Chapter 0023
I was stunned.
Today is my birthday?
I hadn’t celebrated my birthday in years–five, to be exact. So much of my life had been swallowed by a relentless pursuit of survival–working to pay off debts, searching endlessly for my stolen baby–that I had forgotten what it felt like to have a day
just for me. The reminder should have felt joyous, but all I could think about was Olivia,
The image of her kissing Elijah earlier that day resurfaced, a knot tightening in my chest.
I glanced at Elijah, unsure what to say or how to act. The uncertainty of our situation hung over me like a dark cloud. I wanted to
ask if he had agreed to Olivia’s request to attend the gala together, but the words got stuck in my throat.
What if the answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear?
Instead, 1 mumbled an awkward, “Thank you,” keeping it simple, even though my thoughts were anything but.
Elijah’s gaze softened, his voice calm but steady.
“If Olivia hadn’t intruded, tonight would’ve been perfect.”
A wave of conflicting emotions hit me, and I forced a smile.
“It’s already the most perfect day.”
Thea had planned a birthday surprise for me, and Elijah had helped bring it to life. Despite the tension with Olivia, this birthday felt like the first time in years that I was able to breathe, to enjoy something without the weight of loss, debt, and worry pressing
down on me. There was cake, a feast, and for the first time in a long time, I felt happy
Off
It almost felt like a dream, the kind of happiness that seemed too fragile, too fleeting, to be real.
Thea urged me to keep the dress on for dinner to be “birthday fancy“. She had Elijah put on a suit and she wore a pink dress that
made her look like a small fairy.
After dinner, Thea, with all her bubbly enthusiasm, insisted Elijah and I share a dance. Under the soft glow of the moonlight, with crickets chirping in the background, we swayed together. It felt different this time–nothing like the tense, awkward dance we’d
shared during the Mate Trial.
Back then, we had been strangers forced together. But tonight, there was a gentle warmth between us, like the beginning
something unspoken, but deeply felt.
E of
As we moved slowly under the night sky, Elijah’s voice cut through the peaceful quiet.
“For the upcoming charity gala, you’ll be going with me.
I blinked; not sure I’d heard him right.
1/2
Gropter 0523
“What about Olivia?”
+15 BONUS
“I refused her,” Elijah said simply, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. “The charity gala will be part of your next Luna
lesson.”
A mix of surprise, relief, and confusion washed over me, leaving me momentarily speechless. I tried to take in his words, but my mind kept circling back to Olivia. The image of her kiss lingered in my head, playing on a loop.
She was his fated mate, after all. The bond between them was written in their blood–and the stars, something I couldn’t
compete with.
But then, a strange thing happened.
The whisper I had heard before came back, stronger this time, echoing in my mind like a secret unveiled.
“He was supposed to be ours…”
I had no idea where the thought came from or why it felt so true, but in that moment, I was done holding back. I wasn’t going to be the woman who stood on the sidelines, watching her life slip through her fingers.
Not anymore.
Before I could second–guess myself, I rose onto my toes, leaning in until my lips brushed against Elijah’s. It wasn’t planned,
wasn’t premeditated–it just happened.
He hesitated for a moment and then met my lips with a passionate ferocity.
The kiss was electric, a surge of emotion that coursed through me, overwhelming and all–consuming Every thought, every
doubt, every fear dissolved in that moment, leaving nothing but the raw intensity of his lips moving against mine. My heart
pounded in my chest, matching the rhythm of Elijah’s breath, which had quickened, deepened
His hands found their way to the small of my back, pulling me closer, and I let out a quiet gasp at the sudden contact
It was like nothing I had ever felt before–this kiss wasn’t just about passion. It was a release of everything we had both been holding back: the unspoken tension, the unresolved questions, and the undeniable connection that had grown between us, despite everything
His hand slid from my back to my waist, fingers tightening their grip, anchoring me against him as his lips pressed harder
against mine. There was a hunger in his kiss now, something deeper than desire. A need that echoed my own, pulling me further into this moment, until there was nothing left but him–his scent, his touch, his warmth.
