“I thought I’d surprise you.” She wraps her arms around me. “You said on the phone that you were going to the O.U. rally. I couldn’t miss out on your first big rally, now could I?”
I hang onto her fluffy cardigan, not quite believing she’s here.
“I’ve missed you.” I smile so hard, my cheeks hurt, soaking in her comforting scent.
“And I’ve missed you too, Hedgey.” She pulls away to dab at her eyes with a frilly handkerchief.
Her soft, brown eyes quickly scan the scene then take in who I’m surrounded by, causing my stomach to drop. What will she think of finding me in the middle of a group of four strapping alphas?
“You must be Faye’s Gram!” Sabs steps in to save the day, like she can read my mind. “We’ve heard so much about you.”
“You must be Sabs.” Gram pulls her in for a hug. “You look just like your pictures on the ‘gram.”
“Since when do you go on social media?” I gawp.
She scoffs. “Alice has been showing me a thing or two. I think I’m getting the hang of it.” She turns to the other Stellas. “And you must be Delilah and Kady.”
They have a quick chat, but it’s hard to have a full conversation over the noise, and my anxiety continues to mount. Thankfully, I wore my hair down, so she can’t see my bond mark.
“I like to see young people out campaigning,” Gram comments. “It’s your generation that needs to continue this legacy.” Her shrewd gaze sweeps over the Silverwoods. “It’s good to see alphas here too.”
Did she see Damon’s arm around me or Ren holding my hand, or were we shielded by the crowds?
“This is my brother, Laz,” Sabs introduces. “And the rest of his pack.” She nods at each of the guys. “This is Ren, Cole, and Damon.”
Gram smiles politely, but her expression remains unreadable.
Damon inclines his head, almost in a bow, like she’s the queen. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
She raises her eyebrows, and I try not to swallow my tongue. Before anyone else starts curtseying, I need to get her out of here.
“Shall we grab some tea?” I suggest.
She smiles, almost knowingly. “I think we should.”
“I’ll catch you later,” I promise the others.
Damon looks like he wants to argue, but a pleading gaze from me and Cole’s firm hand on his arm stops him in his tracks. I sense his stress, but I won’t be far.
“We can go to the Tea House,” I say for the guys’ benefit, so Damon can stay nearby. “It’s one of the best places on campus. Ren took me there once.”
“Did he now?” With a look of surprise, she looks over Ren. “An alpha who likes tea, hm?”
She’s never met an alpha like Ren before, and I sense the two of them would really get along.
He nods over-enthusiastically. “I thought it would help Faye feel more at home here.”
“I’m sure it did,” Gram replies, a curiosity hiding under her words.
Gram has a knack for discovering people’s secrets and getting them to open up. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve walked in on her comforting a customer over a steaming mug, listening to them pour their heart out over bonding troubles or other problems. We need to leave before she pokes around for more information. She needs to hear the truth from me.
“You’ll have to visit Stella House before you leave,” Kady suggests before any of my alphas say the wrong thing.
“We’d love to chat more.” Delilah nods eagerly. “Faye’s told us all about your work for Omega Unite. I’m sure you have some stories to tell.”
Gram chuckles. “You have no idea.”
“Such a badass,” Sabs says then covers her mouth. “Sorry, I mean?—”
