“And I suppose this is the rest of your lovely family?” Jeremy asked, peeking around us to look at the
others.
Gavin stepped aside.
“This is my daughter, Irene, and son Matthew,” Gavin introduced. “This is my Beta, Taylor, and his mate, Eliza. She’s also our pack doctor.”
“Oh yes, I know Eliza. She’s helped out at this pack more times than I could count,” Jeremy said, nodding at Eliza, who looked a bit sheepish at the compliment.
“It’s good to see you again,” Eliza said, nodding at him. “And I was just doing my job.”
“You do it superbly,” Jeremy replied.
“That she does,” Gavin agreed. “And these are our friends Nan and Chester; they are mates. I suppose they are pretty much part of the family.”
“Sister by choice,” I added, smiling at Nan, who smiled back at me.
“And then one of my gammas, Erik,” Gavin said, motioning for Erik, who gave Jeremy a slight nod.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to officially meet all of you,” Jeremy said, nodding at each of them. “I hope you enjoy your stay in my territory and don’t hesitate to come to me if you need anything. The masquerade will be tomorrow evening, and I’m looking forward to seeing you there. My mate, Cecelia, is busy at the moment, but she’s looking forward to meeting you. You should come back later this evening for dinner and meet her.”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” Gavin said.
“I’m sure you’re all exhausted from your travels,” Jeremy said before turning to Raul. “Be sure that their rooms are ready and help them get settled.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Raul said without hesitation.
We said goodbye to Jeremy, and we headed back outside and into the SUV. I glanced at Irene, who was fiddling with her fingers and nibbling on her lower lip. I knew she was nervous; this wasn’t just a trip for her… we were here to find out the truth about Chuck. I told Gavin the entire truth on the plane, and though he wasn’t happy about being part of this scheme, he wasn’t as upset as I thought he would be. He was more upset over the fact that Chuck might be playing his daughter for a fool.
“Any sign of him yet?” I asked Irene, drawing her attention to me. She shook her head, her eyes fixed out the window. I reached over and grabbed hold of her hand. “It’s going to be okay. No matter what happens, we are here.”
She glanced at me, letting out a breath, before she nodded. I didn’t push her to speak; we remained silent for the rest of the ride until we reached one of the biggest buildings I had ever seen. It looked more like a manor than a resort–white stone wall climbing with ivy, wrought–iron balconies lined with lanterns, and arched windows that glowed like honey in the fading light.
“Welcome to your temporary home,” Raul said as he stepped out of the car, opening the back door
for us to get out.
The doors to the hotel swung open, and bellhops rushed out to collect our luggage, and within minutes, we were swept into the marble lobby. Everything gleamed–polished floors, soft candlelight, a chandelier that looked like it had been stolen from a royal ballroom. I couldn’t help but feel underdressed standing there in travel clothes while tourists and pack members in elegant coats passed by.
Raul walked us towards the front desk, where a pretty brunette stood, a smile lighting up her face. She was young, maybe around my age, with warm brown eyes and rosy cheeks.
Her name tag read: Clarissa.
Raul greeted us in her French and he checked us into our rooms, switching between French and English effortlessly. Clarissa spoke pretty good English as well and greeted us all as she handed us each a room key. When she handed one to Irene, Irene completely froze, her eyes wide.
Clarissa frowned, cocking her head to the side, clearly confused by Irene’s sudden reaction to her.
“Irene?” I asked, nudging her towards the key.
Irene blinked a few times, snapping herself out of her stupor as she grabbed the key, forcing a smile at Clarissa and then turning away.
That was strange.
Gavin, Taylor, and Raul talked for a few minutes off to the side, probably going over things with Raul before he left. I went over to Irene, who was staring out the window, trying to avoid Clarissa, it
seemed.
“Irene, what happened? What’s wrong?” I asked.
She started at the sound of my voice, but when her eyes met mine, I saw the tears in them.
“She’s carrying his scent…” she whispered. “She smells like my mate…”