“Me neither,” Felix admits.
“It means they weren’t sure if you are who they are looking for,” Dario adds. “We should keep that in mind.”
“It could still be someone from her pack,” Charlie muses. “Gwen just said that not many know her.”
“Yes, that’s making it more difficult,” Dario admits. “But still, it’s good they aren’t sure who you are and that you managed to play dumb. It’s also good that Felix intervened and claimed you as his. As shifters, they were able to tell that he is a lycan. They will be doubly as careful from now on, which gives us an advantage.”
He pauses, as if there is more he wants to say, but instead he tosses a glance at Felix. My mate doesn’t hesitate a second and takes my hand into his again. “Gwen, I know you’ve been through a lot, and that you don’t trust a pack easily, and I know that you literally achieved everything on your own, but if you would allow me to help you,“ he pauses, insecurity in his voice.
Does he really think I will reject his offer? I can easily put his mind at ease. After my talk with Amelia and after seeing how Faye reacted to meeting fellow wolves, I‘ve made my decision. “If you truly want me, I will come with you.”
twenty-two
Moving
*GWENDOLYN*
Everything happens incredibly fast, and in the space of two days, I quit my job, said goodbye to Donna and her friend, who I am house sitting for, and packed up everything. Faye is excited and happy about moving to a new pack; it certainly helps that Charlie is there to entertain her and make sure she knows it’s a great pack we are heading to.
Another proof of how desperately she needs this move, and to be surrounded by other pups. I hope this time they will accept her and show her she is one of them.
“How did Dario manage to organize a car that fast?” I ask. We decided to leave my car somewhere safe and pick it up later. Justa safety measure in case anyone is following me and knows what car I am driving.
“That’s typical for him,” Felix says. “He is really good at organizing things. In my family, he is probably the smartest.” He sounds proud when he says it, and happy for his brother. “So, Gwen, there is something I wanted to talk with you about.”
I eye him curiously. “Go ahead.”
He rubs the back of his head in a bashful gesture. “This is going to be a lot now, I am sorry. I just… we are driving off tonight, and I wanted to talk to you about this in private and not in the car with anyone else around.”
His helpless muttering makes me smile. “It’s okay, we can talk about anything. I am ready to hear you out.”
“We haven’t talked about where you are supposed to stay,” he says. “Well, obviously, I would be over the moon if you stayed with me, but it’s okay if you want your own place. Whatever you want, I will make it happen. We have a lot of options in the pack.”
I am surprised to say the least. I expected something along the lines of keeping our relationship a secret or maybe me having to live outside the pack.
“How do you live?” I ask curiously.
“I have my own apartment in the packhouse,” he says. “My three older brothers moved out, and into their new packs, so Dario and I each took over one suite. It’s pretty spacious. Obviously, it’s just for now. With the pets, it would be better to move to a cottage with a garden. Oh, we can even have a small pool for the otter and capybara! I can talk to my mother about it – she studied architecture, and she has a thing for animals. She will make sure you get the place of your dreams.”
I am stunned by what he is saying. Is he truly going to do all of this, exactly how I want it? “What about what you want?” I ask.“I would hate for you to move out of your space and into a more private cottage.”
“Oh, I don’t mind! The place in the packhouse was always just a temporary solution for me. I love spending time outdoors. We would need to stay within the proximity of the packhouse due to my position, but if that’s okay with you, I’d love a small place of our own.” His eyes are sparkling with joy. “Does that mean you are considering the option of us moving in together? I know it’s fast, but I’d love it.” He grins that boyish grin that makes my heart flutter. “I am pretty easygoing, and promise I can clean up after myself. We can take it slowly and just get to know each other while living together. Learning by doing, you know?”
I feel like the biggest idiot ever, but I can only stare at him with an open mouth. He seems to truly be into the idea of living with me and my pets, and to just bewith me. And the best thing about it is that he isn’t embarrassed to say it.
“Oh, and I know we have Marina and Faye to consider as well,” Felix continues. “I’ve been thinking about them a lot, and I wanted to see how you‘d like to proceed.”
“Marina and Faye?”
“Yes, obviously, they are coming with us to the pack. You mentioned Faye really likes to stay with Marina, right?”
I nod. “She is her mom, and I think Faye is still feeling this connection to her. I’d hate for her to be forced to stay somewhere else.”
“Right,” he smiles brightly. “So, it depends on what you want. They can stay with us, of course. Or, I will have a small place prepared for her right next to ours. I already briefly talked to my mom, and she said if that’s what we want, she will organize a maid and a nurse to stay with them. Of course, it would also be an option for Marina to stay in the infirmary, but maybe it’s worth trying the first option for now and seeing if it will work out. We can always change plans and have them move in withus again, and if Marina’s health gets worse, we do have great doctors in the pack.”
He talked to his mom about Marina and Faye?! Wait… he told his mom about me?! And she is eager to help?
He is considering Marina?
