What do I say to that? I’d already put my foot in my mouth, so I might as well follow through. Plus, he’d been good with the kids all night, and they all seemed to really like him.
“Yeah, you are,” I said, not elaborating or anything.
He just smiled and went back to eating. I helped Karla cut her chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Luke was already used to eating on his own, and Liam-well, Liam wanted to be like his big brother, so he wouldn’t ask for help. Instead, he’d just make a big mess. But at the end of the day, he ate all his food, and that’s what mattered.
I looked over to the other end of the table, and Zoey and Zeo kept stealing glances at each other. I just smiled and went back to my food. The food really did taste amazing.
We had a fairly quiet dinner. Everyone focused on eating their food. The adults finished before the kids, so we waited for them to finish. But this time, the napkin on Liam’s chest was already stained. Thank goodness Zoey remembered to put it on.
“What’s happening over there?” Leo asked, concerned about Liam.
“He wants to be a big boy like Luke. Luke has no problem eating by himself without making a mess, so Liam doesn’t want us to cut up his food for him. He wants to eat like his brother. He makes a mess, but he finishes his food, so that’s fine with me,” I explained to him, and he just smiled and nodded his head.
When everyone was done, Zoey and Zeo cleared the plates while I cut up the chocolate cake, and Zoey brought out the ice cream.
“Whoa, chocolate cake and ice cream? I love you, Mama!” Karla spoke up for the first time since dinner started.
“I love you too, sweet girl,” I smiled down at her, but her eyes were fixed on the chocolate cake and ice cream. She looked like a junkie jonesing for her next hit. My baby loves sugar, which is why we only have these kinds of desserts once in a blue moon. I don’t want it to become a problem.
I cut up the cake and put a scoop of ice cream on top, then passed it around until everyone had a plate.
“Mama, can we please eat in front of the TV? Our show is on,” Luke asked me.
“Yeah, we promise to stay on the floor while we eat,” Liam added, joining his brother.
It’s really hard to say no to them when they team up like this. But it will actually give us the opportunity to talk.
“Fine, you guys can go, but please keep an eye on your sister,” I told them.
“Sure, Mum,” Luke replied, and the three of them took their plates and left.
“Emmett, can you please go with them? There’s a blanket on the couch; please lay it down on the floor for them,” I asked him.
“Yeah, sure,” he said, then took another big scoop of ice cream before he left. I swear, sometimes it feels like I have four kids.
“Your kids are fucking hilarious, Lena,” Zeo told me.
“Yeah, I know,” I said, smiling.
“So, I guess we can talk now,” I said.
“Yeah, what is this I hear about you taking Lena to New Orleans, Leo?” Zoey asked.
Yep, that’s Zoey-no holding back, heading straight for the jugular.
Alpha Leo’s POV
“Yeah, what is this I hear about you taking Lena to New Orleans, Leo?” Zoey asked.
Of course, she comes for me first. I felt her eyes on me throughout dinner; she’d just been waiting for this opportunity.
“Yes, Lena and I are going to New Orleans to convince a witch that I know to help us with the cure,” I replied calmly.
“I know, Lena told me that part. What I don’t understand is why can’t you go alone? I mean, you’re the one who knows the witch. Why does Lena have to go with you?” she asked.
“Zoey!” Lena called her out.
“What? I told you I would cook for them, but I never promised to be on my best behavior,” Zoey said to Lena, then turned back to glare at me.
“It’s fine, Lena,” I said to her, then turned back to Zoey.
“I need Lena to go with me because I might be the one with the contact, but she’s the doctor. She’s the one who understands this disease and can explain it to the witch,” I explained calmly, because I understood where she was coming from, but her questions were starting to annoy me.
“Okay, that’s understandable. But why should I let her leave this house with you? I don’t trust you, Leo. I don’t know what spell you’ve put on Lena to make her more open to you, but it’s not going to work on me. So tell me, why should I let her leave this house with you?” she asked.
“So we can find a cure and save my pack,” I told her.
“Yeah, sorry to say, but that really doesn’t concern me. The only people I care about are Lena and those kids. It’s going to be just the two of you out there. What’s stopping you from doing something stupid?” she asked.
“I know we’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past that have given you the wrong impression of me. But I won’t stay here and try to convince you that I’m a changed man. So know this instead: Lena is the only one who’s come close to finding a cure for this pack, for my people, and I won’t do anything to jeopardize that,” I told her. She just stared at me and then let out a sigh.
“That’s fine with me, but I’m warning you, Leo, I don’t care that you’re the big bad Alpha. If you do not return her to me in one piece, you’re not going to like what happens,” she threatened.
“If I don’t return her to you in one piece, you’re free to do as you please,” I told her. She had a shocked expression on her face. She wasn’t expecting me to say something like that; I’m sure she was expecting me to talk back or something.
“Okay, now that we have the threats and warnings out of the way, can we talk about logistics?” I asked her.
“Yes, sure,” Zoey replied.
I looked over at Lena, and she had a confused look on her face. Was it because of my talk with Zoey?
“You good?” I asked her.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she told me.
“Okay, so have you brought Emmett up to speed?” I asked.
“Yes, he knows what to do while I’m gone,” she answered.
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