CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57 HAVING LUNCH WITH CLARA

Caroline’s POV

Liam and I were building a tower with the intricate wooden block set that Draven had gifted him. My son had become completely enamored with this toy,hardly playing with anything else these days. We were already dressed and waiting for Elle and Nate to arrive so we could meet Clara for lunch before her big move to London.

"Mommy,is Draven coming to play with us today?" Liam asked,carefully balancing a block on top of his growing structure. The way his violet eyes lit up at the mere mention of Draven’s name made my heart twist with conflicted emotions.

"Not today,sweetie," I replied gently. "Today we’re having lunch with Aunt Clara because she’s moving away soon."

Rory stirred within me,sensing my unease."He’s forming a bond with Draven. It’s natural for pups to seek strong Alpha energy."

"But he’s MY pup," I responded,unsure why Liam’s attachment to Draven bothered me so much. Perhaps because I knew how easily people could disappear from our lives.

I heard the front door open and Elle and Nate came in laughing. Liam immediately abandoned his blocks and rushed into Nate’s waiting arms with a squeal of delight.

"There’s my favorite little man!" Nate exclaimed,swinging Liam up high.

After talking in the living room,we went to meet Clara. On the way,Nate told Liam they’d go to the mall later.

The restaurant was busy when we arrived,but they had our table ready. Clara joined us shortly after,looking elegant as always in her suit.

"Finally,I get to meet the perfect boyfriend!" Clara teased,looking at Elle who was beaming with happiness.

"Oh,Clara,my mate is absolutely perfect,just look at him," Elle gushed,leaning into Nate’s side.

We laughed as Nate’s face flushed red. He stood up politely to introduce himself properly. After ordering drinks,we fell into easy conversation about my hometown of Maplewood and how things had changed since I’d left. Suddenly,Liam tugged on Clara’s sleeve,"Aunt Clara,do you know Draven?" he asked,his violet eyes serious.

"Yes,I do. He’s my friend," Clara replied,clearly surprised by the question.

"Are you gonna see him today?" Liam persisted.

"I will. Would you like me to give him a message?" Clara asked,gently running her fingers through my son’s blonde hair.

"Yes! Tell him to come play with me again at my house,please." Liam’s eyes sparkled with excitement. My heart clenched. This attachment my boy had formed with Draven in such a short time,I just couldn’t understand it.

"I’ll tell him,I promise." Clara kissed the top of my son’s head. "They really hit it off,didn’t they,Carrie?" She looked at me.

"Yeah,they really did," I admitted with a sigh. "Now I don’t know what to do. It seems like Liam misses him terribly." I struggled to keep the worry from my voice. How was I supposed to help my son forget about a man who might not remain in our lives.

"Maybe you should listen to your pup’s instincts," Clara winked at me.

Our lunch continued pleasantly,filled with laughter and stories. When it was time to say goodbye,we made plans to meet next month when Clara would visit. She’d committed to coming back for a week each month despite her new position.

Before leaving,Clara pulled me aside. "Sweetie,forgive him," she said earnestly. "Draven made a mistake,but he won’t make a second one. And Ryan was just being protective of his Alpha and friend."

"Clara,he hurt me deeply," I replied,the pain still fresh in my memory. "I don’t know if I can just forget that."

"Carrie,pride never made any wolf happy," Clara said,squeezing my hands. "The bond forming between them is rare and precious. Think about that."

She gave me another hug and departed for her car.

True to the plan,we headed to the mall where Nate took Liam to the indoor playground. After an hour of running and climbing,Liam was sweaty but somehow still bursting with energy. Elle and I needed to rest,so Nate volunteered to continue supervising Liam’s playtime.

"You ladies take a break," he offered. "This little wolf and I still have plenty of adventures ahead of us,right buddy?"

Elle and I strolled through the mall,window shopping and chatting. When we passed by Ava’s boutique,Elle nudged me. We couldn’t resist going in.

"So,my dear boss,decided to update your wardrobe again?" Elle teased as we entered.

To my surprise,Joseph was leaning over the counter,clearly flirting with Ava who was blushing but holding her own.

"Are you girls following me?" he asked with a playful grin.

"You wish!" I laughed. "We brought my son out for some fun," I explained while greeting Ava with a wave.

"Ah,the famous Liam." Joseph’s eyes lit up. "I don’t know who talks about him more,you two or Draven. Where is he? I want to meet this little charmer," he said,looking around expectantly.

"He’s at the playground with Elle’s boyfriend," I replied,trying not to react to the mention of Draven talking about my son.

"Oh,another one I need to meet,the lucky wolf who captured our Eleanor’s heart," Joseph said with dramatic flair. He turned to Ava and added,"She claims he’s the perfect boyfriend."

"Oh my goodness,then don’t let him get away! You’ve found a rare specimen indeed," Ava said with a warm smile.

"Well,ladies,since we’re all here,let’s finalize plans for next Saturday so you can wear those amazing dresses," Joseph suggested,though his eyes kept drifting back to Ava.

"Perfect! Ava,you have to come with us. It’ll be fun," Elle said,not letting Ava say no.

"I’d love to! And I’m off next Saturday. Let’s do something special," Ava said excitedly.

We traded numbers and planned to have lunch soon to set up our night out. Elle got a text from Nate saying they were waiting at the food court. We said goodbye and went to meet our boys.