Lenu 소설 & 이야기

I said. Lena was going to say something when her phone vibrated. "I think I got a notification," she said, unlocked her phone, and clicked on it. Her phone was in my line of view, so I saw the picture on display before the screen went black as she turned it off. My jaw ticked, my hands clenching hard at the sheets. Why the hell was Riven in the arms of another woman?

"What?" The absurdity hit me like a tidal wave. I shook my head violently, hysteria bubbling up from somewhere deep in my chest. "You're insane." The word tore out of me as I gripped the counter edge hard enough to leave marks. "You can't just show up here and threaten me and—" "Lena." Hearing my name on his lips stopped me cold. Not a shout, not harsh, just spoken with such quiet, deadly certainty that it cut through me like a blade.

She hadn't meant to end up here, at Lena's sleek apartment across town, but when Mark stormed out, Lena stood in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed over her crisp white blouse, her posture as straight and unyielding as ever. Her dark hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail, accentuating the sharp lines of her face. She wasn't one for soft words or hugs, but the way her gray eyes fixed on Teresa carried a weight that said more than any embrace could. "He's an idiot," Lena said flatly, stepping closer. "You deserve better than his bullshit."

As they filed out, Lena slipped in at the edge, dressed down in jeans and a worn hoodie, looking oddly out of place and exactly right at the same time. She stopped a good few feet away, like the space near the bed was sacred ground she wasn’t sure she was cleared to tread on. “Hey,” she said softly. “I heard the howling from town. Figured that meant something… big.” “Hi,” I said, smiling tiredly. Her gaze softened when it landed on the baby. “They’re beautiful,” she said. “Can I say that without sounding like a weird aunt who buys inappropriate toys?” “You absolutely sound like that,” Naomi said. “Leaning into it is your only option.”

I heard Triston's soft snores as we finally landed. This was supposed to be our refuel spot then we would be taken directly to our private island. An attenedent came up to my side, "May I interest you in some late lunch?" I felt my stomach grumble at the notion, nodding to her. "We have a braised beef bolognese, miso-crusted salmon or duck n bao?" I stared out at Triston, trying to see if I could order for him. Then I recalled... Nothing I cooked nowadays, no meals were truly shared. He was always eating something else. Instead I answered for myself, "I will have the salmon." I rocked forward on my seat, placing my hand on Triston's knee.

“You know how lesbians move fast. By the time this baby comes out, she might be married with two cats and a U-Haul parked out front.” Jay groaned and leaned back against the couch. “Why are you like this?” Lena stretched her legs across his lap and smirked. “Because if I was emotionally stable, I’d be boring. Now drink that tea before you puke again, Mama Jay.” Jay snorted. “Never call me that again.” “No promises.” Jay groaned. “Never call me that again.” “No promises,” Lena shot back, swinging her legs off his lap and standing. She walked to the window, pulling the curtains slightly to peek out. Her shoulders tensed.

Selene's descriptions of the hybrid grew more detailed with each passing day, as if the moon was feeding her information in fragments, piece by piece, like breadcrumbs leading Kael toward a destination he couldn't yet see. Lena was not just a woman with golden eyes and dark hair. She was a librarian, living in a small apartment in a city called Lychwood, surrounded by books she used to escape a life that had given her nothing. She had no family, no friends, no one who would notice if she disappeared.

Lena sat cross-legged on top of her blanket in pink pajamas while Theo knelt on the floor beside the bed with the tablet balanced against his knees. Theo had figured out the parental override a week after Nora set it up before their arrival in New York; he had not told Lena until tonight. “He had brown hair,” Lena said, turning her ball slowly between both hands. “And his coat was dark blue, not black.” Theo tapped something on the tablet screen. “He gave me the ball back,” Lena continued. “And he looked at me the way Mama looks at us when she thinks we are about to fall down.” Theo turned the tablet around.

ALEXANDER She looked nothing like someone who had experienced a near-death ordeal, nor like someone who had spent months in exile. Her dress was elegant and exquisite. “Alpha, should we still go on with the crowning of the Luna?” Lucky asked. I turned to look at Alpha Damon’s childhood friend. Others might not know, but I was aware of the unspoken bond between him and Lucky. His calmness and expressionless face made me uneasy. I furrowed my brows, disturbed by how unnatural his reaction seemed.

Drive in my pocket, phone back in my hand. The hallway outside the kitchen is long enough to feel like a bad idea. The doors slide open. It’s Lena, my assistant. She steps out holding her own phone and one of those stupid green juices she drinks to punish herself for being twenty-four and alive. “You look awful,” she says. I stare at her. “You used the private code.” “Yes.” She lifts the juice. “I also brought vitamins. You’re welcome.” My whole body relaxes by one degree, just one too many. “Don’t do that again,” I say.