Page 171 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

“You know his name now?” I ask quietly.

She nods. “Noctis told me. I asked for the truth, and he never denies me anything.”

Tori smiles. “That’s the type of person he is.”

“He is so nice,” she says quietly. “He and Arden made sure I have all the books I want and need.”

“You like to read, don’t you?” I ask.

She nods. “The only thing I was allowed to do as a reward. I read everything I could find, even dictionaries.” She pauses, looking at the cake sadly. “I already feel full.”

“Don’t push it,” Tori says gently. “You don’t need to eat all of it at once.”

“Noctis is my mate, isn’t he?” Meg asks all of a sudden.

Tori and I look at her in surprise. I knew she was quite aware of things and that the psychiatrist carefully told her about her wolf and that Noctis shares a bond with her.

“In one of the books, the Goddess was described, and the bond she blesses her creatures with,” Meg mutters. “Poor Noctis.”

Tori carefully reaches out her hand to place it on Meg’s. “Why do you say that?” she asks.

“He could have had a normal mate, but he is with me. I’m sullied and broken.”

“Meg,” I start, not sure how to tell her that it’s not true, that she isn’t broken, but I doubt anything I can say will chase these feelings away. She needs professional help. “Nox isn’t staying at your side out of a sense of duty,” I explain instead. “But, because he truly cares. He always believed he might never get a mate. He doesn’t need or want anyone else, but you.”

“Because of his past, right?” Meg asks.

“So, he has told you?” Tori asks.

“He said he wanted me to know so that I could make my own decisions. And that he could understand when I don’t want to be with a criminal.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I hate that I make him feel that way and that he thinks something is wrong with him. It’s me who is wrong.”

Tori and I let her cry, trying to reassure her to our best ability. Eventually, Meg calms down. “Is Silverlake a beautiful place?”

Tori and I both eagerly jump at the change of subject, hoping to distract her. We start to tell her everything about the pack andshow her pictures and photos. I even show her a picture of my mom so that she knows that the pack isn’t just ruled by an alpha.

“I want to leave this place,” Meg says all of a sudden. “Noctis invited me to Silverlake. And I have nowhere else to go anyway. Everything is better than staying here. I just want to be away from… all of it. From…”

“We understand,” I say gently. “You are very welcome in Silverlake. We are happy to have you join us.”

“You don’t need to make any big decisions, either,” Tori reassures her. “See the pack for yourself and choose a place there for yourself. Nox is going to be happy to accommodate you anyway.”

She nods tentatively. “How do I move? I don’t even know what to do. I don’t know where to buy a ticket or who to call or…” Her voice trails off again, and she looks at her hands in shame.

“Leave that to me,” I say. “I will make a call immediately. Is that truly what you want, Meg?”

She looks at me, then at some of the photos again, before she nods. It’s the confirmation I need, so I leave Tori and her for a moment to call my father. I have been talking to my parents at lot recently, as Arden and I are currently organizing everything for his move, and they are being so helpful.

Dad already knows about Meg, and I make sure to explain the new situation to him swiftly.

“Send them to me, darling,” Dad says. “Liam and I are here, and building connections to our wolf and lycan spirits is truly our forte. She will get the best help here.”

“The psychiatrist suggested something similar, saying it would be best for her to move to the pack she will be living in and start to heal there.”

“Your mother will make sure she and Nox can choose their place. If the pack house is too busy, there are plenty of otherplaces. I will inform our psychiatrist of Meg and her history and have Eric transfer all her medical documents.”

“She doesn’t even have any papers,” I say.

“Leave that to me,” he promises. “When are Tori and Lionel traveling back?”