LOGINThe school was bustling when we arrived, the parking lot teeming with parents and kids, all hurrying toward the bright red doors at the front of the building. Alex’s grip on my hand tightened as we approached, his eyes wide as he took in the sea of unfamiliar faces.“It’s okay,” I whispered, crouchi
ElaraThe house was alive with the all-too-familiar chaos of a school morning. Somewhere down the hall, Ella was shouting at Zoe about taking too long in the bathroom, and Zoe’s shrill rebuttal wasn’t far behind. The smell of toast lingered in the air, mingling with the faint bite of fall that crept
ElaraThe air that night was quiet—quieter than it had been in weeks. The house had settled into the kind of stillness that only came with exhaustion, the last embers in the fireplace flickering softly behind the glass. Even the wind outside had gone still, barely rustling the edges of the curtains
ElaraThe lanterns flickered softly against the night sky, their warm glow swaying in time with the breeze that danced through the courtyard. Even from this distance, I could still hear the faint music from the reception, the low murmur of conversation punctuated by bursts of laughter.But out here,
ElaraThe music was soft and sweet, drifting lazily over the twinkling lights strung across the open-air pavilion. Everything felt golden—the warm glow of lanterns, the hum of conversation over glasses of bubbly champagne, the faint crackle of the bonfire flickering in the distance.But none of it c
“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “Thank you for giving me this.”I ran my fingers through his hair, gently pushing it back from his forehead. “You don’t have to thank me for anything, Alaric. This baby… it’s part of both of us.”His hands remained on my stomach as he li
Elara Alaric stood in the garden with the late afternoon sun framing his figure, the small box in his hand held out between us. I blinked, unsure if I was imagining it. But when he extended it toward me without a word, and my heart stuttered in response, I knew it was real. Slowly, I reached for
Elara The moment Alaric dropped the news about the Donovan luncheon, I knew I was in for a long day. Grace gave me a triumphant smirk before she turned and strode off, leaving us standing in the hallway. I sighed heavily and pulled the robe tighter around me as I turned back toward Alaric. “A lu
Elara Alaric’s silent presence in the doorway should’ve startled me, but instead, I found myself blinking at him through the haze of wine. He said absolutely nothing, just stood there, his broad frame shadowing the doorway, his face unreadable. “Alaric?” I called out, furrowing my brow. “Are you
By the time she finally allowed me to sit, my legs were trembling, and my patience was wearing thin. But then, as I sat down, she froze, her eyes narrowing. “What is that?” I followed her gaze to my hand. My heart sank as I realized what she was staring at: the flower stem ring from yesterday, n







