Chapter 17 Bloom

The last thing Cassian said as he sat across from me sent a chill through the room.

Turn my back on them? Whatever I was about to learn, it couldn't possibly be worse than the suffocating uncertainty I'd been living with.

"Before anything else," Cassian began, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, those piercing blue eyes fixed on mine, "I need to explain Ivy's connection to us."

He glanced toward her.

"Ivy is the daughter of Carter Storm, our pack's Gamma. Kai, Ivy, and I..." A faint smile crossed his face. "We've grown up together. We're basically family."

My eyes drifted to Ivy before I could stop them. Something inside me cracked. It wasn't anger. It was the quiet ache of realizing the one friend I'd truly trusted had known the truth all along.

She'd been by my side since the beginning of the school year. She'd fought beside me. And while Cassian and I had glared at each other like enemies in that cafe…

She'd known exactly who both of us really were. As if she could read the hurt in my expression, Ivy immediately leaned toward me and gently took my hands in hers. Guilt filled her amber eyes.

"Bloom... I'm so, so sorry." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I never wanted to lie to you or keep things from you. But... you have to understand. Before we knew who you really were—or what your intentions were—we couldn't just reveal our entire world to you."

She tightened her grip slightly.

"Once I trusted you, I wanted to tell you everything. I swear I did." She swallowed hard.

"But a wolf can't go against their Alpha's orders. We can't reveal pack secrets without permission."

A sad smile touched her lips. "The bond won't let us."

For a brief moment, I wanted to pull my hands away. I wanted to be angry. But I couldn't.

Instead, I took a slow breath. Everything was finally starting to make sense. More than anything...

I understood exactly how trapped she'd been. "I'm not mad at you, Ivy."

I made sure my voice stayed calm. She let out a relieved breath almost immediately. "I understand."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "My father lived by strict rules too." I lowered my gaze to our joined hands.

"He gave me orders I couldn't disobey. Because of those orders... I couldn't even join the battle that took my parents' lives. I had to hide. I had to wait."

My throat tightened. "I know what it means to keep a promise to someone you follow... whether they're your father, your leader, or your Alpha."

I looked back into her eyes. "So I understand why you couldn't tell me without your Alpha's permission."

Silence settled over the room. Kai stared at me in surprise. When I looked at Cassian... Something in his expression had changed.

For the first time, I saw genuine respect in those deep blue eyes. He seemed to understand, almost instinctively, the military discipline my father had raised me with... and the unwavering loyalty that had become part of who I was.

Even among wolves, where hierarchy meant everything...

It felt as though my words had struck a chord. Cassian slowly leaned back in his chair. The guarded, questioning look that had always lingered in his eyes was gone. In its place...

Was admiration.

"Thank you for understanding, Bloom."

His voice was softer than I'd ever heard it. Almost gentle. He stood, smoothing the front of his jacket. "It's been a long day."

His gaze briefly drifted to my shoulder. "The pain medication I gave you is going to start making you sleepy soon."

He nodded toward Kai. "We should get going."

"You need to rest."

Kai stretched as he stood, flashing me an easy grin.

"Tomorrow's the big day," he said. "Better save your energy, feisty girl."

He headed for the door with Cassian.

Just before stepping outside, Cassian stopped in the doorway and looked back at me one last time.

That familiar scent of blueberries and juniper brushed against me before the night carried it away.

"Ivy's staying with you tonight."

His tone turned serious again.

"Lock the door."

Then he disappeared into the darkness. After locking the door behind them, I turned back toward the living room. The moment the heavy tension finally lifted from my shoulders...

Curiosity rushed in to take its place. I sat cross-legged on the couch across from Ivy. "All right."

I met her eyes. "I'm going to that pack house tomorrow... but I have no idea what I'm walking into." I tilted my head. "Tell me about your pack."

I hesitated for a second before smiling.

"...What's it really like?"

A warm, proud smile spread across Ivy's face as she leaned back comfortably.

"It's probably a lot warmer than you're imagining, Bloom."

She spoke with unmistakable affection.

"Our pack house sits in the middle of a huge forest, surrounded by dozens of smaller cabins."

Her eyes lit up. "Living together like that... always being surrounded by people who care about you..." She smiled softly. "It's an incredible feeling."

She paused only long enough to draw another excited breath.

"We're not exactly overflowing with luxury or cutting-edge technology, but we have everything we need."

She started counting on her fingers. "We have a small medical clinic that's always fully equipped. Whenever someone gets hurt or there's an emergency, that's the first place everyone runs."

Her smile widened. "And my favorite place?" She laughed. "Our daycare."

I couldn't help smiling with her.

"When the adults are out patrolling the forest borders or taking care of pack business, all the little pups stay there together. They play, they learn..."

She shook her head fondly.

"The whole place is filled with children's laughter."

As she spoke, something unfamiliar stirred inside me. Envy. Longing. I'd spent my entire life hiding. Always watching my back. Always preparing for the next danger. A childhood where children could simply...

Being a child...

Felt like something from a fairy tale.

"What about the teenagers?" I asked, completely absorbed in her stories.

"What do they do?"

"The first shift is a huge milestone," Ivy replied, her eyes sparkling.

"Once they're old enough and they experience their first transformation, every young wolf goes through mandatory training."

She smiled knowingly.

"They learn how to control both their bodies... and the wild instincts inside them."

She nodded toward the door Cassian and Kai had just walked through.

"Cassian, Kai, and I all went through it too."

"It's tough."

"But it's what truly makes you part of the pack."

As Ivy continued talking... The picture forming in my mind felt less like a pack...

And more like a family. For the first time in my life...

I wondered if, when I stepped through those doors tomorrow...

I might finally learn what it felt like to belong.