Anna got out of the bath and put on her old clothes, then went to Ian's room. Adam was just coming out, and winked at her, before heading down the corridor towards the stairs. She watched him until he disappeared from sight, and then entered her son's room. He was rummaging through his closet, and as soon as he saw her, he smiled happily at her.
"Mom... Did you bring me any swimming trunks?"
"No, my son. But Uncle Adam must have arranged one for you. He always thinks of everything." Anna said bitterly and angrily remembered what he had said. "If he hasn't, you can go into the pool in your shorts anyway." She said and started looking through the drawers of the closet, and as soon as she found it, she swung it in the air at Ian, who tried to catch it out of her hand, laughing at the joke. When he finally managed to catch it, he threw it on the bed.
"After lunch, will you still let me play in the pool with the children who are coming?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Ian thought.
"I didn't kill her, Mom. I only shot her to hurt her and make her stop hitting you."
Anna looked uneasily at Ian. He was thinking that she would punish him. Maybe she should.
"She could die, Ian. You can't think that you can get away with it every time you do this. Why don't you think about studying to be a policeman? You'll be able to do target practice whenever you want and shoot bad guys to defend the innocent. Just like you did with me today."
"No." Ian just said, and looked at his bedroom window.
"Why not? You're still very young and you'll be able to choose your path when you grow up. You don't have to decide anything now."
"I know that, but I'll never be a policeman... Maybe I'll be a judge, just like Dad..."
Anna realized that his thoughts were far away.
"I don't understand. You like guns..." She decided to insist.
"I can have guns without being a policeman."
"But... Is there a reason why you're so quick to reject my suggestion?"
Ian turned to her with a firm gaze.
"I just don't want to arrest people. Shall we go down to lunch? I'm hungry now."
Anna understood. Ian knew that his family was made up of people who lived illegally and he would never be a hypocrite. Ian was a child of strong character and if he ever pursued a career in the police, his ethics would force him to arrest the whole family.
She got up and took his hand, and together they went downstairs to the living room. There were already a lot of people at the table, but her seat and Ian's, each on one side of Adam, were empty, and she went to her seat while Ian ran to his.
They were in a festive mood. Well... Not all of them. Alexander, Mycon, and Leon, and another werewolf she had never seen there, waited for lunch to be served in complete silence. Kate, Caricature and Ryan, on the other hand, were laughing and indifferent to the mood of those sharing the table.
"I want you all to toast with me to my nephew's effectiveness in defending his mother. I don't think anyone here is going to stop toasting with me because of some sympathy for Bonnie. Those of you who feel so badly for her that you're not happy with my happiness should leave my table. And I will probably personally accompany you up the hill." Adam said calmly, but the threat in his tone was very clear.
"She was hurting my mother. Wouldn't you do the same if she was hurting your mother?" Ian said, and Anna saw the pride in Adam's eyes, as he raised an eyebrow at the men standing there.
"He's right." Caricature said. "Ian is like us. I prefer the company of him and his boss to that of Bonnie. She was our companion, but she stopped being one as soon as she tried to hurt one of our own. You know that our mothers are sacred, and that we have a code of honor, which she violated when she laid hands on Anna, who is also our mate, and the mother of Ian, the chief's heir. Furthermore, I heard that she threatened to cut off Ian's fingers. Anna had strong reasons for getting into a fight with her. Anna didn't approach Bonnie. She was the one who left her place to provoke Anna. You should still remember that Anna has always treated us like family, she's the reason we can sit at the table with the boss and have a deeper relationship with him, and we'll recognize that by supporting her and her son now. I myself will see to it that whoever takes what happened here today out of this mansion sees their own mother dying at my hands.
Judith arrived accompanied by two other employees and placed a glass of drink in front of each of them and a glass of orange juice for Ian.
Adam picked up his glass and raised it.
"You're all Lens now. The Lens family loyalty!" He said and waited to see if everyone would pick up their glasses and toast with him. One by one, they picked up their glasses and raised them, but, to Anna's chagrin, Alexander stood up and left the living room.
The others toasted. Even Ian raised his glass for the toast. It was a toast to the future. The werewolves could see in Ian a leader, even colder than their own boss, but also firmer. They were happy to know that their children and grandchildren would live with the direct heir to the Alpha. That was an honor not granted to the werewolves of the past.
And so lunch went by with everyone happy and talking about how good Ian was and what a valuable ally he would be in the future. They talked to him as if he were an adult.
Anna and Kate just watched the conversation quietly, until Kate decided that she could talk without anyone noticing, as they were distracted.