Chapter 0025
Agnes
Elijah’s lips were soft and sweet against mine, sweeter than any sugar I had ever tasted. The feeling of his hands cupping my body
felt like the most natural thing in the world, and it felt as if I could stay like this forever.
But as I pulled back from the kiss for air, a whirlwind of emotions swirled around inside of me. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move,
could only stand there and stare up at Elijah in shock.
It was as if I had stepped outside my own body, watching the scene unfold from a distance. My heart raced, and my lips: tingled from the warmth of Elijah’s touch. Did that even just happen, or was I imagining things?
still
But reality came crashing back the instant my gaze fell upon the mating mark etched into Elijah’s neck. The reddish mark seemed
to catch the light as he dipped his head to kiss me again, and instinctively, I leaned back before our lips could touch.
A cold wave of realization washed over me, pulling me back to reality.
I took a shaky step back, disentangling myself from his embrace. “L. I’m sorry,” I stammered, suddenly feeling hot tears prick at the backs of my eyes.
Elijah furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, unable to find the right words. How could I even begin to explain myself? Even if, by some miracle, he was
meant to be my mate before my wolf disappeared, he was bound to Olivia now.
That was a reality I couldn’t change, no matter how much I wanted to.
“I shouldn’t have…” I began, but the words caught in my throat. Taking another step back, I wrapped my arms around myself. “I need to go.”
“Wait-” Elijah called out, but it was too late. I turned on my heel and practically fled, picking up my skirt as I ran away.
If he tried to follow me, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t look back, didn’t stop until I had reached my bedroom
I closed the door behind me, leaning against it for support. Sliding down to the floor, I buried my face in my hands and tried not
to cry.
Why did everything in my life have to be so… difficult?
He was supposed to be ours, my wolf had said. What did that mean? Elijah was supposed to be my mate, but I had lost that chance when my wolf had disappeared all those years ago?
But it didn’t make any sense. Elijah had Olivia as his mate, and that mark on his neck was evidence of that. How was that
possible? Did the Moon Goddess take pity on him and give him another chance?
I needed answers.
+15 BONUS
Taking a deep breath, I decided to try reaching out to my wolf again. Ever since that whisper earlier- the one that felt so real–I’d hoped that maybe, just maybe, she was still there, somewhere deep inside of me after all these years.
Closing my eyes, I focused inward, seeking any hint of her presence. “Are you there?” I whispered into the quiet of “Please, if you can hear me… I need you.”
my mind
But there was nothing. Just the emptiness that had been there for years. The silence was deafening, and with it came the crushing
weight of loneliness.
A single tear escaped my closed eyes and traced a path down my cheek, no matter how hard I tried to hold it in.
Of course my wolf wasn’t here. She hadn’t been for years.
And maybe I hadn’t heard her at all, and the voice I’d thought I had heard had been nothing more than wishful thinking on my
part.
Pushing myself off the floor, I wiped my face and walked over to the bed. I saw a little form beneath the blankets and quietly
stepped forward. Thea lay curled up under the covers, already fast asleep with a stuffed wolf tucked into her arms.
A soft smile tugged at my lips despite the heaviness in my heart.
I changed out of my dress and into my pajamas, taking off my makeup in the bathroom. Once I was ready for bed, I slipped under the covers beside her, careful not to wake her. As I settled in, Thea instinctively snuggled closer, a little sigh of content escaping her lips even in sleep.
“Sweet dreams, little one,” I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face and pressing a gentle kiss against her temple. She
sighed again and nuzzled into me. I hoped she was dreaming of something sweet
And yet, as I watched her sleep, a fresh pang of sadness pierced through my chest like a knife. And this time, it had nothing to do with Elijah.
The possibility that Thea might not be my daughter after all loomed over me like a dark shadow. The thought was almost too
much to bear, but the DNA test had been clear. She wasn’t mine.
All of the connection I felt toward her, all of the strong feelings and tender moments
Just like the voice of my wolf that I had heard, claiming that Elijah was my mate, the idea that Thea had been my long–lost daughter was nothing but wishful thinking.
Maybe Ava had been right. Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe my daughter was long dead by now, just like the authorities said, and maybe the idea that Elijah was somehow my mate was just my addled mind playing tricks on me.
I wanted to cry even more, but I didn’t, if only so as not to make Thea wake up from my sobs.
Eventually, somehow, I managed to fall asleep.
The faint glow of early morning light filtered through the curtains when I stirred awake. Thea was still nestled comfortably against me, curled up in my arms. For a moment, I allowed myself to forget all the uncertainties and simply enjoy this quiet time
2/3
+15 BONUS
with her.
Perhaps she wasn’t my biological daughter, but it didn’t really matter at the end of the day, did it? I loved her, cared for her like
my own. At least I had that much, for the time being.
Until Olivia inevitably got back together with Elijah and this temporary peace was taken from me, just like everything else was.
But I didn’t want to think about that right now. I couldn’t
After a few moments, Thea began to stir, her eyes fluttering open. “Mommy?” she mumbled sleepily, yawning and rubbing her
eyes.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well?”
“Mhm… Did you have fun on your birthday?”
My heart clenched at the reminder of last night, but I managed a small smile and nodded, tugging her closer. “I sure did, thanks
to you.”
She smiled softly before closing her eyes again, drifting back to sleep. I carefully slipped out of bed, tucking the blanket snugly
around her. Stretching, I tried to shake off the remnants of last night, determined to make today better.
Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door. I glanced over, puzzled. Who could that be this early?
Walking over, I opened the door a crack to find one of the maids standing there, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.
“Good morning, Luna Agnes,” she said with a polite bow of her head.
I offered a small smile. “Good morning. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, of course,” she replied quickly. “Alpha Elijah asked me to deliver this to you!
She held out a thick binder. I furrowed my brow and took it, thanking her and closing the door.
When I flipped the binder open, I quirked an eyebrow in surprise at the large, bold text printed on the first page.
“Lesson #3.”
