Moonbound: The Rogue's Second Chance-Chapter 20 - TWENTY - BEATRICE

Serena itched beneath her gloves, glancing at Darius, who seemed engrossed in whatever was outside. She scratched again, then gave up, silently praying to Lunara for relief.

Darius had kept his distance in the carriage, his eyes fixed on the glass window.

Serena felt Feyra whine and press against her mind. Sometimes, she disliked how much her wolf influenced her.

Lunara had gifted everyone their wolf companion for life. They usually appeared properly around the age of ten, but for some, they never came at all, leaving them unable to shift.

Those unfortunate few were dubbed the ’moonlost.’

A sudden jolt rocked the carriage, pulling Serena from her thoughts and sending her sliding toward Darius. She braced for impact, but strong hands caught her before she could fall.

"Are you alright?" Darius’ voice was close, his grip steadying her.

Her gaze lingered a bit too long, and she felt Feyra stir beneath her skin. "Yes, yes...thank you."

Serena sternly warned her wolf to back down before she made an impulsive decision.

Darius held her gaze for a moment longer before his attention flickered to her hands. Without a word, he reached forward and tugged at her gloves, slipping them off before she could protest.

"You’ve been itching since you put them on. Besides, the first time you met Beatrice, you didn’t wear them," he said.

"That’s a good idea," Serena muttered, watching as Darius placed the gloves in a compartment.

The coach fell into an uncomfortable silence as they stared at each other. Serena cleared her throat, and Darius pulled his hands away.

They moved to opposite sides of the leather seat. The armrest suddenly seemed interesting to Serena, and she ran her fingers across it.

"Serena." The blonde stilled for a moment. She never quite got over hearing her name from his lips. "I need to warn you about Beatrice. She can be a bit much and very forward."

"I can tell," she muttered with a shudder. "Why do I have to attend tonight, though? I thought it was optional."

That earned a chuckle from Darius. "Well, it is, but she thinks you’re an Ambassador from a cardinal pack."

Serena raised a brow. "Yes, and so?"

"Beatrice is... the pack’s rumor mill, to put it lightly." Serena listened intently. "It got worse after her husband passed. So we’re attending to act as a control."

Serena tucked a blonde strand behind her ear and nodded.

"Rest assured, at least half the pack already knows we’re hosting an Ambassador, courtesy of Beatrice," he explained.

Serena gasped, and he nodded with a small smile. "Really?"

"Yes. We can’t do much about it, but this will help."

Serena clasped her hands together and sighed. "I see."

She watched as he turned back to the window. She wished he talked more, but at least she now knew what to expect from Beatrice.

She would have to be careful, every word she spoke would be relayed to pack members she might never even meet.

The weight of responsibility settled on her. The acting would soon begin.

—

Serena slipped her hand into Darius’ as he helped her out of the carriage. She found herself face-to-face with a lovely building, its walls covered in creeping vines.

The lights inside were on, silhouettes moving behind the windows. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

Sensing her apprehension, Darius gave her hand a small squeeze before nodding toward the house.

They walked in silence until they reached the door. Darius knocked twice and waited.

The doors swung open, revealing Beatrice, who smiled upon seeing them. "Oh, I’ve won my bet tonight. Welcome, welcome."

"Good evening," Serena greeted with a smile. She waved slightly at Beatrice, who bowed her head toward her and Darius in turn.

She stepped inside with Darius at her side, taking in the scene. Her breath hitched, there was a grand oak table laden with food, the room decorated elegantly.

Annamarie peeked from behind a corner and rushed up to Serena, grinning.

"Ambassador, huh?" she whispered.

"We will talk later," Serena whispered back, holding back a smile.

"Rebecca, I told you she would come," Beatrice said, striding past them.

Serena caught a glimpse of an expensive silver hairpin holding Beatrice’s black hair in an elegant updo.

A woman emerged from the hallway, and Serena’s eyes widened. She recognized those curls. Tt was the mother of the child who had run into her when she left Oakspire.

Their eyes met before the woman spoke first. "I’ve seen you before." Rebecca tilted her head slightly, but Beatrice quickly grabbed her arm.

"That’s the Ambassador from Crimsonclaw. Ambassador Serena," Beatrice scolded.

"Yes, but-"

Serena stepped forward, extending her hand. "Yes, your little boy is beautiful. We ran into each other at the market a few days ago."

Rebecca’s eyes lit up. She took Serena’s hand with hesitation. "Where are my manners? I apologize, Ambassador."

Beatrice smiled, leaving Rebecca’s side and taking Serena’s arm, leading her toward the table. She gestured toward a dish that looked oddly familiar.

"You see, I have relatives all over, and I wanted to make you feel at home," she began, pointing at the bowl. "I made this especially for you-"

"Blackfang roast," they finished at the same time.

Beatrice threw her head back in laughter before placing the steaming bowl in Serena’s hands.

The scent drifted to her nose, making her mouth water. She looked at the meat and vegetables bobbing in the rich broth.

Taking up a spoon, she scooped some into her mouth, closing her eyes briefly to savour the taste. Beatrice stood nearby, eagerly awaiting her reaction.

"This," Serena said, swallowing. "This is heavenly. Wow."

It had been her father’s favorite dish to make. It tasted a little different from how he used to prepare it, but Serena enjoyed it nonetheless.

She smiled at Beatrice and took another bite. "It does feel like home."

Beatrice opened her mouth to speak when the door suddenly burst open. A man carrying a large sack strode in, the sack obscuring his face.

He set it down with a thud, and Serena met his eyes. A gasp escaped her lips.

It was Jack, one of the scouts she had saved from Lupine Hollow.

"Oh, Jack!" Beatrice said cheerfully, rushing to his side. "The Ambassador I told you about is here."

Jack’s brow furrowed as he studied Serena. "Serena?" His expression turned quizzical. "She’s not an Ambassador."