A Cunning Creature

EVA

“Max better return from this trip mated to her, or I swear to Goddess, I’ll knock some sense into him,” Patrick grumbled, watching Max’s jeep disappear down the road.

All four of them were leaving today, and it’s safe to say we all had high hopes for Max and Estella.

Especially me, because the last thing I want is for my terrifying dreams to come true. Yes, they’re still haunting me, which means the danger is still lurking.

Lucia’s started having them too. Not as intense as mine, but enough to scare her and make her plead with Estella not to leave for her studies.

She’s never shared what she sees in her dreams, but the fact that she’s having them so young is alarming.

I didn’t start having visions until I was nine. My daughter is only six, and she shouldn’t be experiencing these nightmares.

Maybe her being an early shifter has something to do with it. I can only guess since it didn’t happen to me.

Patrick thinks Luz might have inherited my gift, as it’s usually passed from mother to daughter, but he’s still worried every time she has a nightmare.

He hasn’t voiced his concerns yet, and I avoid the topic too, because what can I say when I’ve been ordered to keep quiet?

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

“Nothing,” I smiled. “Just thinking about what you said.”

“You’re not telling the truth.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Only a little bit.” I chuckled. “But you know deep down it won’t happen, right?”

“Damn his stubbornness! I do, yes. But how long can he keep it up?”

“He’s been doing it for years,” I reminded him.

“It was easier when she was a child. She’s a woman now, and I’ve seen the way he looks at her. He can’t hold out much longer.”

“He’s managed for two years since their kiss, and he didn’t rip her little boyfriend to shreds.” I smirked.

Max was seething with jealousy when Estella started dating that human boy and, call me cruel, but he deserved it.

If he wants her to live a normal human life, he can’t complain when she does just that.

I could have told him their relationship wouldn’t last, but I didn’t. He needs to wake up instead of constantly needing reassurance about her feelings.

“He was close, though,” he laughed, amused by the memory. “Hopefully, he’ll do the right thing before someone else catches Estella’s eye.”

“No, he won’t.”

We both jumped in surprise to see Lucia standing in the doorway, her gaze serious.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” Patrick asked, crouching down to lift her into his arms.

“I saw her leaving,” Lucia simply said.

“Did you see something else, baby?” I asked softly, dreading her answer.

“Yes. But it’s too scary, and I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbled, burying her face in her father’s neck.

“It’s okay.” I stroked her back gently. “You don’t have to.”

“And remember, you need to be a strong little girl to become a powerful luna for your mate’s pack, right?” Patrick asked.

At that, Lucia slowly lifted her head.

“I won’t be their luna,” she declared, her eyes glowing bright silver. “I will be their mother.”

I gasped, covering my mouth in shock.

Damn you, Aunt; what have you done?

MAX

The issues started early on our summer trip.

To maximize our time abroad, the girls decided we should leave the day after graduation, which was fine by me.

I’d already arranged for time off from the human hospital, and my father had agreed to step back into his old role during my absence.

I’ll admit, I was starting to look forward to a long vacation.

Since Estella returned from Australia six years ago, I didn’t want to be anywhere else, and I preferred not to leave my pack for too long.

So, no real vacation for me.

Now, when I say issues, I mean that now that Sarah was of age, she and Caleb didn’t hesitate to complete their bond, and I’m not just talking about marking.

Understandably, there was no way those two would agree to separate hotel rooms.

This meant that on a few occasions, Estella and I would have to share a room, which was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

She said it was because of the season, and there weren’t always vacancies, especially in suites.

You see, Julian, Alpha Solomon, and Alpha Devin wanted the best for their kids, so they naturally opted for suites in the best hotels.

Thankfully, the suites were spacious enough for two people. Two normal people.

But I’m not normal, and space—even the ample space a suite provides—is a problem when it comes to Estella and me.

I don’t know how I’ll survive seeing her walking around the room in my T-shirt or having her scent constantly in my nose.

I’ll admit, I secretly tried to book another room in those two hotels I knew about, but they regretfully informed me they were fully booked for the season. Just my luck, I guess.

Also, it confirmed she wasn’t lying about the vacancies.

Anyway.

We left as planned, using Alpha Devin’s private jet to fly us to our first destination. The girls had decided to visit four countries: Italy, Spain, France, and Greece.

Initially, they wanted to visit more but decided against it, saying they wanted to spend more time exploring each country rather than rushing through everything.

Estella was…

Estella was a bundle of joy. I’d never traveled with her before, not by plane, and certainly not by private jet. I hadn’t realized how she could find joy in the simplest things.

She was the first to board the jet, choosing her seat and spending the entire flight with her face pressed against the window.

She kept pulling at my hand or arm, wanting me to share in her excitement. I indulged her, of course.

“Maybe you should get some rest, sweetheart,” I suggested.

“I’m too excited to sleep, Max.” Her smile was infectious.

So, she stayed awake, her eyes glued to the window even when the view was nothing but clouds.

When we landed in Italy and our driver picked us up, she continued to marvel at everything she saw, commenting on how beautiful and magical it all was.

But soon, her attention was drawn to our travel companions, who seemed to be in their own world, making out non-stop.

At one point, they disappeared into a room in the jet for an hour or so, but I didn’t bother pointing that out to Estella.

With a swift kick to each of their legs, she effectively interrupted their make-out session.

“Hey, you two!” she snapped. “Keep it in your pants until we get to the hotel. We’re here to sightsee.”

To my surprise, the pair of alphas muttered an apology to my girl and actually started to take in the view.

Sarah even switched seats with me to put some distance between herself and her mate.

This continued until we reached the hotel.

That’s when I got the first shock. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized I’d be sharing a room with Estella, and at the very first hotel too.

She calmly explained that we’d have to share sometimes due to room availability and that she’d forgotten to tell me.

I didn’t believe her, and later that day, I called the reception and asked for another room, only to have her words confirmed.

I had no choice but to pretend I was okay with it.

I unpacked my things and joined her on the balcony, where she was once again gushing about the view. All I could think about was how I was going to sleep that night and the nights to come.

It turned out to be easier than I thought. Initially.

After a shower, we were both so exhausted from the trip that we fell asleep as soon as we hit the mattresses.

ESTELLA

Of course, I made sure we’d be sharing a suite.

I lied to him for the first time, because my simple (and, let’s be honest, quite predictable) plan was to share a room with him at every destination.

I even called the hotels and begged them to say there were no available rooms, suspecting he’d ask for a change.

They explained that it wouldn’t be a lie since it was peak season, but I did what I could to ensure we’d be together.

I don’t know if this makes me pathetic, but I don’t regret it. This tension between us needs to be resolved.

I mean, I’ll be leaving after the summer, and I can’t go through college like I did high school. It was pure torture.

If there’s a chance, I have to take it.

Regardless of his mate.

I can’t spend the rest of my life pining over someone who doesn’t feel the same way. Who only sees me as his little sister or something.

Deep down, I feel like he feels more for me too, but I can’t keep living with this uncertainty.

It would be better if he told me he loved me like I love him, but he can’t do anything about it because he’s waiting for his destined one.

By better, I mean I would cry my eyes out for an eternity before picking up the pieces of my broken heart and moving on.

But the thing is, Max never seemed to care about his mate.

He’s told me numerous times not to worry about it, and he genuinely seems unaffected by not having found her despite being thirty.

Rohan’s the same, but his eyes have started betraying him lately. There’s a longing in them that’s completely absent from Max’s gaze.

He seems content with his life as it is, and when we’re together, I feel like he doesn’t need anything more.

This might just be me projecting my feelings onto him, but I can’t be that wrong.

Anyway, back to my vacation plan. It involves seduction, but only enough to clarify the situation.

Part of me wants to see if he’s as affected by me as I am by him, but the most important thing is to know whether my hopes are founded or not.

Whatever his reaction, by the end of our trip, I’ll have my answers.

So, after a short nap, I went to his room (yes, the suite is big enough for two rooms because I didn’t want to be too obvious) to wake him up.

I jumped on his bed as hard as I could, causing him to jolt awake.

“What the fuck?” he grumbled, trying to figure out what was happening, and I giggled at how adorably confused he looked.

“Come on, Max, wake up!” I chirped.

“What time is it?” He rubbed his eyes.

“I didn’t check the time, but the sun is setting, and I’m hungry. I thought we could get dressed and grab something to eat.”

“Mmmm… Now that you mention it, I’m pretty hungry too.”

He sat up on the bed while I bounced lightly on the mattress.

“What are you doing, sweetheart?” he asked, amused.

“I’m just so excited to be here!” I squealed, and he laughed.

“Me too. I think I needed a vacation,” he admitted. “Why don’t you call the others, so we can all go eat together?”

“Oh, I did.” I smiled mischievously. “I called them and texted them, but I got no response.”

“I didn’t think you would, to be honest.”

“Neither did I.

“But when the security guards show up at their suite door, pretending to be cops arresting them for the racket they’re making, and they’re scared out of their minds before they figure out it’s all my doing, I’ll be having the time of my life.

“And I’ll be able to tell them they left me no choice after ignoring all my calls and messages.”

I let out all of that in one breath, then grinned at him like the Cheshire cat. He burst out laughing.

“You’re a sneaky one,” he said.

“Thank you,” I replied, lifting my chin in a smug manner.

“You know they’re going to come after you, right?”

“Oh, absolutely! I’m expecting them any second now.”

Right on cue, there was a loud banging on our suite door.

“That’s them,” I sang out, jumping off Max’s bed.

I’d barely cracked the door open when Sarah barged in, with Caleb trailing behind her. They both looked pretty rumpled and seriously pissed off.

“You!” Sarah pointed a finger at me, her face red with anger.

“Yes, my dear friend?” I fluttered my eyelashes dramatically.

“Don’t play innocent,” she yelled. “You sent those idiots to our room.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Max leaning against the doorframe, trying—and failing—to hold back his laughter, while Caleb glared at him, arms crossed over his chest, muttering something under his breath.

“Did they say it was me?” I asked, all sweetness and light.

“They didn’t need to. Only you would have such crappy timing, sending them over just as I was about to…ugh.”

“Aw, poor thing! I did try to call you, you know.”

“We were busy,” Sarah gritted out through clenched teeth.

“Playing bunny rabbits, yeah,” I snorted. “But you could use a break. You don’t have to get pregnant today.”

I knew I’d pushed it a bit too far when Sarah growled and lunged at me, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

~Let the games begin!~