Chapter 39

Ashley’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "Really?" She had completely forgotten about her parents, who had abandoned her for some ’private’ discussion. "Do they like cookies? Maybe I can bake some for them!"

"They would definitely love to try your cookies," I said with a warm smile.

To spend the evening together, I decided to watch a children’s movie. The house was unusually quiet since half of its residents were out.

Eleanor and Mona had gone to see an opera together, while Zephyr was still stuck in his office—who knew for how long?

But the silence was suddenly broken by the sound of a motorcycle approaching from a distance. The low rumble grew louder as it neared the front door.

A motorcycle? I didn’t recall ever seeing one at the manor.

Zephyr and Darren always traveled by car.

Just as I was deep in thought, Ashley suddenly jumped off the sofa and ran toward the door. "Aunt Monica is here!"

Monica?

I had heard that name somewhere before.

Oh, wasn’t she Veronica’s younger sister?

I hadn’t met her since moving here because Monica didn’t live at Silverclaw Manor. From what I had heard, she was always traveling and only returned to the manor a few times a year.

But out of 365 days, why did it have to be today?

It wasn’t like I had any objections to her coming back to her own home, but why did she have to show up when Zephyr wasn’t around, Eleanor and Mona were out watching opera, and Darren was... well, who knew what kind of filthy things he was doing in his bedroom with his beloved wife right now?

The only person who truly knew Monica was Haven—but how could I rely on a little girl?

Ashley bounced excitedly in front of the door, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the aunt she rarely got to see.

I eventually made my way to the entrance as well, realizing it would be rude not to welcome a guest.

Maybe Monica was different from Veronica, right?

Maybe she was better.

But the moment I laid eyes on her, I nearly had a heart attack.

Monica was indeed different from Veronica—just not in the way I had expected.

While Veronica always dressed in elegant, high-end outfits like a sophisticated socialite, Monica exuded a completely different energy. She wore a black leather jacket over matching leather pants, her style leaning heavily toward gothic.

A tattoo of what looked like a wolf adorned her neck, adding to her rebellious aura.

If I were being honest, Monica looked undeniably cool. Her fashion choices might not be considered "normal" by most people, but they were certainly a breath of fresh air.

"Auntie Monica!" Ashley waved excitedly.

Monica removed her helmet, turning her head toward Ashley. Her expression was cold and aloof, making me instinctively want to retreat behind the door. Monica looked intimidating—far more dangerous than her sister.

On top of that, I wasn’t sure if Monica would accept my presence or if she had come to Silverclaw Manor to defend her sister instead.

However, after a moment of tense silence, Monica’s expression suddenly softened. A bright smile spread across her face as she waved back at Ashley and ran toward her.

"Oh, my lovely niece, I missed you so much!"

She scooped Ashley up in a tight hug, planting several kisses on her round cheeks.

"How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

Ashley lifted her small fingers, showing the number five. "Five months! We’ve been apart for five months! Auntie, didn’t you promise to visit in three?"

She pouted, clearly upset that Monica hadn’t kept her word.

"I’m sorry, baby," Monica said with a chuckle. "But I’ve been really busy these days." Then, she added teasingly, "What if I make it up to you with a big bucket of ice cream?"

"I want three buckets of ice cream!"

"Oh, I’m not sure if your mommy will let me give you that much ice cream," Monica said with a smirk. "Where is she?"

"She—"

"Darren and Layla are busy right now, so I’ve been looking after her for a while," I quickly interjected, cutting off Ashley's words.

Monica’s gaze immediately shifted toward me. She narrowed her eyes, studying me from head to toe.

I stayed silent, feeling a bit uneasy. I was worried Monica might suddenly lash out at me. However, after a long pause, she finally spoke, "Are you Zephyr’s mate?"

Oh.

This was the first time someone had acknowledged me as Zephyr’s mate rather than Rowan’s wife.

Maybe she said that because she had never seen me before. She hadn’t attended the wedding between me and Rowan, but surely she knew Rowan had married Samantha Cole, right?

Or maybe she just never watched television.

"How do you know?" I asked.

Monica scoffed. "How do I know? Zephyr’s pheromones are stronger than other alphas’, so of course, I can spot them immediately." She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I hate his pheromones."

I bit the inside of my lip. I wasn’t sure what kind of relationship Zephyr and Monica had, but from the way she spoke, it sounded like she despised him. And if she hated Zephyr... wouldn’t that mean she would hate me too?

"But I don’t hate you!" Monica suddenly threw an arm around my shoulders, startling me. "You seem like such a sweet girl. What’s your name?"

She really never watched television.

"Samantha. My name is Samantha Cole." I smiled politely. "It’s a pleasure to finally meet you."

Ashley tugged at Monica’s jacket. "Auntie, do you live in a cave? How have you never seen her face? She’s Samantha Cole! We watched her movie together!"

"No shit!" Monica’s grin widened. "You’re that orphan teacher?!"

I laughed awkwardly. "I am."

"How the hell did Zephyr end up mating with a celebrity?!" Monica playfully ruffled my hair. "You’re so beautiful! And he’s ... okay, I guess?"

He was just okay? A moment ago, I had seen countless people practically dying over his charm and handsome face, yet his own sister was underestimating him.

If Zephyr wanted to, he could easily date plenty of women in the showbiz industry without any difficulty.

Ashley suddenly chimed in, "And she just got divorced from Rowan."

My jaw nearly hit the floor—since when was Ashley such a little gossip master?

"Rowan?!" Monica recoiled in exaggerated disgust. "Ew! You actually dated that walking disaster? Oh, sweetheart, you seriously need to get your eyes checked."