𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐄.𝐌

40. Be my date?

"how have you forgotten?" snapped a furious Ezekiel over the call. "how could you do this to us?"

Maeve looked down at the table in wonder. Another week had passed since the date and it was safe to say, both were enjoying the tranquility the cabin offered.

Maeve thought for a whole minute, wrecking her brain before she gasped and shut her eyes as it struck her. "Holy fuck! How could I?" she hit her hand on the table making it tremble under the force and the plates on top of it clatter. Elijah glanced up from the newspaper at Maeve who only offered him a sheepish smile in return. Maeve excused herself quickly and exited on the wooden porch behind the cabin.

"I forgot it was this month." she said rubbing a hand over her face. She looked ahead at the quiet woods, the thick line of pine trees that surrounded in lush green.

"Well...are you coming or..."

"The fuck I'm not!" she cursed before she bit her tongue. "I am coming."

"Great! So I'll get your room prepared and a guest bedroom for Elijah?" Ezekiel's voice turned questioning but with mischief as he said the last part. Maeve narrowed her eyes to slits glancing into the tree line up front,

"You're insolent!" she cursed. Maeve could hear ruffling and struggle on the other end of the call. She furrowed her brows diligently listening to a female scolding and then Ezekiel yelling in defence. Maeve laughed when she realised to whom that second voice belonged.

"Bring Elijah. I want to see who it is that my niece is dating. If Gemma said she approves then I do too."

"Your own brother...Maeve's dad, Uncle Jared said 'no boys' so no boys. You hear me, Moony? No boys. He is not invited."

"Well that's not for you to decide. I'm the Interim Alpha for now so what I say goes. I'll formally invite the man. His family too."

"Alright, he is actually here..." Maeve bit her tongue and slapped her forehead. A defeaning silence fell over the call terrifying Maeve for what could follow.

"Hold on." said Ezekiel, his voice raised suspiciously high, "you said you are taking some time to yourself because of everything that happened. What is Elijah doing there?"

"Oh how lovely! They're on vacation together. I hate this but how lovely." Maeve blushed hanging her head low. She kept swinging her leg, her toe drawing abstract shapes over it in an attempt to distract her.

Maeve heard more ruffling over the speaker, Ezekiel's blatant refusal to leave and protests against extending an invitation towards Elijah. Especially now that he knew Elijah was keeping her company as well.

"Give that man the phone." said Amara before she addressed her son to scold him, "Ezekiel, take a walk!" Maeve heard soft murmurs for a few seconds. "Hello? Elijah."

"Nope still me." said Maeve, "listen, I can talk to him...you know. If Ezekiel isn't okay with it, I don't think Elijah would mind if we don't invite him."

"Give the original the phone Maeve. I'm not asking." Amara said with a strict voice.

"But auntie..." Maeve whined, not wanting her to have a conversation with Elijah.

"Young lady, I know everything that has happened in the past six months. You may try and hide it and ask the same of your brother but don't think I can't pry it out of your brother. Before I start yelling at you for hiding it from me, give the call to Elijah." Maeve sighed. She walked back inside the house.

"Elijah." she called him. He looked up from the newspaper he was reading, sitting at the dining table. Maeve handed him the phone. "My aunt Amara wants to talk to you." he took the phone from her and brought it to his ear.