Rising Moon: The Dark Wolf Chronicles, page 42
I nodded, “Thank you.”
He gave a fleeting smile before he opened the door to reveal Luca coming down the drive.
“Oh my Goddess!” Luca exclaimed, dropping his keys and running up to me.
“What?” I asked as he got onto his knees beside me.
He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his ear onto my stomach.
“I can see the future Alpha!”
I was wearing a loose t-shirt and you could see the very beginnings of a baby bump, but I was surprised he noticed.
I looked up at Leo with a dumbfounded expression and he rolled his eyes.
“Alright, Luca. Excitement over, get off my mate now,” Leo said.
“Sorry Alpha,” Luca replied, straightening himself up and gesturing an apology to both of us.
“Good luck, Nelda,” Leo said before abruptly leaving and closing the door behind him.
“I'm so excited,” Luca stated, engulfing me in a bear hug the second Leo left, “Can I be the Godfather?”
My eyes widened as I stood with my neck stretching to rest on his shoulder.
“Well... a Godfather is someone that looks after your child if anything happens to you and-”
“I can look after kids,” He interrupted, releasing me from the crushing hug, “How hard can it be? Just swing them around and they'll be entertained for hours.”
I let out a nervous laugh, “I'll talk to Leo.”
“Promise?” He asked, holding out his pinkie.
“Promise,” I replied with a severe lack of confidence as I took his finger in mine.
Oh boy.
For the rest of the morning, Luca stayed in the kitchen testing out a recipe he’d seen on the cooking channel. It involved all sorts of strange, obscure ingredients that we didn’t have so he ended up substituting them with whatever he could find.
“We can’t eat that,” I said with a grimace as he took it out the oven, “What is it supposed to be?”
“Pheasant and cranberry Wellington,” he replied, “Except I used ham instead of pheasant, ketchup instead of the cranberries and I don’t know how to make pastry so I just mushed up some bread and wrapped it around.”
“…okay… but what’s the liquid oozing out of it?”
“It’s supposed to be a rosemary and sage sauce but… well you didn’t have the right herbs so it’s just milk.”
“I mean this in the nicest way possible, Luca,” I began, “But that is vile.”
He nodded, “Fair enough.”
After opening the trash can, he tipped the monstrosity straight in before clapping his hands.
“Right, shall we order a pizza?”
Leo left me with Luca all day. He had come back in the late afternoon but went straight into the office as I thrashed Luca on the Wii.
“Try not to cry too much,” I replied as I moved into first place.
A few seconds later I crossed the line and claimed victory. I immediately shot to my feet and threw my arms into the air.
“Wooh!” I screamed, beginning my victory dance. “The mighty Luca has been defeated!”
He threw his controller onto the couch and crossed his arms with a childish scowl.
“Whatever,” he grumbled.
“Don't be such a sore loser,” I shouted, jumping on the couch.
“We can't be friends anymore.”
I jumped down and sat beside him.
“Don’t say that, Luca. I don’t have many friends.”
He shrugged, “Not my problem.”
“Pretty please be my friend. With a cherry on top?”
“Nope.”
“With sparkly sprinkles too?”
“Still no,” he repeated.
“What if I let you join in my victory dance? Chance to jump on the Alpha's couch?”
His face transformed into a goofy smile.
“Okay fine.”
He jumped to his feet and then onto the sofa with me.
“Luca get off my couch,” Leo ordered as he came into the living room.
“You always spoil the fun Alpha,” Luca grumbled getting off the sofa and crossing his arms in the same childish manner.
“I got you those pickles, Nelda,” he told me as he entered the living room a jar in his hand.
“Yay! I've been looking forward to them all day. Almost ate the ten years expired ones at one point.” I squealed, rushing up to him as he embraced me in a hug.
“You guys are weird,” Luca said.
“What does that make you?” Leo remarked, “And why does my mate stink of your scent?”
He rested his nose in the crook of my neck and lifted his lip.
“Sorry Alpha,” Luca said. “I just LOVE hugs. I should reincarnate into a crocodile or something.”
We all paused for a second realising how little sense that made.
“How come you don't mind Luca touching me, but you freak if anyone else does?” I asked.
“Because I'm pretty sure Luca's gay,” Leo answered.
I have never even thought about that, but now he mentions it...
“Hello? Still here,” Luca responded. “And I'm not gay. I like people titties or not.”
“Yeah sure,” Leo mumbled, “When was the last time you got with someone with tits?”
“There's nothing wrong with it. It wouldn’t change a thing,” I said.
“Thanks, Nellie. That's great except for the fact that I'm not fucking gay!”
Leo raised an eyebrow.
“I would not be ashamed to admit it. And you remember Alea, right Alpha? The one we've both...” He began before trailing off and shutting his mouth in silence.
Leo was giving Luca a deathly glare.
Alea? Mateo’s Alea?
“The one you've both what?” I asked.
“The one we've both... um... um,” Luca mumbled, looking at Leo.
“Both talked to,” Leo finished, a little too fast. “… Did you want a pickle?”
I folded my arms.
“Leonidas and Luca,” I said sternly, “Could you get any worse at lying?”
“We were talking to her about that thing that happened that one time where we did that thing,” Luca said, scratching the back of his neck.
“That would be a yes,” I retorted, answering my own question. “And how does this have anything to do with your sexuality?”
“Because...” Leo began.
“You've both slept with her, haven't you?”
They both looked at each other, guilt written all over their faces.
“Gross,” I groaned, “Does Mateo know? And why didn’t I know?”
“Well, it's not really a conversation starter is it?” Leo said. “'Oh, hey Mateo! By the way, I slept with the girl you’ve been sleeping with for years.”
“You did what?!” Someone said after opening the front door.
That's right, it was Mateo.
“For Goddess's sake,” Leo muttered under his breath, shooting me a warning glare.
“Leo and Luca have both slept with Alea,” I called without an ounce of remorse.
“When?”
“A few months ago,” Luca confessed.
“Twice a few months ago,” Leo added honestly.
“Alea? Really, Leo? Twice?” he asked before looking at Luca. “And you. What the fuck?! I thought you were gay!”
“Easy mistake to make,” I muttered.
“It's not our fault if she is perfectly willing to get in our beds,” Leo said, “She’s slept with half the pack.”
Mateo’s gaze fell to the floor.
“Alpha, I came to inform you that the issue isn't as sorted as we thought,” he said, “We’ll need another meeting in the morning.”
He then turned and left without another word.
What issue?
“Alpha, I would just like to say I am very sorry for-,” Luca began.
Leo shot him a cold look and he gulped.
“I'll just leave.”
A minute later it was only Leo and me in the house again.
“The reason this pack runs so smoothly is down to Mateo. And I just lost a shit ton of his trust,” Leo said, running his fingers through his hair.
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you slept with his girl,” I said, taking a pickle out the jar. “Karma's a bitch.”
After that, I spent the rest of the evening in the library improving my Latin and Italian.
I read three books and had a dictionary beside me to help translate any words I didn't yet know.
At around 7 pm Leo came into the room.
“Buona sera straniera,” he greeted meaning 'good evening stranger' in English.
“Hi,” I replied, not taking my eyes off the book as he kneeled down beside me.
“Why do you need a dictionary when you have me?” He asked as I flicked through looking for the translation of the Latin word 'mythicon'.
“I’m trying to concentrate,” I said, slapping his hand off my leg.
“I've barely seen you all day,” he complained, putting his hand back on my leg, “And I'm bored.”
As he brought his lips close to mine, I jolted my head away.
“Then amuse yourself... or better still, call Alea…”
“You're mad about that?” he asked.
I turned the page of my book and shrugged.
“It was months ago, Nelda. It was before I had you and it meant nothing.”
“But if we swapped positions in this situation and Alea was, in fact, Brad or Chad from down the street, you wouldn't see it like that, would you?”
He let out a heavy breath and took the book out of my hand. He shut it and lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“You knew I have a past.”
“And you're allowed to have one, but I'm not. Another man can't even touch me. Remember Blaise?”
“What is the point of this conversation, Nelda?”
Looking deep into his eyes, I shrugged again.
“Do you expect me to go back in time to when I was seventeen and keep my virginity?”
I gave a sarcastic smile before snatching my book back and opening it where I left off.
“I expect at least an apology for losing your shit when you found out I had an ex,” I said, casting my eyes from him to the page, “If you really think sleeping around means nothing, then cut the double standard.”
“I'm sorry,” he responded very bluntly.
“At least try to sound like you mean it...”
“Well, maybe I don't mean it,” he said, getting to his feet. “It was different with Blaise.”
“Why? Because I’m a woman?”
“No,” he snapped, “Because he was also blackmailing you for sex. That’s why I disposed of him. Not because you’d made out with him or whatever vile things you did.”
“Disposed of? Is that what we’re calling murder now?”
He threw his hands in the air.
“And you were actually dating him? I banged Alea twice. You were his girlfriend?! His sweetheart, his baby, his cupcake, his bae, his fucking boo thing!”
A small grin slipped onto my mouth. I quickly shook it off, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Leo bit his lips tight together as a stifled laugh escaped.
“This isn’t funny,” I said, pressing my fingers on my lips, hiding my smile.
“Not at all,” he said, desperately trying to stop his face cracking into a smile.
“Stop it, Leonidas. It’s not funny.”
“You started it!”
As a giggle burst free, so did a snort.
Leo’s eyes lit up as his face creased in laughter. He fell down next to me on the sofa as he shut his eyes tight, tears still escaping. I slapped his chest as my entire body shook with giggles.
We stayed in fits of hysterics for over a minute. I was soon gasping for air as Leo had tears streaming down his cheeks.
“What were we even arguing about?” I asked, taking a deep breath as I wiped the tears off his cheek with my thumb.
“Nothing worthwhile,” he said, “All that matters is we are here together right now. In the present.”
I nodded, “Agreed.”
Chapter 65
November 14th
The night, Leo was working in his office late. When he finally came to bed, it was past midnight and he dropped asleep almost immediately. But after he had woken me with the bathroom light, I tossed and turned for over an hour.
Just as I was beginning to get frustrated, my phone chimed quietly from the nightstand.
Leo was fast asleep, his arm only gently resting on my waist so I managed to shuffle over and reach my phone without waking him.
On the illuminated screen was a message from my brother.
I'm outside and I need to speak to you.
I read it twice before getting up and tiptoeing to the window where I looked down to see Conall stood on the doorstep.
Without hesitation, I crept out of the bedroom and down the hall, avoiding the creaky floorboard. I could still hear Leo's light sleepy breaths until I reached the bottom of the stairs.
I lifted the latch slowly and carefully before turning the door handle.
“You have to be quiet,” I whispered to Conall.
He smiled before immediately pulling me into a hug.
“I’m here to say goodbye,” he said in my ear, “I love you so much and I promise you will be happy. I will make sure of it.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have something important to do,” he said.
“But what about work and the house-”
He put his hands either side of my face.
“This is more important.”
“Well, when will you be back?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“Will you be here when the baby is born?”
He clenched his jaw.
“Remember that number I gave you for Mom? Call it.”
A tear dropped down my cheek, “Conall-”
“This is for the best, Nel,” he said, taking my hands, “You just have to trust me.”
I nodded.
Conall forced a smile, “I better go.”
I nodded, “Okay.”
I stood at the doorstep and watched him disappear off into the forest before heading back inside.
Deciding I didn't want to explain to Leo that Conall had just crossed onto his territory unpermitted again, I went into the kitchen to collect my alibi, a glass of water, in case he woke as I returned.
But I never even got as far as the bottom of the stairs.
After filling the glass at the sink, I turned around to see Leo stood less than a metre away. He scared me so much that I dropped the glass causing it to smash, very close to my foot, and spread its contents all over the kitchen floor.
“Leo!” I said. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“What are you doing?” he questioned.
“Getting a glass of water... or I was until you made me drop it,” I replied.
“I thought I heard your voice?”
“To the baby. I was talking to the baby,” I said awkwardly smiling.
I took a deep breath and tensed as he leant closer to me.
“What? I'm just getting you another glass,” he said, reaching over my head to the glass cupboard. “And I'm sorry for scaring you.”
He filled it at the tap and then handed it to me.
“Go back to bed. I'll clear up this mess,” he said gently but firmly kissing my cheek.
His fingers ran along my shirt as he took a deep breath in.
There was no way he didn't detect Conall's scent. It was all over me.
I smiled nervously as he watched me, quite intently, head out of the kitchen. His face wore a smile but I could tell by the look in his eye that he knew.
A few minutes later, after clearing up the water and broken glass, he came back into our bedroom. Without a word, he got into the bed beside me and wrapped his arms back around me.
“Next time, you don't need to hide him from me,” he said softly.
I smiled and placed my hand on top of his, “Right.”
November 15th
The next morning, Leo was in his office early.
“I want you to meet my family,” I said, stepping through the door.
He looked up from the piles of papers sprawled across his desk.
“I've met your family...” he said, “Your brother hates me, remember?”
“I want you to meet him properly. And my mom too.”
“Your Mom?” he asked, “You never talk much about her.”
“Well... after my Dad died, she was never the same again and I haven't seen her in two years so it's not the cheeriest topic to think about.”
I had approached the desk and reached my hand out to look at the papers in front of Leo but he quickly gathered them up and tucked them into a draw.
I frowned.
“She fled this pack eighteen years ago,” he said, “What makes you think she want to come back?”
“Things are different now,” I said, dragging my eyes from the draw, “Her brother is dead, I'm the Luna and I'm pregnant and you'd permit her... right?”
“Of course I would,” he said, “Do you have a way of contacting her?”
“I have a number. It's old, but it's worth a try.”
“Call it,” he replied, “And if she wants to, she has my full permission to come and stay.”
“... and Conall?” I asked.
He turned and scoffed, “Do you think that's a good idea?”
“I’m not giving up on you too getting along yet.”
“And I’m not sure I can trust him yet.”
I let out a deep breath, “Leo, please.”
He sighed, “Call your Mom and I'll think about it for when the baby arrives.”
I smiled and kissed him gently, “Thank you.”
After dialling the number scrawled on the paper Conall gave me in the war, the phone only rang twice before someone answered.
“Liliana,” a voice said, “Liliana!”
“Hello?” I asked.
It was the gruff tone of a man.
“Who is it?” he demanded.
“Nelda Rivers. Liliana's daughter.”
“Liliana, it's your kid,” the man said.
The phone rustled before the line cleared.
“Nelda?” my mother said, her voice dry and croaky sounding.
I smiled at the sound of it anyway.
“Hi Mom.”
He gave a fleeting smile before he opened the door to reveal Luca coming down the drive.
“Oh my Goddess!” Luca exclaimed, dropping his keys and running up to me.
“What?” I asked as he got onto his knees beside me.
He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his ear onto my stomach.
“I can see the future Alpha!”
I was wearing a loose t-shirt and you could see the very beginnings of a baby bump, but I was surprised he noticed.
I looked up at Leo with a dumbfounded expression and he rolled his eyes.
“Alright, Luca. Excitement over, get off my mate now,” Leo said.
“Sorry Alpha,” Luca replied, straightening himself up and gesturing an apology to both of us.
“Good luck, Nelda,” Leo said before abruptly leaving and closing the door behind him.
“I'm so excited,” Luca stated, engulfing me in a bear hug the second Leo left, “Can I be the Godfather?”
My eyes widened as I stood with my neck stretching to rest on his shoulder.
“Well... a Godfather is someone that looks after your child if anything happens to you and-”
“I can look after kids,” He interrupted, releasing me from the crushing hug, “How hard can it be? Just swing them around and they'll be entertained for hours.”
I let out a nervous laugh, “I'll talk to Leo.”
“Promise?” He asked, holding out his pinkie.
“Promise,” I replied with a severe lack of confidence as I took his finger in mine.
Oh boy.
For the rest of the morning, Luca stayed in the kitchen testing out a recipe he’d seen on the cooking channel. It involved all sorts of strange, obscure ingredients that we didn’t have so he ended up substituting them with whatever he could find.
“We can’t eat that,” I said with a grimace as he took it out the oven, “What is it supposed to be?”
“Pheasant and cranberry Wellington,” he replied, “Except I used ham instead of pheasant, ketchup instead of the cranberries and I don’t know how to make pastry so I just mushed up some bread and wrapped it around.”
“…okay… but what’s the liquid oozing out of it?”
“It’s supposed to be a rosemary and sage sauce but… well you didn’t have the right herbs so it’s just milk.”
“I mean this in the nicest way possible, Luca,” I began, “But that is vile.”
He nodded, “Fair enough.”
After opening the trash can, he tipped the monstrosity straight in before clapping his hands.
“Right, shall we order a pizza?”
Leo left me with Luca all day. He had come back in the late afternoon but went straight into the office as I thrashed Luca on the Wii.
“Try not to cry too much,” I replied as I moved into first place.
A few seconds later I crossed the line and claimed victory. I immediately shot to my feet and threw my arms into the air.
“Wooh!” I screamed, beginning my victory dance. “The mighty Luca has been defeated!”
He threw his controller onto the couch and crossed his arms with a childish scowl.
“Whatever,” he grumbled.
“Don't be such a sore loser,” I shouted, jumping on the couch.
“We can't be friends anymore.”
I jumped down and sat beside him.
“Don’t say that, Luca. I don’t have many friends.”
He shrugged, “Not my problem.”
“Pretty please be my friend. With a cherry on top?”
“Nope.”
“With sparkly sprinkles too?”
“Still no,” he repeated.
“What if I let you join in my victory dance? Chance to jump on the Alpha's couch?”
His face transformed into a goofy smile.
“Okay fine.”
He jumped to his feet and then onto the sofa with me.
“Luca get off my couch,” Leo ordered as he came into the living room.
“You always spoil the fun Alpha,” Luca grumbled getting off the sofa and crossing his arms in the same childish manner.
“I got you those pickles, Nelda,” he told me as he entered the living room a jar in his hand.
“Yay! I've been looking forward to them all day. Almost ate the ten years expired ones at one point.” I squealed, rushing up to him as he embraced me in a hug.
“You guys are weird,” Luca said.
“What does that make you?” Leo remarked, “And why does my mate stink of your scent?”
He rested his nose in the crook of my neck and lifted his lip.
“Sorry Alpha,” Luca said. “I just LOVE hugs. I should reincarnate into a crocodile or something.”
We all paused for a second realising how little sense that made.
“How come you don't mind Luca touching me, but you freak if anyone else does?” I asked.
“Because I'm pretty sure Luca's gay,” Leo answered.
I have never even thought about that, but now he mentions it...
“Hello? Still here,” Luca responded. “And I'm not gay. I like people titties or not.”
“Yeah sure,” Leo mumbled, “When was the last time you got with someone with tits?”
“There's nothing wrong with it. It wouldn’t change a thing,” I said.
“Thanks, Nellie. That's great except for the fact that I'm not fucking gay!”
Leo raised an eyebrow.
“I would not be ashamed to admit it. And you remember Alea, right Alpha? The one we've both...” He began before trailing off and shutting his mouth in silence.
Leo was giving Luca a deathly glare.
Alea? Mateo’s Alea?
“The one you've both what?” I asked.
“The one we've both... um... um,” Luca mumbled, looking at Leo.
“Both talked to,” Leo finished, a little too fast. “… Did you want a pickle?”
I folded my arms.
“Leonidas and Luca,” I said sternly, “Could you get any worse at lying?”
“We were talking to her about that thing that happened that one time where we did that thing,” Luca said, scratching the back of his neck.
“That would be a yes,” I retorted, answering my own question. “And how does this have anything to do with your sexuality?”
“Because...” Leo began.
“You've both slept with her, haven't you?”
They both looked at each other, guilt written all over their faces.
“Gross,” I groaned, “Does Mateo know? And why didn’t I know?”
“Well, it's not really a conversation starter is it?” Leo said. “'Oh, hey Mateo! By the way, I slept with the girl you’ve been sleeping with for years.”
“You did what?!” Someone said after opening the front door.
That's right, it was Mateo.
“For Goddess's sake,” Leo muttered under his breath, shooting me a warning glare.
“Leo and Luca have both slept with Alea,” I called without an ounce of remorse.
“When?”
“A few months ago,” Luca confessed.
“Twice a few months ago,” Leo added honestly.
“Alea? Really, Leo? Twice?” he asked before looking at Luca. “And you. What the fuck?! I thought you were gay!”
“Easy mistake to make,” I muttered.
“It's not our fault if she is perfectly willing to get in our beds,” Leo said, “She’s slept with half the pack.”
Mateo’s gaze fell to the floor.
“Alpha, I came to inform you that the issue isn't as sorted as we thought,” he said, “We’ll need another meeting in the morning.”
He then turned and left without another word.
What issue?
“Alpha, I would just like to say I am very sorry for-,” Luca began.
Leo shot him a cold look and he gulped.
“I'll just leave.”
A minute later it was only Leo and me in the house again.
“The reason this pack runs so smoothly is down to Mateo. And I just lost a shit ton of his trust,” Leo said, running his fingers through his hair.
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you slept with his girl,” I said, taking a pickle out the jar. “Karma's a bitch.”
After that, I spent the rest of the evening in the library improving my Latin and Italian.
I read three books and had a dictionary beside me to help translate any words I didn't yet know.
At around 7 pm Leo came into the room.
“Buona sera straniera,” he greeted meaning 'good evening stranger' in English.
“Hi,” I replied, not taking my eyes off the book as he kneeled down beside me.
“Why do you need a dictionary when you have me?” He asked as I flicked through looking for the translation of the Latin word 'mythicon'.
“I’m trying to concentrate,” I said, slapping his hand off my leg.
“I've barely seen you all day,” he complained, putting his hand back on my leg, “And I'm bored.”
As he brought his lips close to mine, I jolted my head away.
“Then amuse yourself... or better still, call Alea…”
“You're mad about that?” he asked.
I turned the page of my book and shrugged.
“It was months ago, Nelda. It was before I had you and it meant nothing.”
“But if we swapped positions in this situation and Alea was, in fact, Brad or Chad from down the street, you wouldn't see it like that, would you?”
He let out a heavy breath and took the book out of my hand. He shut it and lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“You knew I have a past.”
“And you're allowed to have one, but I'm not. Another man can't even touch me. Remember Blaise?”
“What is the point of this conversation, Nelda?”
Looking deep into his eyes, I shrugged again.
“Do you expect me to go back in time to when I was seventeen and keep my virginity?”
I gave a sarcastic smile before snatching my book back and opening it where I left off.
“I expect at least an apology for losing your shit when you found out I had an ex,” I said, casting my eyes from him to the page, “If you really think sleeping around means nothing, then cut the double standard.”
“I'm sorry,” he responded very bluntly.
“At least try to sound like you mean it...”
“Well, maybe I don't mean it,” he said, getting to his feet. “It was different with Blaise.”
“Why? Because I’m a woman?”
“No,” he snapped, “Because he was also blackmailing you for sex. That’s why I disposed of him. Not because you’d made out with him or whatever vile things you did.”
“Disposed of? Is that what we’re calling murder now?”
He threw his hands in the air.
“And you were actually dating him? I banged Alea twice. You were his girlfriend?! His sweetheart, his baby, his cupcake, his bae, his fucking boo thing!”
A small grin slipped onto my mouth. I quickly shook it off, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Leo bit his lips tight together as a stifled laugh escaped.
“This isn’t funny,” I said, pressing my fingers on my lips, hiding my smile.
“Not at all,” he said, desperately trying to stop his face cracking into a smile.
“Stop it, Leonidas. It’s not funny.”
“You started it!”
As a giggle burst free, so did a snort.
Leo’s eyes lit up as his face creased in laughter. He fell down next to me on the sofa as he shut his eyes tight, tears still escaping. I slapped his chest as my entire body shook with giggles.
We stayed in fits of hysterics for over a minute. I was soon gasping for air as Leo had tears streaming down his cheeks.
“What were we even arguing about?” I asked, taking a deep breath as I wiped the tears off his cheek with my thumb.
“Nothing worthwhile,” he said, “All that matters is we are here together right now. In the present.”
I nodded, “Agreed.”
Chapter 65
November 14th
The night, Leo was working in his office late. When he finally came to bed, it was past midnight and he dropped asleep almost immediately. But after he had woken me with the bathroom light, I tossed and turned for over an hour.
Just as I was beginning to get frustrated, my phone chimed quietly from the nightstand.
Leo was fast asleep, his arm only gently resting on my waist so I managed to shuffle over and reach my phone without waking him.
On the illuminated screen was a message from my brother.
I'm outside and I need to speak to you.
I read it twice before getting up and tiptoeing to the window where I looked down to see Conall stood on the doorstep.
Without hesitation, I crept out of the bedroom and down the hall, avoiding the creaky floorboard. I could still hear Leo's light sleepy breaths until I reached the bottom of the stairs.
I lifted the latch slowly and carefully before turning the door handle.
“You have to be quiet,” I whispered to Conall.
He smiled before immediately pulling me into a hug.
“I’m here to say goodbye,” he said in my ear, “I love you so much and I promise you will be happy. I will make sure of it.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have something important to do,” he said.
“But what about work and the house-”
He put his hands either side of my face.
“This is more important.”
“Well, when will you be back?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“Will you be here when the baby is born?”
He clenched his jaw.
“Remember that number I gave you for Mom? Call it.”
A tear dropped down my cheek, “Conall-”
“This is for the best, Nel,” he said, taking my hands, “You just have to trust me.”
I nodded.
Conall forced a smile, “I better go.”
I nodded, “Okay.”
I stood at the doorstep and watched him disappear off into the forest before heading back inside.
Deciding I didn't want to explain to Leo that Conall had just crossed onto his territory unpermitted again, I went into the kitchen to collect my alibi, a glass of water, in case he woke as I returned.
But I never even got as far as the bottom of the stairs.
After filling the glass at the sink, I turned around to see Leo stood less than a metre away. He scared me so much that I dropped the glass causing it to smash, very close to my foot, and spread its contents all over the kitchen floor.
“Leo!” I said. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“What are you doing?” he questioned.
“Getting a glass of water... or I was until you made me drop it,” I replied.
“I thought I heard your voice?”
“To the baby. I was talking to the baby,” I said awkwardly smiling.
I took a deep breath and tensed as he leant closer to me.
“What? I'm just getting you another glass,” he said, reaching over my head to the glass cupboard. “And I'm sorry for scaring you.”
He filled it at the tap and then handed it to me.
“Go back to bed. I'll clear up this mess,” he said gently but firmly kissing my cheek.
His fingers ran along my shirt as he took a deep breath in.
There was no way he didn't detect Conall's scent. It was all over me.
I smiled nervously as he watched me, quite intently, head out of the kitchen. His face wore a smile but I could tell by the look in his eye that he knew.
A few minutes later, after clearing up the water and broken glass, he came back into our bedroom. Without a word, he got into the bed beside me and wrapped his arms back around me.
“Next time, you don't need to hide him from me,” he said softly.
I smiled and placed my hand on top of his, “Right.”
November 15th
The next morning, Leo was in his office early.
“I want you to meet my family,” I said, stepping through the door.
He looked up from the piles of papers sprawled across his desk.
“I've met your family...” he said, “Your brother hates me, remember?”
“I want you to meet him properly. And my mom too.”
“Your Mom?” he asked, “You never talk much about her.”
“Well... after my Dad died, she was never the same again and I haven't seen her in two years so it's not the cheeriest topic to think about.”
I had approached the desk and reached my hand out to look at the papers in front of Leo but he quickly gathered them up and tucked them into a draw.
I frowned.
“She fled this pack eighteen years ago,” he said, “What makes you think she want to come back?”
“Things are different now,” I said, dragging my eyes from the draw, “Her brother is dead, I'm the Luna and I'm pregnant and you'd permit her... right?”
“Of course I would,” he said, “Do you have a way of contacting her?”
“I have a number. It's old, but it's worth a try.”
“Call it,” he replied, “And if she wants to, she has my full permission to come and stay.”
“... and Conall?” I asked.
He turned and scoffed, “Do you think that's a good idea?”
“I’m not giving up on you too getting along yet.”
“And I’m not sure I can trust him yet.”
I let out a deep breath, “Leo, please.”
He sighed, “Call your Mom and I'll think about it for when the baby arrives.”
I smiled and kissed him gently, “Thank you.”
After dialling the number scrawled on the paper Conall gave me in the war, the phone only rang twice before someone answered.
“Liliana,” a voice said, “Liliana!”
“Hello?” I asked.
It was the gruff tone of a man.
“Who is it?” he demanded.
“Nelda Rivers. Liliana's daughter.”
“Liliana, it's your kid,” the man said.
The phone rustled before the line cleared.
“Nelda?” my mother said, her voice dry and croaky sounding.
I smiled at the sound of it anyway.
“Hi Mom.”
