AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, he’s a really nice guy. He’s been nothing but welcoming and introducing me to all the women around the pack house so I wouldn’t feel so lonely,” Meli added.
“You’re from Mexico, right?” Bells asked Meli, and it hadn’t occurred to me that this was her first-time meeting Jo’s mate as well.
“Yep. He was visiting his uncle Tomas. I’m from the same pack.”
“Has it been hard for you? Being so many miles away from the only home you knew with no one to talk to or comfort you?” Bells asked with true curiosity in her voice, making my brows furrow. Was she talking about her or Meli now?
“It was an adjustment. I learned English in university, but I only used it during the tourist season. The food is different, the people are less open. I’m still homesick some days.” Meli took a shuddering breath and smiled. “But Josue... he’s everything to me. I would suffer through it all to be by his side, but that’s not what’s happening. Yes, I have trouble being so far from home some days, but he’s always there, asking me if I want to go visit, and introducing me to his family and friends. He never lets me feel lonely for too long. His parents have taken me in as their daughter and even Luna Celeste treats me like I’m part of the family. I lost a lot when I left my pack to follow Jo, but he’s given me so much in return.”
Bells took a big breath and let out a relieved breath. “I’m so glad it worked out for you. Jo is the best. All of them are. I miss them a lot some days.”
We didn’t leave until well past two in the morning, with everyone getting to know each other well by the end of the night. It felt like we were all sisters that had been on vacation and were finally all back home. We opened the door to Zi’s house, trying to be quiet, but unable to stop giggling. The boys were all sitting in the living room, watching some movie on TV. Each one smiled up at us as we entered, and Bells sighed wistfully.
“You’re all a bunch of lucky bitches. Cory, you and Evie walk me to mom’s so I can pass out,” Bells pointed to her brother.
“You’re staying in the pack house. I’ve got your stuff in one of the rooms on the alpha floor. Mom expects you for breakfast at least every other day though.”
“I missed her cooking.” Bells practically floated back out to the door. Jo and Meli joined us outside, and we all walked to the pack house together after saying goodnight to James and Zi. Cory showed Bells to her room, and she removed her shoes, plopping onto the bed facedown without bothering to undress.
As we walked toward our bedroom, I couldn’t help but ask the question that nagged me the longer the night went on.
“Do you think Bells is happy?”
“I honestly don’t know. She never tells me otherwise. I would bring her back if she wasn’t, but other than a few moments where I feel like there’s something she’s not quite telling me, she doesn’t talk about her relationship with her mate very much. I know she doesn’t get along too much with her mother-in-law, but outside of that, her life is busy but not troublesome. Why? Did she say something?”
“Not in so many words, just phrases here and there that make me wonder if she’s truly happy where she is.”
“I know, but I don’t know what to do. If she doesn’t ask for help, I might be making trouble with her mate. I already don’t see her enough as it is. I don’t want her to pull away,” he said as we lay in bed. I stayed up later than usual thinking about Bells. She was always so strong, but it still made me wonder...
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cory
Bells had been home for almost a week. Over my years of mind-links with my twin, I always thought there was an undercurrent of apprehension from Bells when she talked about her mate. She spoke about her day like her usual sassy, confident self. But whenever we talked about her mate in general, her words were always slower to come, like she was careful of what she said. I didn’t think she ever lied to me, but after seven years, maybe I just couldn’t tell anymore. Now I couldn’t push Evie’s words out of my head.
I watched her like a hawk over the last few days, and the differences between how she was when she first arrived and now were staggering. She only bothered to straighten her hair once before it returned to her crazy natural curls. The ghosts that seemed to haunt her every time I caught her looking at our family interacting with each other were but memories now. Her grey eyes twinkled as she fussed over Cecilia’s growing belly, made fun of James and sat playing with Molly in her lap. She watched Mom and Dad giggling and whispering to one another as he tried to help Mom with the cooking, as if she wanted to memorize something that they had done thousands of times before.
As the days flew by and I watched my sister transform back into her old self, I wondered if she had left that part of herself here when she moved, unwilling to let Bells the sister, daughter and friend, leave with Bells, the mate, the luna. Was that her being stubborn, prideful, or was there more going on in her life that she didn’t want to divulge? I wondered about all this as my mate, mother, twin, and the rest of our family hashed out more details for the upcoming luna ceremony.
Years ago, before I knew that life wasn’t fair and that responsibility and destiny had a mind of its own and didn’t care about what I wanted, this is what I had imagined my life would be. Seeing all of the women in my life together while the rest of us men watched on with dreamy looks on our faces because even in my dreams, we were all fucking suckers for them. The bittersweetness that this picture would end after the luna ceremony wasn’t lost on me.
As if also knowing we were on a timer, Violet seemed to be coming back into herself, enjoying the moments in her own way. Every day, Bells kept Violet tucked into her side, not demanding anything of her but her presence. Yet her actions seemed to bring Violet back into the land of the living.
Violet wasn’t talking much, but she was listening and paying attention, often providing the first genuine smiles since the massacre as she watched everyone around her living their life, and it encouraged her to try to come out of the protective shell she’d placed around herself to do the same. I could only hope it remained that way after Bells left.
On the day of Molly’s party, I waited with Bells and Evie for Jo and Meli before the five of us walked over to Zi’s house with presents in hand. When we arrived, Uncle Danny and James were setting up a bouncy house, and Aunt Maya was setting up the grill with a frozen-in-place Zi holding back the birthday girl near the door so the men could move things safely.
“What’s wrong with Zi?” I bent down to whisper to Evie, who grinned over at me a little and watched her friend before she answered.
“I think she’s realizing she’s not alone anymore. I should go jar her back to reality.” She grabbed Meli and Bells and walked over to the birthday girl with gift bags in hand.
“Hi, Aunt Maya,” I said a few steps before reaching my aunt, and kissed her forehead. I’d long learned that Aunt Maya didn’t react well to being surprised from behind because of the trauma she suffered before finding Uncle Danny, so I always tried to announce myself whenever I came up behind her.
“Cory! Hi sweetie. Help me set up this thing. I’ve cleaned it, but Danny never lets me grill so I have no idea how to start it while he’s over there playing the role of favorite grandpa.”
“It’s the first one. Can’t blame the guy,” I chuckled, pulling the propane tank and attaching it to the hose.
“Not when it’s as adorable as Molly, no. And with Danielle not looking for her mate until she finishes her degree, it might be the only one for a while unless James can charm that wonderful girl into accepting him,” she chuckled.
