River POVAs soon as we got to our table, the first thing I noticed was the arrangement. The Crescent Moon pack and the Meadows pack were placed together at one table. Great. Just my luck.By the time we arrived, only three seats were left in the middle. I wasn’t about to sit beside Charlotte—absolutely not—so when Jay offered to take that seat, I silently thanked the Goddess. Still, there was a strange uneasiness lingering from earlier, but I pushed it aside.I slipped into the seat beside him. Amber was on the other side, leaving one chair between us, and I almost kissed the floor in relief that they hadn’t placed us directly together. My only prayer now was that I didn’t run into Zed the whole evening.“Have I told you how beautiful you look?” Jay leaned close, his breath trickling my earlobe.I chuckled softly. “Only about a million times.”“Well then,” he kissed the back of my hand, his lips brushing my skin lightly, “let’s make it a million and one. You look incredible.”I smile
Jay’s POVThe hotel room door clicked open, and River stepped in first. She gave a quick glance around, her lips curving. “Huh, not bad,” she murmured.I followed behind, rolling our boxes across the polished floor. The moment I stepped in, I scanned the place too. “It’s quite spacious,” I admitted.Alpha Regan had gone all out. Since his birthday was supposed to be an all-nighter, he’d booked out the entire hotel for his guests. The party would take place in the grand hall downstairs, but every guest was given a room. Ours had soft cream walls, a huge king-sized bed draped in offwhite bedsheets, and a chandelier above that cast a yellowing glow over the room. A sitting area by the window overlooked the city lights. It was luxury without being overwhelming.I pushed the boxes to the side and dropped onto the cushioned chair with a sigh. “Finally.”“Oh my, I’m so tired,” River groaned dramatically as she flopped onto the bed, spreading her arms wide as though the mattress was swallowin
River’s POVThe car rolled to a stop in front of my house, and I turned to glance at the backseat. Steven was sound asleep, his small chest rising and falling peacefully. A soft smile tugged at my lips. He’d had such a long day, and seeing him rest so soundly made my heart ease a little.Jay got out of the driver’s seat quietly and moved to the back. With such care, he scooped Steven into his arms, holding him like he was the most precious thing in the world. I hurried ahead to unlock the front door, pushing it open just as Jay reached me.“Go on in,” I whispered.He nodded and carried Steven straight to his room. I followed behind, leaning against the doorway as Jay laid him gently on the bed. He tucked the blanket over Steven, making sure he was warm, before turning off the light. For a moment, I just stood there watching the two of them—Jay’s calm movements, Steven’s peaceful face. My chest tightened with an emotion I couldn’t quite put into words.Jay shut the door softly, and we
River’s POVThe car rolled to a stop in front of my house, and I turned to glance at the backseat. Steven was sound asleep, his small chest rising and falling peacefully. A soft smile tugged at my lips. He’d had such a long day, and seeing him rest so soundly made my heart ease a little.Jay got out of the driver’s seat quietly and moved to the back. With such care, he scooped Steven into his arms, holding him like he was the most precious thing in the world. I hurried ahead to unlock the front door, pushing it open just as Jay reached me.“Go on in,” I whispered.He nodded and carried Steven straight to his room. I followed behind, leaning against the doorway as Jay laid him gently on the bed. He tucked the blanket over Steven, making sure he was warm, before turning off the light. For a moment, I just stood there watching the two of them—Jay’s calm movements, Steven’s peaceful face. My chest tightened with an emotion I couldn’t quite put into words.Jay shut the door softly, and we
Zed’s POVHer lips parted slightly, eyes widening as she recognized me instantly.“Zed?”I froze. I couldn’t believe it.“What are you doing here?” she asked.“You actually came,” I muttered under my breath, almost as if saying it aloud would make it real.“To the beach?” she tilted her head, her brows knitting in confusion. “Uh, yeah? Why else would you think Steven would be here?”I let out a quiet chuckle, though it was humorless as it could be. “No… I mean you actually came.”The puzzled look she gave me was like a dagger to the chest. She had no idea what I meant. “Yeah. What the hell are you doing here, by the way?”“Wait… so you didn’t get my message?”“Message?” she repeated, blinking. “What message?”My heart sank. I pulled my phone from my pocket and scrolled quickly to the thread. There it was, plain as day—the message I had sent her. And right beneath it, those cursed words: Failed to deliver.Of course. Just my damn luck.I let out a long sigh, frustration bubbling inside
Zed POV “Wait—wait, I have an EpiPen!” I yelled just before I bolted for my bag. My fingers were shaking as I grabbed it and rushed back.River and Jay barely gave me space, but I snapped the cap off, pressed it against his thigh, and pushed.The effect was almost instant. His body jerked, then slowly, his breathing eased. The clawing at his throat stopped, and the tension in his body softened.I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my hands still shaking as I looked down at him.“Thank you so much,” she said softly, cradling Steven in her arms like he was the most fragile thing in the world. Because at that point, he was. “I can only imagine what would have happened if you weren’t here.”“It’s fine,” I murmured, brushing it off even though my chest tightened at her words. “Steven’s like a son to me.”Her eyes flicked away quickly, and she cleared her throat. “Well… thank you,” she repeated, quieter this time.“You’re welcome,” I said with a small smile, trying to ligh