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“Of course,” said Max, “I know the rules of the boarding schools are very strict, and I want to let you know how much this means to us. Given the current situation, my wife can’t stay at Castle Blackmane, and I truly think Alma Venus is the safest place she can be right now. I promise you my wolves and I are doing the best we can to solve this unfortunate situation as soon as possible, and with as little consequences as possible.”
Miss Delacroix nodded her head in approval, then her gaze went to Avelyn’s round belly, and everyone who was close enough noticed the gleam of hope and happiness in her gray eyes. Avelyn saw it, and something akin to pride grew in her chest.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Blackmane, we will take good care of your wife. Now, please come in. You must be hungry…”
“Oh no, thank you. I would only like to make sure Avelyn is comfortable, then I will leave you with Caleb and Daniel, my two Deltas, who will make sure the boarding school is well guarded.”
They entered the large hall, and Avelyn breathed in the familiar scent of wooden furniture and wa
xed floorboards. This place brought back so many memories, and Avelyn had to admit that most of them were pleasant. For the first time, she realized that Alma Venus instilled in her completely different feelings than it did before she became Mrs. Blackmane, and these feelings confused her. She didn’t see the school as a prison anymore, and it wasn’t because she was now free from it, but because it was the place where she had spent her childhood, a childhood which she now realized hadn’t been so bad after all. Yes, the politics of Alma Venus might have been a bit wrong and twisted, but the education and upbringing she had received here did lead to her finding the man of her dreams. She let herself fall two steps behind Max, and she soon felt Delyse’s small, cold hand sneaking into her own. She turned around and smiled at her friend.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, squeezing the petite blonde’s hand. Claudia caught up with them, and Avelyn took her hand too. “Where is Amelia? Don’t tell me she is in the bedroom, sulking.”
“It’s a long story,” answered Delyse. “Let’s save it for later, when it’s just the three of us.”
“The three of us?” Avelyn’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “Are you saying that…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence, as she almost bumped into Max’s wide, strong back. This drew her attention back to what he was discussing with Miss Delacroix.
“All right,” said the headmistress. “Then, I will let you and Avelyn go up to her old dorm. Avelyn, I hope you’ll be comfortable sharing the same room with your former colleagues. I’m sorry, but we don’t have single rooms, as the boarding school is what it is.”
“No problem,” said Avelyn. “I’m very glad I’ll get to spend some time with my friends. Thank you so much for doing this, Miss Delacroix.”
The headmistress only smiled and motioned for Claudia and Delyse to lead the way up the stairs. Then, she showed Daniel and Caleb into her office, as they were supposed to wait for Max to get back downstairs and discuss the last details of their plan. The girls didn’t wait for a second invitation, and ran up the stairs, leaving a smiling Max behind. Miss Delacroix shook her head and smiled apologetically, as if to say that girls would always be girls regardless of their age or social status. Her reaction made Max laugh wholeheartedly. He took Avelyn’s suitcase from Daniel, then followed his wife and her friends, not before telling the others he would be back shortly.
Avelyn’s old bedroom was cozy and well lit, with tall windows that let the sun in. Max stopped on the threshold and waited for the girls to notice him. Avelyn had already plopped on her old bed, and she was telling Delyse and Claudia how small it was compared to her new one. The girls laughed knowingly, but stopped when Max cleared his throat to get their attention. They got the message and left them alone, telling Avelyn to find them in the cafeteria later. Max carried the suitcase to Avelyn’s bed and sat down beside her.
“You seem very happy. I like that.”
“Of course I’m happy! I’m back with my friends, even if it’s just for a couple of days.”
“I think I was a bit afraid you wouldn’t want to come here. You have so many memories here, and probably not all of them are nice. I would’ve never put you in this uncomfortable situation if I had any other choice, trust me.”
“This is not uncomfortable in the least.” Avelyn turned to face him and she placed her hands on his shoulders. She loved the heat his body gave off, the way it traveled up her arms, raising goosebumps in its wake, then settling inside her chest, reminding her how much she loved him. Sometimes, she loved him so much that it hurt. It occupied her mind and made it impossible for her to focus on anything other than his eyes, his lips, the pure, physical strength of his body. She stretched her neck to leave a tender kiss on his lips.
“To tell you the truth, I was a bit afraid myself. I could barely imagine what coming back here would feel like. A couple of times, in the airplane, the anxiety almost made me faint. But I’m glad you took me back to Alma Venus. I think I missed it. Not only Delyse, Claudia, Amelia… Well, I’m not sure where Amelia is, but we’ll find her…” She laughed, even though there was an odd feeling tugging at her heart. “I think I missed the school, the garden, this room… The people here. Even Miss Delacroix… When I saw her waiting for us, I realized I had missed her so much that I could have jumped in her arms then and there.”
“Oh, I don’t think she would have liked that.” Max drew her into his arms, and Avelyn complied immediately and climbed on his lap. “Well, if you are happy, then I am happy. And the most important thing right now is for you and our son to be safe. I can’t stay long because I have to be back at the Schloss before sunset, but I will talk to Miss Delacroix, the Alma Venus guards, and Caleb and Daniel, and make sure they have everything under control.”
“I’m sure they do. There’s nothing to worry about. Sabine has no idea where Alma Venus is. Just promise me you will be careful, okay? And come back for me the moment everything settles down.”
Max squeezed her tightly, and one of his hands went down to caress her belly. He dove down for a deep, passionate kiss, and Avelyn responded greedily by opening her mouth and letting their tongues dance together in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. Her warm, soft body almost drove him insane with lust, but Max knew there was no time for that. He pressed her against his chest and held her like that for long minutes, finding it almost impossible to let go. Since he bought her and made her his bride, they had never been apart, and the sole idea of leaving her here while he returned to Schloss Blackmane sent uncomfortable chills down his spine and almost made him reconsider his plan. He knew he never wanted to be away from her, but only now did he truly feel the impact of his decision. With a mighty effort, he extracted himself from underneath her pleasant weight and stood up.
“Don’t even think about being worried over this. Sabine might be unpredictable, but her pack is young and inexperienced. There’s no way they can stand a chance against the Crescents and the Moon Children, and I hope the Dark Wolves will also join us tomorrow morning. This whole mess will be over in no time. Until then, have fun with your friends.”
“About that… I am very surprised that Miss Delacroix accepted to let me stay. Indeed, it is very weird for a boarding school to do something like this, don’t you think?”
Max smiled and took her chin between his fingers, tipping her head up so he could see her bright, blue eyes. “The headmistress cares about you very much. In fact, if you ask me, she loves all the girls at Alma Venus like her own daughters.”
Avelyn laughed. “She must have a huge heart, then.”
“She does.”
“I made her life a living hell.” Avelyn felt a pang of guilt at this new, unexpected thought. She never believed she would feel the tiniest regret for having yelled at Miss Delacroix, tried to escape Alma Venus three times, and blamed the old lady for all the evil in the world whenever she got the slightest excuse.
“Of course you did. Like any spoilt young lady.” Max winked, letting her know he was kidding. “But she loves you anyway. If keeping you safe and happy means breaking a couple of rules, she will do it without blinking an eye.”
Avelyn smiled and dove down to kiss the fingers that had been holding her chin. “Okay, go!”
“Are you kicking me out, Mrs. Blackmane?”
