Chapter 223 Coming Home

Chapter 223: Chapter 223 Coming Home

The Thorne Estate

By the time lunch was ready, Eira and Beatrice were already at the kitchen island, picking at a salad and arguing over whether the soup needed more salt.

The doorbell rang.

"I’ll get it," Eira said.

A courier stood on the front step with a white bakery box tucked under one arm. Snow dusted the shoulders of his black jacket.

"Eira Crawford?"

"Yes."

He handed her the box. A gold logo was stamped across the lid. Eira recognized it immediately. It was one of the bakeries in Sterling territory, the kind that usually required an advance order.

"Someone’s feeling fancy," Beatrice called from the kitchen.

Eira brought the box inside and set it on the counter.

Beatrice glanced at the logo. "That’s from Sterling."

"Mrs. Jones ordered it."

"Of course she did."

Eira looked at her.

Beatrice reached for another fork. "What? She works for Killian. If she’s sending over a cake from that bakery, I’m guessing it didn’t come out of her own grocery budget."

Eira loosened the ribbon but did not open the box.

"She said it was from her."

"Sure."

"Beatrice."

"What?" Beatrice smiled. "I’m only saying the man has a very roundabout way of being thoughtful."

Eira’s fingers brushed the fang pendant at her throat.

"He’s my friend."

"I didn’t say he wasn’t."

"You were about to."

"I was about to say he seems to like taking care of you."

Eira looked away. "You used to say Sebastian took care of me."

Beatrice’s smile disappeared.

"Don’t mention that man while we’re eating. I just got my appetite back."

Eira laughed under her breath. "Fair enough."

--

After lunch, Natalie texted Eira her travel details. Her flight left at four, and Natalie had booked her a hotel near the airport.

Eira replied that she would not need it. After landing, she still had a thirty-minute commuter-train ride and a cab ride to the orphanage. If everything went smoothly, she would arrive before dark.

Natalie had not realized how far the orphanage was from the airport.

I can book your train ticket too.

Thanks, but I already bought one.

After sharing another slice of cake with Beatrice, Eira returned to Number Nine to pack.

The moment Mrs. Jones heard where Eira was going, she went into full mother-hen mode.

"Take a warm coat. Pack an extra sweater. Keep your phone charged, eat something before you leave, and call me when you arrive."

"I promise."

"And don’t skip dinner."

"I won’t."

Mrs. Jones watched Eira zip her suitcase with the worried look of someone ready to climb into the car and come along herself. It took three promises before she finally let Eira leave.

Lila threw her arms around Eira.

"Don’t go. Who’s going to keep my brother in line? He has nothing but sarcasm in that mouth of his. You’re the only person who can make him act human."

"Does he know you talk about him like this?"

"He knows. He just pretends he doesn’t."

"I have to go, or I’ll miss my flight."

"Fine."

Lila released her and stood in the doorway, waving as Eira headed for the car. She looked so miserable that Mrs. Jones laughed.

"Miss Lila, if Luna Seraphina and your father saw this performance, they’d feel terrible."

"Please. Nothing gets to them." Lila rolled her eyes. "Dad’s happiest when he and Mom are alone, acting like newlyweds twenty-four seven."

She paused.

"Mrs. Jones, they’ve been married for years. How are they still this crazy about each other?"

"They weren’t always."

Lila turned. "What do you mean?"

"Your parents had an arranged match. They married first and fell in love later."

Lila stared at her. "Seriously?"

Mrs. Jones nodded. "Their story happened backward. Marriage first, love second, and a baby somewhere in between."

Lila’s mouth fell open.

"How did I never hear this?"

"Some family stories are private."

"That’s not an answer. What happened? Did they hate each other? Who made the first move? How old was Killian when my father finally claimed him?"

Mrs. Jones sighed. "Your father found Alpha Killian before he turned one. Alpha Killian has no memory of ever being the family surprise."

Lila blinked. "Wait. My brother was an accident?"

"I said he was a surprise."

"That is not better."

Lila burst out laughing and pulled out her phone. A moment later, she changed Alpha Killian’s contact name to:My Brother the Oops

--

The Airport

Eira had barely glanced at her ticket. She went straight to the regular check-in counter, only for the agent to smile and point her toward a private desk.

"Ms. Crawford, first-class check-in is over there." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"First class?"

A few minutes later, Eira had checked in, cleared security through the priority lane, and settled into the first-class lounge. Natalie had even arranged a car to meet her at the airport.

She boarded before most of the other passengers and found herself in a wide leather seat with a full dinner menu in front of her.

She stared at it.

First class. Priority security. A car waiting at the other end. And a cake she had never asked for.

Suddenly, all the little details fell into place.

Natalie. Miles. Mrs. Jones.

They were not simply looking after her. They were quietly trying to push her and Alpha Killian together.

The flight attendant called her name, pulling her out of her thoughts. Eira ordered dinner, ate during the flight, and slept until the plane began its descent.

When the plane touched down, she collected her suitcase and followed the signs out of the terminal.

The moment she stepped outside, a blast of cold air hit her face.

The wind cut through her coat. Eira tightened her grip on her suitcase and looked toward the dark road beyond the airport.

Home was still hours away.