relative silence, my mom burst in.
“Ells Bells, you’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Mom! What’s wrong?” I walked toward my mom with worry in my eyes.
“Alpha Daniel just told me you’re moving into the pack house.” I could see the tears forming in her eyes.
“Mom it’s not permanent. Alpha Daniel just wants me close by to begin training to take over your job. Learn all the behind-the-scenes things.”
“And you have to live there to do that?” my mother prodded.
I shrugged.
“I guess. I told him I was more than happy to just come in early and stay late, but he refused.”
My mom huffed before jumping at a small thud from the corner.
Zane gave a guilty wave.
“Sorry. Lost my grip on a book.”
“Oh, Alpha Zane. I didn’t know you were here.” Sophie smiled before turning to me with a look that quietly asked what he was doing in my room.
“Alpha Zane knew you were in a meeting with Alpha Daniel and offered to help me pack. Alpha Daniel wants me in the pack house as soon as possible.”
Mom nodded before rolling up her sleeves.
“I guess we’d better hunker down and get this done.”
We got to packing and the atmosphere of the room had lightened now that Sophie was there to break the tension between us.
“Ells Bells, do you want this?” My mother held up a ragged-looking T-shirt. I walked over and held it to my face and inhaled.
“Of course I want this. It was Dad’s.” I smiled up at my mom before walking back to the desk.
“Ells Bells?” Zane looked at me curiously.
My mom and I both laughed.
“It’s the nickname my dad gave me.”
“When Ella was three, she was playing with some other pups, and her father scolded them for getting into something they shouldn’t. She gave him the biggest look of defiance I’ve ever seen.
He said, ‘Hells bells, Ella! You go around looking at people like that and they’ll mistake you for Alpha Daniel.’ From that day forward, he called her Ells Bells. Because she’s a surprise for sure.”
My mom squeezed my shoulder and continued packing.
I laughed, enjoying the sweet memory of my father. I missed him.
“I remember your father. He was always kind.”
I smiled.
“He was. He was the best person I’ve ever known.” I looked at my mom, whose eyes had become a little watery, and gave her a warm smile.
We finished packing and I looked around the room. I was surprised that we only needed a few boxes to pack up my things. But I didn’t have so much stuff.
The three of us walked back up the hill to the pack house with boxes in our arms. We set our boxes down at the foot of the stairs, and Zane turned to us.
“I’m not sure where my dad wants you, give me a minute and I’ll find out which room is yours.”
My mom and I stood at the entrance of the pack house and I felt small. I could tell Mom was having a hard time keeping it together.
“I love you, Mom.” I smiled at her and gave her a tight hug.
“I love you too, sweetheart. You behave yourself, you hear? And if you need anything, just come home, you’ll always have a place with me.”
We let go of each other as Zane walked back from upstairs.
“Dad said you’ll be staying with us. Since you’re single and unmated he doesn’t want any of the other males in the house getting the wrong idea.”
Sophie let out a sigh of relief.
“Alright. Goodnight, Mom.” I gave her a reassuring smile before grabbing my boxes and following Zane upstairs.
I followed him to the second floor and down the hall. I knew most of the second floor was the alpha’s quarters, but I had never been there before.
We walked through a set of double doors, and I was surprised at how homey it was. There was a small kitchen and a family room with a plush sofa and TV.
There were large windows and a set of French doors that led out to a large balcony. I could see down the hall were some bedrooms. As I followed Zane, I wondered which was his.
We stopped at a door, and he opened it for me.
“Home sweet home,” Zane said sarcastically, making me chuckle.
The room was large. I was pretty sure it was bigger than my whole cabin. The walls were painted pale blue. In the middle was a king-size bed with white and beige bedding.
The whole room was bright and airy. I was pretty sure I was in heaven.
“This is too much.” I turned to Zane, who was watching my reaction. I walked in and made my way to the bathroom.
It had a massive walk-in shower, covered in tiny glass and metallic tiles. The vanity was white with a large mirror above it, and in the center of the room was an enormous standing soaker tub.
I walked back out and let out a breath.
“This is all for me?”
Zane smiled at me.
“I mean, it’s just a room, nothing fancy.”
I scoffed.
“You have seen my house, right? This place is like a palace compared to my little cabin.” I continued to spin around the room, taking the whole place in.