Royal obligations

Convincing Liliana

The week of the fall festival went by quickly. Ella and Christian spent each day on different activities, Ella loved the time they spent together that week. No classes or homework, nothing but time with each other, Julia and Christopher and his parents. It was a dream come true for her.

The day after the picnic they went to the dorm to meet up with Julia and Christopher who seemed just as happy as Ella and Christian. They decided that they would switch up their rooms since they had all chosen each other so Ella moved in with Christian and Christopher moved in with Julia. By the end of the day everyone in town knew they were together but even though everyone was giving them the eye, Ella didn't mind the attention. She figured that this was how it was going to be from now on so she just smiled and tried to enjoy herself.

On that Friday Ella had planned to go back home to spend time with her mom. She always just assumed she would go by herself but Christian wouldn't hear it and told her that he was going with her. If she was going to talk to her mom about the debt and everything he wanted to be there for her. Besides he wanted to spend time with her mom so she would be able to get to know him, he needed her to see how different from Ella's father he was.

Ella agreed and quite frankly she was relieved that he wanted to go with her. It meant a lot to her that it was important to Christian to get along with her mom. So after breakfast on the Friday they drove to Ella's hometown and as soon as they entered the town Ella felt how toxic the atmosphere in the town was. They stopped by the gas station and they felt how everyone there stopped what they were doing to stare at Ella and Christian. They could also hear the whispers behind their backs when everyone was saying he obviously didn't know how much trash Ella was since he was with her. Christian wanted nothing more than to set them straight but Ella asked him to just ignore them which he did but not before he let her know that he was not happy doing so.

When they got to the apartment building they could see that Ella's mom stood outside waiting for them. To say she looked stressed was a big understatement and Christian mentioned to Ella that she looked really thin and tired. Ella agreed saying that this was the reason she wanted to get her mom away from the town. Saying things had gotten a lot worse for her mom after she had gone to university and also said that she thought her mom wasn't eating properly anymore. Christian was worried about Liliana and told Ella they should have the talk about the debt right then so that his dad would be able to work things out that day. That way she could move on the Sunday if they would help her pack her stuff. Ella loved the idea but was afraid that it would take more convincing than would fit in one day to get her mom to agree with this plan but Christian just told her to keep her hopes up.

When Christian and Ella had put their backpacks in Ella's room they went to the living room to talk with her mom. Christian started by suggesting that they would order lunch and before Liliana could make a sound argument against it, Ella had gone to the fridge and said that it was the only solution, she was starving and couldn't wait for them to go to the store and then cook. Liliana tried to say that it was too expensive but Ella and Christian both told her that it was their treat so in the end Liliana agreed. When they had placed their orders Ella asked her mom if she had managed to get the whole day off work like she had asked her to and her mom said she had but only by working extra hours all the other days of the week.

Ella was a nervous wreck when she started to talk about what had gone between Christian and her and that she knew that werewolves were real and that Mr. Beck had told her about her father. Liliana looked at Ella worriedly and said she knew about that, Christian's parents had talked to her first to see if she was against them telling Ella this. 'Why didn't you ever tell me any of that before?' Ella asked, 'I didn't know how to tell you this, it sounded so absurd in my head and I thought that you would think I was making it up to give you an explanation for something that was unexplainable' her mom answered. Ella nodded her head knowing that her mom was right, Ella had always been a very black and white kind of person so she wouldn't have believed any of it. 'Yeah you're right, I still don't understand why I accepted everything Christian told me, I never doubted or thought he was joking when he was telling me about it all' she admitted. 'I know what you mean but I think that is because of the mate bond. I have felt that bond and you believe everything your mate tells you without questioning any of it' her mom said. Ella knew that was not correct since she had doubted Christian and known when he wasn't telling her everything. 'Umm that's not exactly how the mate bond works Mrs. Fields' Christian said 'please don't call me by that name, I never dropped my maiden name so I'm Ms. Whitehead not Mrs. Fields' she interrupted him quickly. 'I'm sorry Ms. Whitehead, I shouldn't have assumed anything' Christian said before he continued. 'The mate bond gives you a feeling of whether or not the other person is telling the truth or not, that is if both persons are genuine and truly want to be in the mate relationship.' Ella nodded her head 'yes that's true because I could tell when he wasn't being completely truthful to me by not telling me everything' she said looking at her mom to see what her reaction was. 'That's what Trish told me when I voiced my concerns about your relationship. She told me that since I never picked up on any of your father's lies it meant that he wasn't in the relationship wholeheartedly' Liliana said looking relieved that Ella had confirmed that. 'So you are ok with us being together then?' Ella asked her mom 'I am now yes. I can also see that Christian is genuine and cares a lot about you by the fact that he came with you here knowing that it was very likely that he would be spending the weekend in a very hostile environment' Liliana said and winked at them.

The lunch arrived and they went to the kitchen to eat their meal. Ella wasn't sure how she should start the other conversation and it took her several tries to start before Christian came to her aid. 'My father also told us about the debt that Ella's father left you with and from what Ella told me it's more severe than you told her' he started. Liliana looked sheepish and didn't know what to say so Ella started talking. 'I can understand why you didn't tell me how much it was and that it was not all with the bank. But I hope you will listen to what we have to say before you dismiss it all together.' Liliana looked at Ella with a stern face 'you can't expect me to accept a handout. Dominic doesn't owe me anything and it's not his fault how your father is. I have to take responsibility for not stopping him and allowing him to deceive me for as long as he did' she said. Christian looked at Ella and seemed to want to argue about that so she just shook her head at him.

'I know and I told Mr. Beck that. And I agree that it's not his responsibility but this town has never been good for us and the people have always treated us horribly, like we are worth less than them or something. That is not right, no matter what my father did or didn't do. I have also noticed that since I left you have gotten thinner and look really tired and unhappy' Ella said looking worriedly at her mom before continuing. 'Mr. Beck understood how you feel when I explained it to him but he really wants to help me get you closer to me.' Liliana looked at Ella 'so the job offer he made me at the start of the semester is his way of doing that?' Ella showed how genuinely surprised she was by this when she looked at Christian asking 'did you know that your father had already offered her a job?' Christian told them that his father had told him about it that morning before they left. 'He asked me to tell you that the offer still stands, that he really wants you to work for him.' Christian said looking between Ella and her mom before continuing 'he also asked me to try to get you to accept it. He knows that you are stuck here while paying off the debt but he really wants you to accept and so he offers to loan you to pay off the debt here and he will make a deal with you to have payments deducted from your monthly pay. Giving you a chance to leave here and still pay off the debt.'

Ella realized that she was holding her breath while Christian was talking and when he finished she couldn't help the air in her lungs gushing out all at once. Christian and Liliana laughed at her while they both asked her to please breathe, they didn't want her to suffocate. Ella blushed immensely by that and promised to keep breathing.

'So, mom, what do you think about this offer?' She asked her mom. 'It's very tempting I must say. When does he need an answer?' Liliana asked Christian. 'The sooner the better. I for one would love to get an answer today and hopefully you'll accept because it would make Ella so happy to have you near her again. She misses you so much' he said. 'Why today?' She asked him. 'Well, know that this is coming from me, but if you answer today, my father can get you free from this town as soon as Monday. Which would be for the best in my opinion.' 'Wow that soon? But I would have to give notice on Monday which means I won't be free to move until two weeks from now' Liliana said. 'You'd be surprised what my father is able to do. And I know for a fact that he really wants you to come work for him so he will be willing to do a lot to make that happen as soon as possible' Christian said smiling.

'Ok. Not that I don't know what you want but do you think this is something I should do sweetie?' Liliana asked Ella. 'Yes, I really do mom. You would finally have a chance at a good life around people who treat you well plus you will be able to see me every weekend if you want' Ella answered. 'Sweetie it's not a question whether I want to see you every weekend but rather if you want to spend your party days with me' Liliana said laughing but continued before Ella could reply. 'But yes I think I agree. This is the best solution for us. Christian can you call your father so I can talk to him about the details?'

While Liliana was on the phone with Mr. Beck, Ella and Christian decided to go to the store for some groceries and give her some privacy. When they got back with food for the three of them for the weekend Liliana told Christian that his father wanted him to call him back. Christian excused himself and went into Ella's room to call his father.

'You sure took your time to call me back, considering I was told you want to finish this today and bring Liliana back with you on Sunday' his father answered the phone. 'Yeah, sorry about that, Ella and I went to the store to get food. There was nothing here, not even milk for coffee and seeing how thin Liliana is now I don't think that she is eating much.' Christian replied adding 'dad, the way the people here look at them and what they whisper, very loudly I might add, behind their backs is disgusting. The worst part about it is that Ella doesn't want me to say anything to them. She told me she learned the hard way what happens if they defend themselves. Dad this is the worst kind of bullying I've ever witnessed, I can't stand the thought of either of them staying here longer than necessary.' His dad was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke 'yes, I agree with you. I have gotten long speeches about how little they are worth and to tell you the truth, your mom is making the last four phone calls for me because I can't take it anymore.' His dad was audibly enraged by it all which didn't surprise Christian. 'Son I need you to go to the courthouse for me and sign the paperwork for me. Your mom and I won't make it there in time to do it ourselves. And I agree with you, Liliana needs to leave as soon as possible.' His father stopped for a moment while he answered his mom something. 'Son, I don't need to tell you to keep your calm while you do this for me. I will fax the courthouse all the paperwork as soon as Laurence finishes the final detail. You should be able to go there in an hour and we will be there with a few pack members tonight to help pack. I want them out of that godforsaken town by tomorrow night' he finished. Christian promised to keep himself calm for their sakes and said goodbye to his father.

He needed a few minutes to cool down before he went back to Ella and her mom. All he could do was comfort himself in the knowledge that they would be leaving within 24 hours and would never have to come there again. When he felt like he was calm enough he went to the living room where Ella and her mom were talking. It sounded like Liliana was telling Ella that Christian was right about his father's ability to make things go fast. 'I know my father well, he will have everything ready within the hour and he asked me to go to the courthouse to sign the paperwork for him. He and my mom will bring a few pack members to help with the move so we should be able to leave with everything tomorrow night at the latest' Christian said as he entered. Ella gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen on her and wowed to himself that he would do his best to make her smile like that every day for the rest of their lives. 'That was fast, but what about my job here?' Liliana asked. Before Christian could answer that he had forgotten to ask his father about that, Liliana's phone rang. She made a face before she answered 'Hello, Liliana here' she said, the person on the other end said something that made her pull her eyebrows up 'ok. I'll be there in a few minutes' she replied before hanging up. 'Seems like your father has taken care of that as well, this was my boss demanding I would get there now to clear out my desk and sign the resignation since, and I quote, I seem to have managed to con the biggest businessman in the southern states into bailing me out of my debt' she said while she put her shoes on. 'Mom do you want us to come with you, just in case they try to give you a hard time?' Ella asked worriedly. Her mom thought for a second 'I don't know if I want to put you through that sweetie, but I have to admit it would be good to have help carrying my stuff out' she said and looked at Christian who had already started to put his shoes on. 'No worries, we can go to your work and finish that and then I can go straight to the courthouse from there. Ella baby, can you start packing so we can get a head start on that. Your mom and I will bring boxes when we get back' Christian said lovingly to Ella who just smiled again and nodded her head. He kissed her goodbye and left with her mom while Ella went to the storage to get suitcases to pack clothes in. Luckily she had taken most of her clothes with her at the start of the semester so she only had summer clothes left there to pack.

When Christian parked the car in front of the building where Liliana had worked he could sense her nerves and he couldn't blame her. He had no idea what they would be walking into but reminded himself to keep calm no matter what. He was representing his father now and he had been taught that it is not good business to lose face in front of others. You keep it civilized and do business, when you're alone you can let your anger out. His father always told him to keep his wolf in until he was sure he wasn't seen in the woods or mountains and then he could let it out to run the anger out of his system.

Once they stepped out of the elevator Liliana's boss stood right there and it was obvious that he was livid with rage. He started yelling at Liliana. Demanding that she would tell him how she managed to get through to Mr. Beck in the first place and what she had done to get him to bail her out. Christian was shell shocked by this but instead of showing it he just put his hand out to the man 'Christian Beck, Mr. Beck's son. I'm here to represent my father in his absence and I can assure you that it was us who contacted Ms. Whitehead and talked her into working for us. We are in need of a good bookkeeper and since we only want the best for our company we naturally wanted her' he said with full confidence and in full control of his wolf. The man's demeanor changed like he had flipped a switch, smiling while he shook Christian's hand. 'It's a pleasure to meet you. I have been trying to get an audience with your father for the longest time to try to do business with him. Would you be so kind to tell him that?' Christian just looked at the man 'we know you have been contacting our company relentlessly for years now' he said while he took his hand back and followed Liliana to her desk only briefly looking back at the man to ask him to bring the paperwork for her to sign, they were crunched for time as it is.

Liliana and Christian were out again within 20 minutes, Christian had asked to look over the papers before she signed and noticed that they were not going to pay her for her work that month. Stating that the abrupt resignation on her part would be a financial burden for the company. When Christian had politely asked them to correct that on the spot so he would not have to drag his father out of meetings the boss was quick to correct that. Christian told the man that his father and him expected her payment to be in her account by the end of the day. The man promised to do what he could, and with that they walked out.

They went to the courthouse where the paperwork and representatives of all the companies and bank were waiting for Christian. He introduced himself adding that he needed to keep it short since he was crunched on time, asking them if they had all read the contracts over which they all said they had. 'Now let's begin then. Have you signed the papers yourself or were you waiting for me?' Christian asked then. Some had signed so Christian started with those contracts, signing them and handing them over to the notary to stamp them legal. When Christian had signed all 25 contracts his hand was starting to cramp but he showed no sign of it, keeping it as business-like as he could. When the notary brought the papers back, all stamped in two copies Christian told them all that he would call his father as soon as he would get out to let him know that everything was ready for the money transfer. The men all thanked him and said they hoped to be able to do business with his father in the future. Christian just nodded his head and wished them good weekend before leaving. On their way back they stopped by the stationary store to get boxes and wrapping bubbles. Their drive was quiet but when they got back to the apartment building Liliana told him that she had never seen an 18 year old kid handle themselves so professionally as he did just then. She told him he had made his father proud and she could see that he was the complete opposite of Ella's father so she was glad that Ella had found him. Christian was proud of himself and promised her that he only wanted the best for Ella. That she only deserved the best so he was going to be the best version of himself for her.

It was around dinner time that Christian's parents and pack members arrived with a moving truck. Ella had packed all their clothes while Christian and her mom were out and they had been working tirelessly for a few hours to pack up as much as they could. Ella had started to cook at 17.30 after Christian had called his parents to check if they would be joining them for dinner. His mom told him that they would be stopping in the next town to grab food before they continued. She also told him that they would come right over after checking in to their hotel for the night.

While Ella, Christian and Liliana hurriedly ate dinner Mr. and Mrs. Beck started instructing the pack members to start hauling down boxes that were full and ready to go to the truck. When they had finished dinner in record time, all the boxes and furniture that were not needed for the night had been taken out of the apartment.

They worked until late in the evening and when they stopped to get some sleep, everything had been packed and taken out of the apartment, only leaving some kitchenware to eat with, chairs and kitchen table as well as their beds. They were feeling extremely accomplished with themselves and went to bed happy with how the day had turned out.

The morning after Ella and Christian were woken up by both of their parents telling them that if they wouldn't wake up now, they would miss out on having breakfast since they wanted to start taking the rest of the stuff out of the apartment. They had a cleaning crew coming there at 1 pm so they wanted to be all done then so they could just go have lunch and then leave. Neither Ella nor Christian had ever been so quick to wake up and get out of bed as they did then and as soon as they were in the kitchen having breakfast they saw the bed being taken out of the apartment followed by the couch and dining room table and chairs.

At 12.30 the apartment was empty and they were just waiting for the cleaning crew. Mr. Beck asked the pack members to go ahead of them, get some lunch and start the drive back. He told them the address Liliana would be moving to and asked them to get as many with them to clear the truck and bring all the stuff in its allotted room. The boxes they were unsure of where to put, he asked them to take it into the second living room for Ms. Whitehead to figure out.

The 5 of them waited for the cleaning crew and as soon as Liliana had opened the apartment for them she went down to the maintenance office to hand in her keys before meeting the rest at the restaurant for lunch. It was nice to sit relaxed and eat lunch together and while their parents were talking freely about their mutual university classmates Ella and Christian just enjoyed listening to them. Both of them noticed how relieved Liliana sounded and looked. Christan whispered to Ella that her mom looked happy, like all her worries were gone and she could finally let herself be free. Ella agreed with him and thanked him for everything he had done to make it happen. She told him that she would do anything to show him just how much she appreciated it. Christian smirked asking if she meant that to which Ella said she did, he had no idea how much this meant to her so she wanted to make sure she conveyed that to him. Christian smiled and winked at her telling her that he had an idea on how she could show him and when Ella blushed he just laughed and told her that just seeing her smile like this and having the twinkle in her eyes was enough for him. It would always be enough for him he thought while he reminded himself to make her always smile like that.