Chapter 152: Vision Board

ARIEL

“I just feel so helpless. I can heal all sorts of physical wounds, but I can’t do anything to help my dad,” I say to Alex.

“Maybe this is something that he needs to do for himself. You can’t force someone to heal and move on at the rate you want. They have to do it for themselves,” Alex counters.

“I’ll make some moon catchers for him when we get home with different stones. They'll definitely help with all the negativity that’s hanging around the house,” Chuck offers from the backseat.

I blink at him in the rearview mirror, not sure if I'll ever get used to his weird and random suggestions.

“Uhm thanks. That's really nice of you,” I splutter when Natalia kicks my seat.

It's just the five of us returning to the Royal Pack.

I had hoped that Natalia would stay at Crescent Moon to keep an eye on Dad, but she didn’t feel comfortable staying there.

She says that the Royal Pack feels more like home.

I can’t help but wonder when they’ll decide to find their own house in our pack.

***

Dom and Helena are waiting for us when we arrive back at the palace in the late afternoon.

Camelia is running around Dom, winding a cord around his legs until he’s on the verge of falling over. Helena seems to be trying and failing to keep her laughter in.

“You alright there, Dom?” Alex laughs openly.

Camelia suddenly darts towards Alex, and Dom finally loses his battle with gravity. She only manages a couple more steps before she’s stopped by Dom’s weight on the floor.

“Dom thought the kiddie leash would be a good idea since she’s always on the run, but I told him it’s a bad idea,” Helena giggles as she undoes the cuff on Camelia’s wrist.

Alex catches and throws her up in the air when Camelia rushes towards us. “Daddy doesn’t always have the best ideas, does he, darling?”

“No!” Camelia yells, throwing her arms in the air.

“She’s lucky she’s so cute,” Dom mutters from the ground, a dopey smile on his face.

***

I finally have the time to meet with Maria to discuss the idea I had for another mating weekend.

She sets up a tea service in her room for us to enjoy while we brainstorm some ideas.

“Thanks for making time for me. I've had this idea for a while now, but keep getting side-tracked by other things.”

“I’ll always have time for you, my dear. What is this idea you’ve been teasing me with?”

“I think it would be a good idea to have another mating weekend. You know, after all the drama we had with Fate I thought it would be nice to bring mates together…a bit of happiness after all the heartbreak from the broken bonds.”

“That’s a fantastic idea, I think! Oh, I've been hoping we could make this an annual event to unite the werewolves from all over the country,” Maria gushes.

“I’m so happy we’re in agreement, because I was hoping you would be willing to help me with organizing the weekend. You did such a great job last year and I honestly have no idea where to even begin,” I confess.

“The event might have been a success, but I still regret the way I acted towards you...”

“That’s in the past, Mom,” I interrupt her. “It all worked out in the end as it was supposed to.”

Maria walks over to the desk on the far side of the room and retrieves a big binder from one of the drawers.

She brings it over and I see that it’s filled with ideas for events.

One folder is dedicated to last year’s mating weekend. She puts that one aside and spreads the rest of the papers across the table in front of us, filled with ideas for decorations, food, color schemes, and themes.

“Were you thinking of the same format as last year? Friday arrival, Saturday picnic, and Sunday ball?” Maria asks, pencil at the ready to make notes.

“Not entirely. I wanted to do a barbeque on Friday evening so everyone can mingle and possibly find their mates before the Saturday picnic. Is a fancy ball really needed? Or could we change it to a game day?”

“No, the ball is non-negotiable. Us ladies want at least one day where we can get all dolled up and stun our mates. But I do like the idea of a Friday barbeque. We could incorporate a few games on Saturday at the picnic,” she counters.

“That means I'm going to have to get dressed up for the ball, doesn’t it?” I sigh.

“Absolutely, Ariel! Not only are you hosting the event, but you are also our Queen. People will expect you to be dressed a certain way. But I will help you with all that, dear,” she offers.

By the time lunch rolls around, I feel like I'm drowning in options and covered in paper cuts. Maria sees that I'm getting overwhelmed and suggests that we take a break for the day.

She'll make a few vision boards for us to go over when we meet again.

“Maybe we could bring Helena in to help with the ideas. I think this is right up her alley,” I suggest.

“That’s a brilliant idea! I'll ask her to join us after lunch.”

“Oh, I forgot that I have some warrior stuff to do after lunch...”

“That’s fine, dear. I know you have a lot on your plate. Helena and I will get everything together and you can pick your favorite themes.”

I give her a quick hug in thanks before rushing away from the brightly colored pages, wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into with this mating weekend.

I just hope this one goes over smoother than last year’s, with a minimal amount of drama and no hidden traitors.