Chapter 223 - Expanding

Chapter 223 - Expanding
Amaia POV
The memory of our unborn pup always lingered at the back of my mind. It was a bittersweet reminder of what could have been, and I often found myself wondering how different our lives would have been if fate had taken a different turn.
Each day, I carried that loss with me, shaping my thoughts and decisions as I navigated through the complexities of life. I didn't dare look at the memory. I was scared that it would have left me in tears and depressed.
Just the thought of the pup dying with me that day left me breathless. The emptiness lingered like a shadow, a constant reminder of the joy abruptly snatched away.
However, ever since I learned about the pup, I have always wondered whether it was a boy or a girl. As time went on, the questions about its identity seemed to linger, haunting me like a melody I couldn't quite remember. I often found myself imagining the little creature's playful spirit and the warmth it would have brought into my life if only fate had been kinder.
"It was a girl?" I whispered, feeling pain shoot through my heart. I couldn't help but feel the warm tears spill over and roll down my cheeks.
The memories of what could have been flooded my mind, intertwining with dreams of laughter and joy. I closed my eyes, wishing for just a moment to hold her, to feel the connection that had been so cruelly severed.
"Yes," Roland said, wiping the tears tenderly away with his thumbs. "The witches confirmed the pup's sex a couple of days before your death. You were quite fond of the name."
"And you..." my voice cracked.
"I wanted something to remind me of her," he said, understanding my broken question. "So I decided to name this place Cindy's...."
I couldn't find any words to express myself; the revelation was so emotionally weighty that it left me momentarily speechless. The love and memory he infused into this space wrapped around me like a warm embrace, filling the void left by her absence.
"Oh, Roland," I sobbed as he pulled me to his chest. For a moment we just stood like that, swaying to the music while his warmth and scent soothed the hurt from me.
For a moment, I could almost feel the emotions that Roland experienced on the day I died. He did not only lose me but also our unborn child as well. If only Serena weren't so obsessed with Barrett, things might have ended differently.
"Let's go get some fresh air," Roland suggested, and steered me toward the wooden double doors leading outside. There was a wide patio outside, with some log chairs and trees hanging low over it.
The evening breeze carried the faint scent of forest, wrapping around us like a comforting embrace. I could feel the calm of the forest and hear the wildlife roaming close by and the wind whispering secrets as it moved around us.
"I have never been on this side of the building before," I stated. "This looks new."
"It's a project Barrett and I've been working on," Roland said as he steered me to a newly built log bench. "We are thinking of expanding it," he gestured toward the forest.
I shook my head.
"I like it the way it is," I said. "Don't change it. I want you to keep the natural forest feel. Rather add more benches for people to sit on, and maybe a fire pit..."
Roland leaned in closer and kissed the side of my face. "I always knew you were smart..."
I chuckled and saw Anthony cautiously sneaking closer. He seemed a bit careful to be around me.
"Is it safe?" he asked, trying to hide his smile.
"Currently, yes," I reassured him, waving him over. "But tomorrow might not be...."
"Then I'll take a leave of absence to escape your wrath..." he said, which earned him a warning glare.
Roland's gaze shifted between us, acting clueless. He finally broke the tension with a laugh, clearly enjoying the banter.
"You two are ridiculous," he said, shaking his head. "I guess you're in trouble about something."
"Deep trouble," I hissed, watching Anthony flinch and quickly step back.
"It was just a misunderstanding..." Anthony started.
"A misunderstanding?" Roland muttered next to me, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
"Oh, no, it wasn't," I growled and turned to Roland. "He deliberately locked me in the car. I couldn't get out... I was so..."
Roland winked at me before his gaze snapped to Anthony, and he rose to his feet.
"You locked your Luna in the car?" he snarled.
Anthony took a quick step back, his face twisted with annoyance as he looked at me and then back at Roland.
"Yes," he said, raising his chin with courage. "I followed orders. Your orders, Alpha. I did as I was told...."
Roland stopped in his spot and scratched his chin before he dropped his gaze and looked at me.
"Yeah," he said casually, a teasing smile on his lips. "That sounds about right. That order came from me. My bad..." he shrugged.
I huffed and rolled my eyes at him. It wasn't even worth arguing about.
I knew Anthony only followed orders, but teasing him using Roland was fun. If only Roland played along a bit longer—I could just imagine his face.
"By the way," I said to Anthony when Roland took his place to sit next to me again. "Was there something you needed?"
"Yes," he replied. "You said that I needed to remind you about the envelope and its contents."
My heart beat so fast as my mind focused on the topics I needed to discuss with Roland. I couldn't wait to see Roland's reaction to this information.
"Do you have it with you?" I asked.
Anthony nodded, retrieved the document from his back pocket, and handed the yellow envelope to me.
"Thanks," I said, and Anthony took his leave.
"What's that?" Roland asked, shifting uncomfortably next to me.
"He seemed worried," Rieka mused. She had been silent most of the time, just enjoying spending time with our mate.
"Now it's your turn to be surprised," I said, and handed him the envelope. "Open it."
Roland didn't hesitate and ripped the envelope open, unfolded the papers inside, and knitted his eyebrows together as he scanned over the contents of the letter.
"You bought pieces of land?" he asked.
I nodded, my lips curling into a smile, while his frown deepened.
"Why?" he finally asked. "We have adequate land at our disposal."
"Because," I said, taking the papers from him and turning it to the next page with a map. "This refers to the agreement we signed a year ago."
"The one that states we will merge the packs...?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied.
"What's this got to do with the agreement?" he asked.
"These vacant pieces of land lay between our packs," I explained. "I scooped them up because we're expanding..."
My words hung in the air for a long moment as he processed the information.
"Okay," he said, still confused. "So you're planning to merge the packs this way…?"
"Uhm," I said, turning to the next page, where a freshly printed ultrasound was. "We are expanding more than just the packs...."