Enrico and Vito lingered in the den with us, though neither of them had another drink. After an hour, my eyelids began to grow heavy. Enrico offered to take me back to the packhouse since it was nearing one in the morning. Figuring it was late enough to avoid prying eyes, I agreed and let him drive.
As I stepped out of the car, the world tilted beneath my feet. I pressed my hand against the cold surface of the car, trying to steady myself before I ended up flat on my back. My legs felt disconnected, like they belonged to someone else, moving without my control.
Enrico hurried around the car and caught my elbow to help steady me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, my words slurring in a half-tired, half-drunken haze.
He laughed, a deep and rich sound. “No more drinking with my sister. You can’t handle it.”
“I “can” handle it,” I snorted, leaning heavily on him as we stumbled toward the front door.
With his arm wrapped around my waist, Enrico helped me inside. Somehow, we made it up the stairs without any major disasters, though it was a close call. As we neared my bedroom, the floor creaked underfoot, and I almost jumped out of my skin when Carlo appeared around the corner. His onyx hair was tousled, either from sleep or stress, and his curious eyes landed on us.
“I thought you’d be back hours ago,” he said, shaking his head as he approached. His gaze swept over me, taking in my flushed face and glazed eyes before settling on Enrico. “Is she drunk? Did Sofia and Chiara talk her into this?”
“Sofia and Chiara had nothing to do with it.” I shook my head, wincing as the world spun. “Sofia poured, I drank.”
“I can see that,” Carlo muttered, his eyes widening slightly.
“She’s never had alcohol before,” Enrico explained, adjusting his grip on me.
I huffed in annoyance. “Why does everyone keep saying that? I’ve had wine before. Wine is alcohol.”
“Yeah, but not like this.” Enrico chuckled.
Carlo sighed. “Here, I’ll take her.”
Before I could react, Carlo stepped forward as Enrico eased away, leaving me to wobble in Carlo’s grip. He steadied me easily, his hands firm but gentle as he guided me into the bedroom. I hardly noticed the brief tension between them as Enrico stepped aside. Carlo’s jaw tightened, but I was too far gone to care. I crawled onto the bed, clutching the soft comforter as I buried my face in it.
Enrico slipped off my shoes, setting them against the wall before pulling the covers over me. I clutched the blanket tightly, sinking into the bed as my eyes fluttered shut. I was asleep before either of them left the room.
***
“Ella?” Carlo’s voice echoed through my dream, pulling me from sleep. “Ella, wake up!”
My eyes snapped open, assaulted by the harsh sunlight streaming through the curtains. Groaning, I rolled over, pressing my face into the pillow and wishing for the darkness to claim me once more.
“Ella, get up.” His voice was closer now, standing right by my bed.
“No,” I mumbled into the pillow.
“Are you seriously going to argue with me right now?” Carlo sighed, sounding exasperated.
“Yes,” I muttered, pulling the blanket tighter around me.
The dull ache in my head began to grow, escalating into a throbbing pain that battered my thoughts. Werewolves didn’t get intoxicated as easily, but we weren’t immune to hangovers either. This was my first, and the pounding in my skull was enough to make me reconsider ever drinking again.
“Ella, I’ll drag you out of this bed if I have to,” Carlo warned.
“Let me sleep,” I groaned, weakly swatting a hand in his direction.
“This is what happens when you let Sofia and Chiara ply you with alcohol,” he grumbled, and I heard the sound of a pill bottle shaking. “I’ve got Advil and water. You need both.”
I made some unintelligible noise and pulled the blanket even tighter around myself. Without warning, Carlo yanked the blanket off, tossing it across the room. I glared at him from my pillow, but he just smirked and crossed his arms.
If he thought I needed a blanket to sleep, he clearly didn’t know me well enough. I shut my eyes, determined to drift back into sleep despite the assault on my senses. But just as I was slipping away, I felt Carlo’s hands under my arms, lifting me from the bed with frustrating ease.
“Why?” I groaned, squinting against the sunlight that felt like knives in my skull.
“Don’t even think about it,” Carlo warned as he set me on my feet. I glared at him but he just smirked, unaffected. “You know I’ll do it again if I have to.”
He handed me a bottle of water and some Advil, his smile soft but unreadable. I swallowed the pills, downing half the bottle of water before realizing how dry my throat had been.
“Why did you wake me up?” I asked, rubbing at my aching temples.
“I need you to do something for me,” Carlo said, his tone shifting to something more serious. “There’s a pack in Marche that needs assistance. My territory stretches across the northern part of Italy, and there’s been some… activity.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I frowned. “I haven’t finished my training yet. I’m not a warrior.”
“You don’t need to be,” Carlo replied. “You’d be acting as a representative of this pack. Sofia and Enrico will go with you, but you’d be in charge. All you need to do is escort some warriors to their territory, stay a day or two to assess their defensive plans, and return.”
“Why me?” I asked, still processing. “Isn’t that something for your Beta to handle?”
“Beta Tommaso is busy with other issues,” Carlo explained. “There’s no one else I trust with this.”
The unspoken words hung between us. He trusted me because I had once been meant to rule alongside him. The weight of his trust settled on my shoulders, bringing with it a pang of loss.
“Alright,” I sighed. “When do I leave?”
“In an hour.” Carlo grinned, as if that wasn’t a completely unreasonable request.
“An hour?” I snapped, glaring at him. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”
“I’ve been trying for three hours!” he laughed. “Get ready. My mom packed some clothes for you, and you definitely need a shower. You smell like a bonfire.”
“Get out,” I groaned, pushing him toward the door as I headed for the bathroom.