Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Valencia’s POV
The room was oddly quiet for a moment after Aiden’s question he faint clinking of silverware and the distant hum of the estate the only sounds breaking the stillness.
“Don’t get me wrong.” Aiden said, breaking the silence with an almost hurried tone. He looked at Dante, his silver eyes glinting with a mixture of confusion and understanding. “Since you can change into wolf form. I’m just confused, what exactly…..are you?”
Dante’s lips curved into a faint smile, his usual smirk replaced by something softer. “Half dragon,” he said simply.
Aiden’s eyebrows shot to the roof, his usually composed demeanor cracking. It was strange to see him like this–startled. I was used to only two expressions on his face, anger and indifference.
He blinked once, twice, and then nodded slowly, as if trying to process the words.
“That… actually makes sense,” he finally muttered, his eyes flitting to Castor’s turquoise and gold shell.
Then, after a pause, his voice lowered. “Well, not really. How did you even manage to….” He gestured vaguely toward Castor. “…birth an egg? And didn’t you say you were… infertile?”
I felt my face heat at the bluntness of his question. For a moment, I was struck silent, unsure how to respond. I glanced at Dante, who raised an eyebrow at me, clearly leaving this one to me.
“Well…” I began hesitantly, deliberately ignoring the latter half of his question. What was I even supposed to say to that? That I lied to get rid of Jaxon? That I don’t have a clue how an egg the size of an adult hamster and covered in shimmery scales came out of me.
“I met him on my birthday,” I said instead, steering the conversation in a safer direction.
Aiden’s gaze snapped to mine, his silver eyes narrowing slightly. “So Jaxon…” he trailed off, his jaw tightening. “He knew?”
I shook my head quickly. “Not everything. It was just… a coincidence, he found out that I…sneaked out. But I’m sure you already knew that. However I didn’t know that…” My voice softened. “I only found out at the Blue Moon Festival that Dante was, well, Dante Steele.”
Aiden stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to piece together a puzzle in his mind. “Right,” he said slowly, but then his brow furrowed further. “Wait, but the egg? In just two months?”
I swallowed, feeling my face heat again. “One month, actually,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “It could take anywhere from six to twelve months to hatch.”
Aiden blinked, and for a moment, his usual stoic mask slipped entirely. “That’s…” He cleared his throat, looking almost amazed. “I’m sorry, that’s…”
“The strangest thing you’ve ever seen?” I finished for him, chuckling softly despite myself.
He nodded at first, then shook his head, a small, almost rueful smile tugging at his lips. “Never mind. I’m just glad you seem… better. And I guess I’m going to be an uncl-” He stopped abruptly, his expression faltering.
We both knew why. He wasn’t really my brother. Not by blood, anyway.
09:32 Mon, Jan 27 ➡ ON
Chapter 101
487%
But for the first time, I didn’t think that mattered. Now, If I had to choose someone from the Wolfe pack to call family, it would be Aiden. There was something genuine in the way he looked at me now, something I had never seen from anyone in that pack before. Even if I still felt a little aggrieved towards him, he still felt more like family than anyone else.
1 similed softly, finishing his sentence for him. “Yeah. You will be an uncle”
Aiden’s lips twitched slightly, but he didn’t respond.
For a brief moment, a small flicker of fear stirred in the back of my mind. The chances of an egg hatching weren’t always certain, even with both parents present. I could only pray that Castor would be safe.
The thought tightened my chest, and my lips wobbled before I could stop them. Dante’s warm hand covered mine, his touch grounding me instantly. A soft wave of his spiritual energy pulsed against my skin in tiny bursts, like a comforting rhythm.
I looked up at him, noticing the faint shadow in his teal eyes. His gaze shifted away, and I realized with a pang that his energy still hadn’t fully recovered yet.
“But how are you going to explain this to Father and the pack?” Aiden asked, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
“Explain what?” I asked, blinking at him.
Aiden gestured to Castor. “You’re not going to tell people you have a baby dragon in an egg, are you?”
“No Dante said firmly before I could respond. “This won’t be disclosed to anyone.”
“Of course,” Aiden said, his tone dry. “Then will you tell people she’s pregnant at the engagement?”
Dante shook his head, his expression calm but resolute. “No. If the timing of his hatching is off, it will raise unnecessary suspicion. And as you mentioned, in your pack, they already suspect her of infertility. No such declaration will be made for now. Later, once the child is born, we’ll reveal it as a cryptic pregnancy.”
His words made my stomach churn, even though I knew he was right. It made sense to keep it hidden, but part of me wanted to tell everyone. To scream it from the rooftops. Castor wasn’t just some secret to be hidden Our child.
Aiden nodded slowly, his gaze drifting back to Castor. “That would be a safer choice.”
away. He was child.
my
After lunch we all headed towards the elevator, once inside, Aiden stood stiffly, clearly preparing to leave. To my surprise, he hesitated for a moment before awkwardly extending his hand toward me.
I blinked, caught off guard, but then smiled and shook his hand. Thank you,” I said softly. “For your help. And… I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you.”
Aiden nodded, his grip firm but brief. “I’m sorry, too. For what I did earlier,” he said, his voice low.
There was something in his tone, something heavier than just his earlier behavior. It felt like he was apologizing for more than just today. For everything, perhaps.
A warmth spread through my chest, bittersweet and tinged with an ache I couldn’t quite place. I didn’t know if I was happy to finally have someone I could call family, or sad that even that person wasn’t truly related to me by blood.
Maybe I was just being ungrateful. I already had Dante, Marcy, Castor, and even Caius in some strange way. I should have been happy. But with happiness always came fear–the fear of losing it all.
00:37 Mon, Jan 2
Chapter 101
Days passed just like that.
Thursday morning arrived, and once again, Raiden skipped breakfast. The worry gnawed at me until I finally asked Dante about his father’s condition. But Dante seemed out of it, his usual sharpness dulled,
He had been restless for days now, and I knew why. Raiden’s illness was weighing on him.
At night, I had started noticing the way Dante thrashed in his sleep, his dreams plagued by something I couldn’t see. My days were filled with naps now, and because of that, my nighttime sleep had become light. It made it easy for me to wake up when he stirred.
That night, I woke to the sound of his voice, low and strained.
“Mom,” he muttered, his tone filled with anguish. “Mom, wait…”
His body jerked violently, and his eyes snapped open as he shot up, his chest heaving as though he had been running.
I sat up and reached out instinctively, brushing a hand through his dark, sweat–dampened hair. “Dante,” I whispered softly. “It’s just a dream. You’re safe.”
His blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, there was a flicker of embarrassment in his gaze.
“You don’t have to hide it from me,” I said gently. “You’ve seen so much of me–everything I’ve been through. You don’t
you,
too.” have to hide your weaknesses from me, Dante. I want to share that with
He hesitated, his jaw tightening, but then he exhaled slowly. “It’s just a dream,” he murmured. “I don’t know why, but for the past couple of months, I’ve been having these… dreams that feel almost real.”
My eyes widened slightly, my heart sinking. “What kind of dreams?”
Dante’s voice was heavy, almost hollow. “I keep seeing Father and Caius dying. And so many of our pack members…” He paused, his throat working as he swallowed hard. “I’ve had nightmares about Mom before, but these… these feel different. More vivid. Almost like memories.”
He continues, “I keep seeing father in his bed. Strapped to a ventilator and the ECG machine keeps beeping….”
His words sent a chill down my spine, and for a moment, all I could do was stare at him.
Because deep down, I suspected that these truly weren’t just nightmares.
