A pillow slamd into Erald’s face.
"Up!" Nessa snapped. "You’ve slept in like a corpse!"
Erald groaned and pulled the blanket over her head, shielding herself from the light streaming into her room from the window. "What ti is it?"
"It’s almost noon!"
That got her eyes open. Erald sat up with a jolt, her hair sticking out at odd angles in all directions. "What?!"
"Yeah, shocking, I know. You, the one who barely blinks past 6 a.m., is snoring into her pillow at lunchti. I an, as Alpha of the Midnight Fang... you deserve applause."
"Crap!" Erald scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping on the edge of the duvet as she darted for the bathroom. "Give ten minutes!"
Nessa leaned against the door fra. "Why the rush? You obviously had no trouble snoring your way through the morning."
"I wasn’t snoring," Erald called out through the door. Water splashed as the shower turned on. "And you wouldn’t understand."
"Try ."
"It was your dad’s idea," Erald said simply, her voice muffled by the running water. "And yours too, if I rember correctly."
Nessa raised a brow. "We planned to make you sleep like a hibernating bear?"
"No," Erald said through a mouthful of foam. "Your plan was to get away from the pack. I agreed. I’m leaving."
There was a beat of silence, long enough for the sound of the faucet to beco the only thing in the room. "...What?"
"I’m going away for a while," Erald clarified, spitting out toothpaste. "I told Adrien to co get today."
Nessa’s jaw dropped. "Wait... wait, wait. You’re actually going through with it?"
"Can you get so food brought up?" Erald called out again, voice muffled by the towel she was using to dry her face. "And help pack sothing decent?"
A pause. Then ca a high-pitched squeal. "Ooh. Don’t tell you’re doing what I think you’re doing?"
Erald opened the bathroom door, steam billowing around her like an enchanted mist. "If you think I’m running off with one of my potential mates to his estate for a few days... then yes."
Nessa squealed louder and threw another pillow. "Finally!"
Erald ducked with a laugh and pointed at the wardrobe. "Start packing."
"Already on it." Nessa launched toward the wardrobe like a woman possessed, flinging open drawers with the enthusiasm of soone going to war. "We’re talking comfy day wear, cute night sets, tactical boots... oh and most importantly... lingerie!"
Erald narrowed her eyes, the towel now wrapped tightly around her like armour. "I need clothes, not an after-hours fashion show."
"Relax," Nessa said, already tossing silk and lace into the suitcase like she was building a runway collection. "We’re packing both."
Erald sighed and shook her head, the beginnings of a smirk forming on her face. "You’re enjoying this way too much."
Nessa grinned like the cat who caught the canary. "I’ve been waiting forever to play wingwoman. Don’t ruin this for ."
Erald shook her head and went in to take her bath.
By the ti she finished her bath, put on a soft-knit top and black leggings, twisted her hair into a ssy bun, and sat down with a tray of breakfast on her lap, Nessa was just finishing up with the packing.
Erald paused. "That’s not packing. That’s seduction prep."
Nessa looked smug. "You called Adrien to co pick you, didn’t you?"
"I did."
"Eggzackly; that ans I packed right. So... what did you two talk about?"
"I actually called just to let him know to co get today. But... we ended up talking."
"About?"
"Everything. Nothing. I don’t know. But we ended up talking all night. I didn’t even notice the sky getting lighter."
Nessa folded a sheer red nightgown and tucked it into the suitcase. "I’m proud of you."
Erald raised an eyebrow. "You’re proud that I spent half the night on the phone?"
"No. I’m proud that you finally reached out to one of your mates without needing to be poked and prodded like a stubborn cow."
Erald rolled her eyes. "Did you have to go with ’cow’?"
"taphors are my speciality."
Erald leaned over to peek into the suitcase. "Did you pack anything that I can actually wear in daylight?"
"There’s lingerie. And backup lingerie."
Erald groaned. "Nessa..."
"There are dresses too! Sowhere underneath. I think."
"Please tell there’s sothing other than lace."
Nessa winked. "You’re not going there to knit, Em."
Erald grabbed a croissant from the tray, leaving where she sat and settling into the chair by the window. "I’m trusting you packed normal clothes."
"I did."
"She’s lying," Viola chid in with amusent.
"Shut up," Erald muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Nessa asked.
"Nothing. Just arguing with myself."
Nessa closed the suitcase and dusted her hands. "Alright. All set. Now, listen. I’m not saying you have to seduce him..."
"You literally packed three sets of thigh-highs."
"...but if you do," Nessa continued. "... you’ll be prepared."
Erald took another bite and chewed thoughtfully, not bothering to reply to her overexcited cousin.
Nessa leaned on the bedpost, arms crossed. "So. What do you think of them so far?"
Erald blinked, mid-chew. "Who?"
"Your mates." Nessa gave her a smug look, like a teacher who knew the student hadn’t done their howork. "Got any favourites yet?"
Viola purred again. "All of them. Give all."
Erald nearly choked on her juice. She coughed, fanning herself. "I... uh, I don’t know."
Nessa tilted her head, clearly not buying it. "Co on. You’ve spent ti with them. You must feel sothing."
Erald hesitated, brushing a crumb off her plate and pretending to study the pattern on the comforter. "I guess I had the first connection with Kieran. There was sothing about him. Like, I don’t know... but there was this ease of flow with him."
Nessa nodded. "Makes sense. Old souls tend to find each other."
"And Lucian..." Erald sighed, picking up a slice of toast and then putting it back down. "He’s calm and rational. His mind’s always clear, which is why he’s the one I’d want beside in the middle of a crisis. But that’s also one of the reasons he frustrates ."
Nessa chuckled.
Erald smiled slightly, her lips curling at the corners. But then she paused, and her expression changed as her thoughts shifted to Ares.
She loved the way his hands felt against her skin and how his voice lowered when he spoke just to her. When he was close, Viola’s reactions were a mix of fierce desire and gentle affection.
She didn’t say his na, though.
She moved on. "Adrien... he’s still a mystery. We’ve barely spent any ti together aside from the first date. That’s why I called him, I guess. To figure things out."
Nessa gave her a sly look. "Yeah. Just after Dad and I practically forced you. But sure. Let’s pretend it was your decision."
Erald rolled her eyes. "You’re insufferable."
"I’m just helping destiny along."
"Pfffttt..."
Then Nessa added, "What about the other one?"
Erald froze.
She didn’t need clarification. She knew exactly who Nessa ant.
Her lips parted, and the words caught in her throat.
Luckily for Erald, there was a knock at the door, and both ladies turned toward it. "Yes?"
A maid stepped in, head bowed politely. "Alpha? Forgive the interruption, but Alpha Adrien has arrived. His vehicle is waiting outside."
Erald nearly dropped her cup. She gulped down the rest of her juice and jumped out of bed. "Great! Perfect. Fantastic timing."
The maid blinked. "Shall I bring the suitcase?"
"Yes, please." Erald was already slipping on her boots, tugging the laces with a sense of urgency.
Nessa followed behind with a mischievous grin. "Call ... every day. Send updates. Pictures. Texts. You better not disappear into Adrien’s mansion without letting know you’re alive!"
"I’ll call," Erald said, trying to avoid laughing. "Just don’t blow up my phone."
"I make no promises. And no, I’m not being clingy. I just want to know if I have to plan your wedding or your funeral, depending on how the week goes."
Nessa was still listing rules as they made their way down the stairs. Rule number five was about hydration, rule number six ntioned sunscreen, and Erald drowned her out halfway through "rule number seven: no dodging emotional growth."
Then she saw him.
Adrien stood near the bottom of the stairs, dressed in dark jeans and a grey shirt that hugged his shoulders a little too well.
He was leaning against the bannister, casually chatting with one of the guards, but the mont he looked up and saw her, his face lit up like dawn breaking over the horizon.
"Good day, my sunshine."
Erald smiled despite herself.
As she walked down, her mind drifted back to Nessa’s question.
The mate bond was one thing. But developing feelings... that was sothing else entirely. She certainly felt the pull with all of them. The heat, the connection.
But lately...
Her mind betrayed her with a flash of Ares’s lips on her throat, the feel of his hands, rough and reverent all at once. The way her body responded to him was like a prayer answered.
She didn’t know what she felt for him, but she knew it was ti to put that aside. At least for the next few days.
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