Page 181 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“I’ll let you get back to your meeting, then,” Chris chuckled. “Love you both.”

“Love you, too!” They both answered back.

“We do, too!” I heard Mom in the background, making me chuckle.

Chris hung up and looked over at me, amusement all over his face.

“Sorry. I should have remembered to tell Mom to keep it to herself until we told everyone,” I admitted.

He shook his head with a low chuckle I felt all the way down to my core, and stood.

“Let’s go get lunch, Little Warrior. That left me hungrier than a full day workout.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Violet

We walked down to the kitchen. It was so quiet after everyone left this morning. Only a few people were still here, packing to head to their new homes, and none of them lived in the pack house.

Bells was upstairs getting Adam ready for the zoo. She wanted to distract him after he spent the morning crying because Cade left. I had a feeling Bells needed the distraction, too. Whatever Cade said to her today when he left had her on the verge of tears.

We decided to make sandwiches to take into the living room, since we pretty much had the pack house to ourselves. Lindsay was able to switch her last classes to online courses so she left with Charles, despite both offering to stay with Bells until it was time for her to go home.

Only Beta Hugh, Bells, Adam, Chris and I were left in the pack house, as far as I knew. Chris and I agreed to help Bells pack all her stuff, and make sure there was nothing left to do before she handed over the keys. Mom and Dad felt better knowing wewere driving back to Crescent Moon with her and Adam. The buyer she found was planning on demolishing all the buildings, and setting up some sort of bed and breakfast experience thing. I didn’t pay too much attention.

“Oh,” Martha’s voice came from behind us, and I tensed.

I loathed that woman. Regardless of what I told Bells about Chris’ actions being his own, that woman had no business giving her opinion on my relationship. I thought she’d left days before Cade, though.

“Hello,” I answered, not bothering to hide the icy tone from my voice.

“I can come back later,” she said.

“You do that,” I answered.

“Well, it seems your manners are already devolving,” she huffed, eyeing Chris, who was doing his best to ignore her while he cut up some cantaloupe to go with our lunch.

“Martha, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were leaving yesterday?” Bells said with distaste, entering the kitchen with Adam in her arms. He was still wearing Cade’s hat; holding onto it with one of his tiny hands to ensure it didn’t fall off his head.

“I figured since your family has a private jet, I could just leave with you.” Martha shrugged.

“You’re not going with us to Crescent Moon,” Bells and I said at the same time, not bothering to mention we weren’t even using the pack plane.

“Well, of course I am. We’re family,” she argued, waiving a hand dismissively.

“No. You’re not,” I answered firmly.

“I’m her mother-in-law,” she insisted.

“You’re her ex-mother-in-law. Your son is dead, thankfully. You’re not invited to Crescent Moon,” I informed her.

“Rose said anyone from the pack was welcome.”

“One, her name is Bells or rather, Luna Bellarose to you,” I said, showing her my index finger up and pointing to it, wishing it was the middle finger instead. “And two, I don’t care if Bells invited you. I’m disinviting you.”

“You can’t do that. Only the Alpha—”

“Oh, you mean my older brother who loves me and calls me ‘Bug’?” I asked with a mocking, innocent smile before I let it drop. “All I have to do is tell him your views on pack members dating a member of the alpha family and that you made me cry, and not only will you not be welcomed at Crescent Moon, but every pack that’s allied to ours will close their doors on your face. Do yourself a favor, Martha, go back to your sister’s pack and leave Bells the heck alone. You’ve done enough damage to her.”

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