Chapter 26

Hannah’s POV

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

But not in a lonely way like before.

This time… it felt warm.

Full.

Alive.

My mum sat on the bed, resting against the pillows the maids had carefully arranged behind her.

She looked exhausted.

Like the long journey had drained whatever little strength she had left.

Still…

She smiled.

And that alone made my chest feel lighter.

“Are you comfortable?” I asked, adjusting the blanket around her legs for what felt like the hundredth time.

She gave a small laugh.

Soft.

Weak.

“You’ve asked me that five times already.”

I ignored that.

“Because you haven’t answered properly.”

Her eyes softened as she watched me fuss over her.

“You’ve grown,” she murmured.

I paused.

“What?”

“You’ve grown into a woman.”

My throat tightened slightly.

That wasn’t what I expected her to say.

I sat carefully on the edge of the bed beside her, smoothing my dress nervously.

“You make it sound like I was a child yesterday.”

She smiled gently.

“To me… you always will be.”

That made something inside my chest ache.

Not painfully.

Just… deeply.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

We just looked at each other.

Really looked.

Like we were trying to memorize every detail.

Every line.

Every change.

“You look tired,” she said quietly.

I forced a small smile.

“I’m fine.”

She raised an eyebrow slightly.

That familiar look.

The one that always meant:

Don’t lie to me.

“You’ve lost weight,” she added.

“I haven’t.”

“You have.”

I sighed softly.

“Mum…”

Her hand reached out slowly, resting against my cheek.

Her fingers felt colder than before.

Thinner.

Fragile.

“You’ve been struggling,” she said softly.

Not a question.

A statement.

I swallowed hard.

Because she was right.

And she always knew.

“It hasn’t been easy,” I admitted quietly.

Her expression changed instantly.

Concern filled her tired eyes.

“What happened?”

I hesitated.

Not because I didn’t want to tell her.

But because I didn’t know where to begin.

With the ritual?

With the triplets?

With the contract?

With the humiliation?

So many things had happened in such a short time.

Too many.

“Start from the beginning,” she said gently.

Her voice calm.

Patient.

So I did.

“I signed up for the ritual,” I said quietly.

Her expression froze.

Shock flashing across her face.

“You what?”

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t agree,” I continued quickly.

“Hannah…”

Her voice broke slightly.

“Why would you do something so dangerous?”

“Because you were dying!” I snapped before I could stop myself.

Silence filled the room instantly.

Heavy.

Painful.

Her eyes softened.

Not angry.

Just sad.

“I didn’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me,” she whispered.

Tears burned behind my eyes.

“I didn’t sacrifice myself. I made a choice.”

A long pause followed.

Then she sighed softly.

“You’ve always been stubborn.”

That made a weak smile pull at my lips.

“Like mother, like daughter.”

She shook her head slightly.

“You’re too brave for your own good.”

Maybe.

But bravery was the only thing I had left.

“So…” she said slowly.

“What happened after that?”

And again

I told her everything.

About the ritual.

About being blindfolded.

About the strange voices.

About waking up inside the palace.

Her hand tightened slightly around mine as I spoke.

Like she was holding onto me just as tightly as I held onto her.

“And the alphas?” she asked carefully.

Her tone changed slightly.

Cautious.

Concerned.

I hesitated.

Again.

How was I supposed to explain them?

“They’re… complicated,” I said finally.

She raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds suspicious already.”

I let out a small breath.

“They wanted me here… for reasons I didn’t agree with.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“What kind of reasons?”

I looked away briefly.

Embarrassment burning through me.

“They wanted me as… entertainment.”

Her expression darkened instantly.

Anger flashed in her tired eyes.

“They what?”

“It didn’t happen,” I said quickly.

“I refused.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly.

But not completely.

“And now?” she asked.

Now.

That question was harder.

“They’ve been different lately,” I admitted quietly.

“How?”

“They apologized.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“That sounds… unexpected.”

“Very,” I muttered.

She studied my face carefully.

Searching.

Reading.

Understanding more than I said aloud.

“Do you trust them?” she asked softly.

That question stayed in the air longer than expected.

Did I trust them?

I didn’t know.

Not completely.

Not yet.

“I don’t know,” I whispered honestly.

She nodded slowly.

“That’s a good answer.”

Silence settled between us again.

But this time…

It felt calmer.

Heavier.

More thoughtful.

Her gaze moved slowly around the room.

Taking in the soft curtains.

The polished furniture.

The glowing candles.

“This place is beautiful,” she murmured.

“It is,” I agreed.

“But it doesn’t always feel safe.”

The moment those words left my mouth—

Something shifted inside me.

Her eyes returned to mine instantly.

“What do you mean?”

I hesitated again.

Because I didn’t want to scare her.

Not now.

Not after everything.

“Nothing specific,” I said slowly.

“Just… a feeling.”

Her expression turned thoughtful.

Serious.

“You should trust your instincts,” she said quietly.

I blinked.

“Why?”

“Because feelings like that don’t come from nowhere.”

Her words settled deep inside my chest.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

And suddenly

I thought of Selene.

Her smile.

Her eyes.

The strange chill I felt whenever she was near.

My stomach twisted slightly.

“Mum…” I whispered.

“Yes?”

“There’s someone here… I don’t trust.”

Her expression sharpened instantly.

“Who?”

“A witch,” I said quietly.

“Her name is Selene.”

Something flashed across her face.

Fast.

Almost too fast to notice.

“What?” I asked.

She shook her head slowly.

“Nothing.”

But I knew that look.

She was hiding something.

“Mum…”

She reached for my hand again, squeezing it gently.

“Just be careful,” she said softly.

Her voice carried a quiet warning.

One that made unease crawl slowly up my spine.

And for the first time since she arrived…

The happiness I felt earlier began to fade.

Just slightly.

Just enough.

Because deep down

Something told me this peace wouldn’t last.