Chapter 40 Royal
ROYAL
DIFFERENT ISN’T A BAD WORD
We beat Valor and Antonella back to their place. Parking the SUV next to where Valor usually pulls into the garage, I look in the rearview mirror at Kerrianne. “I want you to go in right away and feed Captain. Can you handle that, or do you need assistance?”
“I can do it.” Kerrianne, who gave Mom sass this morning, is still grumpy and takes it out on me with an aggravated huff.
There’s gotta be something in the water this holiday season that’s got everyone all squirrely. I’m not immune to it either. I practically confessed my love to Leticia in the shower this morning.
We go into the house, and Kerrianne darts off to the tortoise room, and Leticia maneuvers the hall to the kitchen. She starts digging through cupboards and pulling out a few things.
“I’m going to make hot chocolate. Do you want one?” Leticia offers as she starts a pot of water to boil.
“Yeah, that’d be good.” I don’t really want one all that much, but I think, like Leticia, it’ll be good to keep my hands busy doing something other than exploring her body.
I open up the security surveillance on my phone to a ping for the gate, Valor and Antonella pulling through now.
“They’ll be here in just a couple of minutes, better boil enough for all of us.” I gesture to the pot before wiggling my phone.
A few minutes later, as predicted, the sound of the garage door rising, then closing, can be heard, and finally the door to the garage opens.
Kerrianne walks right past the kitchen toward the sound.
“Kerrianne, give them some space, come back,” Leticia whispers.
But the strong-willed seven-year-old stays glued to the corner, waiting.
Valor lets Antonella lead, and when she comes into view, it’s a whole new Antonella.
I wonder if Leticia can sense it too. The way Antonella came across as poised and well-mannered before has turned into calculating and disciplined.
She glances around the open space before there’s a shift.
The atmosphere of the house changes as Antonella breaks her perfect posture to stoop, opening her arms for a hug to Kerrianne.
One dancing hug with Kerrianne, and their embrace is done.
Leticia’s next, and the cousins wrap their arms around each other, holding on tight.
Does she know how strong she is now that she’s a wolf? Not so tight. Don’t hurt her. I fight back a growl.
Not hurting. My wolf waves off my concern.
But there are tears in Leticia’s eyes when they separate, and she’s quick to wipe them away and smile. “It’s so good to see you.”
I move to Antonella slowly, not to spook her, wrapping my arms around her. My heart hurts with what I couldn’t say before, the words that felt so lost. I beg for forgiveness at a whisper level. “I’m sorry I didn’t call him faster.”
“I don’t blame you for any of this. I’m glad you’re okay,” Antonella whispers back. She squeezes me tight before letting go.
“Go sit, I’ve got cocoa started. Put your feet up, they’re going to get cold not wearing any socks.” Leticia shoos Antonella with a wave of her hands.
Leticia takes steps to the kitchen, and Antonella turns toward Valor. I can’t see what she tries to say, but Valor nods.
“I don’t think I have to worry about my feet getting cold anymore.” Antonella sighs as she takes a seat in one of the chairs.
Kerrianne has been patient in waiting for more cuddles, but the second Antonella sits, Kerrianne climbs into her lap, snuggling up against Antonella’s neck.
They look perfect together. Antonella is great with Kerrianne, and anger rises in me again.
Almost lost her, my wolf growls, thinking about what it would mean for Kerrianne to lose someone else.
Valor makes like he’s going to sit beside them and be this perfect fucking family. And letting my anger ride, I step into his way.
Even though he’s second-in-command with Neil out of the way, he’s always outranked me.
But I hold my ground — picking his wife, a newly turned wolf, a woman I’ve only known for a couple of weeks, over him — as he appraises me.
It should say a hell of a lot about how angry I am at him, even if I don’t obviously convey it in my actions and words.
How I don’t forgive him, not yet, for hurting her.
Valor nods slowly, then steps around me, keeping his distance from Antonella and taking a seat on the couch.
Tension ripples off me, and I force myself to contain the yawn that tries to escape. It lessens the tension all the same.
“Grandma says we might not go back to school after Christmas. Is that because you’re part of the secret now?” Kerrianne questions.
“It is.” Antonella gives her another squeeze.
“You know how your wolf gets tired and cranky sometimes?” Kerrianne shuffles backward a bit to see Antonella better before nodding, which prompts Antonella to continue.
“Mine is like that a lot too. So, I might not be a good enough secret keeper for a little while. I may need to take some time to make sure I’m good and ready to be a secret keeper. ”
“Grandma says Leticia knows the secret and is keeping it, but she doesn’t have a wolf. I didn’t know that was supposed to happen.”
Kerrianne’s statement leaves Antonella lost. Her eyes dart to Valor and then to me, trying to answer.
“There are special times when secret keepers don’t have wolves, like Father Michael doesn’t have one, but he knows.
” Valor offers some clarity, and I admire how easily he breaks down complex wolf laws into child-sized pieces.
“If you’re ever not sure if someone knows our secret, it’s best not to tell them.
Not even to test and see if they know it. ”
“Are we going to give Leticia a wolf like we gave Antonella?” Kerrianne turns, trying to look over her shoulder at Leticia.
“Not unless we absolutely have to,” I snap. The sound of my teeth clicking makes me pause. Don’t protest too much. Remember, you’re just friends today. I try to dial back my answer, rumbling a bit, turning it into a joke. “It’s kind of nice having a human around.”
Leticia glares at me upon approach, a tray of mugs held in her hands, but she turns it into a mocking smile. “Hardy, har, har. Asshole.”
Asshole? I’m stunned but keep my mouth shut. What the hell did I do to get called that?
It dawns on me slowly. She doesn’t know how to play it cool. Leticia doesn’t know how to act disinterested.
Adorable. My wolf sighs.
She sets the tray on the coffee table. “For the best cousin.” Leticia holds one out to Antonella. “For the asshole I like.” She offers one to me.
Her hand trembles for a second, and I want to forgo the agreement to be friends and question her and the new animosity. But I force myself to let it go.
Our mate is hurting like we are. We’ll fix it later. My wolf consoles me.
“For my favorite little bestie.” She gives one to Kerrianne and leaves Valor’s on the tray on the table before sitting down with her own.
“Be nice, Leticia.” Antonella warns her.
“He has arms,” Leticia answers before bringing the cup up to her mouth. “I could have poured it down his shirt . . . or worse.”
The threat has even me pausing to see if it’s viable because this is a new side of Leticia I haven’t seen before. The way Antonella looks at the ceiling and lets out a heavy sigh has me less certain that maybe there isn’t something I’m missing about Leticia.
Maybe our mate has fangs and bites after all? My wolf cocks his head.
Valor, unconvinced, stands and takes the cup from the table before examining it. “Should I be concerned this is . . . different?”
“Should you be?” Leticia cocks her head. “Do you require something different?”
I lean forward, offering my mug of hot cocoa to Valor. He takes it and passes me the mug intended for him.
Would our mate poison us? To get back at Valor? My wolf rises to the surface, trying to smell the cup contents.
Would Leticia poison someone at all? I mean, she spends enough time in the kitchen, so why shouldn’t she know something about poisoning?
I keep my eyes locked with her for a moment. “Speak now . . .”
Leticia rolls her eyes before leveling me with a flat gaze. “The only thing different here are the two of you.”
“Manners, all of you,” Antonella chides softly over the lip of her cup before she takes a drink.
Kerrianne giggles, her cocoa sloshing. “Different isn’t a bad word.”
“Oh, in this case, it most definitely is. They’re using it as an insult.” Antonella groans. She squares herself to Kerrianne. “And it’s not one we’d repeat at school because?”
“Insults are bad and meant to hurt people. Even if we think they’re funny, it could hurt,” Kerrianne recites like she’s said this before.
I lean over to Valor and use my cup to shield my mouth. “The fuck are they teaching the kids at the school?”
With a shrug and a shake of his head, Valor sits back down on the sofa. “I don’t know, but maybe I should take some classes.”
I snort, trying not to lose my shit at that notion.
Which is fine because Kerrianne huffs, her sassy attitude coming back out. “You can’t come to class. You’d never fit at my desk. Your legs are too long.”
“Excellent logic.” Leticia nods and takes another sip. Her phone rings, and she groans as she answers it. “Berto, for the last time. Mind your own business and not mine.”
I freeze looking at her. That seems so out of character from all the times she’s talked to Berto and her dad, but maybe, with Antonella at her side, she feels more in control? Something?
“What is your problem?” Berto huffs from his end of the line.
Being farther away from her than I was on the porch yesterday, I can barely make him out.