Page 84 of Malcolm

Eliza hesitated, and before she could explain, Lilly had already sniffed the air before she stared at her in shock. “You’re mated?”

“Y-Yes,” she said reluctantly, but she didn’t need to worry as Lilly’s eyes brightened.

“Malcolm finally did it!” she exclaimed with a squeal. She leaned over, catching Morgan’s eye. “I told you they’d do it.”

“If I recall, I didn’t say they wouldn’t,” Morgan said as she placed another sandwich on a person's plate, “Just that it wouldn’t happen here.”

Agnes scoffed, “You still owe her a hundred solid." She cut in, bringing them another tray of sausages from the kitchen. “How was it?”

“Agnes,” Morgan chided, giving her a look. “I’m sure she doesn’t want to tell you about it.”

Both Lilly and Agnes sent Morgan a look; Lilly spoke first. “But we want to hear about it.”

Feeling overwhelmed, Eliza placed her tongs down.

“Bathroom,” she quickly made her retreat. She wasn’t above running away, especially when she felt caught between the two cousins. Walking through the campsite, she spotted some more couples and couldn’t help turning her eyes away. Werewolves seemed very open, even in comparison to the Shade.

She found her mind drifting to her old friends. She felt sad that none of them knew she was okay and alive. She was more worried about them than she was about her family. Her father had always been more obsessed with making money than he’d been about her.

Some of her thought he deserved losing everyone he’d loved, but then she couldn’t remember him ever confessing loving anyone. Especially not her; she’d been her mother's desperate attempt to keep him.

That had failed, and she’d only wanted to spend time with her.

When her mother had died right before she’d gone to college, she’d been blocked from attending the funeral. She was the child the family resented for existing, proof of how desperate her mother had been for her father’s love.

She sometimes wished she’d never existed, but other times, she was grateful for being hated. Her mother was finally at peace, and she could leave.

When she first saw the money in her account, she was surprised. Some of her wanted to throw the money in her father’s face, but she ignored it. Let it pile up; she wasn’t to be bought. He’d chosen this type of relationship with her, so she didn’t feel any guilt abandoning him as he’d abandoned her mother.

Emails went unanswered, and texts were ignored. Eventually, she changed her number because she wanted nothing to do with him. She changed her last name and lived as if she were an orphan who’d only had one parent all her life.

She walked further away from the campsite, closer to the lake's edge. A few kids played in the water, their hands splashing water. She watched, wondering if she had ever been such a carefree child.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the person walking up behind her.

Muscled arms wrapped around her, and immediately she relaxed against them. “A bit arrogant assuming I’d know it’s you.”

Malcolm leaned down and rested his lips against her ear. “You’re my mate; you will always know. And I will always know where you are.”

She turned in his arms to look up at him. “Where have you been this morning?”

“The Aldermen wished to talk to me about a challenge I was given yesterday,” he said brushing a kiss across her forehead.

“A challenge.” She turned to face him. “I thought you were supposed to talk about the missing youth with the other pack Alphas.”

“I will, but the Aldermen wish for this challenge to be accepted before the Alphas' meeting,” he explained.

She frowned. “Do you have to?”

He nodded, his eyes somber. “If I don’t accept his challenge, it's as good as admitting guilt.” She frowned. “I don’t know his true intentions, but thanks to you, we know he’s not up to any good.”

“Who is this guy, anyway?" she demanded angrily. “He’s completely come out of nowhere.”

Malcolm’s brow creased in deep thought. “Exactly, I find his timing suspect as well.”

She clicked her tongue. “Sounds fishy to me. What does he look like?”

Malcolm turned away from her to the campsite. “Ah, there he is.”

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