Chapter 215
**Nine months.**
It had been nine beautiful, chaotic, love-soaked months since that unforgettable night beneath the stars when Jake had claimed my heart all over again. The world, for once, had gone still — a rare lull in the storm that was our lives. The pack thrived in harmony. No threats. No whispers of danger. Just calm.
I had grown round with life, each day heavier but also filled with light. Jake never left my side. He massaged my swollen ankles, brushed my hair with gentle fingers, and whispered the most ridiculous yet heartfelt love poems to my belly that made me both laugh and cry. He spoke to our unborn daughter like she was already here, like she was already part of our world.
The twins adored him even more. Logan constantly asked if his baby sister would have superpowers, while Lily insisted she'd teach her to howl the moment she was born. They were protective and curious, hovering around my bump like little guardians, their bond with her already palpable.
Then, the day came.
It started deceptively normal. Logan and Lily were wild with energy, leaping on the couch, arguing over bedtime stories. I had just finished reading to them, nestling between their tiny bodies as they drifted off to sleep. As I leaned forward to kiss Lily’s forehead, a pain shot through me — sharp, low, urgent.
I froze.
Warmth spread quickly. My breath caught.
"Mommy?" Lily blinked up at me, her voice soft and sleepy. "Why are your eyes so big?"
"Because," I gasped, one hand gripping the doorframe as the next contraction seized me, "your sister is on her way."
Panic and joy crashed together inside me. My voice must’ve carried, because I heard Jake’s feet pounding across the hallway before I even called for him. In one swoop, he lifted me into his arms and carried me to the pack clinic, shouting for help as we arrived.
The pain was blinding. Worse than I remembered. Each wave stronger, more consuming. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was instinct. Or maybe it was knowing this child wasn’t just any baby — she was something more.
When she arrived, the world went still.
Snow-pale skin. A thick tuft of dark hair. And then her eyes — my eyes — staring into mine. But they weren’t the eyes of a newborn. They held a knowledge, a depth that sent chills down my spine.
"Aria," Jake breathed, tears rolling down his cheeks. He kissed her forehead. "Our song."
She didn’t wail. Just blinked up at us, silent and watchful, as if she'd been waiting to arrive for centuries.
The celebration that followed felt like something out of a dream. Howls of joy echoed through the woods. Fatima cried openly, calling Aria the most beautiful creature she’d ever seen. Sophie fashioned a crown of wildflowers for her tiny head. Even the stern Matron Yara wept, whispering prayers under her breath.
Then, Eshara entered.
The pack’s witch moved quietly through the room, her presence serene and unsettling all at once. She said nothing at first, just stared at Aria. The silence stretched, thick and uncertain.
Finally, she reached into her pouch and withdrew a delicate silver chain with a glimmering moonstone pendant.
"This will protect her," she murmured, fastening it gently around Aria’s neck. Her gaze met mine. "She is more than you know."
Chapter Ten
The days blurred together in a haze of lullabies, soft coos, and starlit cuddles. I held Aria close every chance I got, memorizing her scent, the rise and fall of her breath, the way her tiny fingers curled instinctively around mine. She rarely cried. She simply watched, alert and silent. Observing.
Peace blanketed us, but beneath it, unease simmered.
Then, the dreams began again.
It felt like plunging into freezing water. Darkness wrapped around me. Wind howled. Whispers echoed.
"Ayla..."
Her voice.
Prisca.
She emerged from the mist, her expression tight with urgency.
"You must listen. His fate has arrived."
"What? Whose fate?" I demanded, my voice cracking.
"Jake’s."
I felt the world tilt beneath me.
"I tried to change it," Prisca said softly. "To keep him for myself. But fate is a cruel mistress. He must stay. With the twins. Their path is bound to this land. But you... you must go."
"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "I’m not leaving him. I won’t."
"You must. Aria’s future is not here. Not with her father. She must live. And for her to live... you must survive."
I woke up choking on a scream.
Jake was there instantly, arms wrapping around me.
"Hey, breathe. I’ve got you. It’s okay."
I clutched him tightly, the dream still clinging to me.
"No. It’s not okay," I said hoarsely. "She spoke to me. Prisca. She said... it’s your time. That you can’t come with us."
His expression shifted. Not surprise — acceptance. Fear.
"You knew," I whispered.
He nodded slowly. "I didn’t want to believe it. I thought we had more time. That maybe we could change the course."
The very next day, the world cracked open.
We were gathered in the TV room, the entire pack quiet as the news anchor’s voice trembled through the screen. A red virus — airborne, spreading fast. Nations collapsing within hours. Mass evacuations. Oceans rising. Bunkers opening. Space stations launched.
Jake’s hand found mine. We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to.
Fatima was on the phone, pacing, shouting. Minutes felt like hours. Finally, she returned, pale and wide-eyed.
"My father," she said. "He’s evacuating. He has a submarine. I have four spots. That’s all I could get."
Jake’s breath hitched.
He turned to me, jaw tight.
"You’re taking Aria. You leave tonight."
I stepped back. "No. Absolutely not."
"Ayla, listen to me—"
"I’m not leaving you. Or the twins."
"They stay," he said, his voice breaking. "Prisca said they stay. Their fate is tied here. Yours isn’t."
"Jake—!"
My hand flew before I could stop it, slapping across his face. He didn’t flinch. Just stared at me with heartbreak in his eyes.
We argued. God, we argued. I screamed, sobbed, begged. He held me through every word until I finally collapsed against him, defeated.
"She’s our baby," I whispered. "But if she has a chance to survive — a real chance — then I will let her go. For her."
Jake kissed me like it was the last time. Maybe it was.
Fatima came to take Aria, her hands trembling.
"This is your daughter now," I told her, my voice raw. "Protect her with everything you have."
"I swear," she whispered.
Chris, her mate, kissed her and stepped back.
"I stay. With my Alpha."
Fatima’s knees buckled. She looked betrayed but I grabbed her hand.
"I know this is a lot to ask but please .You survive. For Aria,for you."
That night was colder than any I’d known. Not from the air, but from the weight of goodbye. I stood with Logan and Lily, each holding onto me, as the submarine descended. Aria was gone.
The twins didn’t cry. Neither did Jake. He stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder, silent.
I looked up at the sky, heart breaking.
"Please," I whispered, "let her live. Let her remember us. Let this not be the end."
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