Page 65 of Violet Moon
“I won’t name names, but they’ve been trying in their own way.”Hugh lifted his espresso to his lips.“Don’t you think it’s odd that you two always had the living room to yourselves when you needed it?”
“I thought that was because the pack puts distance between them and their Alpha.”
“I’m sure that’s partly true, but the other part is everyone who knows you both can see how much you mean to each other.”
Sera was equally touched and horrified that the others had known before she did and had been trying to push them together.“So that’s me.What’s new with you?”she asked, hoping to change the subject.
Hugh raised an eyebrow.“Not much.Just dealing with the rather eccentric new Creative Director over at the theater and, you know —” He shot her a look.“Basking in the glory of me being right about everything.”
“I feel like it’s been ages since we got to do this,” Sera said, body buzzing as Parisa took her normal seat across from her in the living room.She’d gotten everything ready before Parisa arrived — added logs to the fire, steeped a fresh pot of tea, and placed a few tartlets from the bakery on a plate, one of which was missing because she had needed a treat while she waited.
Parisa sat at the edge of the sofa and reached for her tea.“Life’s been a little irregular lately.”
Sera’s stomach churned.She was part of that problem.In all her happiness, she’d thrown a sunshine-colored cover over the less than wonderful recent happenings.
“But good,” Parisa continued.“Sometimes change is good.It forces us to see things differently.”
“I need some more normalcy.I like my routines — our routines — new routines.”She kept correcting herself as she tried to land on what she wanted to say.“I want things to feel like before, but better.”
“Before but better,” Parisa echoed.“I like that.”She took a sip of her tea, then pinched off a bite of an apple tart.“I haven’t said a word to anyone yet.Have you?”
“Hugh,” Sera replied.
Parisa waved a hand.“That goes without saying.Although, that probably means the coven will know now, too.”
“Just Clemente!”Sera defended.“Hugh’s good with keeping secrets, but he does like to share the best with him.”
“And this is juicy gossip, I’d imagine.”Parisa paused.“I’d rather control the narrative, if possible.I worry about what Clyde will think.Our bonds with that pack are strong, but his ties to tradition are stronger.”
“He accepted you as a fellow Alpha, didn’t he?”
“After a lot of aggressive convincing.It wasn’t easy.”
“Then this might not be easy, too, but not impossible.”
“Just like the duel.”
“Right.”Sera nodded.“Like the duel.”
Parisa placed her palm on Sera’s knee and waited for their eyes to meet before she spoke again.“I’m in a very different place than I was a few weeks ago.It won’t be the same this time.”She squeezed her leg before sitting back in her chair.
“Do you still want me there?”
“There’s no one I’d rather have by my side than my Beta,eshgham.”There was a tender lilt in her voice for the last three words.
Sera felt heat in her cheeks.“You can’t just say things like that now.”
Parisa smirked.“I thought you said it should be like before but better.I’ve always called you my little pet names,” she repeated with the same tone.
“But not like that!You’re saying a new one.What does that mean?”
Parisa’s smirked slipped into a soft smile.“It means you have my heart and that I treasure you.”
“One word means all that?”
“When I say it to you, one word can mean everything.”Parisa smiled.
Sera’s cheeks were on fire.“I shouldn’t have asked.”
