Camden tossed and turned throughout the night, her restless sleep interrupted by the constant presence of nurses conducting their rounds. Between the looming conversation with Clayton and the weight of Matt's request to move to the Wildwood Pack, her mind was in turmoil.As the morning sunlight streamed through the hospital window, Camden's exhaustion was apparent. A friendly woman entered the room, carrying a tray of breakfast. Camden mustered a half-hearted smile but had little appetite. Without even lifting the cloche to see what was underneath, she dismissed the notion of eating. Soon after, the doctor arrived, checking in to assess how she was doing. "How are you feeling this morning, Miss Woods?" the doctor asked as she picked up the file at the end of Camden's bed. Camden yawned and replied, "Still tired. My ribs are aching, and I feel a bit weak today." The doctor looked down and noticed the untouched breakfast tray, then inquired, "Are you eating?" Camden sheepishly admitted,
"Well, I'd best be off," Luna Grace said as she stood up. "Come, let me give you a hug," she added, leaning over to Camden who wrapped her arms around her with genuine affection. "Thank you for everything, Luna Grace. Your visit means more to me than you know," Camden said, her heart and words filled with gratitude. "Can I ask you one favor though?" she asked tentatively. "Of course, dear," the Luna replied with a loving smile. "Is there any way you could tell Clayton I'd like to speak to him?" Camden requested hopefully. Luna Grace rested her hand over Camden's. "I'll let him know," she said as she gave Camden's hand a supportive squeeze. "Now you get some rest and look after that baby," the Luna said as she headed to the door, giving Camden one last smile before leaving.Camden was so grateful for the visit from Luna Grace. She had given Camden some very good advice, even though Camden was still uncertain about what she ultimately wanted. She looked down in her lap once again at the
Once again, Camden struggled to focus on the show, her mind a mess of thoughts. Every time the door opened, she thought it would be Clayton, but it never was. Lunch rolled around, and Camden was presented with a dense cube of Mac and cheese with a side salad. She proceeded to eat it, carrying through with the promise she had made to herself, but she couldn't finish the stodgy pasta block. Her appetite had been affected by the emotional rollercoaster she had been on.Matt was attentive as always, checking on her regularly, helping her sit up and lay back down. He propped up pillows, poured her drinks, and even assisted her to the bathroom. Camden was incredibly grateful for his constant help and support. He made her feel cared for and safe, and she couldn't imagine going through this experience without him. As the day dragged on, Clayton still hadn't come. The door opened once again, and this time it was the doctor who entered the room. "Miss Woods, how are you doing?" she asked, greet
Camden's eyes flew open as she heard her name being called. It was Clayton's voice. She sat up, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Clayton entered the room with a huge smile on his face, one that she couldn't help but return. "You're awake," he said, his voice filled with genuine happiness. "How are you?" he asked, approaching her as if for a hug. He seemed to notice her apprehension and said, "Sorry, maybe it's a bit soon for that," changing his approach a little awkwardly and sitting next to her on the edge of her bed instead. "How are you feeling?" he asked again, his smile reassuring.Camden wasn't sure what to make of all this. Why did Clayton seem so happy? "I... I'm okay, I guess," she stammered, her voice laced with confusion. "I'm glad to hear that," he said sincerely. He seemed eager to engage in conversation, but Camden couldn't help but wonder why he had taken so long to visit. "What took you so long?" she asked, her annoyance apparent. "I've be
"I hate you, Clayton," Camden said between sobs. He looked at her, his expression softening as he gently pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "I know," he said sadly, "And I deserve it." He held her tightly, his mind racing back in time to a similar moment. In the cabin after she'd told him about that bastard, Brett Jordan. But this time, Brett wasn't the bastard, it was him. He'd done this to her. He was so wracked with guilt and shame he wasn't sure how he could possibly expect her to even consider forgiving him. Camden sobbed in the same hopeless way she had when he had first found her in the woods. It felt like a lifetime ago now."I'm so sorry, Cam," he said as he leaned in and kissed the top of her head. "Your hair is a mess," he mumbled with a chuckle, his lips still pressed against her hair. "I know," she replied, hiccuping. "They didn't have shampoo or conditioner," she groaned, continuing to cry, as if her hair were as much to blame for her anger
"Cam, can we fix this? Or are we both wasting our time?" Clayton asked seriously, his voice filled with melancholy. Camden looked into his eyes, seeing the pain and regret etched on his face. Her heart ached as she grappled with her conflicting emotions. "I don't know, Clayton," she replied with a deep sadness, her voice trembling. "You really messed everything up. Everything was so perfect, but then you ruined it," she said, her words filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow. Her heart broke all over again as she relived the pain he had caused her. "I know," he said, reaching out and taking her hand, gently stroking her fingers. She didn't resist, but she didn't reciprocate either.As he stroked her fingers he thought about how they had caressed his face before. These were the fingers that had tirelessly pumped air into his lungs until he had breathed again on his own. They were fingers that had gently combed through his hair in tender moments. His heart broke at the thought that th
Camden woke up, her eyes fluttering open as she became aware of Clayton's arms wrapped around her. Gently, she tried to extricate herself from his embrace, mindful not to disturb his sleep. "I'm awake," he mumbled sleepily, releasing her from his grasp. "I thought you were asleep," Camden said with a yawn, stretching her stiff muscles. "Nope," Clayton replied, opening his eyes and stretching himself. "How did you sleep?" he asked, his voice still tinged with sleepiness. "Better than usual," she replied, a hint of surprise in her voice. "I didn't even hear the nurses come in during the night," she added, feeling a slight sense of relief. "That's good," Clayton said, stifling a yawn as he sat up in bed. They looked at each other, the weight of the previous day's events hanging heavily in the air, creating an awkward silence."This is weird, isn't it? Do you want me to go?" Clayton asked, glancing out the window at the soft pink hues of the morning sky, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing
As Camden ate her breakfast, she couldn't help but think about everything that had happened with Clayton. She'd let him stay over. In fact, she had sort of made him stay over. That was never her intention, but then when he was with her, she couldn't help but fall back into the comfortable, familiar rhythm she had with him. It felt like they were in some kind of orbit around one another, and, in spite of his moronic actions, the orbit still held strong. She found herself tracing her fingers over the necklace once again. The action was soothing and calming and she could already tell that she would feel naked without it around her neck.Lost in thought, Camden reclined on her bed, contemplating her complicated feelings and the uncertain path ahead. Just then, the doctor entered the room, interrupting her thoughts. "Good morning," the doctor greeted her as she scanned Camden's chart. "How are your ribs today?" she inquired, concern lacing her voice. Camden's frown deepened as she admitted
Matt let out a sigh, wanting to be done with the conversation now. "Just make sure you keep your end of the deal. I'm doing this for Cam... and for what we used to have," he said, his gaze drifting off momentarily as if lost in memories. "You know, I considered going with you, but I know how threatened you feel by me," Matt teased, trying to keep a straight face but unable to do so. Clayton scoffed and chuckled. "I might actually miss you, Matt. Not the part where you trailed after Cam like a lost puppy, or the way you'd watch her move, or the way your hands lingered on her a little too long..." Clayton went on, leaving Matt with a sheepish expression on his face. "But I'll miss you.""God, Clayton, I'm not going to die! Well, actually, I might if they ever find out that I knew about this and never said anything... But let's hope that doesn't happen. Just figure this shit out, okay? If I can help the two of you in any way, let me know, but something tells me this journey doesn't involv
Instead of leading him to the lounge, as Clayton had anticipated, he led him back to the kitchen. The change in setting made the conversation seem more serious. More threatening.Matt took a seat, followed shortly by Clayton, who sat directly opposite him. Matt didn't beat around the bush. "You know I know," he stated. It wasn't a question. Clayton shrugged, seemingly unfazed. Matt sighed before continuing, "Where are you guys going?" he asked, his tone firm and serious. "We don't know yet. We still need to decide. I only just found out about all of this," Clayton replied, feeling a bit annoyed. It was pretty unreasonable of Matt to expect them to already have a plan when he had literally only found out all this life-changing stuff a few minutes ago. He felt like he needed a minute to reflect and to think it all through."Clayton, I'm not fucking around when I say this... If you hurt her, I will fucking end you. We might not be mates anymore, but I still feel responsible for her and p
Camden couldn't help the tiny sob that escaped her lips. To think that Clayton had wondered his whole life whether his parents had loved him broke her heart. Her pregnancy hormones were kicking into overdrive and she could feel that she would start to spiral soon if she didn't regain her focus, so she pressed on, hoping to lighten the situation with a little levity. "Also," she went on, wiping a tear from her eye, "I figured while I was getting the inside scoop on your family history, I'd ask about your real name," she explained. Clayton perked up, very interested to hear what she was about to reveal. "Well, I didn't ask about your first name. I don't know... I felt weird about it. I felt like too much would change if I had to start calling you something else now on top of all this other stuff and I know you as Clayton and it—" she was rambling on when Clayton cut her off. "What is it?" he asked, unable to disguise his curiosity. "Wolfe," she revealed with the tiniest hint of a smile.
Clayton couldn't help the smile that spread across his features. Despite everything Camden was telling him, he couldn't help but feel joy in this one, singular moment.Camden was also wearing a small smile, happy to see his happiness, but simultaneously worried about what the future held for them all."I knew it was a boy," Clayton whispered softly, gazing into Camden's eyes which looked back at him with uncertainty. She nodded. "She said we'll have a girl too. But the girl won't have this... gene, or whatever you call it," Camden replied, sounding a little relieved. Clayton's smile grew even wider and Camden's heart all but burst as she saw his eyes twinkle with excitement at the prospect. "How lucky are we?" he asked, his voice low but filled with anticipation and love. "Well, that has yet to be determined because there are so many things we need to take into consideration here, Clayton," Camden replied, grounding Clayton back in reality. "Like what?" he asked, the momentary high be
Camden followed, trailing behind him as he settled back down at the kitchen table once more. His anger and frustration were all but palpable and Camden felt guilty for having brushed him off and ignored him just now. "How much did you hear?" she asked as she settled back down in her seat. "It doesn't matter. Start from the beginning," he instructed, taking a deep breath as he tried to relax. Camden figured there was no point in trying to sugarcoat things or beat around the bush. It was his truth and he deserved to know. "I told you, I had an... experience. I don't know if it was a vision, or if it was a dream, or if it was something that really happened, just on a different plane of existence. To be honest, I don't want to get too philosophical about it, because it makes me uncomfortable. But I know it happened, and I know it was real because Matt just proved it," Camden explained, fiddling with the sleeve of her wet hoodie. Clayton said nothing, only watching her, waiting for her t
"Sorry... I'm sorry," Clayton immediately apologized, seeing how his reaction had startled Camden. He quickly got up and went to the sink, grabbing a cloth to stop the beer from dripping down onto her lap. "I'm so sorry, babe," he continued to apologize as he soaked up the spilled beer from the table, "I was frustrated. You guys aren't telling me what's going on," he tried to explain, but he knew it was a poor excuse."I need to make a call," Matt announced as he headed out of the kitchen. Light lightening, Camden was up, chasing after him desperately while she left Clayton to mop up his spilled beer and mope as he continued to be ignored."Stop!" she cried, tugging at Matt's arm as she caught up with him in the lounge. "Camden, please... this is hard enough as it is..." he said in a small voice. It was then that she noticed that his eyes were glistening as if he were on the verge of tears. Her anger and panic began to dissipate as he stood in front of her, unmoving."Please..." Camde
"So, when are we leaving?" Matt asked as he stripped off his soaked sweater and pulled a beer out of the fridge. "Want one?" he offered Clayton. "It's not even 6am!" Clayton exclaimed in disbelief. "It's been a rough night," Matt replied with a shrug as he snapped the can open. Clayton regarded him for a moment then relented. "Okay, fine," he agreed, gesturing for a beer from the fridge. Matt smiled and handed him one before taking a long drink of his own.All the while, Camden sat at the kitchen table, fiddling with a pamphlet about the Standing Stones. "You alright?" Clayton asked, resting his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her. "I dunno..." she admitted, continuing to toy with the pamphlet. "You're soaked, why don't you go take a shower or at least get changed into some dry clothes?" Clayton suggested, brushing a drenched lock of hair behind her ear.She sighed, but made no effort to move, still pressing and folding the paper in front of her. "Baby?" Clayton murmured, brus
"Matt?" Camden whispered, shaking him lightly. He groaned and furrowed his brow, as if annoyed by the intrusion. "Matt?" she whispered again, but suddenly she heard Clayton's voice ringing through the air. "Camden?"She looked up, searching the perimeter of the circle for Clayton. Spotting him, her heart skipped a beat. He stood beside the circle, torn between rushing in and waiting for some kind of confirmation that the ritual was over.Camden wasted no time; she rushed to him as fast as her legs could carry her. Leaping over the salt circle, she jumped into his arms. He caught her eagerly, but his face suddenly fell as he exclaimed, "Babe! The circle!" worry etching his features. "It's fine," she said. "She broke it. There," Camden pointed behind them to a clear break in the salt before smothering him in kisses."I was so worried about you," Clayton murmured, holding her cheeks and looking into her eyes before pulling her to him in a fierce hug. "I'm here. I'm fine," she assured him
Camden sat quietly, contemplating everything she had just learned about her mate and what the implications were for her. She drained her glass of wine with a series of long, deep gulps, only to find that it had been refilled as soon as she moved her hand away from her lips. She let out a small incredulous laugh. "Okay, so quick recap here. Clayton is from a bloodline that dates back to the beginning days of werewolves, he can shift into a werewolf, in the traditional half-man, half-wolf sense, my son will also have this ability, and the whole world will want to kill them for this? Did I miss anything?" she asked, pursing her lips as she waited for Selene's response."Yes. The bloodline cannot die. The end of the Lupi Noctis bloodline will be the beginning of the end for all werewolves," Selene added gravely, her gaze piercing through the dim light of the stone circle. "Their existence is intricately tied to the balance of the natural and supernatural world. Without them, the balance w