Shadows Of Passing Time – Carter Hughes 104

< The Moon Goddess’ Cruelest Blessing 

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I felt her body tremble, not from fear but from the weight of that promise-the unspoken promise that you’re in for it later. 

And before she could even argue, before she could throw out some half-assed excuse, he scooped her up, carrying her like she weighed nothing, like she belonged nowhere else but in his arms. His grip was unshakable, a force of nature as if daring anyone to f*****g try and take her from him. 

I barely had time to process it before his eyes flicked to me. 

The intensity in that look slammed into me like a tidal wave, and for a second-just a second-l forgot how to breathe out of fear. 

It wasn’t anger. 

It wasn’t even disapproval. 

It was something worse. 

Pity. He knew. 

It was knowing. Seeing. Like he was peeling back my layers, ripping through every carefully built wall, and reading every single doubt, every ache, every whispered fear I tried so hard to drown in 

alcohol. 

Like he could see right through me to the truth I didn’t want to face. 

That Ethan never really let me go. 

That the Moon Goddess never chose me. 

Deep down, I had always been waiting-hoping-that someone would pick me and claim me the way Theo did Lila. That someone would hold onto me like they couldn’t f*****g breathe without me. Just the way Theo looked at Lila. 

But no one had. 

No one ever did. 

And suddenly, everything-the alcohol, the insecurities, the aching weight in my chest-felt so small compared to what I felt from that one look alone. I turned away 

“Theo, wait.” Lila clutched his arm, wobbling slightly but her voice was firm. “I know I f****d up, and I’ll deal with my brothers, but Rhea’s had a rough day. She could’ve left me passed out on the bar floor, but she didn’t. She took care of me when she had every reason not to. She needs to come with us.” She tilted her head, eyes pleading. “Please 

Theo’s jaw clenched, his eyes flicking to me like I was some sort of problem he had to solve. I knew he wasn’t thrilled, and for a second, I thought he’d just say no and be done with it. But after a long, tension-filled moment, he exhaled through his nose. 

8/11 

< The Moon Goddess’ Cruelest Blessing 

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“Fine. She can come.” His voice was sharp, clipped. Then his gaze snapped back to Lila, and his lips curled into something dangerous. “But you, my love, are not getting off that easily.” 

I swallowed hard, a weird knot forming in my stomach. 

The packhouse was the last place I wanted to be. I had spent my entire life avoiding it as much as possible, even though I loved my adoptive parents and knew they loved me. But it wasn’t them-it 

was the pack. 

Everyone knew I wasn’t really one of them. 

I was the pack’s charge-a fancy way of saying we don’t know where the f**k she came from, so I guess we’ll raise her out of obligation until someone adopts her. Everyone knew the story: a baby left at the border with nothing but a satchel holding my birthday and a blanket with diamonds 

sewn into one side. No family name. No past. Just me. 

People treated me well enough, but there was always this underlying pity-the constant, unspoken reminder that I didn’t belong. And after a while, I just couldn’t take it anymore. 

So, yeah. The last thing I wanted was to go back there and have to deal with more whispers. More sad smiles. More f*****g pity. By tomorrow, everyone will know about Ethan and me. 

I took a breath. “Lila, I’m fine. You don’t have to drag me into this. I’ll be okay on my own-” 

Her expression hardened before I could finish. “Rhea.” She crossed her arms, swaying slightly but still deadly serious. “If you don’t come with me, I’ll think you don’t consider me a friend.” Then, her lips curved into a smirk. “And you know I’m not above blackmail.” 

I groaned. “You suck.” 

Lila grinned. “And yet, here you are.” 

Theo checked his watch, and his patience was clearly wearing thin. 

I sighed, giving in. Lila squealed, nearly strangling me with her hug before she turned to say goodbye to everyone. 

Then, Finn-dumbass that he was-stepped up to hug her. 

He didn’t even get close before Luca’s arm snapped around her waist and yanked her back against 

his chest, a low growl rumbling from deep in his throat. 

“Mine”. His voice was a warning. His eyes locked onto Finn like he was one second away from 

ripping out his throat. 

Finn just smirked, hands raised. “Relax, dude. Just saying bye.” 

Luca didn’t look remotely relaxed. 

The car ride back to the packhouse was tense as f**k. 

9/11 

< The Moon Goddess’ Cruelest Blessing 

Lila and Theo whispered back and forth-her drunkenly giggling one second, him growling in frustration the next-while I sat in the back, staring but the window, trying not to think about tonight. 

But my mind didn’t listen. 

Instead, it went straight to Ethan. To Nora. 

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To the way, he looked at her like she was his world ke he couldn’t breathe without her. Like she 

was something precious, something *his*. 

He had never looked at me like that. 

I stared down at the red lace peeking from under my dress. Useless. A pathetic attempt to feel wanted for once in my life. 

God, I was such a f*****g cliché. 

By the time we pulled up to the massive wrought-iron gates of the packhouse, a weird, uneasy 

feeling settled over me. The kind that whispered, Everything is about to change. 

I shook it off. 

Theo parked, stepping out with effortless ease before turning to help Lila. His fingers curled 

around her waist, possessive, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered something that made her 

blush and press her thighs together. 

I wrinkled my nose. “Yuck.” 

Theo didn’t even look at me. 

Instead, he extended a hand. 

I hesitated. 

And then, just as I took it, a gust of wind swept over me. 

And I felt it. 

Not one presence. Four. 

A shiver ran down my spine as towering figures stepped out of the darkness, their presence curling around me, sinking into my bones like a slow, insidious claim. 

Callum. Jaxon. Rory. Seth. 

The Caine quadruplets. 

They moved as one, their identical gazes locking onto me with an intensity that made my breath 

catch. 

10/11 

< The Moon Goddess’ Cruelest Blessing 

“Mine.” 

The word was a growl, spoken in perfect, eerie unison, dripping with possession. 

I barely had time to process it, to react, to do anything- 

Before the world went dark.