I sigh. “I am sorry. I didn’t plan this, but they both got clingy when I was about to leave.”
Ella just looks more amused. “The more the merrier,” she says. “Celine is already here. She is with Annie. We are just waiting for-“
“Hey girls!” A young man with brown hair and a pretty face comes running towards us. He is… He is human!EvenI can tell.
“This is Dave,” Ella tells me as he reaches us. “He is Annie’s and my best friend. He is mated to a wolf from our pack.”
“That‘s amazing,” I whisper.
“What?” Dave grins. “That I am so hot? Or that I am human?”
“Well, the latter,” I say.
Ella links her arm with Dave’s. “He is a well-beloved pack member and even works for the council.”
“No way,” I exclaim.
“Gwen comes from a pack that shunned humans, and even human hybrids,” Ella explains to Dave.
“I am half-human,” I add. “Seeing you here in a pack, so free and well-respected, means so much to me.”
“It’s the way it should be,” Dave says, suddenly turning more serious. “That’s what the alpha and I are working on.”
It strikes me once again that Liam must be very progressive. I guess it might not be so obvious for Felix and his other siblings, but for me being someone from a terrible pack, itisobvious. Felix said Maddox is getting along with Liam in particular. I found it weird at first, but now it makes much more sense.
Ella’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. She seems to be discussing something more in-depth with Dave. “How was your appointment today?”
“Good,” Dave says. “Raffy and I are in the final steps. We are super excited. Goddess, I am really nervous.” He turns to me with a joyful smile. “My mate and I are going to adopt.”
My heart warms at his words. When someone talks about adopting, I always think about Faye. The people in this pack andin Silverlake are lovely, so it means a lonely child will have the chance of a healthy upbringing.
“We have been talking to Marius a lot. Raffy and I want to give a child who comes from a troubled background a chance. With our own pasts, we are up for the challenge.”
“That’s fantastic, Dave!” Ella says. “I am so happy for you. You will rock this!”
Together, we make our way towards the packhouse. It’s a bit more traditional-looking than Silverlake’s modern packhouse, but equally well-organized, and the interior has been brought up to today’s standard. It’s obvious where Liam got his inspiration and know-how from.
While walking, I hear some pack members chatting, and Annie’s name comes up a lot. They seem to really love and appreciate her. I guess no matter how talented Liam is, he wouldn’t have been able to do this without his luna.
“Pity that Finn can’t join us,” Dave says.
“Felix’s brother?” I ask.
“Yeah, he belongs to our friends group,” Ella explains. “But it’s hard to find a date when we all are able to get together.”
“We need to visit him,” Dave points out.
“We will, once everything is settled with Charlie and her mate.” Ella furrows her brows. “I can’t leave during such a situation.”
“Obviously not,” Dave says. “But when Liam and Annie are on it, I am sure they will find a good solution.”
“I have every faith in them,” Ella says. “Besides, Dante and I won’t let anything happen to Charlie. She is relying on our help in this, and I‘ll be damned if I won’t protect her.”
Listening to her makes me realize that she truly is Charlie’s parent. Charlie herself told me that she was a young teen when she came to live with Dante and Ella, but they obviously treather like their own. It seems as though with every step I take, my hope for Faye’s future grows more and more.
“Here we are,” Ella says. “That’s the alpha suite. The dads are on childcare duty and went to the playground with the kids, so we have the place to ourselves.” She knocks. “Annie, we are coming in.”
Dave and I follow Ella into the suite. It’s spacious with lots of light. While renovating, Annie and Liam kept parts of the traditional architecture while modernizing the place. It looks fantastic. Modern, yet with respect to the style and materials of the original house.
