Chapter 200
Chapter 200
Ellie POV
+25 Bonus
The halls of the Moonstone packhouse were alive with morning light and quiet motion. Warriors moved through the corridors with armfuls of reports, omegas crossed with trays of breakfast for the Alpha’s office, and somewhere down the hall, children’s laughter drifted from the training yard.
I walked slowly, the twins balanced on my hips, one drowsy, one tugging curiously at the loose strands of hair falling over my shoulder. It had been a few days since she’d told Kieran goodbye, and the air still felt thick with everything she hadn’t said.
I had come here for Alaric, to talk through the logistics of the upcoming announcement about my identity, but my chest ached with something heavier than
nerves.
The dream had returned the night before: the same field of silver light, the blue-eyed wolf chasing me, the black one stepping between us.
I had woken with my heart pounding and Nolan’s name on my lips.
The second I thought of him, I heard the deep, calm tone of his voice nearby. It made me freeze in place, uncertain if it was real or if I was imagining it. But this didn’t feel like another sudden vision. The world was still stark and real; there was no silvery light or soft air on my skin.
The sound of his voice now, echoing faintly down the corridor, made me stop.
He shouldn’t be here. Not today.
I shifted the boys’ weight and took a cautious step forward. The hallway opened into one of the broad, sun- washed foyers that connected the upper levels of the packhouse.
Cassian’s voice carried from near the stairwell, low and conversational, and beside him stood Nolan.
For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move. He looked almost exactly as I remembered, yet utterly different. His posture was still proud, his shoulders broad and set, but his eyes – those deep, storm-gray eyes were softer. Tired.
He turned at the sound of my footsteps.
For a long, breathless moment, neither of us spoke.
Then his gaze dropped, and the world seemed to still.
The twins.
Nolan’s breath left him in a soft exhale. He took a slow step forward, then another, until he was standing just in front of me. His hand hovered, uncertain, before he knelt – the movement startlingly reverent.
“Hey there,” he whispered. His voice was rough, breaking a little at the edges. “You’ve gotten so big p>
lan blinked at him, then reached out a chubby hand and patted Nolan’s cheek. The simple touch nearly undid him. I could see it in the way his eyes closed for a moment as he steeled himself against the surge of emotion.
My throat tightened. I hadn’t expected this, the tenderness in his voice, the way his hands trembled as though he were afraid they’d vanish if he touched them.
Nolan laughed softly, a sound half-caught between wonder and grief. “You remember me?” he murmured.
August gurgled, kicking his legs in delight, and Nolan’s smile broke open, unguarded and raw.
1/2
Chapter 200
+25 Bonus
Around us, a few pack members passing through the foyer slowed their steps, curiosity flickering across their faces. Cassian said something quiet to them, and they discreetly turned away, leaving the four of us in a fragile pocket of peace.
I watched as Nolan brushed a hand through lan’s hair, his thumb tracing the curve of his cheek. The tenderness in the gesture made my chest ache.
I had dreamed of him as a wolf so much recently, black fur, eyes fierce and familiar – throwing himself between me and danger. Now, kneeling before our sons, he looked almost the same: a creature built to protect, softened by the weight of love. He looked up at me then, and the expression in his eyes nearly broke me.
“Ellie,” he said quietly. “They’re perfect p>
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
“I’ve missed so much,” he said. “I know that’s my fault, but-” He stopped himself, his voice faltering. “Thank you for taking care of them p>
My vision blurred. “They’re good boys,” I said, my tone trembling. “You’d be proud of them p>
“I already am p>
The words came out so softly I almost didn’t hear them.
Maybe it was because of the conversation with Kieran the night before, but Nolan’s words hit me like a truck. The gentle acknowledgement of the work it take to care for the boys and the assurance that he accepted them as they are was almost too much for me to process.
Cassian, still standing nearby, cleared his throat gently. “I’ll give you two a moment,” he said, his voice careful, and slipped away down the hall.
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