Page 17 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“It’s alright, Bells. How about I make us some lunch and you go do your thing? We can worry about bags and placements after lunch?”

“Thanks, Cory. I won’t be long.” I turned to leave but skidded to a stop. “Violet, I can show you to your room, but disclaimer: that’s where Adam hid with the bottle of fudge. You’ll need to give me some time to clean it before you fully settle in.”

“I can clean it. It’s no problem. Just show me where the cleaning supplies are on the way up,” Violet answered, handing Cory the car seat with Lucas or Leo in it. She held onto to her cross-shoulder messenger bag nervously as people started getting off the bus.

“Okay, come on. I’ll bring you to the room and then help you clean up.”

“Christopher, can you grab Violet’s suitcase and take it up to her room?” Evie called out when the last SUV emptied.

I watched my old friend nod and head towards the back of the SUV. I say old friend loosely, because the boy and the man were always so serious about keeping us safe that I wasn’t sure that he ever enjoyed himself around us.

“Oh, that one’s ours. You can just leave it there, we’ll take it up later.” Evie tried to get Chris to put another suitcase back, but he just shook his head.

“It’s on the same floor. I can drop it off.”

We headed upstairs, and I pointed out to Violet and Chris where things were along the way. Most of the pack house was empty most of the day, except at mealtimes. Once people felt a little safer after the attack, they returned to their homes, and the ones living within the pack house were offered to stay or take a few of the empty houses. It was easier to ensure they were maintained during the winter if people were living in them.

“Only us, the Crescent Moon volunteers, my mother-in-law and Beta Hugh live in the pack house Vi, so you should be safe. People only come in and out for quick lunches and dinner.” I explained when we made it to the alpha floor landing. Westopped at Cory’s guest room briefly, and Chris dropped the suitcase inside before I led them to Violet’s room.

“This is your room. I already installed the internal lock and I put one in the Luna office too for you, just to be on the safe side. Though it didn’t do much good against the chocolate tornado that took place in here.”

I blushed as we walked into ground zero. Violet chuckled and picked up the bottle of chocolate sauce. A small dribble spilled as she righted it and popped it closed.

“It’s alright. It’s just a little mess. Right, Adam? Maybe he can help me clean before his shower so you can go have a chat with Cory.”

“Really?” I said, almost wanting to cry at her response.

“Of course. I love little kids and Adam didn’t mean anything by it, right? These bottles are just so hard to open. So, we’ll clean up together and that way we can get to know each other.”

“Is that okay, Adam? You’ll help Violet clean up?”

Adam nodded and squirmed out of my hold, so I turned back to Chris, who was standing there silently with the suitcase in his hands. “The closet is over there, big guy. Then if you don’t mind, I’ll give you all the cleaning supplies I have and you can bring them up to my sister?”

Chris nodded in response and deposited the suitcase in the closet before following close behind. I hated using him as a courier, considering how he trained all his life to be an elite warrior and guard, but Chris was the only man not related to us that Violet was comfortable around, and I didn’t want to ruin whatever small progress she was slowly making.

“Sorry,” I mumbled when I dug in the supply closet near my room. “I know you didn’t sign up for any of this.”

“It’s alright, Luna. Violet deserves to feel safe,” he answered, and I felt the sincerity of his words.

“Can I get you to call me Bells, again?” I asked, smiling because I already knew the answer, but it was worth a shot.

“I—” I was surprised he was considering it at all, until he blushed and shook his head. “No. You are a Luna and deserving of my respect.”

“I was also your friend, Chris. A title doesn’t change that, or suddenly mean you’re below my friendship because you’re not an Alpha. I’m still just Bells. The one who always tried to tease a laugh out of you.”

Something dark crossed his features at my words, but finally, a small smile made its way across his face, and I beamed up at him.

“I will keep that in mind, Luna.”

I pretended to groan. “So close. Just one word off from my request.”

A chuckle finally left the serious man, and I watched him walk away from me. I went into my room and changed, before heading down to find Cory pulling things from the pantry that I made sure to stock before they arrived. Evie was sitting on the chair next to the counter, trying to feed the twins some mushy bananas and strawberries in the high chairs I made sure to grab for them.

“Did you have any assigned rooms for the volunteers, Bells?” Evie asked when she noticed me watching.

“No. All of the rooms on the first and second floor are for them. They can pick and choose however they see fit.”

“Do you mind watching the twins? I’ll go make sure they settle in.”

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