Sitting in the NICU, our baby boy's warmth against my bare chest provided a strange sense of solace amid the beeps and hums of the machines. I glanced at Luke, our little girl nestled in his arms, her frailty marked by the wires and tubes assisting her breath. Despite her struggle, there was a certain resilience in her tiny frame. On the other hand, the boy made his presence known through his cries, only pacified in moments of sleep or cradled in our arms. The NICU staff, recognizing our unique situation, had granted us unrestricted access, a small mercy in this rough time. Lexi had stayed behind this visit, exhaustion finally claiming her. The look in her eyes when she thought one of the babies would not get as much attention because she wasn't there made her hyper-vigilant. The three of us couldn't go together, so we switched off, her the constant as one stayed home. Luke finally put his foot down, saying he was getting fragile herself. She only conceded to rest after I promise
In the quiet of our home, the absence of the familiar bustle and noise felt almost surreal. As Clay gently lifted Lachlan from his car seat, his voice broke the silence. "I'm just going to give him a bottle," he said softly.I nodded, a smile touching my lips. "It's all frozen, man." I thought about Lexi and how diligently she'd been pumping since leaving the hospital. She'd been a force of nature, feeding the twins or pumping tirelessly. We'd even bought a new freezer just to store all the milk she'd accumulated. Her determination was something I admired deeply.We tiptoed to the bedroom, careful not to disturb the tranquility. Lexi lay there, sleeping soundly, clutching our pillows close. The sight tugged at my heartstrings. "She was so tired," I whispered.Gently, I lay down behind her, feeling the warmth of her body against mine, while Clay positioned himself in front with Lachlan cradled in his arms. Lexi's eyes fluttered open, and a smile lit up her face as she saw our baby boy.
Our front yard was a scene of pure, unadulterated joy, with Reni and Lachlan, our beautiful 5-year-old twins, and their cousin Finn chasing each other around, their laughter and shouts filling the air with the vibrant energy of childhood. I found solace on the porch swing, enjoying the afternoon sun, while Moro, now a permanent fixture on our land as my advisor and friend, sat beside me. Moro's life had taken a beautiful turn; she was dating Devlin, sharing a life with him in more ways than one.Both Moro and I were weeks away from giving birth, our bellies round and full of life. Devlin emerged from the woods and greeted Moro with a kiss that spoke volumes of their shared affection. He glanced my way, assuring me that Luke and Clay would join us shortly.True to his word, Clay and Luke approached, already wearing shorts. Our attempts to maintain a semblance of modesty in front of the kids were somewhat amusing yet necessary. The dry boxes they kept on the edge of the woods for such o
I sat engrossed at my favorite corner table in the Radenfield University library, my laptop screen illuminated with equations and theorems. Quantum physics was like a tantalizing puzzle begging to be solved, and at that moment, there was nowhere else I'd rather be. The library was a sanctuary of sorts for me, its shelves towering like ancient sentinels of knowledge, promising secrets yet to be discovered.Just as I relished in the quiet, Moro burst in, a one-woman explosion of energy, utterly disrupting the laws of physics with her mere presence. "Lexi! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"I blinked, my mind detouring from the microscopic world of subatomic particles to the immediate here and now. "Hey, Moro! What's up? You realize this is, like, the quietest place on campus, right?"Moro's hazel eyes sparkled, full of the promise of whatever social adventures awaited her. "Please, you have to come to this party with me tonight!""I can't, Moro. I've got a NightBite s
The door clicked shut behind me, the weight of Lexi's presence still hanging in the air. I leaned back against the door, exhaling a ragged breath I hadn't known I was holding. My hand closed around the paper bag, right where her fingers had gripped it. Bringing it closer, I inhaled deeply, her scent mingling with the food she'd delivered.A startling torrent of emotions tore through me. Desire so potent it nearly crippled me, a protectiveness that surged like a storm. Feelings so intense, they were fit for kin, for the pack, for... a mate. But that was the rub, wasn't it? That girl was human, not a werewolf. How could she elicit such a visceral reaction in me?I moved to the nightstand, tearing the top off the bag, laying it there as if preserving a precious relic. The food remained untouched, its allure dwarfed by the mysterious pull of the woman who'd brought it. That night, I went to bed wrestling with conflicting feelings, but one thought was clear: I needed to see her again.The
Sitting in the dim light of my apartment, I heard the distinctive sound of a door closing from across the hall. A sinister smile crept over my face. Clay was leaving. I slid the glass door to my balcony open and peered down to see his black car pull out of the parking garage, heading north. He's going home, I thought, how convenient.I returned inside, my fingers itching to pry open the book that lay on my coffee table. It wasn't any ordinary book—it was an old folklore tome filled with rituals, spells, and hidden amidst cryptic language, and dark magic. Just as I prepared to delve into its pages, my phone dinged. A Facebook notification.Curious, I opened the app and hesitated for a moment. Then, with a swift decision, I typed Lexi's name into the search bar. There she was, her face filling my screen. I sat back, a malevolent grin spreading on my face. I didn't even need dark magic; everything I wanted to know was right here in the palm of my hand.I clicked on her profile, scrolli
I descended the porch stairs, then tossed the towel back up to the porch without looking. "Thanks, Mom!""Anytime, son. Could you let your dad know I'll be sitting out this training session?" "Will do," I nodded, before shifting back into my wolf form. The familiar rush of senses greeted me as I dashed through the trees toward the training grounds. In the distance, I could already hear my father's mental grumbling, a cacophony of complaints and expletives that only I had the privilege—or curse—of hearing. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if it was possible to roll my eyes in wolf form. His scent wafted toward me as I approached, a mix of earth and something distinctly him. He turned, his eyes locking onto my approaching form. "Ah, the prodigal son returns," he quipped, his voice filled with sarcasm yet tinged with an unmistakable relief. Shifting back to my human form, I countered, "Good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor, Dad." For a moment, we locked eyes, the unspoken
As I stood before my full-length mirror, adjusting the elegant ballet-inspired dress, Moro, my best friend and roommate, sat on my bed, scrolling through her phone. "I don't know, Moro. When I first met him, there was something off. But when I saw him again, it was like he was a completely different person. Maybe I was just having an off day or something." Moro looked up and grinned, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Girl, it's about time you jumped back into the dating pool. Besides, think of it this way. If one guy as hot as him is into you, just imagine your other choices! You could be dating royalty next!" I chuckled, brushing a stray curl behind my ear. "Wow, you have such a refreshing approach to love," I said, sarcasm tinting my voice. "Hey, you're too young to tie yourself down," Moro advised earnestly. "Don't end up like my parents, okay? Allow yourself to experience life from different angles. Live a little!" I rolled my eyes, but a smile crept onto my face. "Thank yo