Helen jumped on the sofa and blushed to herself when she remembered the crazy things that just happened a few minutes ago in her living-room. She shut her eyes and chuckled lightly as she rested her back on the sofa.
She wondered how Max was able to make her feel like a teenager again. She was still in her youth but she easily softened and let her walls down anytime he was close to her. He had mentioned that he was going to make her his and honestly,she couldn't wait.
Although she felt anxious about joining a new pack and being Luna,with Max's reassuring love for her,she was certain she didn't care anymore.
Helen kept thinking about Max,till she fell asleep.
An hour later, Helen blinked her eyes open and suddenly remembered Rachel's words about taking care of Accalia. She jumped to her feet and hurriedly freshened up, before throwing on some clothes on herself. Accalia must have woken up or probably Rachel was back from the meeting. Helen panicked.
Helen wondered if Ethan and Gabriel were done with the Alpha and what was the outcome of the meeting. She tied her head in a sleek ponytail and grabbed her bag before shutting her door. It was early afternoon and so the environment was a bit quiet because most of the children had gone in for their naps while the older ones helped out with lunch at home.
When Helen arrived at the guest house,she knocked lightly and tried to open the door. Luckily,it opened up and she guessed that Accalia was still inside. Helen walked to the room and knocked again. There was no response,so she decided to peer inside.
Her eyes saw Accalia all snuggled up, sleeping peacefully with some few strands of hair falling to her face. Obviously,she must have been exhausted from her long travel to still be in bed for hours. Helen smiled in relief before closing the door quietly. Accalia was still asleep and Rachel wasn't yet back. "So what about Ethan and Gabriel?", Helen thought.
Helen shrugged her shoulders and walked to the kitchen to start getting things ready for lunch, for Accalia when she'll wake. She walked to the cupboard and retrieved some garlic and black pepper. Rachel left some fresh potatoes on the kitchen top before leaving,so she would make use of that.
Whistling an old tune from one of the fables,when she was a child, Helen began peeling the potato's skin. She washed them and turned them into the pot,then she turned the heat. She was going to prepare mashed potatoes with vegetable salad and some pickles. It was an easy meal to prepare and one of her favorites.
While Helen was cooking, her mind raced again to Accalia. There was something about her that she couldn't exactly figure out. However,she was certain that with time,she would know for sure.
Helen was halfway done with lunch when she heard footsteps outside of the door. She peeped through the kitchen's window and saw no one,when she realized that the person behind the door had gotten in already.
"I'm sorry for taking extra time",Rachel said to no one in particular. "I remembered we had a guest,so I had to stop by and get some wine and more fruit for our guest",Rachel said finally looking up at Helen who was grinning.
"Hmm.. that's nice of you. And I can see that you also bought your favorite flavor of ice-cream", Helen teased.
She and Rachel had been friends for a long time. They were close and virtually knew everything about each other and in all their years of friendship, Rachel would give in easily to Helen's bribes as long as vanilla ice cream was involved.
"Oh come on! We both know that it's been a while we had some cold sweetness to sizzle out the heat on our tongues besides who is complaining, our guest is not for a fact", Rachel gushed as she began to take out the fruits and take the wines to the old empty wine shack across the kitchen.
"Hahaha! Well I'm not complaining about your thoughtful help in the bid to cool off our tongues with your favorite ice-cream flavor", Helen laughed hard, emphasizing at the word,'Favorite'.
"Neither am I", Accalia's voice rang from the doorway, causing Rachel and Helen to turn immediately.
The both ladies smiled cheerfully at Accalia, who was smiling too, looking all relaxed and fresh from a good rest. Surprisingly,her eyebags had diminished and her eyes looked brighter, bringing out the unreserved beauty of her emerald eyes. Certainly all she needed was ample rest,like the one she just had.
"Oh wow! You look ravishing my dear and thank you for seeing nothing wrong with my thoughts of getting us some tasty vanilla ice cream", Rachel said, pretending to sashay towards Accalia,while eying Helen.
At this little drama,the kitchen erupted into laughter and for the first time since Accalia blessed them with her presence, she laughed genuinely. Her eyes shut completely as she laughed in fits and she let out a loud sigh of relief when it was over.
With the room feeling lighter from the beautiful bonding moment, Accalia offered to help Helen in getting the plates as lunch was ready and she was famished. Helen dished mashed potatoes, vegetable salad and some chicken broth onto the plates,while Rachel ran to the wine shack and took out one bottle of red wine and began pouring it into the glasses.
Accalia stashed the ice-cream for later as they all agreed that they would have it for dessert. Well seated around the little table in the kitchen,the ladies delved into their food quietly.
It was a known fact that Helen was a wonderful cook,but with what she served them for lunch,it was explicit. Helen and Rachel smiled at each other knowingly,as they glanced at Accalia who seemed to be having a good time with her food.
Accalia licked her lips with relish as she bit off the flesh from the chicken breast in the delicious broth. Instinctively,she lifted her eyes and met Helen and Rachel's eyes on her. She blushed in embarrassment and wiped her mouth before speaking.
"Forgive me. It's just a very delicious meal",she complimented.
"No please.. don't be sorry. We're just grateful that you enjoy the meal. Besides with Helen's meal,I'm afraid you'll end up asking for more", Rachel said and the ladies laughed.
"Oh thank you my Luna. I wished you would compliment my cooking everyday that way", Helen cooed happily.
"Oh please. This is your fault, Accalia. I knew complimenting Helen was somewhat a bad idea", Rachel joked as Helen was entertaining the table with a goofy dance and making funny faces.
They laughed hard at Helen when Rachel noticed something different on Helen's neck. "Oh my! Is that..a hickey,I see", Rachel spat in surprise.
Accalia smiled and nodded, confirming Rachel's words which made Helen freeze in shock, before laughing off. All eyes were glued on Helen waiting for some interesting gist.
"Don't look at me like that, Rachel. You aren't the only one allowed to go lovey-dovey with the Alpha", Helen teased and again the table erupted into laughter.
Rachel raised her hands in defense and replied,"All we're asking is give us some juicy details, right?" Rachel turned to Accalia for emotional support,who nodded in response.
"There's nothing to say. My..you know,him. He came around and we had just a bit of time to ourselves, before some intrusion", Helen said dreamily.
"Wwwnnn..that's lovely. Well if you ask me,that was some 'itsy bitsy' time to get all those hickeys plastered on you", Accalia said,shocked at her own response.
She almost wanted to regret but with how the ladies took it like a joke,she breathed out in relief, joining them to laugh. Within herself, Accalia didn't want her sharp tongue and extroverted self to ruin her chances of being friends with these lovely ladies and finding shelter in this new community.
"Okay..that brings me to the next question. How about you, Accalia? Any Romeo back home, you're running from or have you found him yet",Helen leaned forward and whispered enough for them to hear.
Accalia gulped at those words and almost choked in shock. She fidgeted and blinked hard trying to find the words to say to the women who were staring in anticipation at her.
"Um..", Accalia tried to say when they all heard a firm knock on the door. Accalia breathed out in relief and silently prayed in gratitude to whoever saved her from the quicksand she had found herself.
Accalia's relief was replaced with anxiety,as behind the door wasn't the kind of relief she wanted. Helen had rushed to the door to tell off the intruder that they weren't interested in whatever he or she was selling. However,the low conversation between Helen and the person,raised their concerns.
After a minute had passed and the bang of the closed door, Rachel and Accalia were signaled on the end of the visit. Their senses were aroused as they watched Helen walk back to the table with her shoulders slightly down and her face a little bit sad. They both guessed the right thing as they had anticipated that visit.
Only difference with it now,was between Helen and Rachel,it wasn't as thrilling as they had thought it would be. They had just started knowing Accalia and it showed that she was an amazing person. However, Helen wished the final verdict would be a positive one. She shrugged and placed her hands on her waist trying to avoid looking so frustrated.
"Um.. Ethan was the one at the door. And he came to inform us that that..", Helen paused to take some water,which made Rachel almost kill her with her rolling eyes.
"That the Alpha would love to meet Accalia immediately and we are welcome to come with her. If she passes the questioning test,the Luna and Gamma Sue would examine you to know if you're pregnant,seeing that you migrated during a breeding season", Rachel said looking directly at Accalia.
"Okay. Look Accalia,the Alpha is just looking out for the pack. It's best he makes his findings to avoid threats or potential war from your former pack and to confirm you're not carrying anyone's child, especially an Alpha", Rachel tried to pacify Accalia.
Accalia nodded in understanding and smiled sadly.
"It's not like you're leaving yet,it's just questioning and a pregnancy examination. It's not like you're pregnant, right?", Helen asked.
Accalia coughed at Helen's words before giving a shrug. "I'd better get dressed then. I wouldn't want to keep the Alpha waiting",She said, rising from her seat.
Accalia wasn't sure she heard Helen's words as her thoughts proved about the possibility that she may likely be asked to leave. She took lazy steps to her room to find something appropriate to wear.