Chapter 104
**ARIA**
Two days without Adam and Austin had done more for my mood than I wanted to admit. I felt lighter, sharper, like a fog had lifted. Maybe it was just because of the sleep I got. Maybe it was the food, or Rosalie’s relentless reality TV binge the night before. Or maybe it was the quiet knowledge that I could still make decisions for myself—that I wasn’t just along for the ride in my own life.
This morning, I actually felt ready.
Rosalie walked beside me as we descended the stairs. The sun streamed in through the windows, warming the wooden floors as we entered the dining area.
The table was already set, and they were all there: Adam, Austin, Cassius, Leila, and Sasha.
Conversation dimmed the moment they saw me.
I moved to the table with my chin held high, Rosalie giving my hand a small squeeze before releasing it.
Sasha was the first to speak. "Aria," he said as soon as I sat down, his tone more serious than I was used to. "I’m sorry. I should have talked to them first. I shouldn’t have said everything the way I did."
I looked him in the eye and offered a small smile. "I’m not mad at you, Sasha. At least you told me the truth."
He blinked, clearly surprised, and then gave a sheepish nod before shoveling eggs into his mouth.
Everyone seemed to collectively exhale. The tension at the table loosened, and conversation gradually resumed. Cassius and Leila kept the chatter going while Rosalie filled her plate beside me.
I ate heartily, my appetite finally catching up with me. Pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit—I didn’t hold back. I let myself laugh at something Leila said about Cassius forgetting the difference between baby lotion and conditioner.
"We should start shopping for the babies soon," Leila said between bites.
I smiled but shook my head. "Let’s wait until we know what they are. It’ll be more fun that way."
When breakfast was over and everyone stood to clear the plates, I looked at Adam and Austin.
"Walk with me?"
They both nodded, silent, and followed me out to the back garden.
The grass was damp with dew, the air sweet with the scent of late spring. We walked in silence for a moment until we were far enough from the building.
"Are both babies Adam's?" I asked without turning.
Adam exhaled sharply. "No. I mean, we don’t know. It doesn’t work like that. Not with all three of us. It could be either of us."
Austin added, "Hybrid traits don’t guarantee paternity."
I nodded. "Okay. Then it doesn’t matter. I love both of you, and I love them."
They stopped walking. I turned to face them.
"I want to become a hybrid," I said clearly. "But on my own terms. Not because I have to. Not because I’m dying. I need this to be a choice I make, not a last resort."
Adam looked like he might argue, but I held up a hand.
"And I want Austin to change with me. If we’re doing this, we do it together. Naturally. Not out of panic."
Austin stepped closer, reaching for my hand. "Okay. We’ll do it your way."
Adam nodded slowly. "Together."
Austin took a breath. "No more secrets. We promise—"
"Don’t," I cut in sharply.
He blinked.
"Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep. Just prove it to me. Every day. That you trust me. That I can trust you."
Neither of them answered right away.
But they both nodded.
And for the first time in a long time, I believed they meant it.
**ADAM**
After our walk with Aria, she went upstairs to rest, her steps slower now but more grounded than they’d been in days. I watched her disappear down the hallway, the door closing softly behind her, and only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding.
Austin and I stayed in the garden, the sunlight dappling through the trees above us, casting warm patches across the grass. Neither of us spoke at first. There was too much to sort through. Too much to plan.
Eventually, I turned to him. "We should plan something tonight. For her."
He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Something soft. Romantic. Peaceful," I said. "A way to show her this next step isn’t just about survival. It’s about love. About choosing each other."
Austin nodded slowly. "You want the bite to be part of that."
I met his eyes. "We both do, right?"
He hesitated. I saw it—the flicker of anxiety behind his otherwise steady expression. Austin was rarely nervous. But this was different.
"Are you alright with it?" I asked.
"I am," he said after a moment. "I just... I never thought about what it would feel like. Becoming something else. But if she needs it, if the babies need it, I’ll do it."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "You won’t be alone in it. I’ll be there. She will, too."
He nodded again, this time with more certainty.
"This isn’t about obligation," I added. "It's about what’s right. She needs our strength. She needs our love. That bite, that change—it’s a gift. Not a curse."
Austin let out a breath and looked up at the canopy of green above us. "Then let’s make tonight something she remembers."
And I silently vowed to make sure she never doubted us again.
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