Chapter 98

Ciara's POV Lauren wasn’t able to give Maya a lesson, since she had a dress fitting this morning. We had just finished breakfast, and I have to admit, it was nice having Oliver around. I could sense the difference in Maya. She felt safer with him here. She had been a bit upset earlier, tense and withdrawn through the first half of breakfast. But things shifted when Oliver asked her to come with him to the hospital. Once he explained why he had rushed out last night, she settled almost instantly. I was waiting for Wade to arrive so he could accompany me to meet the resident witch. I knew showing up at Vera’s place alone would only stress her out. Having someone from the Red Crescent pack with me would help put her at ease. Wade mentioned that she knows him fairly well, he delivers food to her once a week. That small connection gave me some comfort. It meant she might be more open to talking with me. I was also glad Maya was going with Oliver. They needed time together, time to strengthe