My fingers tighten around the phone 176

Aria’s POV
The hospital room was finally quiet after the parade of visitors had left these days. I gazed down at the sleeping forms of
my twin daughters, Olivia and Cassie, nestled in their clear bassinet beside my bed. My fingers traced the edge of Olivia’s
blanket, marveling at how perfectly tiny she was. She had Ethan’s dark hair, already forming little wisps across her head,
while Cassie’s was lighter, more like mine.
Cassandra’s return had filled a void inside me I’d grown accustomed to living with. Her presence hummed beneath my
skin, warm and familiar, like reuniting with a part of myself I’d forgotten. Together with my daughters’ birth, it created a
happiness so profound I almost couldn’t bear it.
The door creaked open, and Ethan slipped in, his broad shoulders hunched with exhaustion. Dark circles shadowed his
eyes, but his smile when he saw us awake was as bright as ever.
“The nurse says we can take them home tomorrow,” he whispered, settling into the chair beside my bed. His fingers
intertwined with mine, thumb tracing circles on my skin. “David’s arranged additional security for the house. Nothing will
touch them—or you—ever again.”
I squeezed his hand, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest at the memory of Sarah’s betrayal. “Lucas is excited?”
“Bouncing off the walls,” Ethan chuckled. “My mother can barely keep him contained. He’s already made signs for their
room.”
Two weeks later, we were settled back at home. The transition hadn’t been seamless—twin newborns meant double the
feedings, double the diaper changes, double the crying in the middle of the night. But it also meant double the tiny
smiles, double the warm weight against my chest, double the miracle.
I stood in the nursery doorway, watching Lucas sitting cross-legged on the floor between the cribs. He was “reading” to
his sisters from his favorite picture book, making up half the story as he went along.
“And then the brave wolf saved everyone from the bad wolves,” he narrated seriously, holding the book up so the babies
could see the illustrations. “Just like I saved you and Mommy.”
My heart swelled at his earnest expression. He’d taken his role as big brother with such seriousness it sometimes made me want to laugh and cry simultaneously. True to his word, he appointed himself their protector, insisting on “checking”
them whenever he came home from school.
“They’re too little to understand stories,” I told him gently, crossing the room to ruffle his hair.
Lucas looked up at me with that determined expression that was so like Ethan’s. “They understand,” he insisted. “Cassie
grabbed my finger when I told her about how Dad fought the bad lady.”
I settled onto the rocking chair between the cribs, scooping Olivia up as she began to fuss. “You’re probably right,” I
conceded, smiling as her tiny hand wrapped around my finger with surprising strength.
Despite being premature, both girls were thriving. My heightened werewolf healing had returned in full force with
Cassandra’s presence, and it seemed to have affected the twins as well.
Olivia’s eyes were fully open now, the newborn blue fading to reveal hints of my amber coloring. She blinked up at me
solemnly, an old soul in a brand-new body. Beside her, Cassie was more animated, her tiny legs kicking enthusiastically at
the air when Lucas made faces at her.
“Time for your nap, buddy,” I told Lucas, noticing the way he tried to hide a yawn. “The girls need to sleep too.”
He protested, but I could see the exhaustion in his small frame. After tucking him into his bed down the hall, I returned to
find Ethan in the nursery. He stood over Cassie’s crib, his broad frame looking almost comically large next to the delicate
furnishings. His shoulders were tense, phone clutched in his hand.
“Another call from David?” I asked quietly, closing the door behind me.
He nodded without turning, his jaw tight. “The rogues hit another patrol on the western border. Three injured, one
critically.”
I crossed to him, pressing myself against his back and wrapping my arms around his waist. I could feel the tension in his
muscles, the strain he carried.
“You need to sleep,” I murmured, resting my cheek between his shoulder blades. “You’re running yourself into the
ground.”
1/3
He turned in my embrace, his tired eyes meeting mine. “I can’t afford to rest,” he whispered, cupping my face in his large
hands. “They’re getting bolder, Aria. The attacks are more coordinated, more strategic. It’s just a matter of time before
they make a direct move against us.”
“Then we prepare,” I stated firmly. “Both of us.”
His brow furrowed. “Aria, you just gave birth two weeks ago—”
“And I’m already nearly healed,” I cut in, stepping back to meet his gaze directly. “Cassandra’s return has accelerated
everything. I could probably take down half your warriors in the training ring right now.”
The corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Only half?”
I smacked his arm lightly. “Give me another week and I’ll make it all of them.”
Our brief moment of levity faded as his phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen, sighing heavily.
“Go,” I told him, brushing my lips against his jaw. “Do what you need to do. We’ll be here when you get back.”
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After he left, the house fell into a comfortable quiet. As the days passed, we settled into a rhythm. Zoe visited, bringing
gift baskets overflowing with baby clothes and toys. Her face was pale, and she kept excusing herself to dash to the
bathroom. When she returned the third time, I raised an eyebrow.
“Something you want to tell me?”
She fidgeted with the edge of her sweater. “It’s probably just a stomach bug.”
I rolled my eyes. “Zoe, I’ve been pregnant. I know what morning sickness looks like.”
Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. “I—I’m not sure yet,” she stammered. “I haven’t taken a test.”
“And does David know you might be…?”
She shook her head vigorously. “He’s so busy with all the rogue attacks and security. I don’t want to distract him with
something that might not even be true.”
I caught her hand, squeezing gently. “Zoe, if you are pregnant, he deserves to know. And you deserve his support.”
“I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “What if he’s not ready? What if I’m not ready?”
“Nobody’s ever ready,” I told her, thinking of my own journey with Lucas. “But you figure it out together.”
She promised to consider telling him, hugging me fiercely before leaving. “You’re the best friend I’ve made since coming
back to wolf world,” she whispered.
Leo visited a few days later, insisting on holding both babies at once despite my concerns about his coordination.
“They’re perfect little copies of you,” he declared, carefully balancing one in each arm. “Especially this one—Olivia has
your judgmental eyebrow raise already.”
I laughed, watching as Olivia indeed seemed to furrow her tiny brow at him. “She’s practicing for her teenage years.”
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Most frequent of all visitors was Victoria, Ethan’s godmother, who arrived with her camera and an endless supply of
energy. She directed elaborate photo sessions, positioning the babies, Lucas, and us in countless arrangements around
the house.
“For the pack archives,” she explained when I raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. “These little ones are part of Shadow
Fang history now.”
As the days turned into weeks, I noticed Ethan’s condition deteriorating. The dark circles under his eyes deepened, his
shoulders permanently hunched with tension. Even in sleep, which came rarely and briefly, he never fully relaxed.
After a particularly long night with the twins, I found him in the kitchen, staring blankly into his coffee cup. His hair stuck
up at odd angles, and the stubble on his jaw had grown past artful into unkempt.
I brushed my fingers through his hair, trying to tame the wild strands. “You look like you got into a fight with a hedge and
lost.”
He caught my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. “You should see the hedge.”
“Ethan,” I started, settling onto the stool beside him. “What’s really happening with the rogues?”
His eyes met mine, hesitation clear in their depths. “They’re coming,” he said finally. “Intelligence suggests they’re
gathering forces for a direct attack. The small hits at our borders were just testing our defenses, weakening us bit by bit.”
“And their leader?” I asked, remembering the mysterious Victor’s name mentioned in Sarah’s taunts.
A shadow crossed his face. “Turns out he’s my uncle,” he said bitterly. “My father’s brother. There’s… bad blood there.”
I processed this revelation, fitting it into the puzzle pieces we’d collected. “And Emma?”
His jaw tightened. “Reports suggest she’s with him.”
“That’s disgusting,” I blurted before I could stop myself. “She’s always been ambitious, but this…”
“It’s strategic,” Ethan said flatly. “She wanted power, and he needed someone with inside knowledge of our pack.”
2/3
We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of what was coming settling between us. Finally, I straightened my spine,
decision made.
“Before whatever’s coming happens,” I said firmly, “there’s something important I need to do.”