Chapter 63


    The following morning was a rat race, as we tried to get the kids dressed and ready for the day. Pulling a


    shirt over Vrian’s head, he instantly whined as I crinkled the cor.


    “Vrian, I haven’t got time, not today,” I told him. Of all the days he wanted to have a meltdown, it had


    to be the day of the Alpha meeting. It would be held at 3 PM, and I was a nervous wreck already.


    Vrian chucks a full-on meltdown, tugging at his shirt and crying. Valen came over from making his and


    Casey’s cereal. The shirt looked eptable to me before gripping the hem and lifting it off him.


    “Calm down, the Hotel is fine, Everly. You’re stressing for no reason,” Valen says while wandering off to


    get him a new shirt. Valen returns with a button-up one and carefully does the buttons, making sure not


    to wrinkle his shirt before sitting Vrian at the table.


    My brain felt fried with the list of things I had to check once back to the Hotel and help set up, though


    Valen assured me he would hel p. How I wasn’t sure because I needed him to watch both kids since Zoe


    and I would be helping set up.


    “I have to duck down to the council really quick, then I will head to the hotel to help you,” Valen tells me.


    “Well, you need to take the kids with you. Zoe and Marcus are already setting up, and I need to check


    the restaurant and check off the catering supplies,” I tell him.


    “No, my father is watching them for us, and I already asked Zoe who was fine with him taking Casey too,


    you just have to meet him downstairs in the wine garden. There is a kid y area,” Valen says,ing


    over and pecking my lips.


    “Wait, what time,” I called after him.


    “Just head down after they finish eating. Dad’s taking them to the movies and to lunch and will meet us


    at the Hotel,” Valen called over his shoulder before walking out the door. I sighed, looking over at the kids


    who were happily eating their fruit loops. Thank god Kalen was taking them. I don’t think I could handle


    their sugar rush today.


    The wine gardens were lovely, though the stares I received from everybody were beginning to annoy me.


    I couldn’t wait until it was out just so people would fuck off with their res.


    Casey and Vrian were climbing on the climbing frames and swinging on the frames when I got a text


    message from Kalen saying he was running a littlete. Though I was surprised he had my phone


    number, Valen must have given it to him.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    “Ah Casey, don’t eat that,” I tell her, racing over as she was about to eat a snail.


    “But why, thatdy is,” Casey says, pointing to the woman a t the tables who was eating Escargot snails.


    Vrian pulls a face at the woman as she eats one that was on her lettuce.


    “Still don’t eat it. Snail slime is poisonous,” I tell her, wiping her hands free of the handful of snails she


    had collected from the garden.


    “Then why is she eating them?” Argh,e on Kalen, then you can answer these questions, I internally


    groaned.


    “Because they are a delicacy, and they are cooked, not fresh from the garden,” I tell her.


    “Gross, if you ask me, why would anyone eat a slug?” Vrian asked, plucking a snail from the garden


    where I just made Casey drop them. It came out of its shell, and he drops it, pulling a face, and I chuckle


    at him when a voice from another table reaches my ears.


    “Seems AIpha Valen needs to up his standard, especially for the price we pay, letting rogues in here,


    such a shame,” the middle aged woman says, turning her gaze to me.


    Vrian growls at her, shocking me, and goes to say something, I grip his shoulder gently, and he looks


    up at me and I shake my head.


    “Mind your ce, boy, rogue-whores and their mutts shouldn’t be allowed in the presence of the elite,”


    she sneered, and I red at her. Biting my tongue. I was not about to cause a scene.


    “I will have to put in aint. Looks like the AIpha is letting in all kinds of riff-raff in here,”


    “It appears so, ma’am because he let you through his doors, ” I tell her, sick of whining voice, she


    seemed appalled that I would even talk back to her, let alone call her the riff-raff.


    “How dare you? Do you have any idea who I am?”


    “No, and I don’t care to. I have standards, and you don’t meet them,” I tell her, and she huffs, tossing her


    napkin on the floor before stomping off just as Kalen steps into the child’s y area.


    “Sorry, I amte, I got caught in traffic,” he turned to where I was staring after the woman.


    “Everything alright?” He asked.


    “Fine, I need to go,” Kalen nods, and I turn to the kids, and Casey is stuffing her pockets full of snails. I


    click my tongue, leaving Kalen to deal with it before pecking them both on the cheek and telling them to


    behave.


    “I will find youter, dear,” Kalen says, pecking my cheek and hugging me much to the disgust of those


    around us. Somehow I don’t think I will get used to his sudden


    affections toward me. I roll my eyes before leaving and looking for Tatum, who was supposed to take me


    back to the Hotel. Only when I walked out the front doors, I stopped, seeing Vrie’s truck. I blinked and


    took a step back, and Tatum climbs out of the driver’s seat and shuts the door. My hands went to my


    eyes, and I rubbed my eyes, holding back the tears. I thought he crushed it.


    “Is it?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Tatum smiles before tossing me the keys, her old key chains still


    attached along with the pendants of four steel cut-out girls and three babies. The three key chain


    pictures of Vrian, Casey, and Taylor were also still attached. I kissed the keys, trying not to be


    emotional over an old truck.


    “He didn’t destroy it?” I choked.


    ” Nope, kept it in the garage. I filled it up for you, but she needs a good clean, pretty dusty down there,”


    Tatum says, and I nod.


    “Valen said you were stressed this morning. He was going to give it back tonight, but then rang and


    asked me to give it to you, to help cheer you up,” Tatumughs. It definitely did that. I hugged him


    quickly.


    “Thank you,” I tell him before jumping into my truck. I reach over to the glovepartment and unlock it.


    Relief floods me when I see the letters from Vrie inside; I pull them out, making sure they were all


    there, including the one for Valen, which was still sealed. I swallowed before cing it back.


    It had arrived a few weeks after her passing along with the others for when the kids grew older. I was so


    devastated about the car because I thought they would never find out what was in them. cing them in


    my handbag, I would put them in the safe back at the Hotel. Why I didn’t in the first ce was beyond


    me. I also grabbed out her storage


    locker key where all her belongings were and chucked that in my bag along with them.


    Starting my baby up, she roared to life. I smiled before pulling out heading home.