3rd POV
Caleb awakens, fully aware of the chaos around him, and shifts back into his werewolf form before effortlessly tossing the rafter off his chest. As Henry regains his balance, he spots Caleb racing toward Hugo. In a desperate attempt to impede Caleb, Henry grabs a meat hook and throws it ahead of him, yanking on the chain with force. The hook embeds itself in Caleb's calf, prompting a pained roar as he crashes to the ground, skidding into a metal table. Henry pulls the chain, dragging Caleb closer to him.
Dean sees his brother in imminent danger and swiftly swipes his foot sideways at Hugo, sending him crashing against the metal wall near the cellar. Hugo slams into the surface, the impact knocking the breath from him before he slides down to the floor, hard enough to loosen the cellar doors. Loose enough for Blossom to realize they are now ajar...
With a quick pivot, Dean thrusts himself forward, launching his massive weight about fifteen f
3rd POVThe memory transitioned to another scene, where Aries and Liza were plotting how, when, and where Eliza would be kidnapped, even discussing the methods of her demise. They agreed on a price for her death and shook hands, sealing Eliza's grim fate. Liza revealed the entire abduction, depicting Hugo chasing after her once she managed to escape, culminating in the horrific moment when Hugo stabbed her multiple times after mercilessly beating her.The vision shifted to a moment where Aries handed over payment, saying, "You're fortunate to be getting anything after such a colossal screw-up," clearly referring to the botched kidnapping. Dean felt a surge of anger about the situation, but he wasn't the least bit surprised. "Caleb was right," he thought within the link.Liza then transported them to the present, sharing another similar proposition with Aries regarding Blossom's potential kidnapping. She revealed Aries's plan to double-cross t
Blossom POVThees with excitement as I ride alongside Dean, returning to the villa. When the SUV pulls up, the entire housekeeping staff gathers outside, their faces alight with smiles, whistles, claps, and even tossing hats into the sky. You'd think a wedding or graduation had just taken place.Dean had called ahead to ensure outfits were prepared and informed everyone he was bringing me back, but neither of us expected what unfolds as we step out of the SUV.The cheering and clapping come to an abrupt halt. I can feel a flash of anger from Dean, but it quickly dissipates as he recalls his own reaction to my transformation, which I still haven't fully explained to him. Everyone stands gazing at me—the silver-haired she-werewolf they did not expect.To Dean's surprise, many of the elders present kneel and bow before me. At this moment, Dean, Diana, and Caleb become acutely aware of the profound impact my change has on everyone ar
Blossom POVDean awakens in a sweat, shaken by the vivid dream. Morning light streams in, and Boo snores contentedly beside him. Rising quietly, Dean heads to the villa and finds me painting in the sunroom. A smile forms on his face; it's been too long since the canvases were touched. Eliza was the last to use them, and even though she wasn't the best artist, watching her paint always brought him joy.Dean notices a van approaching the property and recognizes it as Fina's. "Wonderful, hopefully, she doesn't have a list of complaints today," he mutters to himself.He hurries to the front of the house, arriving just as Fina steps out with two other women. She spots Dean and beams, greeting him with open arms. He's puzzled but not discontented."Is Blossom here?" Fina asks after giving him a hug."She is, but she's not feeling up to company at the moment," Dean replies, just as I appear in the doorway, betraying his words."
Blossom POV Diana blushes deeply and covers her face with her hands. Seeing Caleb express such feelings leaves Dean amazed. He never imagined he'd hear those words coming from Caleb about anyone other than their mom. But here they are, and Dean's first thought is to call Jovielyn. For now, though, he simply beams a huge smile and lauds them for the serendipitous good fortune karma has woven into their lives. "You're a lucky lady, Diana. Out of all the women who have ever held my brother's hand, none have ever heard him confess his love," he says. "I'm the lucky one, bro," Caleb insists. Maria enters with lunch and an update on me. "Blossom has been pretty stationary, almost like she's meditating," she says. "And she's been more artistic recently than throughout her whole stay here. I've witnessed several of her paintings emerge as masterpieces in just a few days." Dean expresses his wonder and requests to see one of the paintings. Maria responds, "I'll try to bring one to you, bu
Blossom POV The day of the baby shower has finally arrived, and Dean is under the impression that he's orchestrated the entire event. Little does he know, his plan is just a decoy, meant to keep me unaware of the real celebration he'll soon be at the center of. He wakes up early to prepare breakfast for me before heading out for a morning run with Boo. Upon their return, Dean freshens up, opting for a moderately formal look. He suggests I dress nicely since we'll be going out for lunch in an hour or so. Agreeing, I nod and play along, even though I'm fully aware of the day's real agenda. I'm not sure if he's genuinely convinced that I'm in the dark or if he realizes I know the surprise but enjoys pretending. Either way, I appreciate having a husband who goes out of his way to surprise me. After showering, I find myself standing in front of the mirror for what feels like an eternity to Dean. I marvel at the changes in my growing belly, a source of excitement that soon turns into an
Blossom POV As we leave the house through the back door instead of heading to the garage, I'm confused but go along with it, trusting Dean's plan. We stroll through the yard, passing Boo who's happily munching on kibble in his oversized kiddie pool. As we reach the clearing in the trees, I start to piece things together. Perhaps it's a picnic in the field, something romantic already prepared for us. What else could it be? However, as the field emerges into view, I'm taken aback. There's no picnic setup—instead, there's a helicopter waiting. Before I can even process what's happening or ask about it, Dean opens the fuselage doors and readies our headsets. I notice the absence of a pilot. "Why is there no pilot, Dean?" I ask, a bit perplexed. "Hop in, would you?" Dean says with a mischievous smile before teasing, "Do you think I'd have us flying without a pilot?" His confidence reassures me as he starts the helicopter, and I buckle up, impressed as he checks gauges and communicat
Blossom POV What Dean doesn't realize is that his part in the plan ends here, while Diana and Caleb have been working tirelessly to throw me a surprise baby shower. Unbeknownst to him, as we approach the landing field, a crowd of guests awaits our arrival. As he brings the helicopter down and we near the landing, he becomes aware of the tables, people, and soft blue decorations. Dean had suspected Diana and Caleb were up to something, but it's all clear now. "This finally makes sense," he murmurs as he lands the helicopter and powers down. With the rotor blades finally still, people cautiously approach, eager to greet us. When they notice me sleeping soundly in the passenger seat, a collective "aww" ripples through the crowd—a sound I hear only once Dean removes his headset and hops out. He signals for silence with a finger to his lips as he rounds the helicopter to tap on my window. I wake slowly, yawning and stretching, then break into a smile as I see the crowd that's turned th
Blossom POV The baby shower went off seamlessly, and everyone seemed to enjoy the games arranged for the women. I received numerous lovely gifts for the baby, which I know I'll be even more grateful for soon. Meanwhile, the men followed Caleb to the villa's yard as he introduced them to Boo during feeding time. Dean reflected quietly, "This was much simpler than the grand extravaganza Diana and Caleb had initially planned. Somehow, the simplicity made it more special; it was refreshing to have a straightforward party." As the evening drew to a close and guests started departing, Dean and I thanked everyone for coming and expressed our appreciation. Diana joined Maria and a few other housekeepers in tidying up, despite Caleb's insistence that she didn't have to. Once the last guests had left, I urged Diana to pause her cleaning so we could talk in the kitchen. Diana, a little anxious, finished up before heading into the villa. She entered through the back door and found Dean and m