Chapter 292
ELENA
“I’m strong enough to travel,” I said.
The words came out firmer than I expected. My voice still felt like didn’t quite belong to me–too quiet, too dry–but I forced strength into it anyway.
My mother narrowed her eyes at me across the hospital room, arms folded, posture stiff with tension. “Elena, you were unconscious less than forty–eight hours ago,” she said sharply.
“I’m fine now,” I said, lifting my chin.
“You’re not,” she said again, her voice tight, almost clipped.
Erin stood silently by the door, already holding my discharge papers. She didn’t interrupt. Smart woman.
“I need to go home,” I said, turning to both of them. “To Moonstone. I need to be with Aiden. I need… space.”
“You need rest,” my mother said, her tone hardening.
“I’ll rest when I’m back where I belong,” I said quietly, but firmly
That, more than anything, seemed to reach her. Her shoulders dropped by a fraction, and she looked at Erin for confirmation.
“She’s clear to fly,” Erin said gently, stepping forward. “The doctors already approved it.”
My mother exhaled through her nose, clearly not thrilled. “You are not flying with Silverclaw,” she said, her voice laced with disapproval.
“I wasn’t planning to,” I said. That surprised her enough that she blinked.
“I’ll take the Moonstone jet,” I added, my voice softening. “I’ll go home with you.”
There was a beat of silence. And then, finally, she nodded.
The jet ride was quiet.
Not the cold, awkward kind of quiet. But something softer. Respectful. Erin had retrieved my things from the Stormfang estate and brought them to me with the kind of care that said she didn’t want to ask questions yet. My mother sat across from me, flipping through a book she clearly wasn’t reading. I sat by the window and watched the clouds blur past.
No one tried to fill the silence.
And I was grateful.
I leaned my head against the window. Closed my eyes.
And thought of Derek.
The memories came in flickers–harmless at first. The date he planned in Iceland, unexpected and strangely perfect. He took me to the edge of a lava field, where molten rock had once torn open the earth. The ground still steamed in places, warm and alive beneath our feet. He explained the science behind it, half–nerdy, half–reverent, as if he were showing me something sacred. And maybe, to him, it was.
Then the hot springs. Swimming with him, his hot slick body, surrounded by stone and silence and stars. I remembered the steam rising around us, curling in the air like breath. The way the heat seeped into my skin and melted everything tense and heavy inside me.
And Goddess, those scorching kisses…
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Chapter 292
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Then canie more memories. Ones that bit.
The slow dance at Dawn’s wedding, where he held me like I was already his again. The bouquet toss he rescued me from at Erin and Mason’s—swooping in to whisk me off the dance floor just as he music changed, his grin crooked and his timing perfect. I remembered how safe I’d telt, just for that moment, tucked into larms.
And then the harder ones.
The way he treated Aiden, not just as a curious child but as someone worthy of dignity and choice. Helping him learn to ride a bike. Sitting beside him at school plays. Volunteering at the Rogue Foundation without expecting praise, offering his name and his resources to something he believed in.
His voice reading stories at bedtime.
His eyes when he looked at our son with such reverence and love.
Nonna Lucia. Laughing with her in the kitchen. Helping her pack up meals for wolves who didn’t have a pack anymore. Staying to help clean up even after everyone else had left. Letting her scold him like he was still a boy, and teasing her back just enough to make her smile.
The list grew longer the more I thought.
The way he brought me flowers, but never carnations–like he remembered I hated the ones they used to decorate the altar the day I was left behind.
The way he always asked before touching me, even when I leaned into him first. As if he was making sure I had the choice this time.
The way he said my name like it meant something.
Each memory cut a little deeper. Not because they were false.
But because they were true.
He had been kind. Patient. Thoughtful.
He had changed.
And I… I didn’t know what to do with that.
When we landed, I didn’t check my phone right away. I went through the motions–gathering my things, thanking the crew, following Erin down the tarmac stairs. It wasn’t until we were back in the car, heading for the Moonstone estate, that I reached into my coat pocket and powered it on.
Messages flooded in.
Work. Pack updates. Aiden’s teachers. My cousin.
And Derek.
Derek: How are you feeling? Are you home? Can I see you?
I stared at the message.
Didn’t respond.
Not yet.
Eventually, we would have to talk. There was no avoiding it.
Eventually, I’d have to figure out what to do with all these broken pieces we kept handing back and forth.
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Chapter 292
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The moment I stepped through the doors of the Moonstone house Aiden was there.
He barreled down the hall and crashed into me so hard I nearly dropped my bag.
“Mom!”
I dropped to my knees, holding him tight. His arms wrapped around my neck like a vice, and I buried my face in his hair.
“Hey, baby,” I whispered. “I missed you so much.”
“I was scared,” he said. “Everyone was acting weird and they wouldn’t tell me what happened and I thought-”
“Hey,” I said again, cupping his face. “I’m okay. I’m here. And I have something to tell you.”
He blinked up at me, eyes wide.
“You don’t have to worry anymore about what you call him,” I said “I know everything now. You can call Derek ‘Dad,‘ if you want to. You don’t have to be afraid of slipping up.”
His eyes lit up.
“Really?”
“Really.”
His joy was instant. So bright it made my throat ache.
“Does that mean you and Daddy are back together? For good?”
My heart clenched.
I smoothed his hair.
“I don’t know what it means yet,” I said honestly.
“Oh.” His smile faded a little. But he nodded, trying to be brave. “Okay.”
He didn’t ask again. He just threw his arms around me once more.
And I held him like I never wanted to let go.
***
Later that night, when I was finally alone in my room, I sat on the edge of the bed with my phone in hand.
The house was quiet. Lights low. The hum of evening wind slipped in through the cracked window, brushing against the curtains like it was reminding me I wasn’t alone.
I stared at the screen for a long time.
No more delays. No more pretending this wasn’t coming.
I scrolled to his contact. Hit call.
It rang once. Twice.
Then a click.
“Hello?”
I swallowed.
“Derek? It’s Elena.”
Chapter 202
I took a breath.
“We need to talk.”
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