Semua Bab The Luna Lives Again: Bab 21 - Bab 30

As I was plating the last of the bacon-fried potatoes, I heard it—that overly cheery, high-pitched voice I'd come to associate with multiple headaches and accusations. "Good morning, Robbie," Mia sang from the dining room. I stopped mid-step, pan in one hand, spatula in the other. What was she doing here? "I made some of your favorite sausages for breakfast." My eyebrow twitched. She made what? I hadn't even stepped out with my food yet and she was already trying to hijack breakfast? Did she just... show up uninvited to his house with food like she fucking lived here? Was this a normal thing between them? For a moment, my chest tightened. Had I misunderstood something? Had I unknowingly made myself the other woman again? But then I heard Robbie's voice, low and tired. "Mia, what the hell are you doing here? Didn't you say you wouldn't bother me? You know this is inappropriate." I let out a breath. Right. Robbie was a man of good character. There was no way he'd put me in the

I could barely hear my own thoughts over the beast's roars and the wet slap of paws against mud. The ground shook every time the monster shifted its weight. It was huge—twice the size of a truck, covered in thick, matted fur that glistened with black blood. Gashes were torn open across its belly, long enough to swallow a man whole, and that putrid black ichor poured out like tar, steaming in the rain-soaked battlefield. The pack surged forward, bodies low, teeth bared. I barked orders just to keep myself grounded. "Circle in! Don't give it an inch! Keep pressing!" My voice cracked from the force, but it was loud enough. It had to be. I needed them to hear me. More than that—I needed to hear me. If I wasn't shouting, I might notice how my legs were shaking. If I stopped barking commands, someone might see the panic crawling up my spine. Another wolf rushed past me—too brave for his own good—and sank his teeth into the beast's side, ripping a hunk of muscle free before he was flung l

I felt fat as hell, especially since this little boy was making me blow up to the point that I couldn't stretch my own clothes anymore. Every shirt I used to love had become a crop top overnight. My pants? Forget it. I'd already popped two buttons off my last pair. Robbie, of course, had gone overboard and bought me a closet full of maternity clothes, but every single item made it look like I had a billboard taped to my belly: PREGNANT. I hated it. I hated all of it. But walking around naked wasn't exactly an option, so here we were. Worse, it wasn't just my reflection that reminded me I was seven months in. The entire pack had lost its mind. The moment we got back from the clinic, gifts were already waiting at the door—blankets, toys, baby books, homemade soup I didn't ask for. I couldn't even walk down the street without someone pressing something into my hands or asking about "how the baby was doing." The elders had already started badgering Robbie about setting a date to formal

Snow blanketed the earth that evening, a soft white sheet brushing over every crooked rooftop and blade of grass. The ground glittered silver and iridescent, the cold air so sharp and clean it almost felt new. Somehow, winter just made the world more beautiful. Like it was forgiving. The icicles that hung from the twisted tree branches shimmered in the setting sun, catching every last trace of light. The lake at the center of the forest, oddly enough, hadn't frozen. It was still and glassy, reflecting the moonlight perfectly. That had to be my barrier—there was no other explanation. The barrier had done more than protect people. The fields were still green beneath the snow, as strange as that sounded. Crops had come back early and full, growing through the frost like spring didn't care it wasn't her season. The livestock roamed around without fear. Sheep huddled together in warm clusters, cows drank from water troughs that hadn't iced over. Even the lone horse in the paddock looked

I couldn't fucking believe it. First thing in the morning, I opened the door and there they were—my mom and dad. Both of them. Standing on the porch like two wolves ready to pounce, looking angrier than I'd ever seen them in my life. "Mom? Dad? What are you—" "What the hell is going on here, Jason?" Mom snapped before I could finish. "Excuse me?" I blinked. "Don't play dumb," Dad said. "We’ve heard everything. We want answers, and we want them now." I tried everything. I used my calmest Alpha tone, reassured them I had things under control, made every excuse I could think of—but nothing worked on them. They didn't believe me. Not a single word. And then they asked to see Elliot. I should've said no. I should've made something up. But I didn't. I led them upstairs, and when we opened the door to Elliot's room, it was like watching a tragedy unfold in real time. He looked like shit. He wasn't dying, exactly, but he was weaker than I'd ever seen him. He'd been getting worse ev