The hairdresser nodded again, and I could see a hint of respect in her eyes now. “Understood,” she said simply, then set to work. It took a while—cutting, conditioning, adding highlights. I watched in the mirror as my curls transformed from slightly unruly into nice, soft, bouncy waves. And the ba
Elara I had to turn away first, my shoulders shaking as I tried to hide my laughter. The image of the stern Alpha Alaric, with butterfly clips in his hair and streaks of sparkly makeup on his cheeks, was too much to handle. I pressed my hand against my mouth, stifling the giggles that were thr
“Can we help, Mommy?” Zoe asked. “Of course,” I said, beaming at them. “Here, put on these aprons.” I pulled out two small aprons from a drawer and helped the girls put them on. After that, I showed them how to wash vegetables, measure the bread crumbs, and stir the sauce. They ended up splatter
Elara The table fell silent in the wake of Grace’s outburst, Zoe’s hand still hovering halfway to the cheese dish. Already, both girls’ lower lips were trembling, their big eyes shimmering with unshed tears after being yelled at. I glanced at Alaric, hoping for some kind of a hint of reassurance
My heart gave a small, unexpected flutter at his words. Family. It was just a word, but hearing it out loud made my chest tighten. I dared to glance at him, catching the faintest trace of warmth in his eyes before Grace’s sharp stare quickly broke the spell. “Well, now that we’ve indulged in enoug
Elara The morning came far too quickly. It felt like I’d shut my eyes for no more than five minutes, and then suddenly bright sunlight was streaming in through the curtains as they were unceremoniously ripped open. Of course, none other than Grace was the culprit for the brutal awakening. “Out
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
Elara Alaric was between us before I even realized what was happening, his broad shoulders blocking out Grace’s furious form like a wall of stone. “That’s enough, Mother,” he said, his voice low and cold as ice. Grace immediately pulled her leg away, planting it firmly on the floor before it c
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