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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Travis County, Texas
Even as we boarded the private jet (private jet!), I was still having a hard time believing this was actually happening. Eli had gotten me a proper suitcase even though I’d insisted my duffel was fine. He’d gotten Bella an adorable little bag and a backpack for her things, too. No matter howIfelt about going overseas, Bella was clearly delighted by the idea. Even picking out her own sparkly purple bag had clearly been a highlight for her.
Now, we all sat in plush leather chairs as a flight attendant asked us each what we wanted to drink before we took off. She even had a sippy cup for Bella, so she wouldn’t spill if we hit any turbulence. Nic and Eli each had something alcoholic, though I opted for ginger ale. I still wasn’t feeling great, and alcohol was hard on me even when I was in peak health. Bella was practically vibrating in the seat as I buckled her in, though she didn’t say much.
“I think she’s looking forward to this,” I murmured to Eli, watching her.
Eli considered Bella for a moment, looking from the child to the window. “I think she’s pretty adventurous,” he said after a moment, smiling as the plane started to move. Bella’s eyes lit up. “Do you want to look out the window while we take off?” he offered.
Bella nodded rapidly, her eyes growing huge. She still didn’t say much, and neither of us felt like it was worth forcing her to speak. I watched as Eli leaned over, unbuckling Bella again so he could place her on his lap. She immediately plastered her face to the window, silent except for the occasional giggle as the plane taxied to the runway, and eventually, we were airborne.
I hadn’t been on many planes in my life. I wished I could have had the same enthusiasm as a kid. Even Eli was smiling, murmuring quietly as he pointed things out to Bella as Texas started to disappear beneath us. Eventually, she got bored and he put her back in her seat.
I couldn’t help but smile, endeared by how happy he’d made her — but we still had a long flight ahead of us. “Do you want to play one of your new games?” I asked, nodding towards Bella’s new backpack. Eli had gotten her a few more outfits while Bella and I had picked out a few new games that would fit easily while traveling.
Bella selected Go Fish from her bag, and the three of us arranged ourselves to play. After a few rounds, Bella revealed herself to be a virtual card shark. She probably would have played on until she fell asleep with cards in her hands, but it wasn’t difficult to convince her to put them away and take up her wolf toy instead. The stewardess brought us a blanket and pillow, and Bella was soon curled up comfortably against the window, sound asleep as Eli sat next to me instead.
“A nap isn’t a bad idea,” he murmured, reaching over to squeeze my knee. “The time difference can be a bit…challenging.”
“I can’t imagine.” I hadn’t flown in quite a while, and when I had, the few hours’ difference between the East Coast and West Coast alone had thrown me for a loop. And the United Kingdom was more than a few hours ahead of the time in Texas. I shook my head, trying to ignore the gnawing sense of anxiety. “I wish I had her ability to fall asleep like that.”
Eli laughed softly, looking back at Bella. “Everything is a lot cooler when you’re that small,” he agreed, shaking his head. “But I bet you could. We can get you a pillow if you want.”
“Nah,” I said, allowing myself to shift sideways as I rested my head on his shoulder and shut my eyes. “I think I’m good right here.”
While I wasn’table to shut my eyes and sleep like Bella, I did manage to drift in and out of naps while we flew. I wasn’tcompletelyexhausted when we landed despite the hour — and what hour it would be if we were back in Texas — though I certainly wasn’t as energetic as Bella. She practically floated off the plane, barely waiting for Nic to open the door before she dove into the back seat of the black Lincoln Town Car waiting for us.
If I had thought the handsome car that carried us through London was fancy, it was absolutely nothing compared to the estate we pulled up to. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping as I stared up at the building. The multi-story home would have been considered large in Texas, much less the heart of this massive city. I never forgot that Eli and his family were quite wealthy, but when Eli and I were breaking and entering into a dingy, abandoned office building, it was…well, it was easier to put his background out of my mind.
I was just a woman doing her job, and Eli was the strapping young alpha helping me out. Iknewhe’d be a pack alpha one day, but his pack wasn’t in Texas, and somehow, it just felt further away. Less real.
Looking up at this building, taking Eli’s hand as he helped me out of the backseat, I felt like I’d been hit by a brick. No, an entire boulder. The Archers weren’t just alphas. The Archers weren’t just run of the mill wealthy, either. They were you-couldn’t-spend-all-this-money-if-you-tried wealthy. The knot of anxiety in my stomach practically tripled in size as I grabbed my bag, stepping to one side as Eli helped Bella out of the car next.
It was like I was watching this happen out of my body. I was watching Iris Walker and Eli Archer in front of the family estate. I was watching Eli and Bella as he pointed things out to her, but I couldn’t really hear him. Well, no — I could, I knew it was his voice. But none of his words sounded real. None of this feltreal.
I didn’t even notice Nic walk over to my side before he spoke. “Iris? Are you alright?”
I jolted, heat crawling up my neck at the fact that he was able to startle me like that. “Ah, yeah. Sorry,” I said, feeling awkward about getting caught staring, even though I was pretty sure a house this large was meant to be gawked at. Remus was Eli’s only sibling, as far as I knew, so it wasn’t as if they needed a house of this size to shelter an entire litter of Archers.
“I’ve worked for a few people with estates before, but none of them were…” I waved a hand in the home’s direction. “How old is this place?” I frowned. “Can I ask that?”
Nic laughed gently, shaking his head. “Of course you can. We’ve a bit more history here in London than one might find in the American Midwest.” He turned, smiling up at his home proudly. “The Archer Estate has been in my family for over two-hundred years, but it’s much older than that. I can show you some of the history when we go inside, if you’d like.”
“Oh, ah, sure,” I said, not sure what else to say about that. I did like research; it just wasn’t usually the historical type.
“Looks like we’re getting left behind,” Nic noted, nodding towards the walkway. Bella had Eli by the hand, practically dragging him up towards the front door like it was her home we had just arrived at, not his.
I couldn’t help but laugh a little, buoyed by her sheer enthusiasm. “I think she might be a world traveler someday,” I said, shaking my head.
Nic nodded again, a large smile on his face as he headed towards the house himself. I followed a few steps behind, taking a moment to glance at the plants in front of me before he opened the door, inviting me in.
Naturally, the house was just as grand on the inside as it was on the outside, if not more so. Before I could say anything, I realized there were voices coming from further in the house. I froze, my heart leaping into my throat.
Nic shut the door behind us and stopped next to me, touching my elbow gently. “Sorry,” he said, smiling apologetically. “I let my siblings know I was coming back with Eli. I didn’t expect that they’d all meet us here right away.”
I cleared my throat, trying to find my voice. “Oh.” What a silly thing to say. I shook my head, allowing Nic to lead us through the foyer towards the kitchen. To my dismay, there were more than just a few wolves there. Even Bella looked overwhelmed, now in Eli’s arms as she hid her face against his neck.
