AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Exactly.” I wassorelieved Luna understood without me needing to explain in detail. “Do you know how many forks come with that many courses? More than seven! And there are spoons, and knives, and different plates. When Eli saidfamily dinner, I was expecting someone putting a bowl of pasta and sauce on the table with a side of meatballs.” I sighed and shook my head. “I don’t know why the hell I thought that. We flew here on the Archers’ fucking private jet. They definitely aren’t meatballs and garlic bread people.”
Luna made an empathetic noise. “No, no they are not. I think they were trying to make Remus feel welcome when we were there, so it was a bit…different, I think. His aunts kept offering to take me out places. It felt a little surreal, honestly. We had a lot going on back in Texas, and going out for tea felt very, ah…trite. I know they were just trying their best in the way they knew how.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “I mean, that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? That’s the only way they know how. With twelve forks and four spoons and more plates than meals.” I sighed, spreading my fingers over the sheets. “I don’t belong here. And besides, weliterallyhave more important things to deal with back in Texas. If Nic and Eli need to take care of Longbow Pack business, that’s fine, but that has nothing to do with me, you know? At least I could behelpfulwith the shit going on back in Remus’ territory, even if I can’t solve everything all at once.”
Luna was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry they’re making you feel unwanted,” she finally said gently.
“It’s not that. Well, no…I guess it kind of is, isn’t it?” I shrugged. “It’s nothing new. But I don’t want to waste my time anymore. I just…I don’t know how else to get back, other than waiting for Eli, and I have no idea how long this is going to take. Everyone is being so hush-hush about what’s going on. I’m not even sure Nic or Eli knowexactlywhat it is this Gage guy has been up to.”
Luna hummed quietly. “Are you sure you want to come back? It sounds like Eli could use an outside perspective right about now.”
I snorted. “Then he can fucking call me, Luna. He dragged me out here and didn’t warn me about a damn thing, didn’t tell me to pack anything nice, and then watched meflounderat that dinner until one of his cousins leaned over to tell me which fork to use when.”
“Ah…” It sounded like she might say something else for a moment, but she changed her mind and sighed instead. “Well, it’s a bit late to arrange anything now, but if you’d like, I can talk to Remus tomorrow morning and see if he can arrange for a flight out of London? I don’t think it would be private, since he has no control over Nic’s jet. But I’m sure he could get you on a first-class flight direct to Austin.”
“Bella, too,” I said, without hesitation. “There’s no way I’m leaving her here with these people. She’s a little kid, not some novelty to wonder at.”
“Of course,” Luna said, some steel bubbling up in her voice. Maternal instinct, probably. “We’ll get first class for the two of you.”
“Thank you,” I exhaled, feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders. “I owe you one. I owe you twelve, probably.”
Luna snorted softly. “Iris, if you hadn’t brought this Project Night Moon to light, Remus still might not know what was going on beneath his nose. If anyone owes anyone else, it’s us who owe you.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but I heard a muffled sound.
“Ah, sounds like one of my boys is getting a bit overtired. I’m sorry, Iris, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back in the morning with the arrangements, okay?”
“Of course,” I said. “Seriously though, thank you.”
Luna laughed quietly. “Seriously yourself, Iris. Think nothing of it.”
I smiledup at the ceiling, feeling much better than I had since we’d set foot on the Archers’ private jet.Finally,something is going my way.
Even though I hadn’t said the thought out loud, the universe seemed to sense it, and the door cracked open a moment later, revealing Eli. He looked like a typhoon washing up over the Aleutian Islands. I raised a brow.
“Were you just talking to someone?” he groused, closing the door behind him.
“Yes?” I replied, propping myself up on the bed. “I was on the phone.”
“Who were you talking to?” he asked, pulling his shoes off.
I balked, sitting up a little straighter. “Does it matter?” I replied, feeling a bit defensive.
Eli looked up, his gaze sharp. “I was just asking,” he snapped. “It’s not as if things are all bubblegum and rainbows back in Texas.”
I snorted. “I’ll say,” I grumbled, not at all impressed by the mood rolling off the man. “I still don’t think we should have left.”
He stared at me for a moment, a small tic in his jaw. “Yes, well,” he said, sounding frustrated, “a bit late for that, isn’t it? We’re here now. We might as well see this through.”
What the hell is his problem?
He was reminding me an awful lot of the Eli Archer, Asshole Playboy I met at the Moonmate ceremony Remus and Luna had hosted well over a month ago, and not the man with whom I’d investigated the Project Night Moon case. “We?”
Eli pulled off his jacket. “Yes? You and I.”
“I’m not really sure what this has to do withme,” I said coolly. “And I’m not sure what crawled up your ass and died, Eli, but I came all the way from Texas becauseyouasked me to. I have no stake in whatever is going on between you, your dad, and your weird uncle.” Perhaps he’d forgotten, but this wasn’t exactly a fun-filled vacation for me as much as it was a forced break. I felt like a sidelined athlete, forced to the bench with an injury.
The alpha bristled, finally stopping in his agitated undressing long enough to look at me. “I invited you because things had gotten so heated in Texas,” he said, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.
