Page 25 of Loved By the Wolf

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The office had put me up in temporary housing, but Millie had done one better. She and her sister owned a house that overlooked Golden Gate Park, and since Millie was in Crystal Lake scouting out places to open an art gallery and her sister was traveling for the foreseeable future, they offered me their place to house sit while I searched for a new apartment to rent.

As I looked around the place, I was happy to see this was definitely a change in scenery. Jill had squealed as soon as we pulled up to the house. And I had to agree with her reaction; it was quaint and cozy. Nestled between multiple other houses, it looked like all the pictures I’d seen of San Francisco neighborhoods.

Painted a soft shade of pink with black shutters, it had a one-foot by three-foot garden next to the entry steps. The front door opened onto a small foyer. There were stairs to the left, a hallway directly in front, and rooms to the right. A set of hooks hung on the left wall by the staircase, and the whole place was wallpapered in a soft white background featuring light pink flowers.

I followed the bright red carpet past the sitting room, then what looked like an office space before entering a back room that opened out into the backyard. Across from the backdoor was an elevator with painted gold doors. Jill was standing inside it with her finger on a button.

“Going up?” she asked.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

We rode the short ride to the second floor, which opened into a modern-day kitchen. A large dining table that could sit sixteen people was situated close to a balcony that had a view of the bay, and if I looked to the left, I could see the Golden Gate Bridge.

“This is something else,” Jill said.

“You’re telling me. I feel like we’ve walked into a fairytale where life just started looking better.”

“As it should.” Jill put an arm around me, and I leaned into her with my head on her shoulder. “You were there for me when I needed you, and I’m here for you now.”

I put my arm around her and sobbed. Jill held me, simply letting me get all my tears out before she silently walked me back downstairs so we could start bringing all my belongings into the house.

Pac

I’ve gother right where I want her. Away from Brandon. And yet, I’m still close enough to my old family that I can keep an eye on everyone.

Just the other day, I heard Luc talking to Brandon about how Brandon needed to get Becca back. Miti had given them one of her tracking necklaces, and apparently, they still worked. This put a damper on my plans, but it was just a small bump, nothing I couldn’t bulldoze down.

I smiled. I just had to move my timeline up. Becca wouldn’t have the luxury of settling into her new home, because Thomas was going to visit her this weekend, and he was going to surprise her. I’d given him a stronger dose of potion than normal today, but he didn’t know that. No need to tell him everything. But one thing was certain—he’d make Becca swoon with the smell of her lover and then he would bring her to me.

I laughed and threw back another glass of bourbon. First Becca, then Brandon, then the whole McCullough Pack. I would get my revenge.

Becca

“Millie, the house is beautiful!”

“I thought you’d like it,” she said smugly, and I could hear her smiling through the phone. “It belonged to my grandmother, and now it’s my parents’. But they are in Europe somewhere, so Lira and I live in it for now. I hope it wasn’t too dusty, though. We haven’t been there in a while, and the cleaner only occasionally turns up.”

“It’s super clean,” I assured her, “and the furniture is exquisite. I’m afraid to sit on the chairs or use the tables.”

“Please use everything. The house is like a museum with all the artifacts my grandmother collected, but the one motto in our family was to always use things as they were intended. I know you’ll take care of everything, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Millie.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Feeling more assured, I asked the next question weighing on my mind as it would dictate the time I had to look for a new apartment. “When do you think you or Lira will be moving back?”

“I don’t know. I like living here where it’s small and quiet. It appeals to me. If I could, I would move to someplace even smaller. Lira . . . well, let’s just say you could never hold her back. She’s got the travel bug from my parents and has never looked back. I never really know where any of them are. But don’t worry, I talked to her, and she said you can stay there as long as you want. Even if she has to come back for a day or two, there’s plenty of room for everyone.”

“Thank you again. This is so generous of you and your family.”

“No need to thank us. Really. Just enjoy it.”

“I will.”

“And make sure you walk to Union Square and treat yourself to something nice. Along the way, there’s a great place to get boba tea. I’ll text you the address. And on a nice day I like to walk to the park and just sit on a blanket soaking up the sun. The breeze from the bay can be chilly, and the wind can pick up quite a bit, but it’s so nice to just be away from people for a short break.”

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