Chapter 37: Making Sure She Doesn’t Sneak Off to Train
Evelyn’s POV
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“Alright,” I said, helping Nadia work through a tangle in her hair, “I totally had that plan. But seeing you guys camping out here, I figured
training was off the table.”
I sighed. “Still feels weird doing nothing all day. Shouldn’t I be… I don’t know, doing something?”
Sitting still wasn’t exactly my strong suit. Years of staying busy made relaxing feel almost painful.
The boys shared one of those silent conversations with their eyes. Elliot nodded. “Yeah, that’s definitely a problem.”
“How about this,” Milo jumped in, “you two grab breakfast, we’ll clean up, then we’ll figure out today’s agenda.”
Before I could argue, they all bolted from my room. Nadia and I cracked up watching them flee.
“They’re terrified you’ll make a run for it,” she laughed while getting dressed.
“Probably smart,” I admitted, pulling on clean clothes. “Come on, let’s eat.”
Downstairs, the dining room felt different. Alpha King Nathan and Alpha Adam were gone, leaving just Luna Isabella and Luna Queen
Selena chatting over coffee.
“Morning, girls,” Isabella waved us over. “Come sit.”
–
The spread looked amazing – fresh bread, eggs, bacon, the works. My stomach reminded me I’d barely eaten yesterday.
“The men went to check on participants from other packs,” Luna Queen Selena explained. “You should rest today. Save your energy,
Footsteps echoed from the stairs. The boys appeared, hair still damp, looking way too pleased with themselves.
‘Don’t worry, Luna Queen!” Milo announced. “Evie’s gonna rest today whether she likes it or not. We’ve got supervision covered.”
“Damn right,” Elliot grinned. “We’ve planned a whole day of ‘rest activities. No sneaking off to train.”
Both Lunas laughed at their serious expressions. The whole room relaxed into easy conversation.
.
After breakfast, they dragged us toward the backyard. The familiar space hit me with memories my birthday party, the warmth. everyone’s faces around the fire.
Nadia squeezed my hand, reading my mood. Her touch pulled me back to the present.
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Chapter 37: Making Sure She Doesn’t Sneak Off to Train
The boys had already claimed the lounge chairs, sprawling out like they owned the place. Lucian stretched dramatically and sighed with
satisfaction.
“Come on,” Elliot patted the hammock, “today’s mission is literally do nothing.”
We settled onto the swaying hammock. For a few minutes, nobody talked.
“So what about the spring ball? Nadia broke the silence.
“Oh shit, right,” Milo sat up. “That’s supposed to be pretty big this year.”
“When is it?” I asked. Social events weren’t exactly my thing.
“Early next month,” Magnus answered. “Right after the selection wraps up. Give everyone a chance to decompress.”
“We should all go together, Lucian suggested. “Seven people would be fun.”
“Seven?” Nadia counted on her fingers. “Won’t that be a little… much?”
“So what?” Orion shrugged. “We already stick out anyway.”
True. Three future Alphas plus the rest of us subtle wasn’t really an option.
“Can you even dance?” Elliot asked suddenly.
I shook my head. “Never learned.”
“Perfect! Lucian’s eyes lit up. “We can teach you!”
“That’s really not necessary…”
“Relax,” Nadia laughed. ‘Most of the time it’s just talking and eating. The actual dancing part is pretty minimal.”
We spent the morning like that – just talking. Topics jumped from the ball to the selection to random future plans. Easy, comfortable
conversation.
When the sun climbed overhead, Milo sat up restlessly. “This is killing me. Let’s play something.”
‘Like what?” Elliot asked.
“Werewolf!” Milo’s face lit up. “It’s this deduction game. Some of us are killers, everyone else has to figure out who.”
‘Sounds complicated, Lucian said, but he looked interested.
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Chapter 37: Making Sure She Doesn’t Sneak Off to Train
We formed a circle on the grass. Milo played host, handing out roles. The game turned into chaos pretty fast everyone accusing everyone else, dramatic defenses, mock betrayals. We were all cracking up within minutes.
After several rounds, we collapsed on the grass, staring at clouds drifting overhead.
“I wish it could always be like this,” Nadia said softly.
Yeah. Me too.
Eventually the boys stood up. Magnus walked over and suddenly crouched down. “Hop on.”
“What?”
“Piggyback. You’ll see better from up there.”
Before I could protest, he’d lifted me onto his shoulders. The height was amazing – I could see the whole backyard spread out below.
Milo scooped up Nadia, making her squeal with surprise.
“Hot spring time,” Elliot pointed toward the back of the yard.
So this was their master plan. Sitting on Magnus’s shoulders, feeling his steady stride, something warm settled in my chest. Being cared
for like this was still weird, but… nice.
The hot spring appeared through the trees, steam rising in the afternoon light. The boys jumped straight in, sending water everywhere.
Magnus set me down gently before cannonballing into the pool. Milo carried Nadia in with him, creating an even bigger splash.
I leaned against the stone edge, letting the warm water soak away yesterday’s exhaustion. The heat felt incredible.
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