“Did you tell them why they’re coming? That we’re back?” Leonardo asked, his tone cautious as he eyed Dante’s weary form.
“No,” Dante admitted, running a hand along his jawline, the tension evident in every gesture. “How do you even begin to explain that over the phone? It won’t soften the blow.”
His gaze shifted to Leonardo and then to me, his voice hardening. “For all the headaches they’ve caused me, this pack wouldn’t have made it without their help.”
A pang of guilt constricted my chest, heavy and suffocating. Three months. We’d been gone for three months, during which anything could’ve happened. If Isotta and Marinella had attacked earlier, there might not have been a pack left to come back to.
Before we could ask what had transpired during our absence, the creak of the front door opening cut through the room. My attention snapped to Sofia and Chiara as they stumbled in, their exhaustion evident in their sluggish movements. Sleep-clouded eyes and yawning mouths told a story of late nights and frayed nerves.
It had been only a few months, yet time had changed them. Sofia’s eyes widened as they landed on Leonardo and me, her jaw dropping in shock. She tugged on Chiara’s sleeve, pulling her attention toward us.
Chiara, ever brash, stormed forward with a sharp glare. She stopped a few feet away, her expression shifting as she took in the changes in me-the pointed ears, the faint glow beneath my skin. Her eyes narrowed as realization set in.
“He was telling the truth…” Sofia breathed, still staring in disbelief. “You’re really Fae.”
“I’m still a werewolf,” I replied defensively. “I can still shift. I just… have magic now.”
“And flawless skin, perfect curves-wait, did you just say *magic*?” Sofia squealed, her astonishment morphing into curiosity.
Chiara, however, wasn’t about to let me off so easily. She turned on me, frustration blazing in her eyes. “Three months, Isabella. Three months! We needed you. This isn’t even Carlo’s pack, but he stepped up for your people. You can still shift? Great. Then start acting like it. Take control of this pack-both of you.”
Her words were harsh, but they cut deep because they were true. Shame prickled under my skin, and I felt Leonardo tense beside me. This wasn’t his failure-it was mine. I was the one who had opened the portal, who had taken us away without knowing how much time would pass.
Taking a steadying breath, I met Chiara’s glare head-on. “I’m not going to apologize,” I said firmly. “What I *am* going to do is fix this. But to do that, we need to know what’s happened while we were gone. Trouble from the Fae realm is coming-if it isn’t already here. Leonardo and I… we’re not just any Fae. And whatever power we have, we’ll use it to end this.”
Chiara’s expression remained unreadable for a long moment before a faint smile tugged at her lips. It wasn’t forgiveness-not yet-but it was a start. And for someone as fiercely loyal as Chiara, that was more than enough.
“So, who’s this?” Sofia asked, her attention shifting to Noemi, her curiosity renewed.
The child straightened her shoulders, her ethereal presence undeniable even in the dim light. “I’m Noemi. Leonardo is my half-brother,” she said proudly, though her voice carried a subdued weight. “My older sister, Graziana, is upstairs resting.”
“I’m Sofia, and this is Chiara. We’re Isabella’s closest friends,” Sofia introduced, her usual warmth bringing a faint smile to Noemi’s face.
Desperate to change the subject, I asked, “Where are Enrico and Carlo? I thought they’d be here.”
“They’re coming,” Sofia replied with a grimace. “They’re at Francesca’s house.”
“Believe me, it’s a long story,” Chiara grumbled, sinking into the couch beside Sofia.
The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by Sofia’s eager questions about my magic. I explained as best I could, though my understanding of Fae powers was still a work in progress. Before I could share too much, the front door creaked open again, carrying with it the scent of not two, but three familiar figures.