LOGINLike I knew, Alessio was far too selfless.
He stood there, steady even after confessing that he wanted me. Steady even after admitting that I might leave him. What kind of man does that? The kind I do not deserve.
I could see it in his eyes — not desperation, not demand — but something deeper. A quiet urgency. Like he was already grieving something that
That evening, after the walk, the house finally felt quieter in a way that didn’t claw at my nerves.Not peaceful. Not fully. But calmer than it had been since Selena’s scream tore through the walls that morning. Small victories mattered now. The way she had smiled at the bird earlier stayed with me longer than it should have. It was such a simple thing, yet it had felt like watching sunlight break through clouds after a storm that refused to move.Kane noticed it too. I saw the way he had watched Selena when she smiled, the tightness in his shoulders easing slightly like he had been holding his breath all day without realizing it.We returned home slowly, not rushing, not pushing them into conversation. Everett unlocked the door ahead of us, stepping aside so the children could walk in first. Selena moved straight toward the couch again, settling into the same spot she had claimed earlier, curling her legs beneath her like she wasn’t ready to
That day passed slower than any day I could remember.Selena refused to leave my side.Not even for a moment.After the morning scare, she clung to me in ways she hadn’t since she was much younger. Even when Camelia tried to distract her with breakfast, or Everett offered to read one of her favorite books, she stayed pressed against me like a shadow afraid of losing its source of light. Kane stayed unusually quiet too, though not withdrawn. He watched her constantly, his small brows tightening every time she shifted too quickly or sighed too loudly.It was strange to see my children like this.One frightened.One protective.Both too young to carry the emotions they were now holding.By mid-morning, the house had settled into a slow rhythm. Everett sat near the window reading quietly, occasionally glancing toward the children without lifting his head fully. Camelia moved around the kitchen preparing food none of us had as
That morning did not settle back into normal the way I had hoped it would.Even after Selena stopped trembling and her breathing steadied, something fragile remained in the air around us. The kind of tension that lingered long after the storm had passed. I stayed kneeling beside the bed longer than necessary, watching her carefully, memorizing the rhythm of her breathing like it was the only thing keeping my own steady.Kane had not moved from her side.His small hand remained wrapped tightly around hers, his fingers curled protectively like he believed letting go would somehow cause her to fall apart again. I watched him carefully, noticing how his shoulders remained stiff despite the calm settling into the room. Yesterday had shaken him physically. Today had shaken him differently.Emotionally.That frightened me more.“Can I stay here today?” Selena whispered suddenly, her voice hoarse from crying.She looked at Sienna
The next morning did not begin gently.It began with a scream.A sharp, panicked cry that tore through the house and pulled me out of sleep before my mind could even understand what was happening. My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I pushed the blanket away and ran toward the hallway barefoot, not caring about the cold floor biting into my skin. For one horrifying second, my mind returned to yesterday—to Kane shaking in my arms, to his terrified voice, to the helplessness that had nearly crushed me.“Mom!”Selena.The sound came from the children’s room.I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe. I just ran.When I pushed the door open, Selena sat upright on the bed, her small hands gripping the blanket tightly, her chest rising and falling in fast, uneven breaths. Kane sat beside her, wide awake, his eyes filled with confusion and fear as he watched her struggle to breathe properly.&ldquo
That night, long after everyone had gone to sleep, I found myself standing outside Kane and Selena’s room again.It had become a habit without me realizing it. Every night, after the house settled into silence and the lights went off one by one, my feet carried me to their door like something inside me refused to trust distance. I didn’t knock. I didn’t step inside immediately. I just stood there for a moment, listening to their breathing through the quiet hallway.Steady.Soft.Alive.Only after assuring myself of that did I push the door open slightly and step inside.The room smelled faintly of soap and the lavender oil Camelia insisted on using before bedtime. Selena slept curled toward Kane again, her small hand resting across his arm like she was guarding him even in sleep. Kane lay on his back this time, his brows drawn slightly together even in rest, his chest rising and falling in deeper breaths than usual.
That night, after returning from the training grounds, the house felt quieter than usual, but not in a peaceful way. It was the kind of quiet that came after something heavy had passed through, leaving behind tired hearts and aching thoughts. Kane walked beside me silently as we entered, his fingers wrapped tightly around mine like he feared that if he let go, something would pull him away again. Selena trailed behind us, still full of questions she hadn’t voiced yet, her eyes moving between Kane and Cassius as if trying to understand what had changed between them.The moment we stepped inside, the smell of warm food wrapped around us like a familiar blanket. Camelia stood near the kitchen counter, stirring something slowly while Everett arranged plates on the dining table with the same quiet precision he carried into everything he did. The sight of them there—so settled, so involved in a home that wasn’t originally theirs—still felt strange to me some
Someone was kissing me. More specifically she was. I smiled without even opening my eyes. Turning onto my side, I faced her keeping my eyes closed and hugged her closer. Her giggles filled my ears and my smile widened even more if possible. “Hey.” She murmured, and I peaked one eye open.“Hey.” I r
I agreed to one day. Just one. It should have felt simple. Instead, it felt like the beginning of an ending. But the joy and relief on Alessio’s face was invaluable. I stood in my bedroom staring at the half-open wardrobe, my fingers hovering over neatly fold
Vineclaw had finally caught up to my neck. Overthinking and Vineclaw.Those were the two things strangling me for the past week. Ever since that dinner in her backyard — the four of us sitting on that mat, Kane la
Two things have been bothering me ever since I left her house.First — she didn’t let me inside.Not into her living room. Not even past the threshold. Just the backyard. Just the open grass and fading light. Not her home. Not the space where she and the kids live their real life.Second — somethin







