Page 24 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

Felix and Dario both look horrified, while Liam and Marius just exchange an amused gaze.

“First,” Mom exclaims. “Liam goes off to lead Red Claw. Then, Marius disappears.”

“I didn’t disappear,” Marius says. “I am still very much here.”

Mom ignores him. “Then, Finn runs off,” she continues.

Finn looks like he wants to say something, but Liam just whispers something to him, making Finn chuckle in amusement and nod.

“Now, my baby girl will become alpha and is already so independent.”

“Yes, it’s terrible,” Dad agrees to my surprise. “I feel the same, but I’m not sure a baby will help.”

“We can share Titan,” I tell her.

Mom tilts her head. “A furbaby,” she mutters. “Well, it’s better than nothing, I guess.”

I can’t believe my approach worked. Judging by my father’s completely stunned expression, he didn’t think so either. Theremainder of our Christmas evening is peaceful and fun. The best part is watching my serious and strong dad sitting in front of the tree with Liam’s and Annie’s twin girls crawling over him. Aurora keeps drawing, with watercolors, on his face while Asteria plays with his hair. I bet when they are old enough, he is going to play princess with them.

Later that night, Nox and I excuse ourselves for an hour to finish packing our bags for Paris. We are both on the more practical side, so it doesn’t take us long. Since I chose Nox as my beta, his standing in the pack changed, and he has moved into the suite that belonged to my dad’s old traitorous beta.

The one who betrayed my family and hurt one of my brothers.

I can never forgive him for what he did.

The moment he was imprisoned and deported, my mom had his whole suite emptied and tossed everything away that had ever been in there. Every single item. The furniture she donated to a shelter in town, the clothes to a homeless shelter.

What she couldn’t donate or gift to the pack, she then burned.

For months, the suite stayed empty until my father offered it to Nox. First, Nox wasn’t over the moon to inherit the place a child molester lived in, but Dad saw it more as a new beginning. A fucked up, evil beta left, and a new trustworthy one arrived.

Nox, our friends, and I spent weeks renovating the whole place, ripping down walls and remodeling everything. There is no trace of that old fucktard left. Now, it has become Nox’s place.

He knocks at my door, half an hour later. “Are you finished?”

“Yes, I’m done,” I say.

“I am sure I forgot something,” he mutters.

“It’s not like we can’t borrow or buy something in Paris,” I reassure him. “Just make sure you have your passport with you.”

“That’s the first thing I packed,” he says.

We spend a bit more time with my family before heading to bed. Dad volunteers to take us to the airport very early the nextday. Mom hugs me goodbye for minutes, whispering to me to enjoy my trip and Paris. What I didn’t expect was Marius and Finn to wake up early to send us off.

The sun hasn’t risen yet when we make it to the car. Terry, Tori, and Lion are already waiting for us, their eyes widening when they see our entourage.

“Don’t ask,” I say to Lion, who raises his eyebrows at me. “I don’t question their shenanigans.”

“Why do you think we are up to something?” Marius asks with a grin, while helping Tori with her suitcase like a gentleman. He has always been nice to my friends, even as a teen. Finn never really hung out with us first because he felt he was too cool for us. I can’t blame him. He and I aren’t so far off in age. Looking back now, he probably just didn’t want to hang out with the younger kids.

Meanwhile, Liam was like everyone’s bigger brother. Lion and Terry, in particular, looked up to him.

Meanwhile, Tori used to have a crush on him and Marius, and used to be all flustered around them, but now she just smiles at Marius. “Thank you, Marius,” she says.

When did you stop being so shy around him?I link her.

Tori giggles.He is a mated and marked man. They are off-limits.