Page 16 of An Enigma for the Lycan Crown Prince

I turn my head slightly, eyeing one of the omegas, a kind older lady with a plate in her hands. Behind her is Beta Oliver, encouraging her to go inside.

“I am not hungry,” I say.

“I made a casserole,” she says quietly. “With minced meat, eggplant and potatoes.”

“Mom’s favorite,” I mutter.

I don’t say anything else, just turn my head back towards the window. Beta Oliver and the omega leave the plate on the table. The scent fills the room, making my heart even heavier. How I wish I could have eaten it with Mom. Maybe if I didn’t go to play with Jace yesterday and if I stayed at home instead, maybe I could have saved her.

“Grandma says I should make sure you eat something.”

I sit up abruptly, turning my head to face Flora. I didn’t even hear her come into the room. She smiles at me and holds a plate of cookies while she approaches me. “We can eat together,” she suggests, sounding as shy as a couple of days ago when I talked to her for the first time.

I want to tell her to leave me alone, but something prevents me from saying it.

Flora takes my silence as an invitation and steps inside fully. She disappears into the small kitchen, rummaging forsomething there. Soon, she returns with two plates full of the casserole and a huge plate with chocolate cookies.

“This smells good,” she says.

“It was my mom’s favorite dish,” I say, suddenly feeling tears filling my eyes.

I take a spoonful of the casserole, my view getting more and more blurred by my tears. I shouldn’t cry. An alpha shouldn’t cry. Dad always gets mad when I do. But Flora doesn’t seem to mind, she just sits next to me, and instead of putting my walls up, I can’t seem to help but lower them. My lycan, who was struck with sorrow and anger for having lost the only family that loved us, and wanted to lash out at someone, seems to be much calmer.

“My lycan likes you,” I mutter.

“I am sure I like him too,” Flora says. “What’s his name?”

“Regis.”

“Wow,” she gapes. “That sounds cool,” she pauses. “Do you want to know a secret? I saw mine, too.”

“Your lycan?” I ask.

She nods. “I don’t know her name, though, but she is cute.”

In my mind, I can see Regis, a young black wolf, tilting his head. He seems to be intrigued by what he hears. For a while, Flora and I eat in silence while my thoughts return to my mom, and how I will never see her smile again. I try to ingrain her picture in my memory, to always be able to grab it whenever I need it.

She was often sad, but she was never impatient with me. She would stroke my head softly and listen to me. Even when she didn’t respond, I knew she was listening.

She will never walk through the rose garden again, never hold my hand, never smile again and never say my name.

“Now, I am all alone,” I mutter.

“You are not,” Flora says, her bright eyes glistening in tears. “I won’t leave you. I am here.”

“What if you change your mind?” I say.

“I won’t,” she promises.

I am not sure if I believe her, but her words make me feel a bit better. We spend the whole afternoon and evening up here in Mom’s old room. Outside I can hear the voices of the pack members. It’s almost like I can feel their sadness for having lost their luna. It’s only been a day, and it’s still so fresh for everyone.

I know Dad wants to send her off soon. He said it’s so that they have closure.

I think he just wants to get it over with. I don’t think he is even hurting. I’ve heard stories about wolves losing their mates and almost dying from the grief, but he is as stoic as always. Why can’t he show her his love, even now when she is dead?

Why couldn’t he love her?

I hear heavy footsteps approaching and almost fear it’s going to be him, but it’s just Gamma Tobias. His eyes are red-rimmed and empty when he scans the room. He glances at Flora and me for a moment, and Flora smiles brightly at him, inviting him to eat with us, but he just shakes his head. “I… I am sorry,” he says.