Chapter 9 Bloom

Kai leaned back in his chair with an easy smile, clearly trying to ease the tension that had settled over the table. "Yeah, that's right," he said. "We came here with our pack, Bloom. Our families came too, along with everyone else. We're... not exactly the type to leave each other behind."

I blinked. "You mean your entire pack moved here?" I asked. "Just for college?"

Cassian calmly set his coffee cup down. The soft clink against the table somehow cut through every other sound in the cafe. "We had to relocate," he said, his voice steady and firm. "The pack's safety comes before everything else. College is just a cover. We've already completed the education we actually needed."

His gaze met mine. "The real reason we're here... is personal."

I slowly turned toward Ivy. "What about you? Are you part of the same pack? Did your family move here too?"

She stiffened the instant I asked. For a second, it looked like she'd forgotten how to breathe. Her eyes dropped to her coffee as she traced the rim of the mug with trembling fingers.

"I... yes. I'm part of the pack too." Her voice came out quieter than usual. "But my situation's a little different."

Her eyes kept darting between Kai and Cassian, like she was afraid of saying the wrong thing. Kai noticed immediately. Before the silence could become awkward, he gave Ivy a polite nod. The kind you'd give someone you barely knew.

"Our pack's pretty big, Bloom," he said casually. "We'd never really had a chance to meet before this. But pack members look out for each other."

Ivy seemed to relax just a little after that, though her eyes still drifted toward Cassian.

Cassian's expression never changed.

"My father is the Alpha," he said matter-of-factly. "My mother is the Luna. I'll become the next Alpha."

He gestured toward Kai. "Kai is the future Beta. He's also my best friend." His tone remained calm.

"We take our responsibilities seriously."

As I listened, I felt it again. That faint pressure against my leg beneath the table. Cassian's knee rested lightly against mine, just enough for me to notice.

It almost felt like he'd sensed the question hidden beneath my curiosity—that feeling of being surrounded by strangers—and was quietly reminding me that I wasn't facing them alone.

"What about you, Ivy?" I asked, looking at her. "Where do you fit into all of that?" I tilted my head.

"And why didn't you tell me you were all part of the same pack when I asked before?" A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

She intertwined her fingers beneath the table. "I'm... the future Gamma." She smiled awkwardly.

"But like I said, I just got here. I'm still settling in. Besides..." She shrugged. "You asked if we knew each other."

She glanced toward Kai. "We really had only just met." "So bringing up the pack didn't seem important."

Cassian seemed to notice how nervous she was. He turned to me before she had to say anything else. "Our reason for being here isn't about pack hierarchy, Bloom."

His voice dropped slightly. "It's about keeping things stable." A brief pause. "The fewer reasons you know... the safer you'll be." The answers felt carefully measured. Not lies...

Just incomplete.

Still, it was impossible to ignore the invisible connection between the three of them. "I get it," I said, lifting my mug. "I was just curious." I smiled faintly. "I've lived here my entire life, and the only people I've ever known were humans."

I looked out the café window for a moment. "Other than the occasional rogue wolf passing through, I'd never even met another werewolf before." I looked back at them.

"And now I'm finding out an entire pack moved into town." I laughed softly. "You'll have to forgive my curiosity."

Cassian leaned forward just slightly. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Some bonds follow you no matter how far you run, Bloom."

His blue eyes held mine. "Ours happens to be one of them."

Across the table, Kai and Ivy exchanged a brief, knowing glance. Cassian's hand rested on the table beside my coffee cup again, close enough that I could feel its quiet presence without him actually touching me.

I still wasn't convinced a pack that powerful had uprooted their lives simply to "keep things stable." But I understood. For now...

This was as much of the truth as they were willing to share. And I decided not to push any further. Instead, I turned back to Ivy. "You said your situation was different." I offered her a small smile.

"I told you about my family. But I don't know anything about yours."

Sadness softened her expression. "I think... I understand you more than you realize." She looked down into her coffee. "I lost my mom." The words were almost a whisper. "She didn't survive a rogue wolf attack."

"My dad was badly injured, but he made it." She took a slow breath before continuing. "He's the Gamma of our pack. I couldn't stay after my mom died." Her fingers tightened around the mug.

"I wandered on my own for a while instead of staying with the pack." A small smile finally appeared. "But when everyone relocated here, Dad asked me to come back. He said I could start over and go to college." Her eyes softened. "And..." She looked away. "I didn't want him to be alone anymore."

I reached across the table and gently took her hand. "I'm so sorry."

She looked up. "Maybe that's why we clicked so quickly."

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "We both know what it's like to lose someone." I smiled sadly.

"It's a different story every time..."

"But grief always leaves the same scars."

She squeezed my hand back. "Thank you."

I smiled before turning toward Kai. "What about you? Your dad is the Beta. What about your mom? Is she here too?"

Kai nodded. "She is." A warm smile spread across his face. "She's one of our Betas as well." His expression softened. "And..." He looked between Ivy and me. "I'm truly sorry for everything you've both been through." His smile never wavered. "If either of you ever needs anything..." He shrugged lightly. "...don't hesitate to ask."