“Oh, hi, Cordelia. Where are you off to?” he says too loudly.
“Traitor,” I whisper.
Mum slides across the wooden floor in her haste to get to me. “Oh, sweetie, you’re just in time to help me with the um, ah, the plans for the next matchmaking event.”
“Mum, we haven’t even finished this one. I’m going to see the pack. Besides that’s Sebastian’s job now.”
“No, it’s really important. We need a theme.”
I sigh heavily. “You have a theme. Halloween, remember.”
“Oh.” Her eyes dart around, and she looks up triumphantly. “But we need to start on ideas for the dates.”
“Mum, I really need to go see them. I’ll be back. I can help you tomorrow.”
Mum stares at me. I feel a bit bad, but I am determined.
I get outside, walk out of the property, and find myself face to face with Lorelei Sol. Outsmarted again, I think bitterly.
“Hello, Cordelia. Come and have some coffee with me.”
“I’m just in the middle of something; I can come later.”
“It’s really important.”
“Funnily, I’ve been hearing that a lot,” I mutter. I stop walking and finally accept defeat. “Okay, sure. Let’s go.”
We head back to her house, where she gives me a mug of coffee and sits beside me at the kitchen island. I really like these stools, I wonder if we can get some for the house.
“What is so important?”
“I want to talk to you about your future with Sebastian.”
I tense. “What about it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing terrible. I just want to make sure you can handle him. He’s very strong-willed. Very dominant. I think he got a combination of both of his fathers. My baby is very moody at times, he’s quick to anger and loud about it, too.”
“I know all this; I have always known all this.” What is she even playing at? This conversation is so bizarre and borderline offensive.
Lorelei sighs and sets her mug down. “The truth is, I owe you an apology for trying to rope you and Sofia into the matchmaking events. I was afraid that you and Sebastian would follow Katsu and Fox out of town, and we’d never see him again.” Her eyes fill with tears. She dabs at them lightly while I try not to feel terrible for not telling them our plans.
“First off, Sebastian is a wonderful and responsible alpha who loves this town so much he could never stay away for long. His energy comes off as aggressive because he is passionate.” I unlock my phone and show Lorelei the picture he did for my birthday.
She stares at it, her eyes widening. “I knew he was good, but I didn’t think he was this good.”
“He is incredible. He always has been. When I started writing the book, it took me months to try to figure out a way to ask him, but there was no other option. I knew he had to be the one to do it.”
“He really loves you, it’s all right here. Every line, the way he’s captured you.”
My heart kicks, and I melt inside just thinking about him. My fingers stab into my sternum, where the ache that has been growing threatens to swallow me whole. I glance down, looking at the drawing. “I really love him, too. You know I always have.”
“Oh, sweetheart, we all know that. You two were meant to be.”
I snort a laugh. She hiccups and passes my phone back.
“And Lorelei?”
I wait until she’s looking at me.
