Chapter 50
fifty
Plans
*GWENDOLYN*
Felix and I spend an hour having a bite to eat with his parents and Faye, and it does a lot to put my mind at ease. There is something very reassuring about both Elden and Flora’s presence. Whenever I am with them, I know I am going to be safe, especially when I am in this pack.
Flora even suggests for both of us to take Faye to Celine’s pack tomorrow. Celine and Marius have invited Faye for a playdate, and extended the invitation to Felix and me. I feel bad for allowing myself to get distracted when everything around me is in turmoil, but it sounds like such a nice plan.
“Will it be safe?” Felix asks.
“I will send Vincent with you,” Elden says before looking at me, and clarifying. “My beta.”
“My beta can join, too,” Flora agrees. “Edward is a very perceptive warrior. A true sentinel.” She pauses. “And take the bird along. No one will be able to harm you with that one having your back.”
“True,” Felix snorts. “But where are these demon pets coming from?”
“Not all of my pets are demons, are they?” I hurry to ask.
“No,” Flora assures me. “Just Tiger.” She frowns. “I have an inkling,” she finally says. “But it’s nothing you need to bother with for now. I can handle it on my own.”
Felix is right. She can be really cryptic in what she says, but once more, no one questions her, and they just accept what she says.
“What I wanted to say is that my gut feeling tells me you should visit Celine and Marius,” Flora adds. “You might be playing bait, so stay on alert.”
“Acting as bait might actually get us somewhere,” I mutter.
“I don’t like that thought,” Elden says. “And I don’t want you to take any unnecessary risks,” he adds. “I will instruct Vincent accordingly.” He pauses before looking at Flora. “Why does it need to be tomorrow?”
Flora tilts her head to the side, her expression one of utmost innocence. “I like the date,” she says with a bright smile.
“So, the benefits outweigh the risk,” Elden concludes. Apparently, he speaks Floraish and has his very own way of reading his mate and luna. For a moment, he seems to stare into the distance before he turns to look at Flora in surprise.
I am not sure what just dawned on him, but unfortunately, he doesn’t share it with us. “I am up for it,” I say. “I feel like Faye really needs this. And we don’t know who is after us or why. I personally wouldn’t mind staying in Silverlake for a couple of months, but I can’t ask that of Faye.”
“Yeah,” Felix sighs. “I see where you are coming from. But please, let’s be careful. Moon Blood pack is a very secure pack, so I’d say we go straight there tomorrow and then straight back. I have had enough weird surprises.”
“I could help diffuse Faye‘s scent,” Flora says. “No one will be able to tell she is in the car.”
I hear Faye’s light footsteps approaching us, and she suddenly peeks into the room. She had dinner with us, but was so tired that Flora took her to bed. Yet, something must have caught her attention. “What’s tomorrow?”
Guess we weren’t quiet enough.
To my surprise, Flora answers promptly. “Gwen and Felix will be taking you for a short trip. You will visit Celine and Marius.”
Faye's face lights up in a way I haven’t seen in a long while. I know then that it’s definitely worth the risk. Maybe it’s not smart for us to do this, maybe we should have waited a couple of weeks, but Faye needs help with her mental health now, not in a couple of weeks.
My intuition tells me that Felix and Elden have similar thoughts because neither vetoes Flora’s words. Instead, Felix gets down on one knee and tells Faye to make sure to pack her small backpack.
She is so happy about the planned trip that she takes off immediately, grabbing said backpack and rushing to her room.
“She needs this,” I say out loud, what we probably all have been thinking.
“She does,” Flora says. “You will see tomorrow how much that’s true.”
Once outside, Felix takes my hand, pulling me closer. I answer by wrapping my arms around him. “I was terrified while you were gone,” I finally manage to say.
“I know.” He squeezes me. “But I promise, I was determined to return in one piece. Nothing could have stopped me from coming back to you. Truth to be told, I do feel much stronger since we met.”
I can’t help but smile. “Aurelia told me you put up a crazy fight.”
He kisses the top of my head. “Kiran was ready to kick ass. But even if we had been overpowered, I don’t think they would have killed us. They want something from us, or they would have attacked right away.”
“I know sometimes things just happen,” I say. “And we can’t predict all accidents or emergencies. Things happen. I… I have difficulties giving up control.”
“Gwen-“ He takes my hands between his. “I know you have lost a lot. And I promise you I will never endanger my life recklessly. I will always fight to come back to you. And once we have dealt with this threat, I promise we’ll go back to a comfortable life with our pets, with work and a routine.”
“I can’t wait for that,” I admit. “It might sound boring to others, but I am so excited about living a normal life. Oh, and I want to go hiking with you!”
He beams at me. “I’d love to take you somewhere cool. Knowing you, we might return with a couple more animals, though.”
I laugh at his words. “I guess.”
“Say, Gwen, there is something I wanted to ask you.”
I nod for him to continue.
“I told you I met Daniel. He said that if you wanted to, he could try to find some information about your mother. Do you want that? I told him I’d ask you.”
My eyes widen. “He knows her?”
“Not really,” Felix says. “But he had seen her a few times when your dad was dating her.”
They were dating. So, it wasn’t just a one-night stand.
I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment.
Dad was a kind man. I know that if he could, he would have tried to stay connected to my mother.
Yet, I have always wondered where I came from.
Even if it’s just breadcrumbs or barely any information at all, I want to know.
“If he can find something, I’d like to know,” I tell Felix.
“Even if it’s nothing major. Even if-” I pause.
“Even if she is dead. At least I’d know. ”
“I will message him and tell him to look for information,” Felix says.
He doesn’t let go of my hand while we walk past the packhouse and stroll through the pack.
It feels so warm and cozy to have him around.
It’s just something about him that is soothing and gentle, like a blanket being pulled over me.
I never believed in finding love, let alone a mate, but the goddess truly didn’t forget me.
We continue our stroll, ending up on the path towards the infirmary, where we bump into Liam and Gisela.
The latter is giving her alpha an update on the training, which reminds me that I need to watch her train one day.
There is just something about her angelic looks that makes it so hard to believe that she loves to fight, but going by Dario and Felix, she can be feral.
Liam spots us and smiles. “Did you have a good rest?”
“I guess we did.” Felix grins. “We had an early dinner with Mom and Dad.”
“They were really worried about you,” Liam explains. “Obviously, they want to dote on you now.”
“They are not the only ones,” I admit, my heart clenching at the thought of how much danger Felix was in. It’s never allowed to happen again!
“We’ll be much more careful now,” Liam tells me. “We already know much more today than we did yesterday, and every piece of knowledge gives us more power.”
“Where is Dario?” Gisela asks us. “He was going insane with worry when he heard about the attack.”
“I think I was able to smooth things over with him,” Felix says. “But I am not sure.”
“He had to leave for an appointment in town,” Liam tells us.
“Is it just me, or has he been kind of withdrawn recently?” Felix almost blurts out the question.
“It’s not just you,” Gisela says.
Liam furrows his brows. “Yeah, I guess you are right, but maybe he is just trying to live his life. You found your purpose after all, Felix, maybe he wants to do the same.”
“You could be right,” Felix mutters.
We don’t have the chance to continue the conversation because two people are stepping out of the infirmary at the same time and walking towards us.
“Oh,” Gisela grins. “Maddox and Charlie!”
I don’t know who Charlie was trying to fool, but it’s certainly not any of us. Maddox has his arm around her shoulder and looks at her with a soft expression while she is talking happily. For a guy who is mostly distanced and closed off, it’s surprising to see him so attentive.
“Hey!” Charlie exclaims once they have walked up to us.
“Hello, you two,” Liam says with a smile. “I was about to come and look for you.”
Maddox nods. “Of course, you still need answers, Alpha Liam.”
“I guess we could do this tomorrow, at my pack,” he muses. “But maybe it’s better to get it over with so that you can enjoy your stay.”
Maddox turns to Charlie, squeezing her hand. “Is that okay with you?”
“Of course,” Charlie reassures him. “I’ll hang out with the others in the meantime. Give me a call once you are finished.”
Maddox smiles at her before he follows Liam back to the packhouse. Once he is out of view, she whispers towards us. “We are going on a date later.”
“Awesome!” Gisela beams.
Felix eyes her curiously. “What did Liam mean about they could have the talk in his pack?”
Charlie’s eyes light up at my question. “Maddox was super interested in Red Claw,” she exclaims. “I was so nervous about asking him to visit me. But he is super attentive. He even wants to see my drawings. I showed him the shitty comic I drew as a teen, and he loved it. I can’t believe it!
He is actually going to stay at my pack for a couple of days. Uncle Liam invited him!”
“Amazing! I am so happy for you,” I exclaim.
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this,” Felix says. “But he genuinely likes and cares about you. He told me during our drive back home. He really is into you.”
“Really?” Charlie asks hopefully. “Even though I am not luna material and have colored hair and piercings?”
“He said no one is allowed to change you,” Felix says. “And that he likes you the way you are. Called you super-hot, and that you have so much personality.”
Charlie’s cheeks heat up at Felix’s words. I don’t know how she and Maddox will deal with the difficult situation of his pack, or with them leading the pack, but at least I now know that Maddox is seriously interested in Charlie and in her well-being.
I know the problem isn’t that she will need to become luna, the issue is that she will be forced to move to a pack with a terrible reputation after finally having found a place she can call home.
She has a family in Red Claw, she has friends and her support system.
She grew up without any of that, which is why it means so much to her now.
I just hope he will find a way for Charlie to be happy.