Selina picked up her phone from the counter and quickly dialed a number. I watched as she spoke to the florist, her voice warm and confident. She laughed at something he said before nodding, even though he couldn’t see her. After a moment, she hung up and turned to me with a smile. “Elliot is on his way. He said he’d be here in about fifteen minutes.” I nodded, still processing the fact that the florist was a man. I didn’t know why it caught me off guard—maybe because I had always pictured florists as women. But of course, there was no rule saying men couldn’t do the job just as well. I shook off the thought, not wanting to sound narrow-minded. Meanwhile, Sophia finished placing the last batch of cookies into the oven. The scent of warm chocolate filled the air, making my stomach growl softly. She wiped her hands on a towel, then turned to look at us. “All done,” she announced, smiling. “These should be ready in about fifteen minutes.” Selina gave her daughter a fond look before
I nodded and followed her, my mind still stuck on everything she had just said. The pain in her voice, the way her hands had trembled—it all stayed with me.We reached the front door, and Selina pulled it open. A tall, blonde man stood outside with a bright smile on his face. His blue eyes sparkled with warmth, and he looked effortlessly charming in a simple white button-up shirt and dark jeans.I could already tell this was Elliot before Selina even said his name.“Lily, this is Elliot,” she introduced.Elliot stepped forward and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lily.” His voice was smooth, friendly.I shook his hand, noticing how firm his grip was. “Nice to meet you too, Elliot.”He didn’t stop smiling as he looked at me, his gaze lingering a little longer than expected. “I have to say, you are absolutely stunning.”Heat crept up my cheeks. I wasn’t used to random compliments like that, and I glanced at Selina, who just smirked knowingly.“Come on,” she said, waving f
Climbing into the car, I carefully placed the platter on my lap, making sure it wouldn’t slide around during the ride. As the driver closed the door and walked around to get into the front seat, I pulled out my phone, debating whether to text Kai.Instead, I just leaned my head against the cool glass of the window, watching as the car pulled away from the house. The trees blurred past, the golden light of the setting sun casting long shadows across the road.A strange sense of peace washed over me. Today had been productive, and I had really enjoyed spending time at Selina’s place. The warm atmosphere, the laughter, and even the smell of freshly baked cookies had made me feel at home. It had been a nice distraction from everything that had been on my mind lately.The car moved smoothly down the familiar road leading back to Kai’s mansion. The sky had darkened slightly, the golden hues of sunset fading into soft purples and blues. I sighed, hugging the platter of cookies closer to my c
The fact that Kai didn’t come after me felt like a blade sinking into my chest. It wasn’t just the betrayal that hurt—it was his silence. His inaction.If he had cared, if I had meant anything to him at all, he would have followed me. He would have tried to explain, to tell me I hadn’t just imagined the fragile connection we had been building. But he didn’t.He stayed.With her.The realization made my stomach churn, a sick feeling crawling up my throat. I wrapped my arms around myself as if I could hold my breaking heart together. The garden, which had always been a place of peace, now felt too quiet, too empty. The scent of flowers, once comforting, was now cloying, making my head spin.I sank onto the nearest bench, my legs barely holding me up. My hands trembled as I pressed them against my stomach, a protective instinct kicking in. The baby. Our baby. The child growing inside me—a child who had no idea what kind of world they were coming into. A world where their father didn’t ev
I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, my hands gripping the edge of the sink as I took slow, shaky breaths. My eyes were swollen, rimmed with red, and my face was blotchy from all the crying. No matter how much I tried to steel myself, the pain still clung to me, a dull ache in my chest that refused to fade.I turned on the faucet, letting the cold water run before cupping it in my hands and splashing it onto my face. The chill shocked my skin, grounding me in the present. I repeated the action a few more times, feeling the tightness in my face ease slightly. Then, I grabbed a small towel, wetting it with the cold water before pressing it against my puffy eyes. The cool fabric soothed the sting, giving me a moment of relief.I breathed deeply, counting in my head.One. Two. Three.I needed to pull myself together.Zara was probably expecting me to lock myself in my room, drowning in my own misery. She would want me to be broken, shattered beyond repair.But I refused to gi
Across the table, Zara laughed at something, her voice ringing through the dining room like a bell. My grip on my fork tightened. I didn't need to look to know she was probably leaning into Kai, whispering in his ear like she always did. Maybe she was reminding him of what happened in his office earlier.The thought made my stomach twist, but I refused to show it.Instead, I turned to Rhys with a bright smile and nudged his arm, trying my best to focus on something other than the heavy gaze burning into me.“So, how was your trip to the other packs? Were you able to invite them all for the Moon Festival?” I asked, keeping my voice light.Rhys glanced at me, his expression shifting slightly before he nodded. “Yeah, most of them agreed to come. A few were hesitant, but I managed to convince them.”I tilted my head, curious. “Why were they hesitant?”He shrugged, picking at his food. “Some still aren’t sure about alliances. Old grudges, past betrayals—you know how it is. But I explained
We headed for the door together, but as we passed by Kai's chair, I felt it—a light, fleeting touch of his hand brushing against mine. My heart jumped, and for a split second, I almost froze. But I forced myself to keep walking, refusing to look back. I couldn’t afford to give him the satisfaction of knowing that one small touch still had that much power over me.Once we were out in the hallway, I let out a shaky breath, finally allowing myself to feel the impact of the evening. My heart was still pounding, and my hands were a little clammy. Rhys must have noticed because he gently squeezed my shoulder."You good?" he asked, concern flickering in his eyes.I nodded, though it wasn’t entirely the truth. "Yeah. Just... exhausted, I guess."He gave me a small smile. "That’s understandable. You’ve had a rough few days."It was time to go to sleep and I couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping in Kai’s room or my room. Biting my lip, I hesitated before asking, "Hey, um... would it be okay if
I kept walking, not bothering to check if Kai was following me. I just needed to get away from the mess of emotions swirling inside me. My feet carried me through the hallways until I finally reached his room. Without a second thought, I shoved the door open and stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, but I didn’t bother turning on more lights. I just headed straight for the bathroom, needing a moment to collect myself.Once inside, I closed the door and leaned against it, taking a deep, shaky breath. My heart was still racing from the confrontation with Kai and Rhys, and I couldn’t help but replay it over and over in my head. I pushed those thoughts away and moved to turn on the shower, waiting for the water to warm up before stripping off my clothes.Stepping under the hot spray, I let the water wash away the tension from my muscles. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, feeling the warmth seep into my skin. My thoughts were still a chaotic mess, but the steady stream of water h
I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until the sharp sound of my phone ringing broke through the quiet of the room. The noise startled me, and I quickly reached for it on the nightstand beside the bed. When I saw Kai’s name flash across the screen, my heart skipped a beat. I smiled even before answering."Hello?" I said softly, my voice a little groggy from the nap.“Hey, beautiful,” Kai’s deep, familiar voice came through the phone, sending warmth rushing through me. “How are you feeling? How’s everything with the babies?”I took a slow breath and placed my hand on my belly, the tiny flutter of movement reassuring me. “We’re fine,” I replied, the words slipping easily from my lips. “I just took a little nap, but I’m doing good.”“That’s good to hear,” he said, sounding pleased. “Listen, I need you to get ready. I’m coming to pick you up soon for our date.”A smile spread across my face. “Okay,” I replied, my heart fluttering at the thought of spending more time with him. “I’ll be wai
When he pulled away, he stayed close, resting his forehead against mine. His breath brushed across my skin, soft and steady, and I felt my heart calm down. It was like everything that had been loud and heavy inside me—the fears, the memories, the pain—suddenly went quiet.And for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t thinking about the past.Not about Zara. Not about the way she had looked at me with so much hatred in her eyes. Not about how I had nearly lost my life because of her. Not about lying in that hospital bed, bruised and broken, unsure if I would ever be the same again.And not about how scared I was of what was happening to me. Of turning into something else—something I didn’t understand yet. A werewolf. A Luna. A mother.All of that faded as I sat there in bed, warm and safe in Kai’s arms. It was just me and him. And our babies.I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him. His expression was soft, full of something I couldn’t quite name, but it made my chest tighten in a
The next morning, I woke up to the soft feel of lips brushing against my forehead. At first, I thought I was dreaming. The kiss was so gentle, almost like a whisper. My eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the golden morning light slipping through the thick curtains. For a moment, everything was quiet and calm, and then I saw him.Kai.He was leaning over me, his messy black hair falling a little into his eyes. His smile was soft and sleepy, but warm—like he had been watching me for a while. His shirt was gone, and I could see the way the light made his skin glow slightly. He looked like something out of a dream.“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered, his voice still husky from sleep.“Morning,” I replied, my voice scratchy. I rubbed at my eyes, still feeling a little tired but also comforted by his presence.That’s when I saw the tray in his hands. My eyes widened in surprise.“You brought me breakfast?” I asked, try
After dinner, we slowly made our way out of the dining room. Kai never let go of me, not even for a second. His arm stayed wrapped around my waist like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go. I was full and sleepy, and my body felt heavier than usual. My legs ached a little, and my lower back was starting to hurt too. That happened a lot lately—being almost six months pregnant came with a lot of surprises. Kai kept glancing down at me, his eyes filled with worry, but I gave him a small smile to let him know I was okay.We climbed the stairs carefully. He didn’t rush me at all. With every step, he kept his hand steady on my side, whispering, “Almost there, baby,” like I was running a marathon. When we finally reached our bedroom, he opened the door and helped me inside. The room was warm and smelled like his cologne and something minty from the candles Mer had left earlier.Kai turned to me and gave me a gentle smile. “Let’s get you comfortable,” he said softly.I nodded, and he help
Lily’s POV Soon, it was time for dinner. I took a deep breath as I stood before the full-length mirror in our room, running my hands over the fabric of my dress. It was a soft, flowing lavender gown that hugged my growing belly just enough to feel comfortable. I hadn’t paid much attention to my appearance in the past few days, but tonight felt different. Tonight, I was trying to take things back to some kind of normal. Or at least, as normal as life could feel after everything that had happened. Kai was standing nearby, his eyes watching me with a mix of concern and affection. His attention was always on me now, always looking out for me, especially since the news of the babies. I could feel the weight of his eyes on me, and it wasn’t the kind of weight that made me uncomfortable. It was the kind of weight that felt like safety, like reassurance. But even so, I knew he was nervous. He was always nervous when it came to me these days. “Yo
Lily’s POV We went back to the mansion the next day. I had been in the hospital for days after the incident, but I couldn’t take it anymore. The walls felt too white, too cold. I missed the comfort of my own bed, the warm scent of Kai’s cologne on the sheets, and the way our room always smelled faintly of cedar and something earthy. I wanted to be home. I needed to be home. It took a lot of convincing. Kai was stubborn, like always. He didn’t want to risk anything—not with me, and definitely not with the babies. But after I practically begged him and Doctor Harris stepped in to reassure him that I was healing well, he finally gave in. “You’ll rest. No stress,” Kai said, holding my hand tightly as we got into the car. “The moment you feel tired, you tell me.” “I will,” I promised, resting my other hand gently on my bump. The ride home was quiet. I looked out the window at the trees passing by, my hand never leaving my belly. Kai kept glancing at me every few seconds, like he was
Lily's POVI blinked up at the ceiling, the bright white lights above me making my eyes sting. Everything smelled like antiseptic and plastic. The hospital. I hated hospitals. The last time I was here, I had no one beside me. But this time, I kept hoping he’d come.I shifted a little, wincing at first—but then realizing something strange. There was no pain. My leg didn’t hurt. My ribs didn’t ache. My face wasn’t bruised anymore. I looked down at my arms and blinked in confusion. Just yesterday they were covered in purple-blue marks. Now? Smooth skin. Like nothing ever happened.Was I dreaming?The door opened.My head snapped toward the sound, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw him. Kai.He looked like he hadn’t slept. His hair was messy, and his eyes were red, like he’d been crying. He stood there in the doorway, just staring at me like I was some kind of miracle. I swallowed hard, not sure what to say. Not sure what I even felt. A part of me wanted to cry. Another part wanted to
Kai’s POV He nodded. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. And she’s not marked, is she?”“No,” I said slowly. “I haven’t marked her yet.”Doctor Harris looked back at the room again. “Then this shouldn’t be happening. A human can’t heal this fast. It’s… well, it’s impossible. Unless there’s something in her blood. Maybe she’s not fully human. Or maybe something’s changed.”My mind started racing. “You mean like—she could be turning?”He shook his head. “It’s too early to say anything for sure. I need to run more tests. I’ve already taken a blood sample, and I’ll have results in a few hours. But Alpha, something strange is going on with her biology.”I stared at the door, my heart thudding against my ribs.Lily. My Lily. What was happening to her?I swallowed hard and looked back at Doctor Harris. “Do whatever you need to do. Run every test. I just want her safe.”“I will,” he said. “I promise.”I nodded slowly, trying to process everything he just told me. I didn’t know what this me
Kai’s POV That was the law. And it was final.The crowd erupted. Growls, howls, and shouts of agreement filled the air. The pack stood behind me. I could feel it in my bones. They trusted me. They believed in what I was doing. And in that moment, I knew I was doing the right thing. Even if it hurt.Two of my strongest warriors stepped forward. I nodded at them, and they approached Zara.She didn’t fight. She didn’t scream or lash out. She just cried harder, shaking her head and begging between sobs.“Please… Kai… don’t do this… I’m sorry… please…”But no one answered her. No one moved to stop the warriors as they gently pulled her to her feet and began walking her away. She kept looking back at me like I would change my mind. But I didn’t.I couldn’t.I turned my back to her. I couldn’t look anymore.Rhys was suddenly beside me. I didn’t even hear him come up. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder.“You did the right thing,” he said quietly.I nodded slowly, but my chest still felt ti