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It sometimes worries me if my unborn will have tendencies that I never experienced. Nothing is certain and I have no idea if these babies will follow the norm and be more Lychan than anything else. Being twins, I’m not sure if that will affect things but looking at Domi and Remi, who are almost identical in every way with dominant Lychan DNA, then maybe I am worrying for nothing. If Lychan vampire mixes had the traits of both, we would have heard of it by now.

“What’s with the dress? Aren’t you all combat pants and vest tops lately? The Lana Lane of the wolf world.” Meadow’s eyes and attention are on carmen now, as a subject change, appraising the feminine look of today and it’s only then I spot the minimal makeup and that her hair has been styled differently. She’s put in more than the usual effort.

“No reason.” She flippantly waves a hand at us and starts adjusting chairs around the table, avoiding Med’s eye. She’s also more closed up and secretive than normal. Less chatty and it piques my interest. Wondering if this is a tactic to get Jasper to notice her.

“I mean, I’m not against using your feminine wiles and assets to get your man to pay attention. If you need any pointers….” Meadow is all over that in an instant and stops in her tracks when Carmen flicks flower vase water at her in warning to stay away.

“I don’t. And it’s not for him. I’m tired of looking like a beat-up tom boy who has lost all sense of her image lately. I have more pride than looking like a half-baked, decrepit floor broom that’s been used to death and discarded in the dust.”

“And she’s back. Welcome home, Caremonella!” I pat her on the head with a huge grin and my annoying pet name for her, throwing my arm around her shoulder casually as I come to stand beside her. She exhales heavily, displaying minor irritation at my obvious glee and continues adjusting seats.

Carmen moping and being weird and distant these past days was starting to really bother me. I guess she needed some ‘her’ time to pull herself back together and process all that’s happened these few weeks. We all have. Working on the manor, and the Valley simultaneously, overseeing, organizing and repairing bonds with out fractured pack has been cathartic, but emotionally exhausting. It’s only been a week since the battle that night, but it feels like we have achieved the work of a month.

“About time too, Chica. I know you can’t outrun the imprint, but I’m glad you are seemingly back to being the cold and haughty biatch I used to love to hate.” Meadow flicks her in the forehead with precision, swings her clipboard up and bops her on the head with it softly before swaggering off with a naughty smile. Knowing sticking around will get some sort of physical retaliation now Carmen is no longer afraid to put Meds in her place.

“I still loathe her.” Carmen snorts and crosses her arms across her chest sulkily. I laugh at both of them, knowing that’s the furthest from the truth it could be. They have a love-hate relationship, that’s warm underneath, and I know either one would sacrifice themselves to save the other. Neither can admit they are sisters now, and friends. Denial is what I expect for the rest of their lives.

“So, noon? Are you nervous?” Carmen turns the conversation back to what we are preparing for, and I let her go. Shrugging in a non-committal way as I go back to prepping the room and focusing on imaginary dust particles I need to remove. My gut has been like washing machine all morning and I have been trying to ignore the chaos of internal feelings for a week.

“Hmmm.” I answer in a bland tone and move the flowers for the fifth time today. Using Carmen’s method of nonchalance.

“Signing a treaty is enough of a pressure I guess, but knowing you have to work out some sort of future relationship with your father must be messing with your head. Given what he is and who.” Carmen has the sense to let me wander off without following. Focusing on straightening pots on the side table instead.

“I’m going to take it one step at a time. Let things develop naturally once the treaty is dealt with. Colton told me to not rush into any plans and throwing myself into trying to bond with him. Just take it as it comes. That’s what I’m going to do.”

“Yeah. A bond like that may take years to grow given the dramatic rollercoaster story behind all this. He doesn’t get to just step into the daddy shoes because things are clear now. He has to earn your trust.” Carmen pauses and looks around seemingly sensing something and then shifts further away to rearrange plants along the wall units. I pause to watch her and then wave it off as nothing.

“Time will tell. I won’t reject him. I won’t stop him from making contact with me or seeing these two when they are born. I think it’s one of those things that can’t just be fixed with a meeting and put to rights overnight. I don’t even know him or anything about him.”

“Getting over what he is will be your first hurdle, and his part in the wars of the last two decades.” She throws me an empathetic smile.

“Yeah…. enough about that though. What are you doing about my brother?” I know I shouldn’t ask as she normally clams up and pretends she doesn’t care, but it’s driving me insane seeing no progress.

“Nothing. It’s all on him. I’m so tired or marching to the beat of other people’s drums. Chasing and always ending up alone. He knows where I am and if he never finds his way to me I’m not going to stop living and hold my breath. I can have a future without a mate. There’s plenty to do here and who knows, maybe I can date casually whenever I have an urge that needs fulfilled.”

It seems Carmen really is fully pulling herself back together. Giving up even when she is bonded to Jasper; putting herself first. This is more like the girl I used to see. The one who says screw it to the Fates and decides on her own path to follow. The warrior inside the girl who won’t break with what the world throws at her.

“Baby? Where you at?” Colton’s voice breaks in as he enters the room from across the other side. Eyes scanning our efforts at making this a place to dine with guests and smiles radiantly when he locks eyes on me. As usual the butterflies and goosebumps he causes me ripple all over my skin and through my soul and my day gets brighter with him just being here.

Behind him Jasper follows at a distance, still carrying that pensive frown of his and a slight snarly aura to him. I now know what carmen could feel coming. Back in the early days of imprinting I too was way mor sensitive to my waits whereabouts if he got within fifty feet of me. Thankfully that’s dulled down a little and I am no longer constantly hyper aware of his location unless sin wolf form.

“Here. All done and now to go soak in the tub while the kitchen deal with the menu for lunch. Everything else is done. We just await their arrival.” I slide into his open arms as he gets close enough and snuggle up to him, resting my head under his chin and letting myself relax finally. I have been tense all day, ever since I woke up to a note on my pillow saying he was up and out to deal with some things. I missed him crazily today, but I know he wants everything perfect. Colton’s nervous too and his way of getting it out is to stay busy. He has the pack on guard duty just in case, and the ground looking flawless for our royal visit. I think he’s torn between awaiting an old enemy he wants to be wary of and impressing his father in law at the same time.

Carmen turns away and pretends to fluff some plants in the pots on the side dresser and I cast a quick glance towards my brother who is still hovering by the far door. His eyes on her despite his efforts to keep looking away and it ignites a tiny splinter of hope in my heart. He’s wavering. Being here a week and seeing her form afar, sensing her, smelling her scent…he just needs a little push.