Chapter 160: Isabelle's Visit

Amelia's POV

A month passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. With finals approaching, I'd been buried in textbooks and notes, trying to maintain my GPA while juggling my responsibilities at Westbrook Industries. The exhaustion was real, but somehow, things felt... lighter. Despite the chaos, I found myself smiling more often. And I knew exactly why.

Alexander.

That night had changed everything between us. The walls he'd built around himself seemed to crumble a little more each day. His voice softened when he spoke to me. His eyes lingered a moment longer when I entered a room. Small gestures that meant everything.

Last week, he'd even insisted I take time off to prepare for finals.

"Your education comes first," he'd said, his fingers brushing mine as he handed me a coffee. "The company will survive without you for a week."

I couldn't help but wonder if he meant that he would survive without me.

"Amelia! Come downstairs! You have a visitor!" My mom's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I glanced at the clock. 7:30 AM. Who the hell would visit this early? Grabbing my backpack and phone, I hurried downstairs, still tucking my shirt into my jeans.

The sight of Isabelle sitting on our worn living room sofa, chatting animatedly with my mother, stopped me in my tracks.

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence!" Isabelle's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I was just telling your mom about Wesley's new car."

"What are you doing here?" I asked, dropping my backpack by the stairs. "We weren't supposed to meet until 8:30."

Isabelle shrugged, her perfectly styled hair bouncing with the movement. "I thought I'd surprise you. Wanted to see how the Luna of Shadow Kingdom lives when she's not busy ruling alongside her Alpha."

My face burned. "I... I'm not. He hasn't even acknowledged that to anyone yet..." The words came out more worried than I intended.

My mom looked between us, confusion evident on her tired face.

"She's just teasing," I explained quickly.

Isabelle stood, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry, Amelia. He will. It's just a matter of time. I promise."

"How about some breakfast before you girls head out?" Mom offered, already moving toward the kitchen. "I made pancakes."

I shot Isabelle a grateful look for dropping the subject. The last thing I needed was my mom questioning my complicated relationship with Alexander.

Breakfast was surprisingly pleasant. Isabelle charmed my mother with stories about her family's travels and her plans for after graduation. Mom seemed to genuinely like her, laughing more than I'd seen in weeks.

"You should bring your friends around more often," Mom said as we cleared the plates. "This one's a keeper."

Isabelle beamed. "See? Everyone loves me. Even your mom thinks I'm awesome."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Don't let it go to your head."

In Isabelle's car, I pulled out my notes for one final review before our exam. The last test before freedom.

"Wesley says good luck," Isabelle announced, putting her phone on speaker as she pulled out of my driveway.

"Thanks, Wes!" I called out, not looking up from my notes.

"Are we still on for coffee after the exam?" Wesley's voice crackled through the speaker.

"Absolutely," Isabelle confirmed. "Amelia needs to celebrate surviving her first semester at Shadow Heights University with us commoners."

I snorted. "Very funny."

The exam went better than expected. Two hours later, I found myself collapsed in a chair at the university coffee shop, a large iced latte sweating onto the table in front of me.

"Freedom!" Wesley exclaimed, throwing his hands up dramatically. "No more textbooks for three whole weeks."

"So, what are your plans for the break?" Isabelle asked, stirring her cappuccino lazily.

I shrugged. "Work, mostly. I only took this week off to study. Alexander expects me back on Monday."

"Alexander, huh?" Wesley wiggled his eyebrows. "Not 'Mr. Westbrook' anymore?"

"Shut up," I muttered, throwing a sugar packet at him.

"Has he been texting you?" Isabelle probed, leaning forward with that look in her eyes that meant she was fishing for gossip. "You know, checking in on his favorite employee?"

I felt my face heat up. "He's called a few times. Just about work stuff."

"Uh-huh," Wesley said, unconvinced. "Work stuff at 11 PM?"

My eyes widened. "How did you—"

"Your face just confirmed it," he laughed, high-fiving Isabelle. "The mighty Alpha can't go a week without hearing your voice."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "It's complicated."

"It's not complicated," Isabelle countered. "It's actually the simplest thing in the world. He's your mate, you're his Luna. The universe has spoken."

"The universe needs to mind its own business," I mumbled, but couldn't help the small smile forming on my lips. The truth was, I missed him too. Every time my phone rang and his name appeared on the screen, my heart did a ridiculous little dance.

Isabelle leaned forward, her eyes bright with excitement. "Wesley and I are thinking of taking a trip. Getting away from the pack for a bit."

"That sounds amazing," I said, genuinely happy for them. "Where to?"

"We haven't decided yet," Wesley replied. "But somewhere with a beach. Isabelle refuses to go anywhere without the opportunity to tan."

"You should take some time off too," Isabelle suggested. "Do something romantic with Alexander."

I nearly choked on my coffee. "I literally just got time off for finals. I can't ask for vacation days already."

"Amelia surely can't, but what if Mrs. Westbrook?" Isabelle whispered dramatically. "Pretty sure that will do."

"Isabelle!" I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one had heard.

Wesley laughed. "Don't mind her. She's been reading too many romance novels. Now she thinks everyone's life should be as dramatic as the stories in her head."

We gathered our things and headed toward the university entrance, the summer heat already making the air shimmer above the pavement.

"What about the Azure Lake Pack territory?" Isabelle asked suddenly. "I heard it's beautiful this time of year."

"It is," I agreed, "but you might want to bring a guide. Their dialect is so different, it made my head spin."

Isabelle stopped walking and turned to me, eyes wide. "How do you know what their dialect sounds like?"

"Oh, um..." I felt my cheeks warming as I avoided eye contact.

"I've... been there with Alexander. Last month. It was..." I trailed off, tugging nervously at my sleeve. "It's complicated."

The words hung awkwardly in the air. I didn't exactly lie, but I certainly wasn't being forthcoming about the fact that we'd spent a night in hotel's suite after the business meeting.

"Didn't you say it was just a quick business meeting? Why does it sound like you went on some kind of in-depth tour of the place?" Isabelle asked suspiciously.