[Lennox’s POV]3 Months LaterAs Ayla fed, I sat in bed humming. At only a few months old, she was quite the glutton, but since I began to produce milk early, I didn’t mind letting her drink her fill.Keeping my gaze fixed on the infant, I took in her tufts of red hair that curled ever so slightly a
"Shit," Silas hissed, "we need to get to Brian now."Later, I fought to stop the screams that wanted to escape from just how fucking painful giving birth was.Beside me, Silas seemed truly distressed as he hovered about while Brian and Gwen, my midwife, kept track of my progress.Despite being in la
[Lennox’s POV] Five Years Later Warm sun beat down against my skin while a nice breeze blew in my hair. Letting out a sigh of contentment, I lifted my tea and took a sip before turning my gaze to Grandma. After five years of rehabilitation, she was almost back to the refined woman she used to be
[Ayla’s POV]Thirteen Years LaterMy eyes scanned the area around me, taking in the party that was in full swing. Today was Isabella and Celia’s eighteenth birthdays, and Uncle Silas and Aunt Lennox had made sure to throw a grand party to celebrate it.To make things even worse, tonight was the full
[Ayla’s POV] Heat rushes through me as Aera’s mouth greedily attacks mine. How we ended up like this is beyond me, but in the heat of the moment, I don’t even care. All I can feel is that intoxicating pull towards him that makes me want more and more. Whimpering, I snake my arms around his neck an
Two Years Earlier [Ayla’s POV] Darkness swirls around me; it makes my chest tight, and my lungs seem to deflate with each push it gives. It’s suffocating and painful all at the same time, and despite anything I do to try to stop it, it just continues to push. "It hurts," I whimper, pulling my kne
"It’s fine," he says quickly, cutting me off. "You didn’t come here to talk about your issues anyway; you came for solace, am I right?" "That’s correct," I confirm. "But I still don’t want you to hate me due to thinking I don’t trust you; it’s just..." "Don’t worry about it," he beams, reaching ou
[Ayla’s POV] I pretend to sleep, listening carefully as Aera sneaks around looking for his clothes. The sounds of him getting dressed drift around me, along with the scent of the cigarette he had just smoked, while I wait until the moment I can stop my act. "Thanks for the fun," he murmurs once he
Nodding, I take a deep breath and rush to Ayla’s side while Gwen begins the operation, and after a few minutes have passed, I hear a shriek fill the air before she is lifting a tiny creature into the air and handing it over to Brian to clean while she cuts the bloody cord attached.Once she is finis
[Aera’s POV]9 months Late"Mmm, Aera, right there."Ayla’s voice echoes around me, spurring my movements even more. Knowing she was enjoying what I was doing to her was all the encouragement I needed."Ah!" she gasps, leaning more into the chair in front of her. "Not so hard."Chuckling, I lean for
When I reach my parents, their faces fill with relief, and I feel my heart squeeze. Even though they hadn’t spoken a word about everything that happened, I was sure that they were now expecting me to snap at any given second. I still had a lot of making up to do in order to gain everyone’s trust an
[Celia’s POV] I stare up into Alphonze’s dark, unreadable eyes while trying to figure out exactly what I was feeling. Was I just caught by surprise because he suddenly appeared, and that was why I suddenly felt jittery and my heart was racing? Right, that had to be it; there couldn’t be anything e
This had been proof to me that we were intended to be together since we didn’t meet just once by chance but twice.After that, I approached her and began to woo her since I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. It was a love that I never imagined could exist, let alone for me, but she made me so
[Alphonze’s POV]I stand to the side, watching as everyone present for the evening enjoys themselves, laughing, dancing, and being merry. It had been a while since I had attended something like this, so it was taking a bit to get used to it again.The last time I came to a full moon ball was when I
"It seems that your date for this evening has arrived," Alphonze announces, clapping me on the shoulder. "I wouldn’t distract you any longer."Nodding, I give him a look and don’t miss the sorrow that flashes in his eyes as he looks from Ayla to me."Hold on as tight as you can because you never kno
[Aera's POV]Soft music drifts toward me as I stand to the side of the large ballroom, waiting for my date to arrive.Despite all the chaos that had been happening in our world, Silas and Alphonze insisted that we have a small, intimate gathering for the full moon as a way to relax and unwind after
[Ayla's POV]The next day, I sit in the passenger seat of Aera's car, staring at Crimsone Tides Estate while fighting the urge to run away. When I entered that building, I'd be making the toughest decision of my life, and I wasn't exactly sure if I was ready.Beside me, Aera remains silent while hol