Chapter 6: She is back

Elena Cruz

I woke to the sound of expensive heels clicking through marble floors downstairs. Sharp, insistent, impossible to ignore. I checked my phone. Barely seven in the morning.

I got up and walked to the window. A sleek black car sat in the driveway, glossy and pristine like it had just come from a showroom. It wasn’t there last night.

Mrs. Parker had mentioned Mrs. Hale would be arriving soon, but I didn’t expect it to be today. Something in my chest tightened. I grabbed clothes from my closet and dressed quickly, my hands moving faster than my thoughts. A voice in the back of my head told me I needed to make a good first impression even though my gut said it wouldn’t matter.

I took the stairs slowly, listening to sounds below. Mrs. Parker’s voice, soft and deferential. The clink of silverware. And then another voice, smooth and controlled, never needing to raise itself to be heard.

When I stepped into the dining room, she was already seated at the head of the table like she owned it. Which, technically, she did.

Mrs. Hale was beautiful in a cold, polished way that came from money and careful maintenance. Her dark hair was styled without a strand out of place, her makeup subtle but flawless, her clothes expensive without being flashy. She looked like she belonged in a magazine spread about successful women who had everything under control.

Her eyes found me the moment I entered. They swept over me from head to toe, an assessment so thorough I felt like I was being priced and found wanting. Her smile followed, pleasant and empty.

Dr. Alex sat across from her, already dressed for work, his coffee cup halfway to his lips when he noticed me. His expression gave nothing away, but I caught the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw was set just a little too tight.

“You must be Miguel’s daughter,” Mrs. Hale said before I could speak. Her voice was warm enough to pass for friendly but her eyes stayed cold. “Alexander mentioned you’d be staying with us. Temporarily.”

The emphasis on the last word was subtle but clear. A reminder that I was a guest. A temporary inconvenience.

“I’m Elena,” I said, forcing a polite smile. “Thank you for letting me stay here. I know it’s an imposition.”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Hale said, though her tone suggested otherwise. “Any friend of Miguel’s is welcome in our home. For as long as necessary.” She gestured to the empty chair. “Please, sit. Have some breakfast.”

I sat down across from Dr. Alex, avoiding his eyes. Mrs. Parker appeared with a plate of food I hadn’t asked for and set it in front of me with an encouraging smile before disappearing back into the kitchen.

“So, Elena,” Mrs. Hale said, taking a delicate sip of her tea. “Alexander tells me you’re attending the university here. What are you studying?”

“History and Anthropology,” I replied.

“How lovely.” Her smile didn’t shift. “And what do you plan to do with that? Teach?”

The question felt like a test. Like she was measuring whether I had ambition or just vague dreams.

“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted. “I’m keeping my options open.”

“Of course.” Mrs. Hale’s gaze flicked to Dr. Alex briefly before returning to me. “And your family? Alexander mentioned there were some complications that required you to relocate. Nothing serious, I hope?”

My fingers tightened around my fork. “Just some pack politics. My father thought it would be safer for me to stay here for a while.”

“Pack politics,” Mrs. Hale repeated, like the words were foreign. “How… rustic. We don’t deal with much of that here. Alexander left all that behind years ago, didn’t you, darling?”

Dr. Alex set his coffee cup down with a soft clink. “I left Crescent Pack. I didn’t stop being a wolf.”

Mrs. Hale’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. “Of course not. But you’ve built such a wonderful life here. Away from all that territorial nonsense.” She turned back to me. “How long do you think you’ll need to stay, Elena? I imagine you’re eager to return to your own home once things settle down.”

The question landed like a stone in my stomach. Not if I’d want to leave, but when. Like my presence was already overstaying its welcome.

“I’m not sure,” I said carefully. “My father didn’t give me a timeline.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as necessary,” Mrs. Hale said, her tone making it clear that “necessary” had limits. “Though I’m sure a girl your age would prefer to be independent. Living with your father’s friends can’t be ideal.”

Dr. Alex’s jaw tightened. “Elena is safe here. That’s what matters.”

Mrs. Hale’s eyes flashed with something I couldn’t read before her pleasant mask slipped back into place. “Of course, darling. I’m simply thinking of Elena’s comfort. A young woman needs her privacy, her freedom. I’m sure she doesn’t want to feel like she’s living under someone’s watchful eye.”

Something unspoken passed between them, a conversation happening beneath the surface that I wasn’t privy to.

I picked at my food, suddenly not hungry. Every question Mrs. Hale asked felt like it had teeth. Every smile felt like a warning. And Dr. Alex sat there, deflecting smoothly but never quite defending me outright, and that stung more than it should have.

“Will you be staying long?” I asked Mrs. Hale, trying to shift the conversation away from myself.

“A few days at least,” she said. “I have some work to catch up on from home. It’s been far too long since I’ve been here.” She reached over and placed her hand over Dr. Alex’s. “I’ve missed this place. Missed my husband.”

Dr. Alex’s expression didn’t change but I saw something flicker in his eyes. Discomfort, maybe. Or resignation.

I looked down at my plate, my appetite completely gone.

The rest of breakfast passed in painful small talk. Mrs. Hale asked about my classes, my friends, whether I’d adjusted to the city. Each question felt like she was cataloging information, filing it away for later use. Dr. Alex stayed mostly silent, his attention on his phone more than the conversation.

When Mrs. Hale finally excused herself to unpack, the tension in the room didn’t ease. It just shifted.

Dr. Alex stood, grabbing his keys from the counter. “I have surgeries scheduled all morning. I won’t be back until late.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

He paused at the doorway, his back to me. For a moment I thought he was going to say something. But then he walked out without another word, leaving me alone in a house that suddenly felt a lot colder.

I sat there staring at my untouched breakfast, Mrs. Hale’s words echoing in my head.

Temporarily. As long as necessary. A girl your age would prefer to be independent.

Every word designed to remind me I didn’t belong here.

I pushed away from the table and headed back upstairs, my chest tight with something I couldn’t name. When I reached the landing, I heard Mrs. Hale’s voice drifting from the master bedroom. She was on the phone, her tone completely different from the pleasant mask she’d worn at breakfast.

“She’s exactly what I thought she’d be,” Mrs. Hale said, her voice sharp. “Young. Naive. And he looks at her like…”

She stopped mid-sentence, and I guessed she must have heard my footsteps.

I kept walking, my heart pounding, until I reached my room and closed the door behind me. I leaned against it, trying to steady my breathing.

Mrs. Hale knew. Somehow, she knew there was something between Dr. Alex and me. Even if I didn’t fully understand it myself. Even if nothing had happened.

She knew. And judging by the ice in her voice when she wasn’t pretending, she wasn’t going to let it​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​