Chapter 241

Chapter 241
Elsa

My phone's insistent ringing woke me the next morning. I fumbled for it, still half-asleep, letters scattered around me like confetti.

"Hello?" I mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

"Where are you?" Drake's voice was sharp, concerned. The sound sent an electric jolt through my body.

I sat up quickly, suddenly very awake, heart leaping into my throat. "What?"

"You're not at the hotel. I went to find you and you weren't there. Where did you go?"

A warm, unfamiliar feeling bloomed in my chest. I clutched the photo tighter. "You went looking for me?"

There was a pause. "Don't change the subject. Where are you now?"

The possessiveness in his voice would have irritated me before. Now, understanding the potential depth of his feelings, it made my pulse quicken and a traitorous heat spread through my lower belly.

"I'm at home," I said softly, twisting a strand of hair nervously around my finger. "My actual home, with my mother."

"Show me."

I frowned, bristling slightly. "What?"

"Video call. Show me where you are."

Shaking my head at his demanding tone—some things about Drake would never change, feelings or no feelings—I switched to video and panned around my modest bedroom, letters hastily shoved under my pillow. "See? I'm safe. I just needed to come home for something."

Drake's face filled my screen, his eyes intense as they scanned what he could see of my surroundings. The tension in his jaw eased slightly. "Stay there. I'm coming to you."

"Drake, that's not—"

"Stay. I'll be there soon."

He ended the call before I could argue. Typical alpha bullshit. I looked around at the mess of letters on my bed, the photographic evidence of his long-hidden feelings clutched in my hand.

What would I say to him? What could I say? My stomach twisted with a mixture of anxiety and something that felt dangerously like excitement.

A knock at my bedroom door startled me. I jumped, letters flying. "Shit!" I hissed, scrambling to gather them.

"Sis? You okay?" Oliver's voice came through, concerned.

I quickly gathered the letters, stuffing them back into the bag with frantic movements. "Fine! Just getting ready for work." My voice came out higher than normal.

"Actually, I'm heading out now. Mr. Stone gave me an internship opportunity at Stone Enterprises, and I want to make a good impression. First day and all."

I couldn't help but smile, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "Of course. Good luck, Oliver."

After he left, I went to check on my mother, pausing first to splash cold water on my face in a futile attempt to calm my flushed cheeks. She was awake, sitting up in bed with her silver-streaked skin catching the morning light.

"You're home," she said, her eyes lighting up at the sight of me. "I thought I heard your voice last night, but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming."

"I came back late," I explained, sitting on the edge of her bed, fingers nervously smoothing the blanket. "Sorry if I woke you."

"Never apologize for coming home." She reached for my hand, her touch warm despite the silver poisoning that made her skin cool to others. "You look... different this morning. Happy."

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, wide enough to make my cheeks ache. "Do I?"

My mother's intuition had always been sharp. "Is it because of him? Your alpha?"

I felt my cheeks warm. "He's not my—" I began automatically, then stopped, throat suddenly dry. What exactly was Drake to me? My boss? My alpha? The man who had apparently carried feelings for me since we were teenagers?

"He's coming here," I said instead, my voice wavering slightly. "Soon."

My mother's smile widened. "Then I should get up and make myself presentable. We can't have the Stone Pack alpha thinking we don't know how to receive guests properly."

As I helped her prepare for the day, smoothing her hair with shaking hands, I found myself humming—actually fucking humming—an old tune I hadn't thought of in years. For the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of something that felt dangerously like hope.

"It's so good to have you home, even if just for a little while," Mom said, squeezing my hand. Her grip was stronger than I expected, another encouraging sign.

"I've missed you too." I helped her out of her chair, my hands trembling slightly with a mix of happiness and lingering anxiety. "Let's get some fresh air. The garden downstairs is beautiful this time of year."

As we walked slowly through the small community garden of our apartment complex, I couldn't help but notice how the other residents smiled respectfully at my mother.

"I brought your favorite," I said, pulling out a small box from my purse with exaggerated flourish, desperate to see her smile. "Raspberry tarts from Bella's."

Her eyes lit up. "You spoil me, Elsa."

We settled on a bench beneath a flowering cherry tree, the petals occasionally drifting down around us like pink snow. I watched her savor the pastry, remembering how she used to bake for me when I was young, before the illness had weakened her hands too much for precise movements. My throat tightened at the memory.

Oliver arrived as we finished our treats, slightly out of breath, his face flushed with exertion. "Shit, sorry I'm late! Could only get half the day off." He handed Mom a folder. "These are the new treatment options I mentioned. The silver extraction technique from Europe looks promising."

Mom smiled at him with such pride it made my chest ache. "Always taking care of me, both of you."

After spending another hour with them, I checked my watch, my heart rate instantly accelerating. "I need to make a work call," I lied, not wanting her to know about Drake. She'd always been perceptive about my feelings, and I wasn't ready for that conversation. Damn it, I wasn't even ready for it myself.

"Go," Mom shooed me with a gentle wave. "Oliver and I will be fine. He wants to show me how well he's adjusting to his new internship anyway."

I kissed her cheek and walked toward the park entrance, my heart beginning to race as I approached the meeting point. My palms were sweating, and I wiped them nervously against my jeans. From here, I could see the main boulevard connecting the Black Onyx and Silver Moon territories. Cars streamed past, oblivious to the territorial significance each side held for werewolves like us.

I checked my phone for the fifth time in as many minutes—no messages from Drake, but I knew he was coming.