Chapter 178
“Is it ready yet, Mom?” Marco asked, tugging on my shirt.
“Almost,” I said with a smile. “Go wash your hands.”
Making breakfast for the kids was the only normal part of my morning.
I really missed them and the whole month without them was just terrible because they keep me saying by their noise but they seem to not have missed me because they would rather play out the whole day than come
home.
My mind was full of thoughts about Annabelle and Astor, but I didn’t let the
children see that.
I put on a happy face. I piled their plates high with fluffy pancakes,
scrambled eggs, and fruit.
They ate quickly, laughing and talking with their mouths full. They were happy and it honestly takes me back to what pa said because I think it was really troubling for them to have to go from one pack to another.
“Can we go play at the pack house?” Isabella asked, wiping milk off his lip. “All the other kids are there.”
“Yes, you can go,” I said. “But stay together. And don’t go into the woods.”
“Yay!” they cheered. They grabbed their shoes and ran out the door. The house was suddenly quiet again.
I on the other hand needed to find Alice.
I put on my jacket and walked out into the cool morning air. I walked towards the pack house, asking people if they had seen her.
Imagine my shock when I found out that she was at orphanage.
Chapter 178
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Alice was selfish and scheming. Why would she be at a place full of needy children?
I walked toward the orphanage building and as I got closer, I heard the sound of children laughing.
I didn’t walk in through the front door right away. Instead, I stood by a window and looked inside. I wanted to see what she was doing before she
saw me.
What I saw made my jaw drop.
Alice was sitting on a big rug in the middle of the room. She was surrounded by about ten little children. She was holding a colorful storybook in her
hands.
“And then,” Alice said, making her voice sound silly and deep, “the big dragon flew over the castle”
The children giggled and clapped their hands. One little girl with messy pigtails was sitting right on Alice’s lap. Alice didn’t push her away. Instead, she fixed the little girl’s hair gently while she kept reading.
I watched Alice’s face. She was smiling. It wasn’t a fake smile. It wasn’t a mean smirk. It was a genuine, soft smile. Her eyes looked kind.
I stood there for a full minute, just watching. She looked… good.
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
The bell above the door chimed. Alice looked up. When she saw me standing there, the smile fell off her face instantly
She looked shocked and afraid. Her hands started to shake, and she almost dropped the book. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“Faith?” she whispered.
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But before she could say anything else, the children saw me.
“Luna Faith! Luna Faith!”
The kids jumped up and ran toward me. They surrounded me, hugging my
legs and grabbing my hands. They were so happy.
“You are back!” a little boy shouted. “We missed you so much!”
I knelt down to their level. My heart felt warm. “I missed you too, sweethearts. I missed all of you.”
“Did you bring us presents?” one girl asked.
“Shh,” another boy said. “Don’t be rude. Luna Faith is busy.”
Then, the little girl with the pigtails looked at me with big, bright eyes.
“Luna Faith,” she said seriously. “Your sister Alice is very good.”
I looked up at Alice, who was still standing by the rug, looking nervous.
“Is she?” I asked the girl.
“Yes!” the girl said. “She reads us stories every day. And she gives us extra food when we are hungry. She even helped me fix my doll when the arm
broke.”
“She is the best,” another boy agreed. “We love Alice.”
I listened to them compliment her over and over again. It was surprising. Actually, it was shocking. But it was a good surprise. It seemed that while I was gone, Alice changed.
“Alice,” I said calmly. “Can we talk outside for a moment? She swallowed hard looking terrifyingly pale. She nodded slowly. “Yes, Faith.”
She told the kids to keep looking at the pictures in the book. Then, she walked toward me with her head down. We walked out onto the porch and
Chapter 179
closed the door.
As soon as we were alone, Alice started to speak fast. Her voice was
trembling.
“I know why you are here,” she said and tears started to fill her eyes. “I know you don’t want me here. I know you hate me.”
She took a shaky breath.
“You’re probably here to kick me out of the pack,” she continued. “Or maybe… maybe you are going to have me executed and banished for the things I did in the past. I understand. I deserve it.”
She closed her eyes, waiting for me to yell at her.
I looked at her. She looked small and scared. “Alice, look at me,” I said.
She opened her eyes slowly.
“I don’t want to do that,” I told her.
She looked confused. “You… you don’t?”
“No,” I said. I crossed my arms. “Listen, Alice. What you did in the past was unforgivable. But it’s also the past and I don’t want to think about it.” I said, my voice turning serious. “I need your help. I need to know everything about Annabelle.”
Because Alice was as much as of a bully as Annabelle they spent a lot of time together and she was honestly her favorite cousin.
Alice wiped her tears away and nodded. She tried to compose herself.
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Annabelle is after Astor,” Alice said. “She is obsessed with him. She follows
him everywhere. She is always touching his arm, whispering in his ear.” The fact that I didn’t have to ask twice was surprising but the most surprising was how quick she just gave Annabelle away.
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“And Astor, there’s something different about him, Faith. He doesn’t push her away. He just stands there. It is like he is sleepwalking.” I guess pa was right
when he said that everybody can see it.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Alice. She stiffened in surprise and she didn’t move for a second. It was the first time in years hugged her.
“You have really become a very good and nice” I whispered to her. “I am
proud of you.”
I pulled back and held her by the shoulders. I looked her deep in the eyes. My brown eyes flashed for a second, letting my wolf peek through.
“But listen to me closely, Alice,” I warned her. My voice was low and dangerous.
“I am giving you a chance,” I said. “But if I hear that you are planning to cross me, or if I find out you are working with Annabelle to hurt my pack, you will face a side of me that you will not like. I will not be merciful a second time.”
I expected her to be offended. I expected her to get angry.
But she didn’t. Instead, she nodded her head vigorously. She looked determined.
“I understand, Faith,” she said firmly. “I would never cross you again. I am on your side. I promise.”
“Good,” I said. “Then wipe your face. We have work to do.”
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