4 Mom

Faye's POV

Leander pointed at the building. "That's our home."

What? No way! That's where princesses live! I couldn't help but exclaim.

Leander chuckled and turned to me. "Well, from today on, you're a princess."

It was then that I realized I had let my inner thoughts slip out.

Liam joined in the laughter.

In an instant, my cheeks turned hot and flushed. It wasn't just my imagination. I always felt like Liam didn't quite like me. His laughter had a way of choking me.

Soon, our car arrived at the castle-like building. From a distance, I saw two people standing at the castle gate.

Before the car had come to a complete stop, someone rushed toward us, shouting my name. Oh my goodness, it was my mother, Elena!

"Hey, mom, this is too dangerous!" Leander shouted as he brought the car to a stop.

We got out of the car, and everything around me left me feeling overwhelmed. Elena stood in front of me, tears glistening in her eyes as she took my hand.

"My daughter..." she trembled.

My mind went blank, and my lips quivered. I couldn't find any words to say.

Elena's eyes held a whirlwind of emotions – excitement, worry, encouragement...

I heard Leander softly say, "Faye might be too nervous, after all..."

A voice in my head screamed at me, "Say it! Say it!"

Stamping my foot, I took a deep breath. "Mom!"

FINALLY!

I had managed to say it, using every ounce of strength, as if it were the first word I had ever uttered since birth.

Elena was equally excited. She embraced me tightly. Soon, I felt a wet spot on my shoulder. Elena was crying.

"Ladies, I know you're all excited right now. Today is a big day of celebration for our family, but should we consider going inside? We've been blocking the gate for too long, and our gardener might have some opinions about that," Louis suggested.

Elena lifted her head from my shoulder, her gaze shifting to the gardener in the distance who was holding a hose and chuckled. "You're right. We can't stand here like fools forever."

The man who spoke was a middle-aged man, his hand resting on Elena's shoulder. Clearly, he was Louis, the Alpha of the Silver Moon pack.

I wasn't sure how to address him.

Luckily, Louis was a friendly man. He spoke to me, saying, "Just call me Louis, Faye."

Then, he took Elena's hand. "Ladies, let's go home! Liam, Leander, follow us!"

"Okay, I'm the driver and the luggage carrier," Leander joked behind me.

As we stepped inside, I realized this building was indeed a castle. There was a lovely girl waiting for me inside. She is my little sister, Layla.

As soon as we met, Layla gave me a big hug. She smelled like laundry detergent and a faint hint of sweat from her after-school activities. It wasn't unpleasant and it carried the fragrance of a teenage girl.

"I have just finished school. I'm sorry, sister, I couldn't join my brothers in welcoming you home."

"It's okay!" I blurted out, "I can pick you up from school in the future!"

"Oh," my mother sighed with relief. She leaned into Louis's embrace, looking happily at me and Layla.

The warm welcome from my family helped alleviate many of my fears about the future.

Leander returned with my suitcase and then carried it upstairs. The second floor was the living area, and my room was next to the twin brothers', across from a study. At the other end of the hallway were Layla's room and Elena and Louis's bedroom.

My mother showed me my new room, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was the largest and most luxurious room I had ever stayed in. The view from the window was stunning. I could see the beach and palm trees. The sound of the waves on the shore, the soft evening light that bathed the room like an orange glow. It all felt perfect. I could already envision myself reading on the couch by the window. Oh, and the bed! It was big enough for three people to sleep comfortably. The Moon Goddess knew how cramped my dormitory bed at the orphanage had been!

My sister left the space for me and my mother, and we sat on the edge of the bed.

"Finally, I get to see you again, my dear daughter," my mother said, her voice trembling, "what I once hoped for has now become a reality."

My voice quivered too, "Mom, I am..."

My mother held my hand, "Tell me about your life all these years," she said gently.

I wasn't a great storyteller. I didn't know where to start, especially when the listener was my mother. I began by talking about life at the orphanage, painting a picture of tranquility and beauty. I had many friends, although most of them had left me behind. Still, a few had stuck by my side, like Sibyl.

"Please, share some details. Faye, I want to know more about you!" my mother urged.

I scratched my head, not sure what to say. My mother noticed a scar on the side of my palm. "What's that? When did you get this? Does it hurt?"

I extended my palm to show her, "It doesn't hurt anymore." It was from when I was sixteen and accidentally got burned by the steam from a coffee machine at Uncle Simon's café. It had healed a long time ago.

"Oh, my poor child!" My mother traced the scar with her finger, "If I had found you earlier, you wouldn't have been hurt like this..."

"It's okay, mom. I really enjoy making coffee! And I'm quite good at it. That time, I just lacked experience. I won't make that mistake again. Tomorrow, you can taste the coffee I make."

"Your stepsons have already tasted the coffee made by me," I added mentally.

My mother was delighted, "Oh, that would be wonderful!"

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone was at the door. Louis pushed open my room's half-closed door. "Ladies, dinner is ready. Join us downstairs. Oh, and Faye, you might want to change into something more comfortable."

"Oh, right," my mother reminded me, "we've prepared a beach bonfire dinner to welcome you. Louis is right. Let's change something suitable for the beach. We'll be waiting downstairs for you."

"Okay, I'll be there shortly," I said.

In the meantime, my brain was spinning quickly, considering which dress would be the most appropriate for a beach bonfire dinner. When I headed downstairs, my twin brothers, little sister, mother, and Louis were already dressed and ready.

Leander caught my eye with his outfit. He was wearing a floral shirt and linen shorts, with flip-flops on his feet, looking very relaxed and perfectly suited for the beach.

Liam, on the other hand, remained as impeccable as ever. Despite heading to a beach bonfire dinner, he was still in a linen suit, though it appeared to be less formal than usual.

Upon seeing me come down, Leander let out a whistle. "Wow, I love that dress on you." He stared at me unabashedly, sporting a broad grin.

"Thank you, Leander," I said. I loved this dress too. It was specially chosen for my Santan journey. It was a white strap dress with an open back, perfect for the sunshine, beach, and palm trees here.

Not surprisingly, Liam glanced at me briefly, frowned, and then coldly remarked, "I don't like it. You have too much skin exposed."

What? I couldn't help but protest, "Come on! It's summer!"

I glanced at my mother, Layla, and Leander. They all looked equally puzzled. Leander was the first to react, though. "Liam, you..."

"You'll know," Liam dropped this cryptic statement and ignored me, heading out.

"Wait! Know what?" I was thoroughly annoyed now. He was making me feel extremely uncomfortable. Now I have reasons to believe that Liam genuinely didn't like me!

I stood there, unsettled, my hands clutching my dress, not sure what to do.

It was my first day in this new home, and one of my stepbrothers had made it clear he wasn't pleased with me. Could anything be worse?

"Sis, don't be angry. Let's go for dinner first. Mom and dad prepared it especially for you," Layla tried to mediate.

I pushed aside my recent unpleasant encounter, forcing myself to calm down. I liked my sister Layla, and I didn't want to hurt her. So, I let go of the frustration and followed Layla to the beach.