HIRAM’S POV:I sit on the edge of the bed for a moment, her scent lingering in the air, taunting me. My body hums with frustration and longing, thinking of the fact I have to let her go. I want more of her, but her safety matters first. As the ghost of her lips burns against mine, I push myself up with a groan, making my way to the bathroom like I have no mind of my own.The sound of running water greets me as I open the door, and I see her standing naked in front of the mirror. Her fingers toy with her hair, twisting it into a loose knot. As I appreciate the curves of her body, she glances at me briefly.“Do you need something?” she asks, continuing with her hair.“Maybe.” A smirk hangs on my lips as I step into the room.I move to the oversized tub, turning the knobs to adjust the temperature. Steam curls upward, filling the space with warmth as the water begins to rise. Then I walk toward her, pulling her close to me, allowing her back to rest on my chest as my hands trail down the
JUNIPER’S POV:Today is another lazy weekend for me, with Hiram out of town. Well, not exactly lazy—I’m at the bakery, waiting tables while texting Hiram. Sally doesn’t make it in today, so she leaves Rhea and me in charge. It’s day three of my fever, and while I feel better, I’m still not up for much.“I’ll handle the deliveries and grab what we need at the market,” Rhea says as I wrap a freshly baked pastry and place it on a plate.“Thanks, Rhea. I love you,” I reply, smiling as I turn to her.She scrunches her nose.“Yeah, because Mr. Hot Professor is out of town. If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t even be an option. You’d just pay me off to go sit on his lap.”I chuckle as she leans in to kiss my cheek. “I’m off,” she says, grabbing her things.My phone beeps, and a smile spreads across my face as I glance at the screen, reading his text in my mind.“Just woke up. What are you up to, love?”“And now he’s texted back, making me completely irrelevant,” Rhea teases, rolling her eyes.I scoff,
HIRAM’S POV:Juniper canceled on me the previous night. When I saw her text saying she won’t meet with me, I wanted to go to her, but I couldn’t. It was the last night of the full moon, and I knew I couldn’t risk being out of my house. This is a part of her I don’t like. Concealing her pain and doing something drastic the next day.As I make my way to her classroom this morning, all I can think of is the tricks she has up her sleeves, and I hope I survive it.“Good morning, class,” I say as I walk into the class.My heart races as I try not to look at her, but I can’t help it. I’m drawn to her like a magnet, so my eyes involuntarily search for her in the crowd.She’s sitting in the middle row in front, leaning slightly forward with her arms crossed on her desk, and her eyes solely on me with a smirk hanging on her lips. Then I see it—what she’s wearing. A thin, snug-fitting top that clings to her in all the wrong ways. No, scratch that—all the right ways, but not for anyone else to se
HIRAM’S POV:“Stop what?” she snaps, her eyes locked on mine. “Do you know how happy I was texting you yesterday? I missed you. I wanted to spend the evening with you. Do you even understand how I felt when Rhea told me she saw you with Lola?”Her words hit me like a punch.“I’m sorry,” I mutter, reaching out to grab her hands, but she pulls back, stepping away.Her rejection hurts, but not as much as her words.“Sorry?” The question leaves her mouth in a high-pitched tone.“That’s all you ever say, Hiram. Sorry. This is supposed to be a relationship! Do you even know how exhausting it is, trying to hold on to my sanity when all I do is second guess you? You tell me there’s nothing between you and other women, and God, I want to believe you! I really do. But how can I? You told me you didn’t want a relationship, and now you turn around and say you want one with me. So what happens when you want these other women?” Her voice cracks, and it feels like a knife twisting in my chest.“Why
JUNIPER’S POV“What does he want from you?” Hiram’s voice cuts through.I shrug casually, brushing him off.“Probably to ask why I missed his class. He is my lecturer, you know.” Hiram’s brows knit together with a frown, which makes me regret my response at once, as I hadn’t intended it to sound the way it did.“God, Hiram. Not every lecturer is out to sleep with me. Professor Victor is old, strict, and probably has a lovely family.” I try to sound nonchalant, but the unease in his gaze doesn’t waver.“You think I’m worried for nothing?” His tone has a tinge of frustration simmering beneath it.I sigh.“Do you not want me to go?”“It’s not that.” His voice softens. “It’s just... meeting him in his office. Behind closed doors. That’s unnecessary. If it’s about class, he could’ve addressed it there. Anything can happen when you’re alone with him, Juniper. I just want you to be careful.”I lean in and kiss him, hoping to reassure him. “I can handle myself, Hiram.”The hallway to Professo
HIRAM’S POV:The moment I step into Victor’s office, I know something is wrong. His smile is too broad, and his voice too smooth—like oil trying to slick over something rotten. My gut twists as I watch his composure relax with false ease. I hate myself for not coming with Juniper. I told myself she can handle it, and I didn’t want to annoy her or take up too much of her space.Victor’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “I love meeting young minds like you,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “It’s inspiring to see someone excel so early in their career. Twenty-nine and already a professor—it’s impressive, truly.”The praise falls flat, hollow against the rising tension in my chest. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out. My breath hitches when I see Juniper’s name on the screen. The message is long, and with every word I read, my blood burns hotter.My hand tightens around the phone as I take in everything he does to her.Soon, Victor’s voice just becomes background noise to
HIRAM’S POV:When I have given the orders, I make my way to my room. I walk in to find June sitting quietly on my bed. The soft light filtering through the curtains casts shadows over her face, but even from here, I can see the tension in her posture.My gaze lingers on her for a few seconds before she looks up and realizes I’m there.“You are here,” she mutters, her voice barely above a whisper, and I shut the door, the sound echoing in the silent room. Without hesitation, I walk toward her.As I close the space between us, she tilts her head up to meet my eyes. The air between us feels heavy, and her eyes look darker than usual. I run my hands gently over the skin beneath them, searching for tears, but they’re dry. It doesn’t matter—I can feel her pain radiating from her.“You must be tired after a long day. Take off your clothes, so you can get some rest,” I say in a soft voice. She nods obediently and rises to her feet, her movements almost robotic.She pulls her clothes off piece
HIRAM’S POV:After deleting the message, I leave the room, making my way downstairs. Then I find my way to the basement, where Alex’s guys are carrying out the instructions I gave.As I step through the door leading to the basement, my fists tighten at my sides. I descend the stairs with my mind replaying June’s trembling voice, and all I can think of is how lucky Victor is that Juniper needed me tonight. If not, I would be the one hammering my fists into his stupid face until I exhaust the hurt in my chest. It would never be the same as Alex’s men doing it because with me, I may not know when to stop, and I would only send him to his grave early.The air grows heavier with every step, and the scent of damp stone mingles with blood—Victor’s blood, and this only lightens my mood a bit as the low thrum of voices becomes clearer.Finally, I get to the bottom. What greets me is the sound of a fist connecting with flesh, followed by a muffled grunt of pain. I push the door open at once, an
Hiram’s POVI shift into my human form the moment Cillian’s lifeless body hits the ground. I am in pain from the bullets that hit me, but I push it aside as my body heals slowly.My heart lurches at the sight of Juniper clutching her belly with her face twisted in pain.“June!” I rush to her side, dropping to my knees. My hands hover over her, unsure of where to touch first. She’s trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven.Her wide, tear-filled eyes meet mine.“Hiram,” she gasps. “The baby... the baby’s coming. He made me take pills. Too many...” Panic grips me, but I shove it down.This isn’t the time to lose contr
JUNIPER’S POV:I’m crammed between two burly men in the backseat of the SUV. The air inside the car reeks of cigarettes and sweat, making it hard to breathe. My heart pounds in my chest as I struggle hard against the man who has his hand covering my mouth, but he doesn’t let up. I bite his palm, causing him to yelp in pain and pull away from me.“You little—!” He grabs my hand, twisting it behind me, and the other man glares at me.“You’re going to regret this. My husband—he’s going to find you. And when he does, you’ll be sorry.” I try to sound confident, but the four of them let out a heart-draining chuckle.The man holding me snorts, his beady eyes narrowing as he glares at me.
HIRAM’S POV:My driver pulls up to the convention center in Boulder City, parking near a tree stripped bare by winter. The air bites a little—just cold enough to remind me it’s December. The streets are quiet except for a couple of locals strolling past. “Hang around, or you can come in with me,” I say to him as I look at the building in front of us.Above the entrance, a banner hangs: BOULDER CITY ART FESTIVAL 2024.I step out of my car, making my way towards the entrance. The moment I step inside, the chill fades, replaced by the hum of life and creativity. The place is packed with people, which makes it warm. There are conversations in the air, and the bright colors catch my attention.There are paintings, sculptures, and displays explodi
JUNIPER’S POV:“Will you at least drop me off at school before you go to your art, whatever?” I ask Hiram as I put on my jacket, staring at myself in the mirror.“Sure,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek.“I am so glad we’re in winter, and I get to wear these large jackets. I can slowly feel the baby fat creeping in.” He grabs my hand, pulling me away from the mirror.“That’s enough for today.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “You look more beautiful than ever, and there is no baby fat,” he says, then plants a brief kiss on my lips.I adjust his tie, patting his shoulder briefly.“You look so
HIRAM’S POV:“I have an art exhibition I would love to attend on Monday.” Juniper puts down her phone and glances up at me as I say this. “It’s just in Boulder City.”Her brows crease, and she focuses on her phone without saying a thing.“You won’t make a comment?” I ask, and she glares at me.“Yeah, my husband is going to abandon me for an art exhibition while I go to school pregnant and in pain.” The sarcasm in her tone makes me chuckle slightly, then I walk up to her, sitting on the bed.“It is just one day, and I will be back in the evening or the next morning. It will be as though I didn’t leave. Plus, Rhea is here to take care of you, and&hell
HIRAM’S POV:After dinner, June and I settle in her room while Rhea stays in the guest room. I expect her to follow the usual routine of staying up almost the entire night, keeping me awake too, but before I can tell, she is sleeping peacefully in my arms.I remain like that, watching the rise and fall of her chest with a gentle snore accompanying it. While she sleeps, I try to sleep too. I shut my eyes, patting her hair gently, but even as I close my eyes, I find it difficult to drift off to sleep.After a while, I push her head away gently, then I place it on the pillow, planting a kiss on her head before I stand up. My steps are quiet in order not to wake her. I leave the room, heading for the front door to get some fresh air, but the moment I step out of the hallway, I spot Milo sitting in the living room
Hiram:After minutes of driving, we get to Juniper’s mother’s house. It is a small house in town, which looks comfy. There is a compact car parked in front of it, and June’s mother is standing in front of the house. When we pull up, she rushes toward the car.Before I can open the door, Juniper gets it, rushing toward her mother.“Mum!” she exclaims, throwing her arms around her. Her mother pats her back slightly. Then I get out of the car, and Rhea follows. I grab our joint luggage while Rhea takes her bag.She looks almost the same as June, but her hair is black. They pull away, facing Rhea and me.“You already know Rhea,” June says, and Rhea waves at her.
HIRAM’S POV:“Hiram, the food’s too cold!”“Hiram, the food’s too hot!”“Hiram, it’s too sweet!”“Hiram, it’s too salty!”This has been June’s anthem this past week. I know mood swings are part of the pregnancy package, but I didn’t expect it to be this way. It’s like I can hardly breathe, and nothing is good enough for her. Sometimes I wish I could rip that baby out of her.Right now, she is fast asleep, and it is the best time for me with her. Watching her sleep peacefully like a baby and admiring her beauty, because once that eye opens, I’ll be running around the clock.
Hiram’s POV:Last night, June didn’t spend the night in my room. She came back home with Rhea, and they hung out the entire evening.“You know I’m beginning to think you love Rhea more than you love me,” I say to her as she sits in front of the mirror doing her hair.She looks at me through the mirror with a frown on her face.“Why would you say that?” she asks, and I walk up to her, bending slightly.“Maybe because you spent the entire evening with her, and slept in the guest room too,” I say, and she chuckles slightly.“So, you’re jealous of a woman?” she asks, then tilts her head slightly to face me. “You know what? Maybe I do love her better and we might have…”