Chapter 466: Changed

Chapter 466: Elara

It was a surprise seeing the Luna’s son playing with Lyra. When I asked her about it:

"I still hate him," she said. "But I will be the bigger person this time."

And because he is here, it is not just Redmoon pups now. The number of pups has significantly doubled. And Lyra is her mother’s daughter—she had fun for a total of two days before she was tired of being around the others.

Now I watch as she sleeps in panther form from my window on a tree, while the other pups look for her in a game of hide and seek. You cannot find Lyra when she puts her mind to it.

Only Daphne can. It must be some panther-related ability, I think, because when Lyra puts her mind to it, she is gone.

I know she is probably using this game as an excuse to avoid the other children.

I smile and watch as they try to find her, when I hear footsteps coming into the kitchen.

I turn to find Clarissa, her belly now protruding, in a pretty blue dress.

"Clarissa," I say in greeting.

She waves at me and wobbles toward a stool, taking a seat. I see fading marks on her thighs as the dress rides up.

I genuinely still cannot believe a mated wolf is capable of being with another wolf, but here is the proof.

Though unlike the Alpha of Shadowfang, who has a strictly platonic—if you could call it that—relationship with Diana, the Alpha of Stone seems to have a different kind of relationship with Clarissa.

It is not my business nor my position to judge. It is just curious in a way. And very entertaining.

"I can never have peace," she says. "I cannot believe I have five more months like this."

"I wish I could give you advice," I say, "but my daughter was an easy pregnancy."

And Lyra was. Which deceived me, because the trouble started after she was born.

Clarissa groans.

"Five months," she repeats. "Five months of this. I am going to be as big as a house."

I laugh.

"You will return to normal after the pup is here," I say, walking into the kitchen.

"Some water?" I ask.

"Mango juice, please," she says.

I open the refrigerator, get some, and pour it into a cup.

That is when another pregnant wolf wobbles in. Diana.

"Luna, good morning—" she says, trying to bow.

I stop her.

"I told you to stop," I say. "There is already a Luna."

"Yeah, but you are Redmoon’s Luna," she says.

I give up. Even if I tell her not to call me that, she will regardless.

I sigh.

"Sit," I say.

She sits.

I pour another glass of mango juice and hand it to her.

"Thank you," she says.

"I would like to go for a run," Diana says.

"You know it is not advisable," I start.

"I know," she says. "We should not be seen outside until the pups are born, and shifting while pregnant is dangerous. But it has been months. I need to."

She holds my hands across the counter.

"Please," she says again.

I look at her. At the desperation in her eyes. It must be stifling for her. I remember the urge to shift too. The reason it is not advisable to shift is because when you shift, the baby inside might shift too. And since it is still a child, you might end up having to give birth to a child in hybrid form. In human form, giving birth to a wolf is dangerous for both. The same is true vice versa.

But she is still not far along. So once will not hurt.

"Just once," I tell her. "And that is it. Just one night. And never again until you have the pup."

She nods quickly.

I sigh.

"Later at night, when the Alpha comes, tell him to see me," I say.

"Thank you," she says with a smile.

"You do not need to shift?" I ask Clarissa, who is looking at her glass absentmindedly.

"Oh... me?" She sits up.

"Yeah," I say.

"Oh, because we live among humans, we spend longer times in human form, so I can handle not shifting until the pup is out." She pauses. "Besides, my urge to shift is buried under the satisfaction of my—"

She looks at Diana.

"...other urges," she finishes quietly.

Diana chokes on her mango juice. I reach forward and pat her back.

*

I walk into the paint room, and there she is. Her hair is longer now, in a loose ponytail. She is painting the reddish-orange pigment of the wolf’s fur.

Me.

"Finished with your babysitting duty?" she says, not looking back.

I walk toward her and wrap my arms around her from behind.

"Finished with looking at the version of me on canvas when I am here?" I counter.

She laughs and turns on the stool to face me, pulling me by the waist until I am standing between her legs.

"How could the real you ever compare to the mere imitations I bring to life on canvas?" She looks up at me with a smile.

When she smiles, her eyes turn into the cutest half moons. Her real smile. Not the cunning, mischievous , or other smiles.

"I had a dream last night," I say.

"Hmmmnn," she responds.

"It is when I fell in love with you for the first time," I say.

She looks at me.

"You are a little different from the you back then," I say. "But you are simultaneously also the same person."

"What?" She pulls back slightly. "No, there is no way I have changed."

I laugh.

"Trust me," I say. "The Daphne in front of me and the CEO Han I remember are not the same person."

She looks at me like she does not believe me.

I touch her face.

"It is not a bad thing," I say and she still narrows her eyes at me like she doesn’t believe me. I don’t elaborate and place a kiss on her forehead.