Elara Throughout the rest of the evening, Alaric stayed close to me and the children, his presence a silent shield against any further incidents. He maintained a calm, stoic demeanor, but it was clear he was deep in thought about everything that had transpired at the banquet. And I couldn’t blam
They yawned and stretched, rubbing their eyes. Alaric opened the door for us, and I helped them out of the car. “Time for bed, girls,” I said, taking their hands. “Can we stay up a little longer?” Zoe pleaded. “Not tonight,” I replied with a gentle smile. “You’ve both had a very long day.” A
Elara Finally getting a grip, I shoved Alaric away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. “What are you doing?” I hissed. “Get out!” Alaric hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and left the bathroom, closing the door abruptly behind h
He glanced at her, then at Ella. “Ella, didn’t you say you’ve always wanted to go to the botanical garden?” Ella blushed, looking down at her feet. “I do like the garden, but...” She peeked up through her lashes. “I want to go to the fair too.” Alaric’s gaze shifted between the girls and me. Fin
Elara Finally, after what felt like an eternity of pleading and puppy-dog eyes from the girls, Alaric let out a resigned sigh. “Fine,” he muttered, looking out the cabin window. “Yay!” Zoe and Ella cheered, clapping their hands in delight. I couldn’t keep my expression entirely neutral. My tho
Elara Before Alaric could utter a word, his mother strode up to me, her sharp eyes narrowing as she circled me like a predator assessing its prey. “This won’t do... This simply won’t do...” she muttered, clicking her tongue with disapproval while she walked around me. My back stiffened under h
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. I stared at her fading form, unsure whether I should laugh or cry. “Is she serious?” I whispered, turning to Alaric. But he was already making his way up the stai
Elara I shivered against the sudden cold, my body revealed to the chilly morning air in nothing but my thin, silky pajama set. But Grace didn’t seem to care about my discomfort—if anything, she just seemed to revel in it. In a flash, she was already at my closet, flinging the doors open and rifl
The 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
ElaraThe house felt different as we stepped inside, the soft click of the door behind us sealing out the world beyond. It wasn’t just the warmth that greeted me, or the faint glow of the early morning sun filtering through the windows—it was something deeper. A stillness. A kind of quiet I hadn’t r
I wanted to tell her she was wrong—that this wasn’t some grand destiny I had been walking toward all my life. But I couldn’t. Not when I had felt it myself. That surge of power that wasn’t entirely my own. The way it had shattered the chains and driven Sarah back like she was nothing more than air.
ElaraThe sunlight hit harder than I expected, even though it had only been hours since I’d been trapped in that cavern. I squinted against the sudden golden rays of the morning sun, blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted. But the others—the moonwolves—weren’t as fortunate.They stumbled as they emerg