In Loving Arms

ESTELLA

Home.

I was really going back, Max’s hand in mine confirming the reality of it all.

But I wasn’t the same girl they’d last seen. I’d changed.

Last night, I decided I hated the word “broken.” Broken implies giving up, and I’m not a quitter anymore.

I gave up once, and look where it got me. This time, it’s not about giving up on Max, but on myself. And I won’t do that.

I won’t give up on myself. I’m not sure what I’ll do about Max yet, and I’m not rushing to figure it out.

What I do know is that I need to protect myself from now on. No one else can do it for me.

I’m not being harsh, just realistic.

I can’t expect others to protect me. They all have their own ways of doing it. Like Max. Like Eva. Like Bonnie.

Speaking of Bonnie, she was the first person I wanted to see.

Max told me not to hold grudges, but Bonnie was my friend first. She should’ve been loyal to me. Not him.

We stopped in front of her bookstore. It looked exactly the same. I don’t know why I thought it would be different. Maybe because I was.

I told Max I wanted to go in alone. He looked worried, but I managed the steps just fine.

The sound of the bell as I opened the door brought a warmth to my heart. It was the little things I’d missed.

Bonnie was there, wearing one of her signature scarves, engrossed in her computer screen.

I bet she was placing a new book order. She always looked so serious and focused when she did that.

She looked up at me with a smile.

“I’ll be right with you,” she said, turning back to her screen.

Then she sniffed the air and looked at me again.

“Hi, Bonnie.”

She just stared at me, a whirlwind of emotions crossing her face. Then she moved faster than I’d ever seen her move.

Being in her arms, feeling her heartbeat, hearing her words… I knew she was forgiven before she even asked.

“He found you,” she kept whispering into my hair as she held me tight.

I hugged her back as hard as I could.

When she let go, she was crying.

I’d never seen Bonnie cry before. Seeing her like this meant something, but I had to ask.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Bonnie?” I whispered.

“It wasn’t my place. People have their own reasons for keeping secrets, Estella.”

“Like you do?”

“Like I do. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t worried about you or that I didn’t feel guilty.”

She hugged me again, and we stayed like that until Max came in and said it was time to go. Before we left, Bonnie made me promise to come back soon to catch up.

Then we were off, and I was surprised when we headed toward the pack instead of my uncle’s house.

“We thought it would be better to do this at the pack,” he explained. “Everyone’s there waiting for you.”

“Max, I’m not sure I’m ready to face them all.”

“Don’t worry. I told them not to overwhelm you. But everyone wants to see you, darling. You have a lot of people who love you.”

“They won’t recognize me like this.”

“It’s just hair, Estella. You can dye it if it makes you feel better.”

“Yeah, I know…” I sighed. “If you’d kept it in your pants, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“I know,” he said, his voice tight.

He’d stopped apologizing, which was good, but I couldn’t help but remind him. It was a reflex now.

I’d always hated bitter people, but when it came to Max, I was one of them.

“Will I have to stay with you?” I asked.

“Yes. Your wolf is still unstable and unpredictable. I can’t risk her hurting you.”

“Does she talk to your wolf?”

“They communicate in a way. They shouldn’t be able to do that until after the marking, but honestly, I’m glad they do. It keeps her stable.”

“So, your wolf controls mine?” I scoffed.

“It’s not control, darling. My wolf provides the comfort and reassurance your wolf needs. Once you can control her yourself and connect with her properly, you won’t need me as much.”

“If I can control her, you mean.”

“You’ll get there, darling. You just need to get her to listen to you and respect your wishes.

“I’m not saying it won’t take time. She’s eager to complete the bond and finally take form. But the final decision is yours.”

“What if I decide to stay human, and she tries to kill me?” I asked.

He pulled up outside Patrick’s house and looked at me.

“I won’t let that happen.”

“Not everything is up to you, Max. When will you get that?”

“You might be right, but we’ll figure it out. Don’t stress about it now. Let’s just go in and enjoy the day.”

I wanted to tell him it was easier said than done, but I kept quiet. I’d decided to be stronger than my circumstances, and I was sticking to it.

Still, I had to lean on Max a bit as we walked into the house. My spirit was strong, but my body needed more time to catch up.

As Max had promised, everyone was there. And as he’d also promised, they didn’t swarm me.

But as for the warning he’d mentioned, I’m not sure what he’d warned them about. If it was about my appearance, they all looked pretty shocked, except for Eva, who looked guilty and sad.

That’s when I realized she’d seen it too, in her visions. It wasn’t just Lucia, who was the only one I couldn’t find in the crowd.

I didn’t have time to ponder her absence because as soon as my gaze finished sweeping over the people staring at me, I was enveloped in my uncle’s arms.

The second hug of the day. The one who confirmed I was home.

My uncle was the reason I hadn’t forgotten my father’s face, even though I’d forgotten nearly everything else about the family I was born into.

They were identical, except for the eyes.

Then my aunt joined us, and we stood like that for a while, just as I had with Bonnie earlier, only now there were three of us.

When they finally released me, I reached up to touch my hair. My aunt caught my hand and pressed it to her heart.

“That’s the last thing we care about,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You’re with us now. Safe and sound.”

“The only reason you’re not dead, Doctor, is because you brought her back,” my uncle told Max.

My wolf’s reaction was immediate. The growl she let out in my head made me wince.

“Please, Uncle, don’t,” I pleaded.

“Okay, I won’t,” he reassured, kissing my forehead, but I saw him throw a questioning glance at Max.

“Can we take our turn at last?” a voice asked.

Cal. With Sarah trailing right behind him.

The smile that bloomed was automatic, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared when they approached.

“Did you two know?” I asked.

“Not before you left,” Cal replied, shooting a glare at Max.

“We would have told you,” Sarah insisted. “You know how I always shipped you and Max? We would have told you.”

I knew she was telling the truth.

“Come on, then, hug me,” I demanded, and they did, laughing.

Leslie and Howie arrived a heartbeat later and fussed over me for a while like another set of parents.

I caught them glancing at my neck for a mark, but they didn’t ask anything. They just kept smiling at me lovingly, and Howie even checked my pulse. Always the doctor.

Rohan was next. Tall and imposing. He had been the most careful one so far, probably because he had the biggest frame and was afraid he would crush me.

“I knew,” he whispered in my ear, still holding me. “I’m an old alpha. I could sense it after a point.”

He released me and looked at me seriously.

“Don’t torture yourself with it, little one,” he advised. “Your life is ahead and free of secrets.”

I nodded, and when Rohan stepped away, I saw that only Patrick and Eva were left. They were the most hesitant ones to approach me.

“You owe me at least a hug,” I said with a soft smile.

Patrick chuckled and was the first to come to me. He hugged me lightly and kissed my cheek.

“I’m so glad you’re back with us,” he said sincerely.

“Me too,” I replied.

He placed another kiss on my forehead and stepped aside to make room for Eva. She cupped my cheeks tenderly, her violet eyes sparkling and red.

Now that I was looking at her up close, I could see that she had been crying.

“You were always close to death in my visions,” she murmured.

“I was close to death.” I chuckled without humor.

“I didn’t know why or how. If I had, I would have made sure it didn’t come to that.”

“You weren’t allowed.”

“I never wanted my gift, and I didn’t want it for my daughter either. But if I knew more, I would break the rules to save you.”

“Where is she? Luz.”

“Upstairs.”

“Doesn’t she know I’m here?”

“She doesn’t believe you’re here,” she corrected me with a sigh. “She doesn’t believe you’re alive. I can’t believe it myself.”

She pulled me close.

“I’m so happy you made it. I don’t know how I’d live if you hadn’t.”

MAX

I told them not to overwhelm her, and they all respected it, more or less.

I felt a deep sense of satisfaction as I watched her reunite with everyone.

During her absence, I was so focused on myself that I had no idea how the rest of our friends were coping.

Now I know they were devastated. Not as much as I was, but they all loved her in their own ways, and Julian certainly loved her like a father.

Eva, though, had the heaviest burden because of her visions, and I could feel her pain when she spoke to Estella about her visions and about Luz.

When Estella asked to see Lucia and the other children, I wasn’t sure how it would go. Of course, my worries were mainly about Luz.

But even if that didn’t go well, I had a little surprise for Estella that would at least make her feel better.

She asked me to follow her upstairs, but I would have done it anyway. I didn’t want to miss a moment of what was to come.

We heard the children’s laughter before we saw them, and unlike everyone else downstairs, they all rushed towards her at once, except for Lucia, of course, who I expected to be in her room.

The boys held Sarah and Cal’s daughter in their arms and bombarded my girl with questions, completely ignoring the change in her appearance.

That’s when my little surprise decided to make an appearance.

“Estelle?” Gabrielle called.

It was the first time since we arrived that I saw my girl gape, first at Gabrielle and then at me.

“How?” she asked.

“I called her too, and she said there was no way she wouldn’t be here to see you.”

“Exactement.” The girl beamed and came to hold Estella’s hands. “I like the new hair look, babe. Brown was boring. I’ve told you a million times.”

We all laughed at that.

“Did you come here alone in your condition?” I asked, realizing that I didn’t see either of her two mates around.

“What condition?” Estella asked.

Gabrielle gently rested her hand on her belly.

“I’m four months along,” she murmured.

I won’t go into what happened next because I wasn’t there to see it. Instead, I made my way to Lucia’s room, knowing Estella would join me soon.

Lucia was perched on her bed, engrossed in a book when I knocked and walked in. She glanced up at me.

We hadn’t seen each other in a bit. To be exact, not since the day I found out Estella had left me.

She’d grown so much, like all kids her age do. They sprout up so fast, and Lucia was starting to look more and more like her mom, only she seemed to be a much more serious version.

I thought she might say something to me, but she didn’t. After studying me for a moment, she went back to her book.

I moved closer and sat down next to her on the bed.

“Hey,” I murmured. “We’re having a party today. Why don’t you come?”

“I’d rather not,” she responded, her voice flat.

“Estella would be really happy to see you,” I said, trying to coax a smile.

“Estella is dead, Uncle Max. I saw her die,” she said, a touch of anger in her voice.

“And you’re angry at her because you saw her die?”

“She promised she’d come back,” she said. “She didn’t keep her promise.”

“Luz, look at me.”

She just scoffed.

“Okay, don’t look at me. But answer me this: if Estella wasn’t here, if she was really dead, do you think I’d be able to celebrate anything?”

She slowly lifted her head and shook it.

“And do you think I’d ever break a promise on purpose?” Estella asked, standing in the doorway.

Lucia’s reaction was immediate.

She let out a cry and ran from the bed straight into Estella’s arms.

“No,” she whimpered. “No, no, no…”

“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” Estella soothed, pulling Lucia close. “I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Lucia began to sob uncontrollably in Estella’s arms, and Estella looked at me, almost helplessly. I moved over to them and took Lucia from Estella, holding her close.

“Why are you crying, little one?” I asked gently.

“Because it happened, Uncle Max. Estella got hurt.”