LOGINStaff rushed to Isolde’s side with napkins and fresh water. Gregory patted her back while she continued to cough, her face red, eyes streaming.The rest of the table sat in stunned silence.Genevieve’s hand had frozen halfway to her mouth, soup spoon suspended in mid-air. Lilibel’s eyes were wide, darting between Lucian and me. Benedict looked equally shocked, while Cecilia’s mouth had literally fallen open.“Everyone,” I said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady. “I think Lucian is getting ahead of himself. Please don’t take this seriously.”“I’m not getting ahead of anything.” Lucian’s tone was calm. Matter-of-fact. As if he’d just announced the weather instead of dropping a bomb on his entire family.“Lucian, we talked about this,” I said quietly, heat rising to my cheeks.“We talked. I listened. I disagree.” His amber eyes held mine. “We’re mates, Aurelia.”Seraphina’s expression had shifted from shock to something else. Something that looked dangerously like excitement.“Thi
I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom, studying my reflection with critical eyes. The gown was simple. Forest green, falling just below my knees, with three-quarter sleeves and a modest neckline. Nothing flashy. Nothing that screamed “trying too hard.” But nice enough to show respect for the dinner invitation. Command, really. Not invitation. My dark hair had given me trouble, but I’d finally managed to secure it with silver clips, pulling it back from my face while letting a few strands frame my features. Minimal makeup. Small pearl earrings my mother had given me years ago. I looked presentable. Respectable. Terrified. My hand went to my stomach, still flat beneath the fabric. In a few weeks, this dress wouldn’t fit. In a few months, everyone would see the evidence of what Lucian and I had done. What we’d created. “Beautiful”, my wolf murmured. “Alpha will see. Will know.” I don’t care what he sees. But I checked my reflection one more time anyway. Six
Lucian took a step forward, then stopped, as if unsure of his reception.“Grandmother,” he said, his voice carefully controlled. “I’d like to show Aurelia to her wing. If she’s comfortable with this.”Seraphina’s gaze sharpened, turning toward her grandson with a look that could cut glass. The warning in her eyes was clear: behave.“Lucian—”“Please,” he said quietly. “I need to speak with her.”I wanted to refuse. Wanted to tell him to stay away, to let Seraphina handle everything, to avoid being alone with him for even a minute.But we couldn’t avoid each other forever. Not if I was living here. Not if we were going to raise a child together, even from separate wings of this massive estate.“It’s fine,” I heard myself say.Seraphina looked at me. “Are you certain?”“Yes.”“Very well.” She turned back to Lucian, her voice dropping to a tone I suspected terrified even Alphas. “You will be respectful. You will be kind. And you will remember she is a guest in this house, under my protec
“I’ll go.”The words fell from my lips before I could second-guess them.My father’s expression tightened. My mother’s hand squeezed mine harder.“Are you certain?” my father asked.“No.” I looked at him, then at my mother. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about this baby. They deserve to know both sides of their family. Both packs. I can’t let my hurt stand in the way of what’s best for them.”“Aurelia—” my father started.“I’m not doing this for Lucian,” I said firmly. “I’m doing this for my child. There’s a difference.”Seraphina’s expression softened with something like relief. “You’re making the right choice. I promise you’ll be treated with respect and given every comfort.”“I want my own space,” I said. “Complete privacy. I don’t want to see Lucian unless absolutely necessary.”“Understood. You’ll have an entire wing to yourself.”“And if I change my mind, if this arrangement doesn’t work, I can leave. No arguments. No pack law preventing me.”Seraphina hesitated for only a momen
The figures that emerged from the vehicles were not what I expected.From the first car stepped Grand Matriarch Seraphina, her silver hair gleaming in the evening light, her posture regal despite her age. She wore a deep burgundy dress that spoke of elegance and authority.From the second car came two large wolves in dark suits. Bodyguards. Their eyes scanned the perimeter with professional efficiency before one of them opened the door for Seraphina.No Lucian.Relief and disappointment warred in my chest.My father opened the front door, stepping onto the porch. His posture was protective but not aggressive. An Alpha, showing respect while guarding his territory.“Grand Matriarch Seraphina,” he said, his voice carrying across the yard. “This is unexpected.”“Alpha Sinclair.” She inclined her head respectfully. “I apologize for arriving unannounced. May we speak? It concerns your daughter and matters of great importance to both our packs.”My father’s jaw tightened, but he stepped asi
The drive to Crescent Ridge took four hours.Four hours of fighting tears. Of replaying the conversation in my head. Of hearing his voice ask, “Are you certain the pregnancy is mine?” over and over until the words lost all meaning.My wolf remained silent. Not sulking. Not pleading. Just quiet grief that mirrored my own.I crossed into my home pack’s territory just after midnight. The familiar scents of pine and mountain air wrapped around me like a blanket. Comforting. Safe.Everything Nightfall had never been.My parents’ house sat at the edge of the forest, a sprawling cabin my father had built with his own hands. Lights glowed in the windows despite the late hour.They were waiting.I’d called my mother from a rest stop two hours ago. Told her I was coming home. Needed to stay for a while. She’d asked no questions, just said my room would be ready.I parked in the driveway and sat for a moment, gathering the strength to walk inside. To face them. To admit what had happened.The fr







