Chapter 79\u00a0<\/p>\n
:..\u00a0<\/p>\n
(62)\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s lovely to have you all here this afternoon,\u201d Justine said, picking up her glass and giving a brief speech. \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to have the intimate field\u2019s hangout with the girls in the pack but we weren\u2019t that close at all\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile Zane is out there working, I get bored overseeing things in the pack since the Alpha\u2019s Luna wasn\u2019t here then, so I had to step in and help with running the pack on behalf of the Luna\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now that you are all here,\u201d she paused, looking at each of us. \u201cWe should make time every month and get together to have fun\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saying this, she raised her glass.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCheers to the girlhood\u201d she shouted. Then, she turned to me. \u201cCongratulations to Kaia, our Luna.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations Kaia, we are glad to have you here,\u201d one of the warriors, Chloe, said, smiling at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Chloe,\u201d I mutter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are glad you are going to be our Luna. I\u2019m so happy for you and the Alpha\u201d Meret, another warrior said\u00a0<\/p>\n
to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, everyone,\u201d I forced a smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCheers to Kaia and Alpha Theo. To the future Luna,\u201d Justine raised a glass toasting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We all raised our glasses, toasting to me, Theo, and the girls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my mind was far from celebrating the occasion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fingers kept brushing against the necklace around my neck, Theo\u2019s gift.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my stupid heart kept pounding and Justine\u2019s question kept ringing in my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat will you do if Theo\u2019s fated mate suddenly shows up?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced a smile, nodding to whatever jokes Chloe was telling the others but my mind wasn\u2019t really there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t deny there was a possibility of her showing up soon or later.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will I lose Theo and everything we\u2019ve built? It doesn\u2019t matter if I was his Luna, his fates will always have the upper hand and I can\u2019t do anything about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had experienced my own fated, it would be cruel to deprive Theo of that privilege.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What if I lose him before I even fully have him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:41 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 79\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. Stop overthinking it, Kaia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine saw me zoning out and nudged my shoulder lightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(6?\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked back to the ladies and caught up just as Chloe was complaining about her mate\u2019s snoring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat man snores so loud I swear it rattles my bones,\u201d Chloe said, making everyone burst into laughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled, trying to play along but deep down I didn\u2019t hear a thing she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine caught my fake laugh and her eyes softened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at me and asked, trying to include me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia, you didn\u2019t tell them about the necklace.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
All their eyes turned toward me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised the pendant between my fingers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAh-Theo gave it to me,\u201d I said, trying to sound normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOooh,\u201d Mila gasped dramatically. \u201cLook at her blushing. Our Luna is in love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not \u201cI started, my cheeks burning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine lifted a brow. \u201cYou look happy, Kaia. Happier than when you first arrived.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled. \u201cI am. He\u2026Theo makes me feel safe. And seen. Even if we aren\u2019t fated, he-\u201d My voice cracked. I swallowed. \u201cHe took away the fears I had.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girls fell quiet for a moment. Their expressions softened in a way that felt like a hug.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Mila, always the loud one, clapped. \u201cOkay! Enough, you\u2019re making me emotional. Let\u2019s talk nonsense again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d I cleared my throat.\u201d What\u2019s the most embarrassing thing any of you has ever done?\u201d I asked, trying to fit in and not make them uncomfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila nearly choked on her drink. \u201cOh Goddess, please don\u2019t make me go first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine smirked. \u201cOh, I\u2019ll go. Mine is legendary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
All eyes snapped to her, and we looked at her grinning with curiosity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She lifted her hand like she was confessing in court.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u2026 Zane and I were still new mates. Like, obsessively-mated-new.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila groaned, \u201cThis already sounds unhinged.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:41 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 79\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine grinned. \u201cIt was. We were on patrol. We were supposed to be guarding the east border at night. But then Zane gave me this look\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chloe cut in. \u201cThe mate-hunger look?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly that,\u201d Justine said, laughing. \u201cNext thing I know, we\u2019re behind a tree, we ripped our clothes off our bodies in minutes, making the moon goddess proud\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJustine!\u201d the girls squealed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She threw her hands up. \u201cWait, it gets worse! An elder. Elder Rusell comes walking by and I swear on the Goddess, he shines his flashlight on us fucking and goes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She deepened her voice dramatically. \u201cYoung ones, could you kindly relocate your mating ritual off the borders? The guards will get distracted if you keep screaming like that, they might mistake you for a rogue\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
We all exploded. Mila fell sideways on a pillow, laughing her arse off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my goddess,\u201d I wheezed. \u201cHow did you ever show your face again?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t,\u201d Justine said. \u201cNot for three whole days. I was afraid I\u2019d bump into him again\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat, you did the right thing to avoid him,\u201d Meret said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila raised her hand cautiously. \u201cFine. My turn. But don\u2019t you all dare laugh at me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re absolutely laughing,\u201d Chloe said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila sighed. \u201cSo\u2026 during my first heat with Kai, my mate, I was jumpy. Everything startled me. And he snuck up behind me like, \u2018Baby, are you okay?\u2019 and I\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She mimed swinging. \u201cI punched him. Right in the jaw, dislocating his neck\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I snorted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe fell,\u201d she added, her face red with embarrassment. \u201cA whole Beta warrior was knocked over by his tiny mate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine clapped. \u201cThe strength of the horny. Nothing that beats that shit!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI apologised for an entire week,\u201d Mila muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t really your fault to say the least,\u201d Meret stated. \u201cIt was your hormones. Haha!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Chloe lifted her hand casually. \u201cI win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always think you win,\u201d Mila teased.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I won. Because I gave birth\u2026 during a pack run.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room fell silent and we all looked at each other, dumbstruck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:41 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 79\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?!\u201d I squeaked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chloe nodded like she was explaining a grocery list.\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was mid-shift. We were racing through the forests when I felt this sharp pain, shifted back into human form, and everyone behind me started screaming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila gasped. \u201cBecause you were naked?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I was in labour, Mila!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine doubled over laughing. \u201cThe unmated wolves must\u2019ve fainted!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey scattered,\u201d Chloe said. \u201cOne literally vomited from panic, she said she thought I was dying because the pup was poking out of my wolf\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clutched my stomach from laughing. \u201cChloe, that\u2019s insane.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d She shrugged. \u201cMy mate had to carry me bridal-style back while yelling at everyone to stop crying.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We were all in tears, actual tears from laughing at that point.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once we all calmed down from laughing too hard, Meret leaned toward me next.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, Kaia\u2026where are you from? What pack? What\u2019s your family like?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart froze. I wasn\u2019t expecting her to ask that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh-uh\u2026\u201d I tapped my glass. \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026complicated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila tilted her head. \u201cComplicated? How is that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chloe frowned sympathetically. \u201cDid something bad happen to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat closed. I tried not to shake or flinch and show what I was battling with inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced a tiny smile. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026not a happy story.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Right before panic truly set in, Justine cut in smoothly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came from a place that didn\u2019t appreciate her,\u201d she said, looking towards me. \u201cShe\u2019s still healing from it. And she doesn\u2019t owe anyone details.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Goddess blesses her. Justine always saves the day, I can\u2019t imagine what I\u2019d do without her here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled shakily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meret reached out and squeezed my hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:41 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 79\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re with us now,\u201d she said gently. \u201cYou\u2019re part of this pack, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mila\u00a0<\/p>\n
put her hand on mine. \u201cKaia, babe, we all have shit families. Seriously.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
462\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chloe nodded vigorously. \u201cMy mother tried to sell me to her cousin for two pigs and a pickup truck.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I blinked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a nice truck,\u201d Chloe muttered. \u201cI can\u2019t lie\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone burst into laughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy fated mate rejected me for someone with better hair,\u201d Mila said next, chuckling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cImpossible,\u201d Justine said. \u201cYour hair is your only personality.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d Mila tossed her curls around dramatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Meret lifted her cup. \u201cMy entire pack thinks I\u2019m cursed because every man I like ends up mated to someone else.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, same,\u201d Chloe said, clinking her glass with hers. \u201cTheir wolves kept cashing with you, oh I\u2019m sure\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We couldn\u2019t hold it in and laughter exploded again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My shoulders loosened. And I could feel the tension in my chest unwound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I wasn\u2019t the girl who was betrayed and exiled from the only place she had known as home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was just one of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Mila nudged me. \u201cSee? You\u2019re not alone, Kaia. And you don\u2019t need to share until you\u2019re ready.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine squeezed my knee under the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She silently looked at me as if trying to assure me that she was on my side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my throat tighten, I wanted to tear up badly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes burned, but I forced my tears back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, I managed a small smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is what sisterhood felt like, it felt like safety and security.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:42 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 79 Chapter 79\u00a0 :..\u00a0 (62)\u00a0 E55 vouchers\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s lovely to have you all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}