Sleep is a godsend and Amara wakes up feeling refreshed. For a while, she lays in bed and continues reading the journal that she has dubbed The King Chronicles. Eventually her stomach protests so she rolls out of bed and hides the journal. Wanting a boost of confidence if she is going to speak to Carter and possibly face her parents, Amara opts for changing into a cute outfit instead of comfortable leggings and a t-shirt. She grabs a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans and a flowy white off-the-shoulder top. Wanting to dress it up a bit she puts on some burnt orange platforms with block heels and an ankle strap.

As she takes her ribbon box out and places it on top of the dresser getting ready to do her hair, someone just walks into her room. Instantly on high alert, Amara whips around and yelps when she sees Lyam standing there with the door closed. "What the fuck Ly? Give a girl a heart attack why don’t ya" she huffs, hand on her racing heart.

Lyam raises his hand and rubs the back of his neck, a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry! I should’ve knocked. I saw your parents finally got back but you were m.i.a so I wanted to come to check up on you” he apologizes and Amara rolls her eyes. It’s impossible to stay mad at the dork when he means well.

“It’s fine, just don’t do it again. I had been meaning to find you. I just wanted to say thank you for looking out for me on my birthday. I know I got pretty shit-faced but I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t there with someone I trusted to have my back. You’re a real one Ly” she smiles and pulls him into a quick hug. He really had been a lifesaver more than once.

When they pull back, he reaches out his hand about to stroke her cheek, a complicated look on his face. Instinctually, Amara backs up only to have her arm collide with the ribbon box and it falls on the ground, its contents spilling out. “Shit!” she curses, mentally berating herself for reacting like that. She goes to apologize but sees Lyam’s gaze fixed on a spot on the floor.

He looks stunned for some reason as he squats down and picks something up. Slowly bringing two ribbons up he looks her way with wild eyes "Where did you get these?" he asks slowly.

In his hand are two identical ribbons in blue and green with the third one having been misplaced recently during the shopping trip with her mom. They all had white wolf print stitching and she rarely wore them anymore unless she was needing a reminder of her parents. "My dad made them years ago, he gave them to me. Had a whole sewing and embroidery phase, says it’s meditative or something. He still does it from time to time. Why does it matter?" Amara asks now completely confused.

"Has he ever made them for anyone else?" he asks now looking down at the ribbons and stroking them with his fingers. "No, he hasn't. What's going on?" Lyam’s strange behavior is putting her on edge. He is acting weird and she has no idea what to do.

Without a word, he lets the ribbons fall and strides away from her. Stopping with a hand on the doorknob he just looks back at Amara for a few seconds before walking out and leaving her stunned. Slowly, she kneels down and puts all of the contents back in the box, and decided to just leave Lyam be and try to find him later when he has sorted through whatever that was.

There must be something in the water that has everyone acting crazy cause that’s the only explanation for all of the shit going on lately. Wandering around, she just so happens to run into Fia. The Kahale matriarch frankly intimidates her a little bit. A part of Amara is horrified at the thought of Fia having caught on to how intimate she and Maddox have gotten so she may have subconsciously been avoiding the woman.

“Hello Amara. How are you doing dear?” she asks and Amara answers with a smile, hoping it looks somewhere within the vicinity of normal and relaxed. The last thing she needs is for her nerves to be misconstrued and end up unknowingly offending her mate’s mother of all people. Fia definitely seems like the nice but fiercely protective kind of woman.

“I’m doing well! I was hoping to run into Carter so I could ask him something but it seems like everyone is busy.”

“Things have been rather hectic lately. If you are free then perhaps you can join me for a small bite. Don’t tell anyone but I have a pretty sizable sweet tooth. My boys love ribbing me for it” she whispers the last part like she is sharing some big secret and it is that coupled with the eye roll when mentioning Maddox and Lyam that lets Amara know they will get along just fine.

With a laugh, she accepts and follows the older woman to a private kitchen close to the family wing that Amara had no idea was even there but makes a mental note to take advantage of it whenever she stays at Maddox’s room.

The fridge is massive and has all different kind of food but Fia pulls out a French silk pie that makes Amara’s eyes widen and she enthusiastically nods when she is offered a piece. “Ah, a fellow sweets lover! I will have to show you the best bakery in town. They make cream puffs that will blow your mind” the older woman says as she sits the slices down at the small table in the breakfast nook just a few feet away from the fridge. Amara searches around and finds the forks.

“That would be awesome! I’m still getting used to the area although Sina and some of the others have been a huge help. I’ve been to some great places already” Amara replies and digs her fork into the scrumptious looking slice of pie.

“Maddox has also been of some help, I hope. It wouldn’t do for him to neglect his mate” Fia replies nonchalantly and Amara embarrassingly chokes on her bite. She hadn’t expected the woman to just come out and say it like THAT. Hence why she is now coughing and pounding on her chest. A glass of milk is casually slid towards her and she grabs it up, taking a couple of deep gulps.

When Amara finally has herself back under control, except for the ugly blush now covering her neck and face, she looks towards Fia to thank her and apologize. When she does, the woman is looking at her with deeply amused eyes and a small little smirk that she has seen on Maddox countless times and she now knows where the man gets his mischievous streak.

“Umm, yeah! He is fantastic. No complaints!” she awkwardly replies and scrunches her face up, wishing she could just rewind time and say something at least marginally more intelligent sounding.

Fia actually covers her mouth to hide her laughter “Oh honey, it’s fine. I’m just messing with you a little. I have known about you since he saw you in a clearing oh...7 years ago? I believe that is how long it has been, time just flies. I have also seen how enamored he was from the moment you arrived. You are family now, there is no need to be nervous. I merely wanted to officially welcome you to the family and tell you how happy I am Maddox found you. My boys haven’t always had it easy but they have grown into good men but everyone needs their person.”

The barely hidden wistfulness reminds Amara that Fia had lost her own mate. Reaching across, she firmly grasps the older woman’s hand. “I’m honored not just to be Madd’s mate, but to also be part of this pack soon and you have played a large part in making both what they are so thank you. I really hope we can get to know each other better.”

Fia smiles and squeezes her hand back. They move on to talking about random interests while Fia shares some pack gossip. The conversation is light but it is obvious that a connection has been made that will only deepen with time. Amara is just thankful to not be getting a crazy future mother in law.