+8 Pearls
Chapter 29 Date In The Woods
|| Lilac’s POV ||
The rest of the ride home was the kind of quiet that presses against your eardrums. The sort where nobody wants to be the first to speak because then we’d have to admit how badly tonight. went. I pressed my forehead against the cool window, watching streetlights blur past like fading
stars.
Kael’s fake sincerity. Cassandra’s razor–sharp smiles. And now the Nightshades playing fairy godmother? My fingers twisted in my dress fabric. None of this made sense.
Our house looked different when we pulled up the porch light too bright, the familiar red door suddenly foreign. Like coming home after a long trip to find all your furniture rearranged.
Mom moved first, her keys jangling too loud in the silence. “I’ll make sandwiches,” she announced, already heading for the kitchen. That’s Mom – when the world falls apart, she makes turkey on rye.
Ezra collapsed onto the couch like his bones had dissolved. “I’m starving,” he declared to the ceiling, but his hands were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. My little brother – all of sixteen but already trying to be my knight in shining armor. It made my chest ache.
I hovered in the doorway. Dad stood stiffly by the fridge, his “I’m fine” face firmly in place. But I saw the way his jaw worked side to side, the vein pulsing near his temple. Kael had crossed a line tonight, and my father didn’t forgive easily.
“I’m not hungry,” I murmured, already backing toward the stairs. The thought of food made my
stomach churn.
Dad’s hand caught my shoulder – warm, calloused, safe. “You okay, sweetpea?” His voice was rough with the effort of keeping calm.
No. I’m not okay. I feel like I’m drowning and everyone keeps handing me heavier rocks.
But I made myself smile. “Just tired.” The lie tasted bitter.
His eyes searched mine- those same gold–flecked brown eyes I saw in the mirror every morning. He knew. Of course he knew. But he let me go with a squeeze to my shoulder that said ‘we’ll talk later.
My bedroom door clicked shut behind me and I finally breathed. The bed swallowed me whole when flopped onto it, the duvet still rumpled from this morning when I’d been naive enough to think tonight would just be awkward, not world–ending.
The Nightshades. The name slithered through my thoughts. Why would they care about some disgraced ex–fiancée’s family dinner? And that hostess – she’d said it like it was routine. Like we were regulars.
My phone buzzed. Alaric’s name lit up the screen and something in my chest loosened just went
Chapter 29 Date In The Woods
‘Miss me?”
A laugh bubbled up despite everything. I typed back Maybe just to see what he’d say..
The
response was instant. Look out your window.
+8 Pearls
My heart did this stupid little flip. I knew I shouldn’t. Knew my parents would kill me if they found out. But my feet carried me to the window anyway, my traitorous hands already pushing
the curtains aside.
There. Between the oak trees. A shadow moved, then stepped into a patch of moonlight. Alaric leaned against a tree trunk, all effortless grace and smug smiles. Even from here I could see the challenge in his raised eyebrow.
My fingers flew over the screen. You’re trouble.
Trouble with dessert, he shot back. Coming down or do I have to climb up?
I hesitated. My parents were right downstairs. Ezra would never let me hear the end of it. And
Vet…
The window creaked when I pushed it open. The night air smelled like rain and
– jasmine maybe. The drop looked farther than I remembered.
Jump. Alaric called softly.
& sweet
I climbed onto the windowsill, my heart pounding as I looked down at the ground below. It wasn’t that far of a drop, but without my wolf’s strength, I wasn’t sure if I could make it without hurting myself. Before I could second–guess myself. I jumped, the wind rushing past me as I fell. But I never hit the ground. Strong arms caught me midair, pulling me close to a familiar, warm chest
“Hey, princess?“Alaric’s voice was low, teasing, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I looked up at
him.
“Hello to you too,” I smiled, my cheeks flushing as he set me down gently. But instead of letting me walk, he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me effortlessly as he started toward the woods.
“I can walk, you know,” I said, though I made no move to get down.
“I know,” he replied, his smirk widening. “But where’s the fun in that?”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. He carried me deeper into the woods, the trees closing in around us as we left the house behind. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a soft glow over everything. It was peaceful, quiet, and for the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe.
After a few minutes, we reached a small clearing, and I gasped as I took in the sight before me. Fairy lights hung from the trees, their soft glow illuminating the space like a scene from a dream.
