Page 77 of An Enigma for the Lycan Crown Prince
“The thing is, I know the signs,” she says. “Grandma really adapts so well that others don’t notice, but I do. And Calvin ticks me off for that reason. Maybe I am unfair,” she adds. “He was a kid and his parents neglected him. He never got help, and he just went with that fake diagnosis, probably because it gave him some peace.”
“I can see why you would be upset,” I say.
“Well, he is here now, and he is definitely very capable,” Flora says. “We all still have room to grow. He grew up emotionally neglected and probably abused, so I will give him a chance.”
“I think he knows an awful lot about me and my family,” I point out.
“Do you believe that’s weird?”
“I think he was prepared for this task much longer than we both believe he was,” I say. “If I were on any speaking terms with my father, I would straight out ask him.”
“Ask Samuel instead,” Flora suggests.
“That’s an option,” I agree. “Actually, we can do it right now. I think I want to have that talk before I read Mom’s letter.”
“Now?” Flora chuckles. “It’s 3AM.”
“Insomnia,” I tell her. “Samuel sometimes suffers from it, and usually, he gets up in the middle of the night and walks around my mom’s old rose garden.”
“Wow,” she mutters. “Then let’s look for him there.”
I am not sure if we’ll truly find Samuel, as he isn’t up every night, but it’s definitely worth a shot. Indeed, we find him sitting at one of the benches and looking up into the night sky.
“Hello, Uncle Samuel,” Flora greets him, looking worried, “or Good Morning.”
Samuel looks up, eyeing us in surprise. “What are the both of you doing out so late at night or rather so early in the morning?”
“We could ask you the same,” I point out.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he answers, surprisingly honest.
“Me neither,” I admit.
Samuel nods before gazing at the both of us. “You are not…” he pauses, flinching slightly and making me wonder what he is thinking about now. “I understand young love, but you are being careful, aren’t you?”
It takes a while for me to grasp what he is saying. “Goddess,” I groan.
Flora bursts into giggles. “Are you trying to have a sex talk with us, Uncle Samuel?” She grins. “You are aware that Elden has been my boyfriend ever since we were in middle school. Technically, that talk should have come earlier.”
“I was hoping your grandma or Geneva would have…” he mutters, looking flustered.
Neither of us tells him that Flora and I decided to wait until we are both eighteen, so that we can feel the full mate bond and mark each other during our first time. It’s private and doesn’t concern anyone but the both of us. “I really couldn’t sleep,” I say. “Flora and I spent the night with Vincent and Calvin, and before you ask, no, it wasn’t a gangbang party.”
Flora elbows me and laughs. “Have mercy on him,” she whispers. She is right because Samuel looks like he is inwardly dying at my comment. “Actually, Elden and I wanted to ask you something.”
“It’s about Calvin,” I add.
Samuel looks so relieved it’s almost hilarious. “Of course. I will answer you whatever you want to know.”
I can’t help but be skeptical. “Really?”
“He is your beta now. If you have questions, you deserve to get all the answers.”
That’s the good thing about him. He is a very correct man, always goes by the rules. While sometimes that’s old-fashioned, he at least also sticks to them himself. “Calvin knows a lot about me,” I say. “It’s almost like he was prepared for this task for many years.”
“He was,” Samuel explains. “Don’t hold it against him, please. He was under something that’s akin to an alpha command and can’t tell you.”
“I understand,” I say. “But what’s the truth?”
