Chapter 224 The Orphanage

Chapter 224: Chapter 224 The Orphanage

It was after nine when Eira finally reached the orphanage.

The old man at the gate did a double take.

"Eira? What are you doing here? Gwen didn’t say you were coming. Come inside. I’ll call her."

"It’s okay. I’ll go up myself. You stay inside where it’s warm."

He hesitated, but Eira gave him a reassuring smile before dragging her suitcase across the concrete. The wheels rattled through the quiet night.

A light flickered on in an upstairs window. A moment later, someone leaned out.

Eira looked up. "Miss Gwen."

Gwen rubbed her eyes and squinted down at her. As soon as she recognized Eira, she disappeared from the window. A few minutes later, she hurried downstairs in a coat and slippers.

"I heard that suitcase and thought someone had broken in," Gwen said. "Why are you here so early? You should’ve called. Your hands must be freezing."

Before Eira could answer, Gwen opened her coat and tucked Eira’s hands against her sweater.

The familiar gesture took Eira straight back to childhood. She remembered squeezing into Gwen’s narrow bed, sleeping head to foot so she could tuck her freezing feet beneath Gwen’s arm.

"I’m fine," Eira said. "Come on. Let’s get you inside before you freeze."

She slipped an arm around Gwen and pulled her suitcase with the other hand.

The orphanage had changed a lot over the years. The children now slept in sturdy bunk beds with clean blankets, and Gwen finally had a small room of her own.

The Pack had also reinforced the doors and installed motion lights around the grounds. No one wanted another child disappearing from an unguarded shelter.

"Take the top bunk tonight," Gwen said as they climbed the stairs. "I’ll get one of the empty rooms ready for you tomorrow. We have two available now."

"Okay."

"Did you eat? Are you hungry? I can make you some noodles."

"I ate on the plane. Don’t fuss over me. I just need to sleep."

"All right. You must be wiped out."

Once Eira settled into the top bunk, she pulled out her phone and answered the messages waiting for her.

She let everyone know she had arrived safely, then shared her location with Beatrice and Martin.

After a moment’s hesitation, she sent it to Lila too.

Lila was thrilled to get the update before her brother did. She immediately went looking for Alpha Killian so she could tease him about it.

She had no intention of giving him Eira’s location without Eira’s permission. For now, her brother had officially dropped to the bottom of her priority list.

A message from Alpha Killian appeared on Eira’s phone.

Killian: You make it there okay?

Eira: I did.

Killian: Good. Get some sleep. Don’t worry about anything else tonight.

A moment later, another message came through.

Killian: If you need data support, contact Miles through the group chat. If you need legal help, call Susan.

Eira: They already have enough on their plates. I don’t want to keep leaning on them.

Killian: That’s what they’re paid to do. They’re not doing it for free.

Eira smiled faintly.

Eira: Miles isn’t on my payroll.

Alpha Killian stared at the message.

He typed, He’s on mine, then deleted it.

After a moment, he sent:

Killian: Handling client issues is part of his job.

The explanation sounded reasonable at first. The longer Eira thought about it, the less convincing it became.

She decided not to call him out.

Eira: Good night.

--

Before sunrise, Eira woke to the familiar sounds of the orphanage coming to life.

Miss Gwen was already downstairs, most likely helping prepare breakfast. Eira washed up, pulled on a warm sweater, and headed to the dining hall.

The younger children were lined up at the serving window with plastic trays in their hands. Breakfast was being served family-style, and the older kids had already left for school. The volunteers were checking lunch bags and making sure no child went outside without a coat.

One of the boys spotted Eira and shouted, "Eira’s here!"

Every head turned.

The little ones rushed toward her. In the middle of the crowd, a young girl lost her balance and fell. Her legs were weaker than the other children’s, and she could not keep up with them.

Eira hurried over, but two children reached the girl first. They helped her sit up, brushed the dust from her knees, and checked that she had not hurt herself.

"You okay, Mia?"

The girl nodded, embarrassed.

"Go finish breakfast," one of the children told her. "We’ll save you a seat."

"Okay."

The children helped her back toward the line.

Miss Gwen came over with a bright smile and pulled Eira into a hug.

"I could barely see you last night. Look at you now. You’ve filled out a little, and you look healthier than ever."

Eira laughed. "That’s one way to welcome someone home."

"I’m serious. Success looks good on you. Ever since your project took off, you’ve had this glow."

"It’s not the success," Eira said. "It’s the people around me. Being with the right people makes a difference."

Her gaze shifted toward the serving window.

A masked woman stood behind it, helping hand out breakfast. Eira did not recognize her. There seemed to be one more person working in the dining hall than when she had visited last year.

"Is she new?" Eira asked.

"No. She’s a photographer. She’s filming a short video to help raise money for the orphanage and the children’s medical fund. She arrived a few days ago."

Eira looked at the woman again. The stranger kept her head down, but something about her posture felt familiar.

"Where is she from?"

"Palo Alto," Gwen replied.

Eira’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Palo Alto?"

Gwen lowered her voice. "She’s staying near the clinic while she works. Her name is Crawford too, so just call her Ms. Crawford."