JUNIPER’S POV:
I know Holly doesn’t like me, so I try to make myself scarce. I have spent two nights in the pack, and Hope has been in labor for those nights. There is tension in the air around the house. Hollis hasn’t had rest seeing his wife in pain, and Hiram has been running some errands while I do nothing but sit in his room, text Rhea, eat, and try to distract myself from the excruciating pain Hope is going through.
This morning, I began to feel sick, and I cannot tell if it is from hearing Hope groan in pain daily or because I have been indoors. I prayed Hiram would return early, but it’s afternoon, and I am the only one in the room.
Shortly, a knock comes on his door, and I stand to open it. Then I stand face to face with his sisters, Hera and Hana.
“Hiram isn’t around, but you can come in,” I say to them, opening the door.
Hiram didn’t mince words when he said Hana was taller than me, and as
JUNIPER’S POV:Hana doesn’t hesitate as we make our way into the hospital. She walks straight to the desk and speaks with the nurses.“I need to get a room for my sister-in-law at once,” she says, and the nurses glance at me briefly.Their faces look displeased, and I can tell they probably recognize I am human, but I do not really care what they think or don’t think—I only want to get through whatever procedure it is that I must do. My body temperature keeps rising, and I realize now that it is only because I have been engaging in conversations with Hana that I didn’t feel it as much at first.“Right this way,” one nurse says, and we follow them closely until we reach a room.I walk to the bed and lie down at once as I feel my legs begin to wobble. Hana and Hera sit on the couches in the room.“The doctor will be with you shortly,” the nurse says, and then she disappears.
Juniper’s POV:“Oh my God, is she okay?” I ask, and then we hear the cry of a baby. Relief washes over me at once, and Hiram gets to his feet, sliding the ring into his pocket.“It’s okay if you don’t…”Before he can complete his statement, the sound of people screaming and wailing fills the air, causing him to pull the door open at once. We both dash out of the room, and I chase after him as he climbs the stairs hurriedly.In the hallway leading to Hope’s maternity room, we see a midwife walk past us, clutching the newborn baby whose cries pierce the air, clashing with the cries of the adults. My heart skips a beat, and I know the only reason they are crying is probably because Hope has died.
HIRAM’S POV:Today is Hope’s funeral, and the tension in the air is worse than ever. I feel terrible after my encounter with Mother. I know she means well, but sometimes she speaks as if she hates Juniper.June, on the other hand, has been weighed down by a lot of tension, and I am trying my best to ease the ill thoughts from her mind.“You look pretty,” I say to her, kissing her neck as she stands in front of the mirror, brushing her hair.“Then you should savor it more because it will only last for about two months,” she says, and I grab her hands.“You have to stop,” I say to her, and she lets out a sigh. “I know you are scared, and I am too, but I believe that somethin
Juniper’s POV:It’s almost been a week since Hope’s funeral, and the house is slowly getting back its color, except for Hollis, who has been in mourning. Hiram and Holly have taken care of his activities as Alpha King while he undergoes active therapy to help him recover. He can’t even look at their son, and until today, the child has no name. I feel pity for the baby, but as someone who has lost someone I cared deeply for, I can also relate to his pain.After the passing of my father, I almost couldn’t function for a long time.“Can I speak to you for a moment, please?” Holly says to me, stopping me before I can make my way up the stairs.I stop and give her a slight bow.“Good
JUNIPER’S POV:Hiram didn’t mince words when he said we are leaving. As soon as it is afternoon, he makes me dress up, then we go downstairs to meet the family and inform them we are leaving.Holly isn’t happy seeing us dressed to leave. She doesn’t speak to Hiram; instead, she comes to me.“I really wish I could keep you here, but it is probably for the best. You have come far in your education, and you deserve to finish,” she says, and I mutter a thank you.“I’ll make sure to keep in touch with you, and to check on the baby too. I don’t need to tell you to take care of this one.” She cocks her head toward Hiram. “You already do it perfectly, and I cannot thank you enough.”With this, she walks back to the couch in the room,
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…”
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: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 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…”