All Chapters of Moon Madness: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The cars slow as the road curves upward, and Aiden glances over at me."We're almost there."I look out the window—and my breath catches.The territory opens around us slowly, pine forests stretching between scattered houses and winding roads that look like they were built into the mountains instead of forced through them. A river cuts through the land nearby, white water flashing in the sunlight while the sound carries faintly through the open crack in the window.Mountains rise in the distance, sharp and massive against the sky.It looks like a national park.Except people actually live here.Not just survive here—live here.The whole territory feels... cared for.Claimed.Loved.And before I can stop myself, one stupid thought slips in completely uninvited:It's even more beautiful than home.That realization immediately feels like betrayal.I sit back quietly while the road winds deeper into the territory until the packhouse finally comes into view.Three stories tall.Stone and

The next afternoon, Aiden's mother invites me upstairs to her and Tamsin's side of the packhouse."Just us girls," she says warmly. "Away from the chaos for a little while."I hesitate before agreeing.Their apartment feels different from the rest of the packhouse somehow. Softer. Lighter. Sun pours through huge windows, catching on pale wood and soft fabrics, and the whole place smells faintly like tea and herbs and something comforting I can't place.Tamsin greets me first, immediately looping her arm through mine like we've known each other forever."I'm so happy you're here."The enthusiasm should probably overwhelm me.Instead it weirdly doesn't.We sit down for tea—actual porcelain cups, pastries, the whole intimidatingly civilized experience—and for a while the conversation stays easy. They ask about my family. June. Montana. Things I like. Things I don't.It feels strangely normal.Like I've stepped sideways into someone else's life for an afternoon.Then Aiden's mother pauses

Aiden POVI've fought rogues.Broken bones with my bare hands.Stood across negotiating tables from Alphas who would've happily ripped my throat out if it benefited them.None of that prepared me for this.Cat is curled against my chest, breathing unevenly, fingers twisted in my shirt like she's anchoring herself to something solid while the heat still rolls through her in waves. Every instinct inside me is screaming.Claim.Hold.Finish what the bond started.I don't move.Maddox is pacing hard beneath my skin, restless and sharp with restraint.She's ours, he growls. She needs us.I know.But she needs choice more.My jaw aches from holding myself so tightly under control. Every breath is deliberate. Every touch measured. I keep my arms around her because she needs grounding right now, not because I trust myself to do more.If she tells me to stop, I will.Even if it destroys me a little.Then she lifts her head.Her eyes meet mine—still heated, still shaky, but clearer now. Present

I get annoyed the second Ryan smirks."I'm coming too," he'd said casually when the spa plans came up, like he was mentioning the weather. Spa. Massage. Steam. Peace. And then—security. Ryan. I'd looked at Aiden. Aiden had not looked innocent.So I retaliated. Ryan suddenly had to escort me everywhere—bathroom, meetings, training yard—like some oversized, sighing shadow I couldn't shake. And the cherry on top was the pack doctor, booked under Aiden's name, reported symptoms: severe hemorrhoids. I'd enjoyed that part a little too much, honestly.Which is why when the message comes—Can you come to my office? We need to discuss my medical condition—I narrow my eyes at my phone for a solid three seconds. Oh, we do? Fine. I'll play.I'm halfway down the stairs when something shifts. Not external. Internal. Heat—but not the wild, uncontrollable kind from before, not the kind that scrambles my brain and makes June go feral. This is different. Deeper. Pregnancy heat. My breath falters and I s

The days start settling into something steadier. Not perfect exactly, but stable enough that life finally stops feeling like constant chaos.Jackson High becomes... manageable. Almost peaceful, which still feels weird to admit.It's strange how comforting routine can be.Classes, hallways, lockers, Tara talking nonstop about outfits and teachers and whoever is secretly dating who this week—it gives me something else to think about besides politics, pregnancy, and pack expectations.Just homework.Ryan still makes it impossible to disappear entirely, though.He stands near walls. By doors. Behind us.He doesn't really hover.He looms.People notice.Humans whisper and speculate while supernaturals instinctively keep their distance. Nobody casually approaches the girl with an Alpha aura and a six-foot-something tattooed shadow following her around like hired security.Honestly, I don't blame them.It does make things a little isolating.But Tara?Tara thrives.She talks to everyone, lau