Chapter 270: Temporary Farewell
"Yes." Darach smiled, looking very proud of himself. "I see no reason not to give you this post. Of course, this is only temporary, until we find a decent charlie I can trust. Currently, we haven’t had time to vet through all the candidates."
Milo nodded in agreement. "Things have been hectic recently. I hope that Miss Harper would consider taking up this post to alleviate some of our burdens."
To think both Darach and Milo advocated for me to take up the post! My mouth fell open and my heart raced; I quickly considered the opportunity to take up more responsibilities. A charlie would have less intensive duties compared to a beta.
It would be a good starting point in learning how to be a better Luna for the pack, the same way Milo was using this chance so that he could learn to be a better Alpha in the future.
"Thunderstrike must be in very dire straits if you’re putting Harper to work so quickly," Damon muttered with a scowl on his face. "She’s meant to be a guest, not some servant you can order around on a whim."
I shouldn’t be surprised that Damon would feel indignant on my behalf, but once again, I was caught off guard by his reaction. But I had to wonder, how much of it was due to concern for me, and how much of it was due to his dislike of Darach.
Darach’s eyebrow twitched. "Well, I don’t think Harper would like to sit idle for days, possibly months, with nothing to do."
"It’s true," I replied quickly, not wanting them to start arguing right outside Thunderstrike’s headquarters. "I’m honored by your decision, and I’ll do my best to execute my duties and to help the both of you."
"Excellent," Darach beamed brightly, "I can’t wait to have you on board!"
Milo nodded in agreement. "Well then, Harper, are you ready to leave with us?" He gave Blaise and Damon a respectful nod, which they returned.
I paused. Suddenly, twin pillars of longing shot through me. "Can you give me a while to say goodbye? I’ll be right with you shortly."
"Of course," Darach nodded, even though he gave Damon a stink-eye.
Damon returned it with one of his own. Thankfully, both parties were mature enough to not hurl expletives in front of one another. Blaise stifled his laugh as we watched Darach and Milo move a safe distance away to give us privacy.
"Kyle?" Blaise prompted.
"Yes?" Kyle jumped to attention.
Blaise cleared his throat meaningfully, and Kyle got the hint. He realized he was going to be stuck in an emotional goodbye with his alpha, his beta, and his future Luna, all of whom were each other’s fated mates while he was a sole bodyguard.
He immediately wisened up and scuttled away to where Darach and Milo were conversing in low voices, using this time to introduce himself to Darach and Milo.
I turned back to stare at the two brothers in front of me, willing my eyes to commit them to memory. I swallowed past the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. This would be the first time in a long while that I would be leaving both of them at one go.
In the past, when Blaise was sent to the northern border, I had Damon for company even though I didn’t want it then. And when I was forced to separate from Damon in Thunderstrike, at least I had Blaise on the way to Hornstead.
This time, I would have none of them nearby. They were going to be so busy.
That lump in my throat was getting bigger. I willed myself not to cry. This was preposterous― I was a grown adult! This wasn’t even permanent! Why was I so sad about it?
I could have stood there in silence, staring at them forever until my eyes ran dry or until the sun’s rays were extinguished beyond the horizon, but Blaise broke the mournful atmosphere with a joke.
"Well. This is it. Our little Harper, all grown up and ready to be a charlie," Blaise lamented, only half-jokingly, theatrically wiping a fake tear from the corner of his eyes. His tone was jovial, yet his eyes held a spring of sadness. "Where has the time gone?"
"Don’t be ridiculous," I protested, my voice weak. My eyes were starting to well up with tears. "I’ll be back before you know it. Of course, assuming you do your jobs and catch the culprit..."
"And we will," Damon promised, his voice ringing solemnly in my ears. His eyes seem to bore straight into my soul, the same way a compass always pointed north. "Do your best at Thunderstrike. You’ll need everything you
Blaise smiled ruefully at me. "At least you won’t be alone, Darach is delighted to see you, and you know Milo can be trusted."
"Of course Darach would be," Damon scowled. I rolled my eyes at their enmity. "If Thunderstrike turns out to be an utter clusterfuck, make your way to Hornstead immediately. Remember, you’re here to hide. Don’t run straight into trouble, especially since Dahlia and her old man are still on the loose."
"I know that. I’m not a child," I grumbled peevishly with a small frown on my face.
Of course I wasn’t going to go looking for trouble, but with my luck, trouble would definitely come to find me. I highly doubted Dahlia Elrod would take my reappearance with any grace and positivity.
"Trust me, we know you’re not a child," Blaise said, his voice deliberately pitched low and sensual. There was no confusion about how he could have reached such a conclusion.
"Blaise," Damon scolded. "Not the time and place."
"Sorry," Blaise said, not sounding apologetic at all.
I coughed lightly; there was a light flush on my face as a tingle of arousal started to form with Blaise’s words, but then it was heartlessly squashed with Damon’s reminder.
There was no point in feeling arousal now when they weren’t going to be able to do anything about it.
"Can I at least get a goodbye kiss?" Blaise asked.
