Mated To My Boyfriend's Dad

Chapter 133: _ Aella Family’s Home

Cora’s shoulders slumped slightly at Farkas’s query, the eagerness in her fading. She stammered, "I– I don’t, General Farkas. But the chance to walk with Lady Aceco made me so excited that I stood up like that." She said.

Rhett and Farkas exchanged another glance, both men unconvinced by her claims. Rhett knew that was just a comfortable excuse to deflect from being queried as she previously was.

Aceco, however, remained neutral about it all like she didn’t find the suspicion in Cora’s countenance. She stood up with her gentle smile radiating warmth.

"Don’t fret, Cora," she said with a soft voice. She stood up from her chair and extended her hand towards Cora. "There’s no need to be nervous. Come, let’s go."

What the...?

Farkas’s gruff voice spoke Rhett’s mind. "Hold on a minute, Aceco. We can’t just let anyone touch you, especially not when the situation is imbalanced." His gaze traveled between Cora and Aceco and his concern was evident.

Aceco, however, remained unfazed. A gentle smile played on her lips. "Don’t worry, Farkas," she said. "There’s no harm in a friendly touch." She met Cora’s nervous gaze with warmth. "Isn’t that right, Cora?"

Cora, who was overwhelmed by the situation, could only manage a small nod. The awe in her eyes was undeniable, but it also seemed to have a hint of fear that didn’t escape Rhett’s notice. He watched the exchange intently, his suspicion growing with each passing moment.

There just was something Cora was hiding. He’d bet his money on it.

"But—" Farkas began to protest again but he wasn’t given the chance to.

Aceco raised a hand, silencing him. "We have a mission, General Farkas," her silver eyes glinted against the light of the office. "And every moment wasted puts us all at risk." Her gaze held a quiet strength that finally convinced Farkas to stand down.

He sighed, muttering something under his breath about being overly cautious.

Seeing the tension ease, Aceco took a step forward and reached out her hand to Cora once more. "Come, fairy," she said kindly. "Let’s go."

Cora hesitated for a moment, her eyes flitting between the outstretched hand and Rhett’s watchful gaze. Then, with a trembling hand, she reached out and took Aceco’s.

Rhett watched as a gasp escaped her lips as a warm energy pulsed from the fairy healer, momentarily draining the nervousness from her face.

Was that how it felt like to touch Aceco?

"Alright, let’s move," Rhett finally said sharply, his voice betraying none of the suspicion churning within him. "Cora, you are taking us to the Aella family’s house." He provided.

A surprised gasp curved Cora’s lips but she quickly recovered and nodded vigorously. "Why, yes, Gamma Rhett." She agreed.

Rhett hid a scoff as her surprise now only increased the percentage of his suspicions of her.

Ninety percent; he thought.

He needed to get them to the location and have Aceco provide them with answers fiesta. Cora’s strange behavior could be investigated later.

For now, it was time to focus. They all exited the station and into one of the cop vans. Rhett chose to drive while Aceco and Cora settled in the passenger seats.

.

.

Dawn was just beginning to bleed through the pack skyline, with streaks of pink and orange in the sky as Rhett pulled the van to a stop in front of a seemingly ordinary apartment building on the outskirts of their territory.

Luckily, the attack the previous night hadn’t reached this far. The streets were deserted with most inhabitants still tucked away within their homes.

Rhett climbed out of the van, his muscles stiff from the long drive and so did the others.

"Lucky most folks are still holed up," Farkas muttered, his voice low. "Wouldn’t want to explain this little— delegation." He gestured towards Aceco, who walked calmly beside him, seemingly oblivious to their concerns, or maybe she just didn’t think it mattered.

Cora led them inside the three-story apartment building. First, they climbed a set of worn stairs with the faint sounds of people stirring in their apartments filtering down the hallway.

Then, they walked down a dimly lit hallway lined with identical closed doors. Here and there, burn marks on the carpet hinted at the violence that had ravaged other parts of the city.

"This place seems to have escaped the worst of it," Farkas remarked, his brow furrowed.

Cora offered a small, nervous smile. "It’s... a bit out of the way," she explained. "Not many folks around here."

Rhett wondered if Farkas could just shut up and focus already. This was why he hated to bring Farkas along with him. His friend was always full of talk and so much talk only did nothing but distract.

Clenching his jaw and willing himself to hold back, Rhett allowed himself to focus on Cora’s reaction instead.

Finally, they reached a door near the end of the corridor. Cora fumbled in her pocket for a key and unlocked it with a trembling hand. Pushing the door open, she gestured them inside.

The apartment was small but tidy. There was a well-worn couch and a few mismatched chairs clustered around a low coffee table. A faded floral rug covered the worn hardwood floor. On the walls hung a collection of colorful children’s drawings.

It was the perfect image of a normal family and this showed that ever since their disappearance, the house hadn’t been used.

"Looks normal." Farkas whistled.

Rhett scanned the room with a deep frown etching itself onto his face. "This is it?" he asked Cora.

Cora, with her shoulders slumped and eyes downcast could only manage a nod. "Yes, Gamma Rhett. This is their place."

Aceco, who had remained silent throughout the journey, moved towards the center of the room. Her eyes rested on the photo for a moment with sadness flashing through her eyes before she turned to Cora.

"Cora," she began, hands folded in front of her. "I need your help. Can you gather a personal belonging of each member of the family – the parents and the children?"

Cora’s eyes widened in surprise. "Personal belongings?" she stammered. "Why?"

Aceco didn’t answer directly. Instead, she explained, "There’s a ritual I can perform to try and locate them. The objects will help me connect to their energy."

And even more keenly now, Rhett watched Cora’s reaction and she didn’t disappoint.