Stronger as One (#1, Completed)

2. Wild child

RILEY

The image of the black wolf lingered in my mind the next morning, imprinted like a shadow I couldn't shake off. I sat staring into my coffee, steam curling upward. Even with the hot mug clutched between my hands, a chill crept down my spine at the memory.

Obviously, neither the wolf nor the creep outside had been real. Just the idea of a wild animal like that wandering the streets of London was laughable and would have made the news in no time.

No. I must have dreamt him up, some twisted figment born from seeing the blonde guy at Adam's event and my love for animals. Blinking hard, I tried to dissolve the lingering phantom from my mind. Yes, that had to be the explanation—my fatigue-addled brain seeing connections that weren't there.

Maybe it's time to take that holiday that John's been nagging me about.

Whatever the case, I had no plans to waste my morning trying to figure it out. Not when I was running late to meet Mum and Dad for our monthly family lunch—the one family tradition I never missed, no matter the chaos at work.

Even nearing thirty, I cherished those Sunday visits. Moving out had put distance between us, and I missed the lively meals from my time home, full of Dad's awful puns and Mum's laughter.

They had been the most extraordinary parents, especially considering I came into their lives as a scared three-year-old. It was no easy job taking care of a toddler whose birth parents died in a horrific car crash. The authorities never uncovered who my biological parents were. Some crappy explanation that no IDs were found, only the necklace on my neck with my name—Aurelie—but that didn't help much.

With no relatives to claim me and no past, I was put up for adoption until Seraphine and Victor found me. Growing up, they told me countless times how they fell in love with me the moment they saw me, giving me a home and all the love and care a little girl could ever wish for.

The drive to their place was automatic, one I could have done blindfolded. As I turned onto the familiar gravel path, the crunch beneath my tyres felt whispered home. The red brick of the house peeked through the arms of the old oak, its leaves a green canopy that had shaded my childhood. I smiled at the neat hedges and the potted plants lining the front walk, touched by Mum's hand. Dad would be in the garden at the back, no doubt, cursing stubborn weeds or fussing over herbs.

I shook my head, a smile playing on my lips. Yes, this was home.

With the car parked, I gathered the bouquet of stargazers and irises from the passenger seat before heading inside. The door flew open to Mum's smiling face before I could even ring the bell.

"Auri! I've missed you so much," she exclaimed, enfolding me into a fierce hug before Dad came to my rescue.

"Give her some air, darling." He gently unwound Mum's vice-like grip, winking. "I'd like her alive for lunch."

Mum flushed but gifted him with an affectionate kiss. They were so cute together, still smitten after all these years.

As she turned to fuss over the flowers I'd brought, he pulled me in for a gentler embrace. "There's my girl." He ruffled my hair affectionately. "How's my sweet pea doing?"

Some things never changed, not even when you were a grown-up woman, though the affection lighting Mum's face as she gazed over melted away any annoyance.

That didn't stop her from rushing to smooth my undoubtedly mussed hair. "Honestly, Vic. She's not twelve anymore." But her eyes shone, taking me in before she went back to arranging the bouquet.

The vibrant colours of the flowers livened up the cosy living room as we all settled on the sofa to catch up.

"So, how is work?" Dad asked.