“I thought so, too, but I clearly underestimated his... overprotective instinct towards you. He opposed strongly to our engagement.”
“Don’t tell me he still wants to marry me!”
Damian shakes his head. “That was just an empty threat to test me, Nora. Sylviana said that the whole thing about Royals being able to change mates was a total lie. And William doesn’t feel that way about you; he sees you as a little sister, that’s it. He’s annoying enough as it is...”
I laugh. Imagining William and Damian bickering about me is a lot funnier now that the tensions between all the packs have eased up.
“He already got engaged a few months ago, anyway.”
“What, really? To whom?”
“Remember Tiffany Pearl, from the Pearl Moon? Well, it seems like those two had never actually met face to face until the gathering...”
“You’re kidding!”
I’m in shock, but Damian laughs. Oh, Moon Goddess! I would never have imagined... Tiffany is indeed the most beautiful she-wolf I’ve ever seen. I don’t know her well, but from what I’ve seen, she’s smart and beautiful. Yes, those two are probably a good match.
Around us, snow slowly starts falling, and we contemplate it a long time, my head resting on Damian’s shoulder and his arms around me. From time to time, his lips reach for my forehead, as he whispers how much he’s missed me...
“I can’t believe you’re really awake.”
Daniel is holding my hand, giving me a big smile despite his teary eyes.
“We’ve missed you.”
“Thank you, Danny. It’s good to be back.”
It’s Christmas Eve, and I couldn’t be happier. As promised, I left the hospital a few hours ago after another round of check-ups, and Damian took me to our brand-new home. I love it.
It’s an old traditional family house, with wooden floors, a fireplace, and stone brick walls. The decoration is the opposite of his cold apartment. Damian picked warm tones and wooden furniture, with Tonia and Bobo’s help. The more I visited, the more I fell in love with it. He thought of everything, even to include a little library where I could relax and read my books on a comfy sofa by the window.
Tonight, it’s especially welcoming with all the Christmas decorations. I don’t know how they managed to do so much in such a short time, but Bobo, Sylviana, and Liam made it all happen, just like one of those old Christmas movies. Tonia pushed my wheelchair in the salon, in front of the fireplace and Christmas tree. As the doctor said, I can still only move a little, but I know my muscles will remember their former strength soon enough.
For now, I don’t really mind. The house is crowded with our friends and family. Sylviana is in the kitchen cooking with Neal’s wife, an adorable woman named Angela. Neal is chatting with Damian and Sean. Being an orphan, I learned earlier that Sean doesn’t have anyone to celebrate Christmas with, so we invited him over as well.
Next to us, on the couch, Tonia and Bobo are busy keeping the children entertained. Bobo’s nieces, the twins Juliet and Phoebe, are six years old, and Isaac, Nathaniel’s Beta, just had a baby boy. As I watch them playing with the kids, I wonder when will Damian and I have our own children. Somehow, as soon as we became a couple, I alwaysknew we would have children someday. Daniel catches my glance towards the children.
“So, this wedding?”
I chuckle.
“Probably in May. We would have had it sooner, but everyone around us insists we have a proper ceremony, so...”
“I bet so. Everyone missed the Luna; how can they not have a proper occasion to celebrate your return?”
I turn towards him and whisper, even if only Tonia and Bobo can hear us. “Do you have news?”
He smiles and nods. “She calls from time to time. She’s fine, Nora, I promise. What happened with Nathaniel... really was hard, but her baby girl is more important to her. I think it’s for the best, really. She will come back when she’s ready.”
“…but why did she have to leave?”
“I advised her so,” replies a feminine voice.
Sylviana just joined us, and she takes a seat next to Daniel. I notice that despite playing with the twins, Bobo is listening, too.
“Her baby was in danger if she remained here, Nora. The Dark Witch knows or will know that there is another Royal in Silver City, and she would have targeted Elena just as much as you. Even more so, if she had known she was pregnant. So, I helped her find a place to hide for the time being.”
“So, the Witch will continue to target us?” I ask, worried.
