I had thought sleep would elude me tonight, but I was proven wrong the moment my head sank into the pillow. My eyes fluttered shut, and even my nightmares couldn’t cling to me; Leonardo’s scent and touch chased them away like shadows dissolving in light. When the alarm blared a few measly hours later, my limbs felt as though they were weighed down with lead.
“All these changes are giving me whiplash,” I mumbled groggily, rolling over and burying my face into the cool embrace of the pillow.
It carried the distinct chill of restless sleep, confirming I’d tossed and turned through the night. Suddenly, an arm slid around my waist. Before I could let out more than a disgruntled snarl, Leonardo scooped me up and cradled me against his chest. He fell back onto the bed, leaving me no option but to use him as a makeshift pillow.
“Joke’s on you,” I grumbled, letting my head rest against his chest. “You’ve just given me the coziest spot in the house. No way you’re getting me up now.”
“I thought you might say that.” He smirked at the ceiling, his morning alertness both enviable and irritating. “Good thing I’ve got a backup plan.”
My protests were useless as he wrapped his arms tighter around me in a bear hug and sat up, effortlessly carrying me into the bathroom.
Downstairs, I found Dante, Sofia, and Noemi gathered at the kitchen table-a trio as odd as it was unexpected. Noemi’s presence, being from another realm, felt like a piece from a different puzzle, while Sofia and Dante hadn’t exchanged a single word before our chaotic escape. Yet somehow, amidst the turmoil we’d fled from, they’d formed their own bonds to help keep this pack safe.
“I still don’t understand why you keep her around,” Sofia sighed sharply, the scrape of silverware against a glass plate grating in the quiet room. “She’s miserable to be around, and don’t tell me it’s just because she’s pregnant.”
“No, not just because she’s pregnant,” Dante replied flatly, as though reciting a line he’d said a hundred times before. “She’s useful because Alpha Attilio despises me. If Francesca hadn’t approached Lavinia, there’s no way he’d even consider speaking to me.”
His gaze flicked toward Noemi, and for the briefest moment, something close to amusement glinted in his eyes. “Besides, she’ll probably stay out of our hair for a while now, thanks to Sofia’s little water stunt.”
“Your faulty plumbing is not my problem,” Noemi retorted, her tinkling laughter filling the room as she popped a bite of pancake into her mouth. Her nose wrinkled at the taste, but she swallowed it with determination. “This is… interesting.”
“It’s disgusting. All of it.” Graziana’s soft voice carried from the base of the stairs. Standing in the doorway, her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, yet her resilient spirit shone through. “Nothing here feels like home. The colors, the food, even the sounds-it’s all flat.”
Noemi frowned at her sister, their shared grief apparent. Both were struggling to adjust to this unfamiliar world, though their methods of coping couldn’t have been more different.
And I had no comforting words to offer. If I couldn’t figure out a way to save both of our realms, there might not be a home left for them to return to.
Within the hour, the entire house was bustling with activity. Everyone had their roles to play, though catching up after so much time in another realm felt overwhelming. Dante’s first decision after the rogue attacks began had been to evacuate families from the outer edges of the territory. These were always the first to fall during raids, and their boarded-up windows now served as decoys, baiting the rogues into believing the homes were still occupied.
Those who couldn’t be housed safely in the center of the pack’s land were temporarily sheltered in Alpha Attilio’s territory. Sofia, Chiara, and Francesca ventured there daily, bringing supplies for the displaced families-food, water, blankets, and clothing.
Today, I had volunteered to join Enrico in delivering supplies to those still on our land. Meanwhile, Leonardo and Dante remained behind, combing over security plans to better utilize the pack’s resources.
“Think you can use some of that magic of yours to speed this up?” Enrico teased, wiping sweat from his brow as he hefted a box of canned goods.
“Honestly, I’d probably blow the whole van up before I managed to move the boxes,” I snorted, effortlessly lifting a tote.
“So, you’re getting the hang of it, then?” he asked cautiously once we’d settled into the van, him in the driver’s seat and me buckling my seatbelt out of sheer habit.
“I think so,” I replied, feeling the weight of his gaze. “Mastering elemental magic can take centuries, so I’m not sure how-”
“The bond between you and Leonardo-it’s different now, isn’t it?” Enrico interrupted, his cheeks reddening as he glanced away. My stomach twisted; I knew exactly where this was heading.
“I’m not sure if the Fae have mates, but you two seem… closer.”
I nodded, uneasy. “Fae have true-mates, but it’s not the same as what werewolves experience.”
“I kind of fell for you, you know,” he admitted, his voice low but steady. “I didn’t mean to, especially with everything you and Carlo had going on, but it happened. There were times I wished one of us had been your mate, just so you wouldn’t have that tie to him anymore. I get it now-things are different between you and Leonardo. I’ve got no problem with the guy, but I needed to say this out loud.”
His eyes flicked to mine, searching for a reaction. “Don’t go quiet on me, Ella. You know I’ve never been great at figuring out what you’re thinking.”
I mustered a lopsided grin, letting my response carry the weight of my sincerity. “I’m thinking I hope you find your mate. She’s going to be perfect for you, and when you do, you’ll realize just how incredible she is.”
For the first time in what felt like ages, I tasted a fleeting sense of normalcy-something I hadn’t felt since leaving Carlo’s pack and diving headfirst into my destiny.