Renato and Samantha were sitting on the sofa in his parents'' house. Lucretia and Amanda were on the armchairs, drinking tea and eating pastries. Their mother had nned something special for the day, and she was still in the kitchen, cooking turkey.


    The four young people were awkwardly looking at each other, finding no topic inmon to talk about.


    ?I will go look if mama needs help,? Amanda said, tired of all thezy tension.


    She walked away, leaving an even more awkward atmosphere.


    ?It''s... It''s good that things have calmed down,? Lucretiamented. Her nerves were tiny, to begin with, and the silence was hurting them even more.


    ?It''s good,? Renato confirmed.


    He didn''t want Samantha to be annoyed by Lucretia, so he sacrificed to talk. Also, it was good enough that his mate hadn''t run away from him and his responsibilities... She didn''t need to do anything more than what she already did.


    ?I''m happy we have a new Alpha,? the girl continued.


    ?Happy?? Samantha chuckled. ?Are you sure??


    ?M-my brother isn''t fit to guide this pack. And the others wouldn''t ept him anymore. It''s really better if he''s gone.?


    ?He was arrested earlier today,? Samantha said. ?Would you like to visit him in prison? Maybe you have something to hear from him, or you''d exchange a few words.?


    ?No, no... Thanks. But I prefer it like this. He didn''t tell me anything when he left me here. He knew that Woods could hurt me since he hurt his family... But he didn''t care.?


    ?Will you stay with us?? Samantha wondered.


    ?I don''t have anywhere else to go,? Lucretia pointed out. ?I don''t have a choice... And Mandy said I could stay here with her and her parents.?


    She bit her lip not to burst out crying, but her eyes were wet, and a tear threatened to escape from the corner of her right eye.


    ?Can I stay in the pack?? she whined.


    Samantha frowned, surprised.


    ?Yes, sure,? she said before the brat could misunderstand her grimace. ?You can stay. It''s your pack, after all.?


    ?Now, it''s yours.?


    Those words made Samantha smile. Indeed, it was also her pack.


    ?Mine,? she whispered, sighing at the sound of that word. She didn''t care that Renato was cringing right next to her. He could keep his possessiveness to himself for once.


    ?Right, this is my pack,? she repeated. Every time, it sounded better.


    Amanda appeared at the door and waved at Lucretia.


    ?Lu,e here,? she said. ?We need your help with th


    Lucretia jumped away, secretly d that she had been called. Another second with that happy couple, and she would have burst into a desperate sobbing.


    ?Hey, did you also notice?? Amanda said, whispering to Lucretia''s ear. ?Mama agrees; there''s something with Samantha''s scent. Not just that it changed, but... Have you noticed??


    ?No,? Lucretia sighed. ?What should I notice? I wasn''t so familiar with her scent before. Not enough to notice small changes.?


    ?Oh,e on! You sniffed her in a noisy and polluted city like Norwich. You can''t convince me you don''t remember how her scent was before... Oh, even just when she came here. While I stayed at her ce, everything was normal. It started changingter.


    Do you think it''s due to her Alpha station??


    ?Nah,? her mothermented. ?It has nothing to do with that. Is the residence clean? We should send someone to help them. Samantha doesn''t seem like the type of woman who would do all the work by herself: she needs help! Also, she''s the Alpha now.


    It''s only fair if there are servants in the residence. Is the kitchen empty, by the way? I''ve heard they always eat in the central bar. Can''t Renato cook something for his mate? Is he sozy??


    The woman tightened her lips. That son of hers was a disappointment. He had such a woman in his arms, yet he did nothing to keep her!


    ?Mama, rx. It will be fine. It''s not like they need much, all in all.?


    ?She shouldn''t be hungry!?


    ?She won''t, in fact...? Amanda chuckled. ?But, tonight, we''re eating turkey!?


    ?You youngsters always see only one side of the problem,? the woman said, shaking her head. ?And you can''t think further than tomorrow. But those two can''t afford that now. They need to think in the long run.?


    ?Sure, mama.?


    ?Now, go back to the living room and entertain them! I''ll be done in a moment. The turkey needs to cool down before I can serve it. Go, go... Talk with them a little.?


    While they discussed whether to talk with Renato and Samantha, Amanda wondered how much that scent was a safe sign.


    ?Wait, mama, do you mean...? Amanda said.


    Her mother made her sign to shut up. If the couple hadn''t said anything, they must have had a reason. It was better not to meddle...


    Oblivious to the drama evolving in the kitchen, Renato and Samantha sipped their tea and sighed while thinking of their concerns. Just at that moment, Samantha''s phone trembled in her pocket.


    She made it slip out and checked the screen. She had received a message.


    ?It''s from Nate,? she said, tapping on the screen. ?He wants to meet to decide the conditions for peace... Oh, do you think he knew I was bing your Alpha but didn''t say anything??


    ?I don''t know,? Renato sighed. ?But you shouldn''t go out without an escort. I wille with you.?


    ?Also, he says Polenta will be sentenced to years of prison because he broke humanws when he took with him yourpany money. I''m not as optimistic as to think you will get part of that back, but he won''t use it to live a luxurious life either.?


    ?When are you meeting Alpha Woods??


    ?Tomorrow. He told me to choose the location... Not here, of course. We should meet in a neutral territory... Oh, how much I hate saying this.?


    Renato shrugged. He hated hearing it just as much. Was there any hurry to define peace? Woods was annoying when he asked to talk with his mate. One thing was sure, though: not alone.