Choosing Love

Chapter Thirty Three

The wards were a way to provide protection for the Cotillion goers without needing to make anyone feel stifled with guards surrounding them. Each guest was keyed into the wards with their invitation so if they needed to leave the boat for some reason, they'd be able to come back in considering the wards themselves wouldn't be put in place until the start of Cotillion.

James gave her a small smile. "Well then, if there truly are no issues with Estelle being at Cotillion, I'd be happy to give my services and look after him while you and King Ben enjoy the night, Lady Mal."

"Again, it would mainly be just for the first dance and the speeches. You'll be able to enjoy the rest of the night without a Cerberus at your side considering he'll probably spend most of the night with me, Ben, Uma, or Hadie," Mal reiterated. "And you know perfectly well you don't have to use my title."

"Of course, my Lady," James nodded and Estelle snorted in amusement.

Mal chuckled before turning to Estelle and patting the side of her leg. "Come on boy, we're going to go get Ben from his dorm and then head down to the cafeteria for some food."

Estelle gave Mal a doggy grin and wagged his tail. He liked his human's mate! He always gave good scratches and would sometimes slip him snacks when Mali wasn't looking! As well, his human's mate made her happy, like the other Alpha and the Betas. Even the Omega and the non-pack member seemed to make her happy too but not in the way her mate did.

"Thanks again James," Mal said as they turned to leave. With how relaxed her schedule had become, there wasn't much need for Estelle to have an attendant anymore. But Mal found she liked it, having someone looking after her dog. That wasn't to say she didn't like having her dog in Auradon but it...it was more of a comfort. Knowing Estelle was safe and being looked after while she was in class. Or in a meeting.

Yes, she still had meetings. They were rare but they existed.

"Of course my Lady," James nodded as he packed up the dog toys. "It is truly my pleasure."

Mal smiled once more and grabbed Estelle's leash in her hand. While the restraint really wasn't needed, it gave them an alibi in case Audrey tried to say Estelle lunged at her. Not that he would but Mal wouldn't put it past the Sleeping Brat.

Estelle trotted alongside Mal, grinning from ear to ear to ear to ear to ear to ear. He didn't know why his Mali had acted different for a while but clearly it didn't matter! The mean human was gone and wasn't bothering Mali anymore on the small noise thing all the humans seemed to have so all was right with the world.

There was the smaller mean human but his Mali seemed to know how to handle her!

Plus Mal had her pack back! The other Alpha and the other Beta were great to have around, plus the Omega seemed to change for the better from what Mal had said about him. Estelle never really got to see him before but that was okay. He liked spending his time in the pack's den on the ship.

It allowed him to stay away from those mean hyenas!

"Hey Mal," Ben said with a smile as Mal and Estelle came into his dorm, the teenaged King looking up from the book he was reading. "This is a surprise."

"Not as much of a surprise as Emir telling me you were in your dorm for a change instead of your office. What, did you run out of paperwork or something?" Mal teased as she let Estelle off the leash to walk around. Normally Estelle would just hop on the bed or the couch if they were in Ben's office. But currently he was sniffing around, content to get to the bottom of a scent that had caught his nose.

It was an odd one that seemed to be lingering around the big box thing that held his human's mate's furs. Estelle knew he had smelled it before but he just couldn't put his paw on where he had encountered it!