Page 29 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

Christmas with Vander and Léna is probably the most peaceful one I’ve ever had. Dad is nowhere around and doesn’t care what we are up to, anyway, so we spend the night out at a small restaurant where Eric manages to get a reservation for us.

Just the three of us.

Vander only briefly asks me if Coralie will attend, but when I say no, he accepts it and doesn’t ask any further questions, and just assures me I can talk to him when I feel ready.

Léna shows me the game she and Vander are playing and even wants to set me up an account, so I can occasionally game with them. I doubt I’m the right person for it, but I don’t havethe heart to reject her and my brother when they look at me so expectantly.

Furthermore, Vander managed to gather information about Zoé. What Camille said about the young woman is right. She tutored the orphans and the omegas, some of them only passing school thanks to her. She still helps when her schedule allows it.

“What do you need the information for?” Vander asks curiously when we are having our dessert.

“I just wanted to know her skills,” I tell him honestly. “The fact that she is well-liked and kind is a plus, but I was curious about her knowledge.”

“I’ve heard she is good at math,” Vander says.

“It’s not just that,” Léna says. “I have a bit of contact with the omegas. Some of them work with my mom in the nursery.”

I nod thoughtfully. Léna and her parents come from a strong beta lineage, and her father is one of our elite warriors. None of it matters to Vander, but I’m relieved about it just because it will keep Dad off his ass. He deems Léna a good enough date for Vander, at least for now, while he is still a teen. It’s disgusting and upsetting, but it is who our father is, unfortunately. “What else do you know?” I ask her.

“Well, her forte is calculations,” she says. “She is particularly good with computers and software.”

I perk up when I hear that. “Really?”

“Yes, she is self-taught, but she offers her services to those pack members who can’t afford to pay for an actual IT professional. Mama thinks it’s a pity she was only hired for the kitchen staff.”

“I wasn’t even aware she is that talented,” I say.

“Papa mentioned it to the beta,” Léna explains, “but seems it didn’t prove to be useful.”

“Actually, that’s good for me,” I say, thoughtfully.

“So, are you going to tell us what this is about?” Vander asks.

“Yes, I’m gathering a small team for work that Eric wants me to do, and she sounds promising.”

“We can help, too,” Vander offers.

“I know.” I smile at him. “But you and Léna are still in school, while Zoé was forced to quit. If Eric requests her services, then Dad has to let her go from the kitchen staff.”

“So that’s the plan,” Vander smirks. “And you can’t pull Léna and me from school?”

“No,” I say with finality in my voice. “You two will stay there.”

Léna giggles while Vander pouts a bit. She reaches out her hand to touch his arm and smiles at him. “At least it means we can go to school together every day.”

Her words instantly raise his spirits, and he grins. “True, that’s a clear plus.”

I smile at their interaction. They are truly sweet together, so sweet that I hope the Goddess has plans for them to stay together. But you never know.

Later that night, when I return home, I can finally switch off my hearing aid and allow the silence to embrace me. Sometimes, I just need this feeling of calm. I enjoyed my evening with Vander and Léna, but Paris is always noisy, and it strains my nerves and my head, so I enjoy sitting in dull silence for a few minutes. Dad is out the whole night; his beta told me he has business to attend to, but I rather believe he is out to fuck his newest obsession. I don’t know how he does it, but he seems to get any women of the pack he sets eyes on. Maybe because he is the alpha, maybe because he can appear charming to the outside. I just feel sorry for them because they always hope for more, and he keeps dropping one after another.

Well, for Vander and me it’s good, because he is busy and won’t pester us.

“Can I really enter?” Zoé whispers while I lead her through the corridor of the Council.

“Of course,” I say with a smile.

Eric didn’t waste any time. When I talked to him the day after Christmas, he immediately requested Zoé without giving my father any room for argument, claiming he needed her immediately. Fortunately, my father is busy with his current girlfriend, so he didn’t care too much, and he also didn’t suspect me. I asked Eric to tell him that it was him who put the team together, lying to him that my father would take his order better than if he knew it came from me.