Chapter 5

Bella POV

The next two weeks passed in a way that felt strange to me.

For the first time in three years of marriage, Ethan was actually living in the house with me.

Sometimes when I woke up in the morning, I would see his shoes by the door or his jacket hanging on the chair in the living room, and I would just stand there staring for a moment. It still felt unreal.

Ethan had never really stayed here before.

But now he came home every night.

Sometimes he even sat with me during breakfast before leaving for his Alpha duties.

We didn’t talk much. Most of the time our conversations were short and simple.

“Did you eat?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be back late tonight.”

“Okay.”

That was usually how it went.

But somehow the silence between us didn’t feel as cold as it used to.

Sometimes we would sit at the dinner table without saying anything, and even though the room was quiet, it didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.

It almost felt… peaceful.

If someone had seen us during those moments, they would probably think we were just a quiet married couple.

Of course, reality still reminded me what this month really was.

Every few days Ethan’s phone would ring.

I never asked who it was.

I already knew.

Clara.

Whenever it happened, he would step outside to take the call. His voice would become softer, calmer. Sometimes I could even hear her laughing faintly through the open window.

Every time it happened, my chest felt tight.

But I never complained.

I was the one who asked for these thirty days.

Even if it was temporary, I still wanted to hold onto it.

Then the day of the pack celebration arrived.

It was the biggest event of the year. Wolves from nearby packs would come to celebrate together.

Normally I tried to stay quiet during these events. I never liked drawing attention to myself.

But tonight felt different.

Maybe it was because Ethan had been staying beside me these past two weeks.

Or maybe it was because of the baby growing quietly inside me.

When I stood in front of the mirror wearing my dark blue dress, I actually felt a little confident.

The dress moved softly when I walked, and the silver patterns on it shined under the light.

I braided part of my hair and pinned small moonflower clips into it.

It was simple, but I liked it.

For a moment I just stared at my reflection.

“You look… different.”

I turned around quickly.

Ethan was standing by the door.

I hadn’t even heard him come in.

He was wearing a dark jacket, and somehow it made him look even taller than usual.

But what surprised me was the look on his face.

He looked… a little stunned.

My cheeks warmed immediately.

“Is it too much?” I asked nervously.

Ethan looked at me for a few seconds before answering.

“No.”

He looked away slightly.

“You look good.”

It was such a simple sentence, but hearing it from Ethan made my heart beat a little faster.

Soon we walked together to the celebration grounds.

The place was full of music, laughter, and bright lanterns hanging from the trees.

Wolves were talking, drinking, and enjoying the night.

The moment Ethan and I walked in, several pack members noticed us.

“Well look who finally came together!” someone shouted.

A few people laughed.

“Alpha, you’ve been hiding your Luna from us!”

“Yeah, we barely see her!”

My face immediately turned red.

Then one of the warriors pointed toward the dance floor.

“If you two look this good tonight, you have to dance!”

More people started cheering.

“Dance!”

“Dance!”

I wished the ground would just swallow me up.

But before I could say anything, Ethan reached for my hand.

His fingers wrapped around mine, warm and firm.

“Come on,” he said.

Before I could react, he led me to the dance floor.

The music was slow.

Ethan placed one hand on my waist and held my other hand as we started moving with the rhythm.

My heart was beating so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.

For a moment neither of us spoke.

But Ethan gently guided my steps so I wouldn’t trip.

“Relax,” he murmured.

“I am relaxed,” I whispered, even though that was obviously a lie.

For a second, Ethan actually smiled.

It was small, but I saw it.

And somehow that made my chest feel warm.

Around us people were laughing and enjoying the celebration.

And for the first time since our marriage started…

It felt normal.

Like we were just another couple dancing together.

But suddenly the atmosphere changed.

People near the entrance started whispering.

The music didn’t stop, but the energy in the crowd shifted.

Ethan suddenly went still.

His hand tightened slightly around mine.

Confused, I followed his gaze toward the entrance.

And that was when I saw her.

Clara had arrived.