Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Chapter 141 Have a nice trip BECKY Much to my surprise, Mother didn’t ask any further questions. She simply tucked her long, reddish- brown hair behind her ears and smiled at Silas. If I had to guess, I would say she appeared to be pleased to have such a prestigious guest visiting. Though we’d been on our own for quite some time, she used to have friends over all the time. She loved having company. “Why don’t you come inside,” she said to Silas with a warm smile. “That would be lovely,” Silas replied, much to my dismay. He was conducting himself very politely, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted him anywhere near my mother. I wouldn’t know how to explain this to her. But, it was too late. Silas had already accepted her invitation, and Mother had already opened the door for him. As his tall frame moved past me, his cin namon and clove scent reached my nose, and my mouth watered. Dam n this attraction. I released a sigh and entered the house behind him. On a more personal note, I was scared by how he would react to our house. I doubted that Silas would feel comfortable in our small parlor, especially when you compared it to the grand Beta’s mansion. He was used to wealth beyond my wildest imagination. How would he react when he saw our threadbare floors? Our antique furniture, our mismatched plates? Usually, I didn’t care about material things or appearances, but for the first me, I felt self-conscious of my dwelling. I glanced at Silas but didn’t say anything when we entered the kitchen. As he took a look around, Mother pulled me closer and whispered just low enough for me 1/5 to hear. “Rebecca, how do you know Silas Moses?” she wondered. “He just returned to the Anemond recently,
but you seem to be friends.” “We aren’t friends,” I assured her quickly. I studied her expression and briefly considered telling her about my real relationship with Silas, but decided against it. I was too scared of her reaction, and besides, even if she took the news well, there was little she could do to help. So, I came up with another explanation. “We met at the celebration,” I continued quietly. “He was out on some business tonight, and happened to witness Frederick’s behavior, so he stepped in and offered to help. That’s all.” Mother nodded and then glanced over at him. “I’m glad to hear that,” she remarked. “He seems like a nice young man. I’m happy he was there to intervene. It sounds as if he arrived at the most opportune
moment.” “He did,” I agreed. “Why don’t you get the kettle going for our guest, sweetheart?” she suggested. “The least we could do is make him some tea.” I nodded. “Okay.” As I stayed in the kitchen, Mother escorted him to the parlor. When Silas started looking around at our house, I began to blush. “Your home looks quite cozy and comfortable,” he commented with a smile ont rs face. “Thank you again for the invitation.” I lingered on his expression and tried to read his features. His tone seemed genuine, but could he mean it? Our home wasn’t in utter shambles, but could someone of his social standing really find it to be charming? 275 “Thank you so much, Silas,” Mother replied with a smile of her own. “That’s very. kind of you to say. Please, come take a seat with me.”
Silas’ eyes glittered and he accepted Mother’s invitation without hesitation. As they sat down at the kitchen table, another shiver ran through me. This was such a strange situation. My mother and the Beta of Wegalla in the same room? What were the odds? I glanced out the window above the sink and stared at the moon. “Please let this go okay,” I whispered, intending my words of prayer for the Moon Goddess. Surely, I would need all of the help I could get if I was going to survive this. As I prepared some chamomile tea, Mother struck up a conversation with Silas and much to my surprise, he appeared much more easygoing than he had during the celebration. “How was your inspection of the border?” she wondered. “Is everything well on that front?” “It was good,” he replied kindly. “Everything is in order and there was no cause for alarm, so that was great. Between us, I have to say that I enjoyed getting to see beyond Anemond. I’d been here my whole life, so seeing the rest of Wegalla made me feel more connected to things than I had before.” “I could only imagine,” Mother noted thoughtfully. “How wonderful that you got to see the rest of Wegalla. We’ve always been here as well. I’ve always wondered what life is like in other Packs. Now that your business has concluded, do you intend on staying in Anemond for an extended period, or will you go elsewhere?” “The plan is to stay,” he said. “But there are some other matters I need to end, of course. It will all depend on what the Alpha King needs of me.” “Of course,” Mother replied seriously. The tea kettle whistled and I jumped back in surprise before removing it from 3/5 the stovetop. I’d been so engrossed in their conversation, that I hadn’t been paying attention. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
he As I poured the hot water over the tea leaves, I thought about Silas’ answer. So, was planning on staying in Anemond after all? What would that mean for us? Sure, I was working in the clinic now, but with our proximity to the palace, I would likely be running into him fairly often. Luckily, my impending trip to Wild Crawler would grant me some distance. The distraction would be welcome after all of this. I carried the cups carefully to the table, and when I set them in front of Mother and Silas, they thanked me. I took a seat beside Mother and carefully sipped on my tea. They continued to talk more and more, but I remained silent, choosing to observe rather than speak. The atmosphere grew so comfortable and pleasant that she began to ask more personal questions, like if Silas was married or seeing anyone special. “Mother!” I blurted out as my cheeks grew hot. At my sudden outburst, she seemed to realize how inappropriate the question was and apologized. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to pry.” “It’s okay,” Silas assured her, clearly not upset in the slightest. “No, I’m not married. Maybe one day, though.” His golden eyes lingered on me, but I managed to turn away. I wasn’t in the mood to entertain games, whether they were intentional or not. Mother shifted the subject, and they continued to talk until finally, Silas glanc the clock above the door. “I should be going,” he announced, then rose from his chair and smiled at Mother. “Thank you for the tea and conversation. It was very nice of you to invite me inside.” “Of course,” Mother said with a smile. “Let us walk you to the door.” She got up and I followed suit. We led Silas to the door, and after she said goodnight to the Beta, she headed back into the kitchen, most likely to grant us some privacy. Once we were alone, my stomach twisted into knots. I wasn’t sure what to say. Thankfully, Silas broke
the silence first. Will you be on duty at the clinic next week?” he wondered, and when I frowned, he continued. “I was wanting to get a health check, but I prefer not to t the royal healers. Will you be around?” I was about to say yes and then remembered my upcoming visit to Wild. Crawler. “I might not be in Anemond next week,” I replied. “But Ca ssandra can help you out.” Silas frowned. “Where are you going?” “It’s a private matter,” I said quickly. “Private,” he repeated back. “Yes,” I said, flustered at the sudden questioning. Why did he care where I was going? My personal affairs were none of his business. Silas stared at me and then nodded. “Have a good trip,” he said simply, and without another word, he left. III