Chapter 130: Bonus Story–Welcome Home-Part 2
Thomas appeared, grinning. He hopped onto the dock and patted the metal shell of the plane.
“Hey Mila, your expression is priceless!"
“Thomas! This is unbelievable!" I was about to run up to greet him when Soren interrupted us.
“Took you long enough," Soren arched an eyebrow. “For a two-day trip, you managed to make it three."
“What took me so long?" Thomas retorted, pointing to himself. He had puffy bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept
in a while. “Two days is one way! Since when have I become your servant, getting everything ready for you? Soren,
I swear, one of these days, I'm going to punch you in the face!"
I watched the two of them interact. In the past, I always thought Thomas was only Soren's Beta, his subordinate. He
was usually respectful and formal towards Soren when others were around. It was rare to see them joke.
It wasn't until Thomas showed up a few days ago that I realized that their friendly teasing was a normal part of their
relationship.
Thomas was more than Soren's subordinate. He was Soren's friend, best friend. Perhaps, even like a brother.
I smiled at Thomas, hoping to ease their harmless tension a little.
“Thomas, you look tired. I've been wondering where you've been the past few days. Is everything okay?"
Thomas turned to me, replacing his fake angry face with a smile. He shifted his eyes back to Soren quickly and then
to me again.
“Thank you, Mila. At least, SOMEONE cares about me!"
I chuckled and covered my mouth. “So, you've been getting what ready?"
Soren cleared his throat.
“Well, my tasks are done, and Soren will tell you everything. But if you get the chance, give him a good punch for
me." Thomas winked at me.
“You two and your secrets!" I crossed my arms.
Soren wrapped his arm around me. “Let's go. It won't be a secret for long."
He glanced over his shoulder at Thomas. “And Thomas, I have some furniture ready to be picked up in a week. Take
care of them."
Thomas growled.
“WHAT!? I'm your f*****g Beta, not your slave!"
“It is for your godchild; do you still want to argue?"
Thomas's anger disappeared immediately. He gaped at both of us.
I caught the triumphant smile on Soren's lips. As he led me by Thomas to the plane, I heard him murmur to his
Beta, “Thanks, man. It means a lot."
Thomas stared at us a second longer and then shook his head. Then he broke into a small smile and waved, “Have
a good flight!"
I dug my heels into the dock and stopped walking. Pointing at the plane, I stared at Soren. “We're not getting on
that thing, are we!?"
“You bet we are." Soren laughed. He opened the door for me and nudged me into the plane.
Soren got in the driver's seat and helped me get buckled in. He put a set of headphones on my head.
“Sit tight."
The plane roared to life and shot through the water, faster than anything I'd ever felt.
A scream tore from my lips and I grabbed the armrest tightly, squinting my eyes closed.
“Don't close your eyes," Soren suggested.
I struggled to keep them open, but once the plane got out of the water and was up in the air, I noticed just how
beautiful it was.
I was flying! My whole body felt light and floaty.
The world became smaller under us. The island we were on turned into the size of my palm and further away,
Marno packland came back to view by the horizon. The ocean sparkled with the afternoon sun, shifting from blue to
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtgreen and I could already see the colors of the sky changing in the opposite direction.
When I looked over at Soren, he seemed so relaxed and at ease. Would I ever learn everything about him? Would
he ever stop surprising me?
Thomas appaarad, grinning. Ha hoppad onto tha dock and pattad tha matal shall of tha plana.
“Hay Mila, your axprassion is pricalass!"
“Thomas! This is unbaliavabla!" I was about to run up to graat him whan Soran intarruptad us.
“Took you long anough," Soran archad an ayabrow. “For a two-day trip, you managad to maka it thraa."
“What took ma so long?" Thomas ratortad, pointing to himsalf. Ha had puffy bags undar his ayas lika ha hadn't slapt
in a whila. “Two days is ona way! Sinca whan hava I bacoma your sarvant, gatting avarything raady for you? Soran,
I swaar, ona of thasa days, I'm going to punch you in tha faca!"
I watchad tha two of tham intaract. In tha past, I always thought Thomas was only Soran's Bata, his subordinata. Ha
was usually raspactful and formal towards Soran whan othars wara around. It was rara to saa tham joka.
It wasn't until Thomas showad up a faw days ago that I raalizad that thair friandly taasing was a normal part of thair
ralationship.
Thomas was mora than Soran's subordinata. Ha was Soran's friand, bast friand. Parhaps, avan lika a brothar.
I smilad at Thomas, hoping to aasa thair harmlass tansion a littla.
“Thomas, you look tirad. I'va baan wondaring whara you'va baan tha past faw days. Is avarything okay?"
Thomas turnad to ma, raplacing his faka angry faca with a smila. Ha shiftad his ayas back to Soran quickly and than
to ma again.
“Thank you, Mila. At laast, SOMEONE caras about ma!"
I chucklad and covarad my mouth. “So, you'va baan gatting what raady?"
Soran claarad his throat.
“Wall, my tasks ara dona, and Soran will tall you avarything. But if you gat tha chanca, giva him a good punch for
ma." Thomas winkad at ma.
“You two and your sacrats!" I crossad my arms.
Soran wrappad his arm around ma. “Lat's go. It won't ba a sacrat for long."
Ha glancad ovar his shouldar at Thomas. “And Thomas, I hava soma furnitura raady to ba pickad up in a waak. Taka
cara of tham."
Thomas growlad.
“WHAT!? I'm your f*****g Bata, not your slava!"
“It is for your godchild; do you still want to argua?"
Thomas's angar disappaarad immadiataly. Ha gapad at both of us.
I caught tha triumphant smila on Soran's lips. As ha lad ma by Thomas to tha plana, I haard him murmur to his
Bata, “Thanks, man. It maans a lot."
Thomas starad at us a sacond longar and than shook his haad. Than ha broka into a small smila and wavad, “Hava
a good flight!"
I dug my haals into tha dock and stoppad walking. Pointing at tha plana, I starad at Soran. “Wa'ra not gatting on
that thing, ara wa!?"
“You bat wa ara." Soran laughad. Ha opanad tha door for ma and nudgad ma into tha plana.
Soran got in tha drivar's saat and halpad ma gat bucklad in. Ha put a sat of haadphonas on my haad.
“Sit tight."
Tha plana roarad to lifa and shot through tha watar, fastar than anything I'd avar falt.
A scraam tora from my lips and I grabbad tha armrast tightly, squinting my ayas closad.
“Don't closa your ayas," Soran suggastad.
I strugglad to kaap tham opan, but onca tha plana got out of tha watar and was up in tha air, I noticad just how
baautiful it was.
I was flying! My whola body falt light and floaty.
Tha world bacama smallar undar us. Tha island wa wara on turnad into tha siza of my palm and furthar away,
Marno packland cama back to viaw by tha horizon. Tha ocaan sparklad with tha aftarnoon sun, shifting from blua to
graan and I could alraady saa tha colors of tha sky changing in tha opposita diraction.
Whan I lookad ovar at Soran, ha saamad so ralaxad and at aasa. Would I avar laarn avarything about him? Would
ha avar stop surprising ma?
After three hours of flying in that tin can, we started to descend. It was dusk, the sun nearly set, and as we plunged
down, my stomach flew into my mouth! I grabbed Soren's arm.
He expertly maneuvered the plane to a lake and we slid into the shallows, puttering up to a dock.
Soren hopped out and tied up the plane. Slowly, I took off the headset and unbuckled myself.
“We've arrived." He opened the door and held his arm out to me. “You've done great on your first flight!"
“Arrived where?" I asked, grabbing Soren's hand as he helped me down. My legs shook a little and I clung against
him.
“It's a vacation home." Soren glanced at me. I captured a sense of uncertainty in his eyes, but I couldn't quite
understand what might be bothering him.
He led me up a boardwalk and I saw a house with some lights on in the distance. It was not just a house, it was a
mansion! At least three times the size of our house in Marno. But it wasn't extravagant or overbearing. It looked
cozy and homey with gardens out front and a cute little walkway up to a wrap around porch.
There was a swing on the porch and a large yard all around. The lights were so yellow and warm.
“How are you feeling, are you hungry?" He seemed to skip over the answer about what this place was very quickly.
“Starved!"
He led me to the kitchen and I noticed how familiar he seemed to be in this place. He knew where everything was.
“I'm going to make us some food. Go take a look around if you'd like. I'll need about 15 minutes. Then I'll answer all
your questions, alright?" He winked at me.
He went to the fridge and started pulling things out, piling them on the counter.
Nodding, I wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room. The wooden ceiling was two stories tall with a
simple crystal chandelier. On two sides of the front door were two floor length glass walls, through which I could see
the lake where the plane was tied up.
There were large picture windows on the other side of the living room, looking out to a large, mowed backyard
edged with a forest.
Even though it was dusk, the first floor was still bright thanks to the natural light. Most of the furniture and
decoration were primarily light colored, making the rooms look new and refreshing.
The rug on the floor was extremely soft. The curtains over the windows were a solid champagne color. After a
closer look, I realized that there were elegant embroideries on the panel. Nothing seemed to be too lavish, but the
texture of them made me believe that they would cost a fortune to acquire.
From the moment I'd laid eyes on this house and the cute wrap around porch, I'd fallen in love. Every moment that
passed, everything I saw, I loved it all the more!
I looked out at the backyard where there was a large apple tree. I could imagine a young child running around in
the yard, climbing the tree, and exploring the woods.
The kitchen was starting to smell great, but I knew dinner wasn't ready yet. So, I headed up the carpeted stairs with
the carved wooden railing.
There were four bedrooms in the house. Only two of them were furnished. The master bedroom was obvious
because of the four-poster bed. The other two bedrooms didn't have much in them. Perhaps the owner of this place
knew it would be just two guests for this visit so didn't bother to set up every room.
However, it didn't make the house any less charming.
“Ready for food?" Soren called from downstairs.
My stomach growled and I went back down. My fiance was standing with his arm held out to me. I looped my arm
through his as he led me to the back porch, which connected to the front wrap around, where there was a table
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmand two chairs.
Fresh flowers and candles made the centerpiece. On the two plates were mouthwatering steaks, accompanied by
baby potatoes and a salad.
“Soren…" I gasped, amazed at how quickly he'd put it all together.
He had two wine glasses in hand. He poured himself some wine and poured me some sparkling cider, alcohol free.
We sat down and Soren raised his glass. I lifted mine, too.
“To our first flight." He clinked his glass to mine and took a sip of his drink.
“Thank you, Soren, this really is an amazing date."
I was so hungry! It was later than usual and we'd had a busy day. I dug into my meal, the steak practically melting
in my mouth. It was perfect!
Soren ate too, letting me focus on my food over anything else.
“Oh man… I'm stuffed," I grumbled when I was done.
“Then we should probably walk it off a little."
The moon had risen. We walked through the backyard garden. It was large and full of various flowers—roses,
peonies, lilies and daisies, you name it. Even under the silver moonlight, the garden was vivid with colors.
A soft breeze wafted the floral scent around us.
I rested my head on Soren's shoulder, taking in everything that nature and this beautiful place had to offer.
All of a sudden, tears sprang into my eyes. I couldn't help it. This was a perfect day, and I thought Soren had some
magic of his own. I sniffled, holding back the urge to weep again.
I'd cried more often in the past three months than in my entire life before.
“Mila, are you okay?" Soren held me closer. “Why are you crying? Are you not feeling well… Did I do something
wrong?"
I shook my head. “No, it is just hormones making me emotional. This is… perfect. You're with me, our baby is
healthy and almost here, and this place is so beautiful. For the first time, it feels like we are a family and… It is
almost too good to be true."
Soren chuckled and hugged me closer to him.
“Silly girl, this is how life is supposed to be." He kissed the top of my head. “You seem to like this place, don't you?
Do you think you'd want to spend a few days here?"
“Are you kidding!?" I gasped. “This place is gorgeous. I would love it!"
Soren kissed the top of my head again.
“You like it better than our cottage?" He winked at me.
I shrugged. “Our place in Marno is good enough. But this… this is like a dream."
We walked through the garden a little further.
“I mean, once the baby is born, I'll go back to work and a few years from now, maybe we'll be able to afford a
house like this. After we pay off the nursery stuff!" I stuck my tongue out at Soren.
He shook his head at me.
“But I wouldn't mind spending a few days here."
Soren stopped walking for a moment. “Mila, earlier, I asked you where you wanted to be and you said you wanted
to be with me. Is that still true?"
I turned to face him, looking deeply into his eyes. “When we were at the palace, the moment Payne was made
Alpha of Pomeni, I'd made the decision to go with you."
I grabbed his hands and squeezed. My voice was firm and I meant every word I said.
“Wherever you are will be where I am."
I lifted his hand and held it against my chest. “Since the first time I met you, here," I pointed to my heart and said,
“it didn't belong to me anymore. You have my love, my body, and my soul… unless you tell me to go away, I'll
always be with you."
Soren grabbed my chin and lifted it, his eyes and his smile brighter than the moon.
“In that case, we aren't going back to Marno."
“What?" I tried to pull away but he wouldn't let me.
“Mila, welcome to Alvar, our pack and our new home."