Eira’s POV
I drew in a shaky breath, trying to steady the storm rising inside .
"I need ti," I admitted softly. "Everything is happening so fast. Things I never even imagined are suddenly becoming real. It feels like too much at once. I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle it properly... and I might embarrass my parents. They are not ordinary people... and I..." My voice faltered. I did not know how to put the rest into words.
"I understand," Kael said calmly. "That is why I told him you would take your ti."
I nodded faintly.
My gaze drifted to Rafe. He no longer looked bitter or mocking. His posture had relaxed, and the sharpness in his expression had faded.
For so reason, relief settled in my chest.
His opinion mattered. Whether I liked it or not, it did.
"There is sothing else," Kael continued. "Tomorrow is Evan’s first shift. As his family now, Alpha Gerald wants us present for it. Only close family."
"Us as well?" Roman asked lightly. "We are not exactly close relatives."
"Because of Eira, we are," Kael replied. "He extended the invitation himself. It would an sothing to have his sister there. And Alphas like us."
"I don’t mind," Lucian said. "That Evan kid is decent. I like him."
Roman let out a mischievous chuckle. "Do not tell you plan to pursue the brother after claiming the sister."
Lucian shot him a warning look.
Roman only smirked wider. "Certain soone here might not appreciate that."
Lucian’s gaze flicked toward , steady and possessive. "We are fine. You are the only one for ."
"Was I talking about Eira?" Roman added deliberately.
Lucian’s jaw tightened. "Ro, if you keep running your mouth, I will make sure she is too busy with for you to even rember you have a mate. You might forget what it feels like to fuck her."
Roman laughed. "That is indeed a terrifying threat," and smirked, "In that case, I might have to seek comfort elsewhere...maybe your man."
"Do whatever the fuck you want," Lucian muttered angrily before standing. "I am going to sleep."
His gaze found mine, serious now. "Coming?"
My breath caught.
mories of the night he marked flickered through my mind. If I went with him, I doubted I would be in any condition to attend tomorrow’s ceremony, which would begin early and stretch late into the night.
"Raven is exhausted," I said gently. "He might need ."
Lucian studied for a mont, then nodded. "Later, then."
He turned and headed upstairs.
I felt like sothing had put his mood off that he left. And I was sure, it’s not . I looked at Roman, he looked back at with knowing gaze.
I wasn’t sure what to ask him exactly, but I knew his teasing had riled Lucian up. I felt like I was missing sothing here.
Before I could say anything, Kael rose and extended his hand to .
"We have a long day tomorrow," he said quietly. "You should rest."
I placed my hand in his.
One by one, we all made our way upstairs.
As always, Kael and I entered our room together, while the others retreated to theirs.
---
The next morning, I woke feeling far more at ease than I had the previous day.
A strange calmness settled over , though the familiar confusion returned the mont I stood before the wardrobe after my bath.
My mates had already bought several exquisite dresses for this occasion. Expensive. Elegant. Carefully chosen.
Yet, like any other woman, I still found myself unsure of what to wear.
Just then, the door opened.
Kael, ready to attend the event, stepped inside, carrying a large, beautifully decorated box in his hands, with two smaller matching boxes stacked neatly on top of it.
"What is that?" I asked, turning toward him as he placed them carefully on the bed.
"A gift from your mother," he replied. "Go ahead. Open it."
A gift from my mother.
The thought alone stirred sothing warm and unfamiliar in my chest. I walked toward the bed, and Kael helped lift the lids.
Inside the largest box lay a dress.
My breath caught. It was breathtaking.
My fingertips brushed over the delicate silver gray lace, tracing the intricate patterns woven into the fabric with reverence. It felt soft, refined, and impossibly elegant beneath my touch.
The second box held jewelry. The third, matching sandals.
Nestled among them was a small handwritten note.
I picked it up carefully and read:
[My beautiful Eva, I hope you like these small gifts from your mother.]
The words were simple. Not dramatic. Not overflowing with emotion. Yet everything she could not say was there between the lines.
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
I loved it all.
Even without being particularly skilled in fashion, I knew this was exquisite. My mother clearly possessed impeccable taste. The way she carried herself, the grace in her style, none of it was ordinary.
I lifted the dress and held it against myself before the mirror.
For a mont, I could only stare.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" I asked softly.
Kael stepped closer and nodded. "It is."
He moved behind . "Let help you."
I accepted the offer, and asked, "Where’s Raven?"
"Downstairs with Roman."
Standing before the mirror, I allowed him to untie my bathrobe and gently slide it from my shoulders. His movents were careful, deliberate, respectful. He helped into the dress, adjusting the fabric with focused precision.
Through the mirror, I watched him.
His expression was serious, intent, almost reverent. His hands moved gently along my arms and waist as he smoothed the lace into place, ensuring it sat perfectly against my body.
There was no haste in him.
Only quiet devotion.
"You have never helped anyone else put on a dress before?" I asked quietly.
I did not know why I kept asking them such things. Why it mattered so much whether they had done for other won what they now did for . Perhaps there was a jealous woman inside after all. A woman who wanted to be the first and the last.
While I conveniently kept forgetting I wasn’t any pure and countless n had touched every way possible. Yet none of my mates had ever once thrown that truth in my face.
They treated as though I were sothing sacred. Untainted. As if that dark Chapter of my life had never existed.
"I have," Kael admitted, eting my gaze through the mirror.
A flicker of jealousy sparked in my chest.
"Sophia?" I asked, unable to hide the edge in my tone.
For a brief second, I imagined hunting her down and slitting her throat for ever thinking she had a claim on him.
He shook his head gently.
"Kaya."
The na struck differently.
I rembered her. The little girl his parents had adopted. The one who had been killed along with the other children.
His voice grew heavy as he said her na.
"Your sister," I whispered, unsure what else to say. I was never good at offering comfort.
"She was more like a daughter to than a sister," he continued, adjusting the fabric of my dress with steady hands. "Whenever I returned ho, she would cling to as though I had been gone for years. I wasn’t even that old, yet she made feel like a father already."
A faint smile touched his lips, though sorrow lingered in his eyes.
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