Chapter 164 Chapter 164
Violet
"Start with Alaric," Aunt Rosy suggested with a cackle, pouring herself a generous glass of wine as well. "He was such a serious child who never smiled, and was always training or studying. He was truly insufferable to be around."
"I was focused," Alaric said mildly, not rising to the bait. "Someone had to be, with you two causing chaos at every opportunity."
"We did not cause chaos," Rosy protested, but she was smiling. "We were spirited."
"You set the west gardens on fire," Alaric countered, raising an eyebrow. "Twice."
"That was an accident!" Thelma insisted. "How were we supposed to know that you were hiding fireworks under a giant bush?"
"Precisely why I hid them under the bush, because I knew you’d set them on fire,” Aurelia said, but there was a hint of amusement in her tone. "You're lucky the damage was contained to just the gardens."
I found myself leaning forward slightly, drawn in despite my intention to remain detached. The image of Alaric as a serious child and his sisters as troublemakers painted a picture I hadn't expected.
"What about you, Lady Aurelia?" Madison asked, growing bolder after seeing the alpha and his partner talking amicably. "What were you like as a child?"
"Boring," Aunt Thelma answered before Lady Aurelia could. "Never put a toe out of line."
"Someone had to maintain the family's reputation," Aurelia said dryly. "Particularly with relatives like you."
Aunt Thelma frowned but then her lips twitched following which laughter rippled through the room, genuine and warm.
The tension that had been present was slowly dissipating as people relaxed into the shared nostalgia. Even Elijah's shoulders had loosened slightly, though his eyes still tracked Nate's every movement.
"Tell us about when Alpha Alaric and Lady Aurelia met," Veronica suggested, settling back into the sofa cushions. "That must be such a romantic story."
"Romantic?" Alaric snorted. "She thought I was an arrogant ass."
"You were an arrogant ass," Aurelia corrected. "You strutted around like you owned the world simply because you were Alpha."
"I did own the world," Alaric said with a slight smile. "Or at least, I owned this pack and these lands. That's close enough."
"See? Arrogant." But Aurelia was smiling too, just a little, a crack in her usual perfect composure.
"But you married him anyway," Aunt Rosy said with satisfaction. "Because underneath that arrogance was a strong Alpha who could lead the pack through difficult times."
"And because he was devastatingly handsome," Thelma added with a wink. "Don't pretend that wasn't part of it, Aurelia."
"It was a consideration," Aurelia allowed, and actual laughter bubbled up from the group.
I glanced at Elijah and caught him with the ghost of a smile on his lips. Seeing his parents act almost normal must be strange for him.
Based on what he'd told me about his relationship with them, moments like this were rare.
"What about Elijah?" Nicole asked suddenly, and I stiffened. "What was he like as a child?"
There was a pause, just a heartbeat long, where everyone seemed to recalibrate. The mood shifted slightly, like clouds passing over the sun.
"Elijah was serious," Rosy said carefully. "Even as a small child, he was always watching, always thinking. Never impulsive like most children."
"Too serious," Thelma interjected, her wine loosening her tongue. "Always had his nose in a book or was training with the warriors. He never got into any mischief like normal boys should except when…"
"That's because Cassie got into enough mischief for both of them," Alaric cut her off abruptly and there was genuine warmth in his voice when he mentioned his daughter. The kind of warmth that never seemed to appear when he spoke about Elijah. "That girl could find trouble in an empty room."
There was laughter again, but I noticed Elijah's expression had shuttered. The almost-smile was gone, replaced by that controlled mask he wore so well.
What had Thelma meant to say that her brother stopped her from mentioning? And why did that make the smile wipe off from Elijah’s face?
"Remember when she was six and decided to 'help' in the kitchen?" Rosy said, clearly trying to steer the conversation back to safer territory. "She wanted to make a cake for Elijah's birthday. Ended up covering herself, three servants, and half the kitchen in flour."
"The clouds of it," Lady Aurelia added, shaking her head. "You could see the white dust from the hallway. And Cassie was standing in the middle of it all, crying because the cake wasn't working the way she'd imagined."
"Elijah cleaned her up," Thelma said, and there was something pointed in the way she said it. "Even though it was supposed to be his birthday surprise. He just picked her up, flour and all, and took her to get washed. He didn't get angry or upset."
"He's always protected her," Rosy agreed. "From the very beginning. Even when they were small, if anyone picked on Cassie, Elijah was there."
"Sometimes he was a bit too protective and a bit too hasty," Alaric said, and the warmth had drained from his voice. "He needed to let her handle things herself and build her own strength."
"She was six," Elijah said quietly. It was the first time he'd spoken since we'd gathered. "And they were calling her names because she couldn't shift yet."
"Most wolves don't shift until they're twelve or thirteen," Alaric said dismissively. "She needed to develop a thicker skin."
"She needed her brother," Elijah countered, his voice still quiet but with steel underneath.
Something made me feel this wasn’t about Cassie at all anymore.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The brief warmth, the nostalgic humor, evaporated like morning mist.
"Well," Nicole said brightly, clearly trying to redirect before things got awkward. "What about that time Cassie tried to dye her hair? I heard that story was hilarious."
Rosy seized the lifeline gratefully. "Oh yes! She'd seen someone in a magazine with pink hair and decided she wanted the same thing. But instead of asking an adult or going to a salon, she tried to use berry juice."
"Crushed up half the strawberries and Goddess knows whatever else was in the kitchen," Thelma added with a laugh. "Made this awful paste and smeared it all over her head."
"It turned her hair orange instead," Aurelia said. "A horrible, traffic-cone orange. And her skin stayed stained for weeks. She looked like a little orange goblin."
More laughter, and this time even Elijah's lips twitched again. The tension eased somewhat, the dangerous moment passing.
"She cried for days," Rosy continued. "Absolutely convinced she'd be orange forever. Wouldn't leave her room, wouldn't let anyone except Elijah see her."
"He sat with her for hours," Aurelia said, and there might have been approval in her tone. Maybe. "Just reading to her until she calmed down."
I felt something warm bloom in my chest. The image of a young Elijah, probably around eight or nine, sitting with his little sister while she cried over her orange skin, reading to her until she felt better. It was sweet and tender, a glimpse of the man he would become.