Chapter 22: Chapter 22

ELEANOR

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!” everyone yelled, and simultaneously, Jasmine pulled the cloth open while confetti showered next to them.

Everyone was eager to read what was on the board, and so was I, but unfortunately, people began crowding around the board, making it hard for me to see.

Xavier spoke something I couldn’t hear while he looked at the crowd ahead.

I frowned.

“What’s the name?” I asked him, which made him turn around to look at me.

He walked closer to me and tilted his head so that he was looking at the baby.

A soft smile appeared on his face when he started stroking the baby’s plum cheek.

“Her name is Emilia,” he said.

That is a beautiful name.

I looked down at the baby girl in my arms before I looked at Xavier.

He looked so happy and peaceful while looking at the baby, and this made my heart ache.

I will never get to experience this feeling with Xavier.

“~Cherish the present, Ellie,~” Erica told me, and I nodded my head.

“Do you want to hold her?” I asked Xavier, which made him look up at me with a puzzled look on his face.

“I don’t think I can be gentle,” he said.

“Don’t worry, I will guide you,” I told him, and he reluctantly agreed.

I gently handed Emilia into his arms, and when Xavier was sure he got a good hold on her, I let her go and stepped back.

Xavier had a look of awe written all over his face, and this made a tingling feeling erupt inside me.

We stayed at the party for two hours when it was finally time to leave.

“Thank you so much for all your efforts, Miss Amato,” Jasmine once again thanked me.

“I will always be there for my pack members,” I told her.

“We’ll see you around,” Xavier told the couple, and they nodded their heads.

We stepped out of the house and began walking to Xavier’s house.

“It was nice,” Xavier said as he looked straight ahead.

“You mean the party?” I asked him with a questioning look on my face, and a cryptic smile appeared on his face.

“Everything that was there,” he vaguely answered.

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have to understand everything, Eleanor. Some things are better left unsaid,” Xavier said and then came to a stop when we reached his house.

“I have to go to the pack house. I’ll see you at dinner?” he asked me, and I nodded my head.

I opened the door to Xavier’s house and entered to see Mrs. Costa walking downstairs with her handbag.

“Right on time. I was about to mind-link you,” she said when she saw me standing there.

“The naming ceremony ended a few minutes ago.”

“How was it?” she asked me, but when I was about to open my mouth to answer, she raised her hand to stop me.

“Let’s go to the restaurant and continue this talk because I have a feeling that it’s going to be a long lunch,” she said.

I nodded my head, and both of us walked out of the house.

Instead of taking the sidewalk, Mrs. Costa walked into the garage, and I followed right behind her.

“Why are we here?” I asked as she opened the garage door—only for my jaw to drop at the sight of all the vehicles parked inside.

“I don’t think you want to walk all the way to the restaurant in this scorching sun and arrive there all sweaty?”

“No, but don’t you think we should ask Xavier before touching his cars?” I asked her, looking at all the cars that were neatly lined up.

It ranged from Porsche to Bugatti.

“Are you sure you are his mate?” Mrs. Costa asked me with a raised eyebrow.

“I am, but I don’t think he would be very happy when he figures out that I have taken one of his cars out for a swing.”

“He won’t say anything,” Mrs. Costa said, waving her hand in the air. “Now tell me which car you want to take.”

I got nervous looking at all the luxury cars.

“Um…” I looked around and kept thinking about what sort of drama Xavier would cause when he found out I took one of his precious cars.

“You do know how to drive, right?” Mrs. Costa asked me.

“Of course. I have my license,” I told her and scanned my surroundings when my eyes landed on a black Bugatti.

“Can we take that?” I asked her, and she nodded her head.

“That’s a great choice. Let’s go,” Mrs. Costa said as she walked over to the table that was there, took the keys, and threw them at me.

We quickly walked over to the car and got inside. I started the vehicle, and we were off. The engine purred to life so smoothly, I couldn’t help but think how incredible it felt to drive something this luxurious. No wonder Xavier loved these cars.

“Where’s this restaurant?” I asked Mrs. Costa once we entered the pack town, which was bustling with people.

“Park the car over there, and then we can walk,” she said, pointing toward an empty parking lot by the side of the road.

After securely parking the car, both of us got out and started walking toward an Italian restaurant.

“Are you sure we will be able to find seats here?” I asked her when I saw that there was already a crowd lined up outside the restaurant waiting to go in.

“I reserved a table for us, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” Mrs. Costa replied.

“Mrs. Costa, right on time,” the man who was standing by the door greeted Mrs. Costa with a huge smile on his face.

“Do we still have that table?” Mrs. Costa asked him, and he nodded his head.

“Please head inside, and a waitress will guide you,” he said and bowed at both of us.

Before I walked in, I had the unsettling feeling that someone was watching me. But when I turned around, the space behind me was completely empty.

“Eleanor, are you coming?” Mrs. Costa’s words broke me out of my trance, and we both walked into the restaurant.

LUCA

I smirked when I saw how nervous Eleanor got when she felt my presence. Soon she will be under my custody. And I will make sure Xavier feels the pain that Chantelle and I went through.

I walked back into the forest and began walking back to the border.