Lori gets up. “I can start with moving your things,” she offers. “If that’s okay?” She turns to Marcellus. “Benji will come with me once the doctor gives his okay.” It’s almost like she is scared I will change my mind, or Marcellus will say something against it.
But Marcellus simply beams at her. “Finally! I am so happy for you both.”
“I hate putting all the work on you,” I say. “As long as I can go back home with you, I don’t mind if my stuff has been moved or not.”
Lori beams happily. “Don’t worry! I will get it done. I think Micah and Lucian will help. And if they don’t want to, I will make them.”
Marcellus grins. “I bet you will.”
“Don’t get up too early,” she tells me. “When I am done, I will come back. Oh, and I will grab some cake on my way back!”
“Just go,” I laugh. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you are back!”
Lori grins. “I like how you think.”
I watch her leave, well aware she only left so suddenly to give Marcellus and me some privacy, without it being awkward. “This might sound weird,” Marcellus says. “But I just wanted to tell you that I’m so proud of you. You did amazingly. Nova told me everything. And Atticus, too.”
“So, he indeed was on our side?”
“Well, he jumped sides because he likes Juniper,” he answers.
“No way!” I exclaim. “You know, I had a feeling there was something between them. When he forced me to fight, I felt like he was happy when my wolf finally surfaced! So, he is Juniper’s beloved?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Marcellus says. “She is with his child. But I don’t think she is ready to take him as her beloved. There is still too much between them.”
“So, what’s happening now?” I ask. “Silas is not leaving to take over the coven, is he?”
“No,” Marcellus smiles. “He is staying. He said he has all his people here, in our joint coven and pack.”
“And Maddie?”
“She will stay with Sheila. After all, she has adopted her and has been her mom ever since Maddie was a baby. But Silas will be much more involved from now on.”
“That makes me happy,” I admit. “What about Silas’ old coven?”
“Alex will take it over and clean up there,” Marcellus explains. “He and Silas just decided on it earlier today. Juniper will stay with Alex and help him as his new lieutenant and right-hand.”
“And Atticus?”
“Atticus is going to travel around and try to prove himself worthy to Juniper,” Marcellus chuckles. “His words, not mine. He wants to be involved in the baby’s life and is eager to prove himself to her. It might take a while, though.”
“And you?” I ask. “What about you and your brother?”
“I think we somewhat moved past our history,” he says. “Eugene is my brother; he always has been. But he isn’t my best friend anymore. I think it’s slowly dawning on him that I am not going to move back to his pack,ever. There is no future that involves him and me reigning together. Things changed, and I think it’s okay that they did. It will always be a bit awkwardbetween us, but he is back in my life now, and it doesn’t look like he is easy to get rid of.”
I laugh.
“Next week I want to announce you officially as my gamma,” Marcellus says. “Are you ready?”
I look at him and nod. “I am ready.”
Lori scribbles down a few drafts, showing them to me. Since I left the infirmary and moved in with Lori, we have been planning how to further renovate her cottage. Or rather,ourcottage. We want to expand it a little to have more room. Lori wants a place for her art as she recently picked up handicrafts, and I want a small office. Both Silas and Marcellus offered us a great sum to fulfill our plans. Now that Silas has access to his full savings, he has made it his goal to shower the pack with luxuries.
He keeps saying that this ishiscoven and pack too, and as a leader, he wants to make sure everyone lives comfortably. He also pushed me to keep my money for Lori’s and my future.
“Do we have everything?” I ask Lori while I pack some bags into our car. I finally decided to get my own one so I wouldn’t need to rely on the pack’s jeep anymore.
“That’s the last one,” Lori says.