Chapter: Chapter 62The lake house looked the same as it had ten years ago, except for the Phoenix Foundation banner stretched between two trees and the dozen cars parked in the gravel driveway."I can't believe it's been ten years," I said to Thomas as we carried bags in from the car."Feels like yesterday and forever at the same time," he said.Maya, now thirteen and all legs and attitude, rolled her eyes. "You two are so dramatic.""We're nostalgic," Thomas corrected. "There's a difference.""Is there, though?"Sam appeared from the kitchen, now eighteen and taller than Thomas. "Mom, Janet wants to know where you want the cake.""What cake?""The anniversary cake she ordered. Didn't you know about the cake?""I specifically said no cake.""You know Janet doesn't listen when you say things like that.""Where is Janet?""Terrorizing the caterers."I found Janet in the kitchen directing a team of servers with military precision."Janet, I said no fuss.""This isn't a fuss. This is a celebration.""It's s
Huling Na-update: 2025-06-19
Chapter: Chapter 61"I still don't understand why we need professional photos," I said, adjusting Maya's dress for the third time. "We have plenty of pictures.""We have plenty of snapshots," Thomas corrected, straightening Sam's tie. "We don't have a real family portrait.""What's the difference?""The difference is that someday Maya will want a picture of her family when she was little. Not a blurry phone photo, but something she can frame and put on her mantle.""I'm not little," Maya protested. "I'm three and three-quarters.""You're right," Thomas said seriously. "You're practically grown up.""Very grown up," she agreed.Sam rolled his eyes but smiled. "You're still little enough that I can carry you.""I can walk by myself.""I know you can. But what if you get tired?""Then I'll ask for a piggyback ride.""Deal."The photography studio was fancier than I'd expected. Soft lighting, multiple backdrop options, and a photographer who looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine herself."You must be t
Huling Na-update: 2025-06-19
Chapter: Chapter 60The letter arrived on a Tuesday. I recognized the return address from the prison immediately, my stomach dropping as I held the envelope. "What is it?" Thomas asked, looking up from his coffee. "Prison mail." "About what?" I tore open the envelope with shaking hands. The letterhead was official, the language formal and cold. "Alex is dead." Thomas set down his coffee cup. "What?" "He died three days ago. Heart attack in his cell." Sam appeared in the kitchen doorway, still in his pajamas. "Who died?" I looked at Thomas, then back at Sam. "Your father." Sam's face went completely blank. "My father?" "Alex. He had a heart attack in prison." "Oh." Sam sat down heavily at the kitchen table. "How do you feel about that?" The question caught me off guard. "I don't know yet. How do you feel?" "I don't know either." Thomas moved to stand behind Sam's chair. "There's no right way to feel about this." "I know I should feel something," Sam said. "But I just feel... empty." "Empt
Huling Na-update: 2025-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 59"The paperwork is finally approved," Janet said, sliding the folder across the conference table. "You're officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization."I picked up the documents, running my fingers over the embossed seal. "The Phoenix Foundation for Families in Crisis. It's real.""It's been real since the day you decided to help Lisa," Thomas said. "This just makes it official.""Twenty-three families in six months," Janet continued. "That's incredible for a startup foundation.""It doesn't feel like enough," I said."It never will," Thomas replied. "But it's twenty-three families who are safe now. Twenty-three families who might not have made it out without help."Maya wandered into the conference room, having escaped from Sam's supervision in the lobby."Mama working?" she asked, climbing onto my lap."Mama's working on something very important," I said."Important like awards?""More important than awards.""More important than ice cream?""Almost as important as ice cream."She
Huling Na-update: 2025-06-18
Chapter: Chapter 58"We need to talk," Thomas said, walking into the kitchen with his phone in his hand and a strange expression on his face.I looked up from where I was helping Maya with her morning enzymes. "About what?""We won.""Won what?""The Morrison Agency Award for Creative Excellence."I stared at him. "We what?""We won. They called an hour ago.""That's not possible. We only submitted our portfolio because Janet insisted.""Our work on the Henderson campaign caught their attention. And the community outreach project for the children's hospital.""Those were last-minute projects.""Those were good projects."Maya looked back and forth between us. "Mama? Dada? Happy?""Yes, baby girl," I said, still processing. "We're happy.""Very happy," Thomas added."The ceremony is next Friday night," Thomas continued. "Black tie event at the Grand Hotel downtown.""Next Friday? That's Maya's chest percussion therapy night.""We can do her therapy earlier. Or ask my mom to help.""I don't know if we shou
Huling Na-update: 2025-06-17
Chapter: Chapter 57"Maya's test results are remarkable," Dr. James said, spreading the papers across her desk. "I've been treating CF patients for fifteen years, and I rarely see numbers this good."I felt Thomas's hand find mine. We'd been preparing for bad news, as had become our habit before every appointment. Good news felt foreign."What exactly are you seeing?" Thomas asked."Her lung function is at ninety-two percent. For a two-year-old with CF, that's exceptional. Her weight is perfect, her growth curve is textbook, and her last sputum culture came back completely clear.""Clear?" I repeated."No bacterial growth. No signs of infection. Her lungs are as healthy as any child her age."Maya chose that moment to escape from Thomas's lap and toddle over to the toy chest, chattering to herself about finding the "purple elephant.""Purple phant!" she announced, holding up a stuffed animal. "Mine!""That's right, Maya. That's the purple elephant," Dr. James said, smiling. "She's certainly vocal.""She
Huling Na-update: 2025-06-16
Luna To Alpha Ace
When Love Becomes a Prison
After twenty failed IVF treatments and four years of heartbreak, Lily Collins finally has everything she's ever wanted: she's pregnant with the miracle baby she and her husband James fought so hard for. But the man she married is becoming someone she doesn't recognize—controlling, secretive, and increasingly dangerous.
When James strikes her for the first time, Lily tells herself it's the stress. When he isolates her from friends and monitors her every move, she convinces herself it's concern for the baby. But when she discovers he's been lying about their fertility treatments, she realizes the father of her unborn child might be hiding something far more sinister than she ever imagined.
**Meanwhile, across the city...**
Alpha werewolf Ace Winters has spent years searching for his destined mate. When the bond finally calls to him, leading him to a pregnant woman living in fear, his protective instincts roar to life. But his mate is human, fragile, and already running from one dangerous man.
One wrong move could send her fleeing forever. One right move could save her life.
Two men. One woman. A baby caught in between.
As Lily fights to uncover the truth about her husband's deceptions, she has no idea that her salvation might come from the mysterious stranger watching over her or that accepting his protection will thrust her into a world where fairy tales are real. Love can be written in the stars.
But first, she has to survive long enough to discover that monsters don't always look like monsters...
*And heroes don't always look entirely human.*
Basahin
Chapter: Epilogue 2 LILY Nine Months Later “This one’s different.” I gripped Ace’s hand tighter as another contraction rolled through me, stronger than the ones that had been coming and going all morning. “Different how?” he asked, his voice steady despite the worry I could see in his eyes. “More intense. More…” I paused, searching for the right word as the pain peaked and then slowly faded. “More urgent.” We were in our bedroom, where I’d insisted on laboring for as long as possible. Dr. Jake was downstairs with Helen, who was watching Emma and Aiden. The plan was to head to the hospital when things got serious. But something told me we might not make it that far. *She’s coming,* Elisa said excitedly in my mind. *Our daughter is ready.* “How far apart are the contractions now?” Ace asked, glancing at his phone where he’d been timing them. “Four minutes,” I breathed, feeling another one building. “Oh God, here comes another one.” This time, I couldn’t stay quiet. A low groan esca
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Epilogue 1 LILY Two Years Later “Mama! Mama!” Emma’s voice carried across the backyard, filled with the kind of excitement that usually meant trouble. “Aiden healed my wound!” I looked up from the herb garden I’d been tending, my hands still dirty from planting. Emma was running toward me, her three-year-old legs pumping as fast as they could carry her. Behind her, Aiden toddled along on his chubby two-year-old legs, his face beaming with pride. “What happened, baby?” I asked, immediately scanning Emma for injuries. She thrust her hand toward me, the one that had been scraped and bleeding just minutes ago when she’d fallen off her bike. I’d been about to clean it when she ran off to find her brother. Now, there was nothing. Not even a mark. My breath caught in my throat. “Emma, sweetheart, show Mama where you were hurt.” She pointed to her palm, completely unblemished. “Right here! It was bleeding and it hurt really bad, but Aiden touched it and made it all better!” *Holy
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Chapter 115: Lily "Mama, baba smile!" Emma announced proudly, pointing at Aiden who was indeed giving me his first real, intentional smile. Two months. My baby boy was two months old already, and every day brought discoveries. The way his eyes tracked movement now, how he responded to my voice, the little coos that sounded almost like he was trying to talk. "He's getting so big," I marveled, lifting him from his bouncer to cuddle him close. He smelled like baby soap and that indefinable sweetness that all infants seemed to carry. *He's perfect,* Elisa said warmly in my mind. *Growing strong.* Emma climbed onto the couch beside me, carefully patting Aiden's tiny hand. "Good baba," she said seriously. "Emma sister." "The best sister," I agreed, kissing the top of her head. These quiet moments had become my favorite part of each day. The three of us together, no supernatural drama, no pack business, no emergencies. Just normal family life. Well, as normal as life could be when you were ma
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Chapter 114: Lily Three days. It had been three days since Elisa first spoke to me, and I was finally walking without feeling like my legs might give out. The joint pain had faded to a dull ache, manageable now that my wolf and I were working together instead of fighting each other. I could make it downstairs for meals, hold my children without trembling, even help with basic household tasks. But Elisa was getting restless. *I want to run,* she said for the tenth time this morning as I finished braiding my hair. *I want to feel the earth under our paws, smell the forest, stretch our muscles properly.* *Soon,* I promised, though I wasn't sure I was ready. The idea of shifting terrified me. What if something went wrong? What if I got stuck? What if I couldn't control it? *You can do this,* Elisa encouraged. *I'll be right there with you. We'll do it together.* A knock on the bedroom door interrupted my internal debate. "Come in," I called. Ace entered, already dressed in clothes he did
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Chapter 113: LilyPain. That's all I knew for the first three days. Every joint in my body felt like it was being torn apart and rebuilt from the inside out. Even breathing hurt. The pills Dr. Jake had given me helped, but only barely. They took the edge off the agony, made it bearable instead of unbearable. But I still couldn't get out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time. "Mama hurt?" Emma asked for the hundredth time today, her small hand patting my arm gently. "A little, baby," I managed, forcing a smile. "But Mama's getting better." She'd been glued to my side since the transformation began. Ace would carry her to her own room for naps and bedtime, but the moment she woke up, she'd toddle right back to me. Like she could sense that something fundamental had changed. "Emma stay with Mama," she announced, climbing carefully onto the bed beside me. The mattress dipped under her weight, sending a fresh wave of pain through my joints. I bit back a groan. "You can stay, sweethear
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Chapter 112: Ace The soft click of Aiden's nursery door closing echoed through the hallway. Lily moved slowly, her hand trailing along the wall for support as she returned to our bedroom. Three days. It had been three days since Dr. Jake's visit, three days of watching my mate grow weaker by the hour. She paused in the doorway, silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. Even in the shadows, I could see how fragile she'd become. Her clothes hung loose on her frame, and her skin had a translucent quality that made my heart clench. "He went down easy tonight," she said, attempting a smile. "I think he's finally adjusting to sleeping in his own room." I stood from where I'd been sitting on the edge of our bed, crossing to her in two quick steps. My arms came around her waist, pulling her against me. She felt so small, so breakable. "Are you okay?" I asked, pressing my lips to her temple. She leaned into me, her hands resting against my chest. "I'm tired. But I'm okay." *Liar.* I co
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Chapter 133:Victoria Five years later.The gallery was packed for the opening.My biggest exhibition yet.Twenty emerging artists from across Italy.The culmination of everything I’d built.But tonight wasn’t about work.Tonight was about family.“Mama, I’m bored.”Matteo tugged on my dress.Five years old and already master of dramatic sighs.“We’ll leave soon, baby.”“But I want to leave now.”“Five more minutes.”“You said that five minutes ago.”He wasn’t wrong.Giuliana appeared, dragging Aria behind her.“Mama, Aria says we can get gelato if you say yes.”“I said maybe,” Aria corrected. “If Mama agrees.”Nine years old and already negotiating like a lawyer.“Gelato sounds perfect.”“Really?” All three of them lit up.“Really. Let me just say goodbye to a few people.”They scattered immediately.Probably already planning their flavors.Alessandro found me near the back gallery.Still devastatingly handsome in a dark suit.Gray at his temples now, lines around his eyes.But more himself than ever.“Re
Huling Na-update: 2025-10-21
Chapter: Chapter 132: Victoria Three months had changed everything.The twins were sleeping in longer stretches now.Not through the night, but close enough that I felt almost human again.Matteo had discovered his hands.Spent hours staring at them like they were the most fascinating things in the world.Giuliana had found her voice.Cooing and babbling at anyone who would listen.And Aria had finally adjusted to being a big sister.Most days, anyway.“Mama, Matteo is looking at me!”“That’s because he loves you.”“But he’s staring.”“Babies stare. It’s what they do.”She made a face at him.He smiled.His first real smile, not just gas.“He smiled at me! Papa, did you see? He smiled!”Alessandro looked up from feeding Giuliana.“I saw. You’re his favorite person.”“I’m everyone’s favorite person.”“Modest too,” I murmured.“I heard that, Mama.”The house was finally starting to feel like ours.We’d been in the new place for two months.Unpacking boxes, still figuring out where everything went.But it was home.Li
Huling Na-update: 2025-10-18
Chapter: Chapter 131: Victoria The house was in chaos.Beautiful, exhausting chaos.Matteo was crying in the nursery.Giuliana had just finished eating and needed to be burped.And Aria was having a meltdown because her favorite shirt was in the wash.“I need that shirt, Mama!”“It’ll be clean tomorrow, sweetheart.”“But I need it today!”“You have ten other shirts that are just as nice.”“They’re not the same!”She stormed off to her room.Six weeks of being a big sister had worn thin on some days.Giuliana spit up down my shoulder.Again.I didn’t even flinch anymore.Spit-up was just part of my wardrobe now.“I’ve got Matteo,” Alessandro called from the nursery.“Can you change him too?”“Already done.”“You’re my favorite person.”“You say that now. Wait until I tell you we’re out of diapers.”“We can’t be out of diapers.”“We’re definitely out of diapers.”I closed my eyes.Six weeks postpartum and I was surviving on three hours of sleep and pure spite.“I’ll order more.”“Already did. They’ll be here in two h
Huling Na-update: 2025-10-17
Chapter: Chapter 130: Victoria The kitchen was quiet at four in the morning.Too quiet.I couldn’t sleep, so I’d given up trying.The babies had been restless all night.Moving constantly, pressing against my ribs, making it impossible to find a comfortable position.Now I stood at the counter, trying to decide if I wanted tea or toast or just to cry from exhaustion.Eight and a half months pregnant felt like an eternity and also not enough time.Not ready for this.Not ready for two babies.Not ready for any of it.I reached for the kettle.That’s when it happened.A sensation like something breaking inside me.Then warmth running down my legs.“No.”I looked down.Water pooled on the kitchen floor.“No, no, no. Not yet. It’s too early.”Another sensation.Different this time.Tightening across my belly.Sharp and insistent.A contraction.“Alessandro!”My voice came out strangled.The contraction intensified.I grabbed the counter, trying to breathe through it.“Alessandro!”Footsteps thundered down the hall.He
Huling Na-update: 2025-10-11
Chapter: Chapter 129: Victoria The paint samples were driving me insane.“What’s the difference between Cloud White and Swiss Coffee?” I asked for the third time.Alessandro held them up to the nursery wall.“One is more… white?”“That’s helpful.”“They look the same to me, amore.”“They’re not the same. One has warm undertones, the other is cool.”“Then pick the warm one.”“But what if the cool one looks better with the furniture?”He set down the samples and pulled me against him.Carefully, because my belly was now officially in the way of everything.“The babies won’t care what color the walls are.”“I care.”“I know you do. But you’re overthinking this.”“I’m not—”“Victoria. We’ve been staring at paint samples for an hour.”He wasn’t wrong.Five months pregnant with twins meant my brain simultaneously wanted everything perfect and couldn’t make a single decision.The hormones were making me crazy.“Mama, I like this one!”Aria held up a sample that was definitely more yellow than white.“That’s Butter Cream,
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-30
Chapter: Chapter 128: Victoria The waiting room was too cold.I pulled my cardigan tighter, watching Alessandro pace near the window.“You’re making me nervous.”“I’m not nervous.”“You’ve checked your watch three times in two minutes.”He sat down beside me, taking my hand.“I just want everything to be okay.”“It will be. This is routine.”“I know.”But his grip on my hand said otherwise.This was our first official appointment.The one where we’d hear the heartbeat.See our baby on the screen.Make it real in a way that the positive tests hadn’t quite managed.“Mrs. De Luca?”The nurse smiled from the doorway.“Dr. Romano is ready for you.”The examination room was warmer, at least.Soft lighting, comfortable chairs, pictures of babies on the walls.Dr. Romano was exactly what I’d hoped for.Kind eyes, gentle manner, and the confidence that came from decades of experience.“So, first baby together?” she asked, reviewing my chart.“Second,” Alessandro said. “We have a daughter.”“Wonderful. And how are you feelin
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-30
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