“Yes?”
“You’re thinking really loud,” he said seriously, and I almost laughed despite myself.
“Am I?”
He nodded gravely. “Mom does that too sometimes.” He shook his head. “Adults think a lot.
“Right.” I cleared my throat. “So…how was your day today? What was the amusement park like?”
Daniel snorted. “So that’s it.”
My brows lifted. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged, shoving the spoon into his mouth. After he swallowed, he said, “You want to know if something happened between my mom and dad today, don’t you?”
I froze. “What makes you think that?”
“I’ve been talking about the amusement park all night. You don’t want to hear more about that.”
I let out a soft huff of air, leaning back in my seat. “You’re perceptive for your age.”
Daniel shrugged. “I sense things.”
I felt the corner of my lips quirk up. Daniel really was a marvel. I was sure that when people looked at him, they attributed his remarkableness to Kieran.
But I knew the truth.
I knew whose bloodline fed the strength and intuition young Daniel possessed.
“Alright then,” I said, half-amused, half-wary. “So tell me-how was the park today?”
His grin faltered slightly. “It was awesome. Really?” He fidgeted with his spoon. “But Mom didn’t go on many rides with Dad and me, and she looked…well, like you.” He shrugged. “Like she was thinking too much.”
The words tugged at something sharp inside me. “I see.”
“But,” he continued, meeting my gaze again, “if you’re trying to find out if something weird happened between them, you can just ask her yourself”
I blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness. “Excuse me?”
“Grandpa says grown-ups waste time by pretending not to care when they actually do,” Daniel said matter-of-factly. “You like her. That’s not a secret. If you think there’s something off between you two, then face it head-on before it’s too late.
The silence that followed was deafening.
I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until I exhaled slowly. “You’re…unusually insightful.”
He tilted his head. “I’m just saying you should talk to her. Pretending everything is fine doesn’t fix it.”
A humorless smile curved my lips. “You sound like someone much older than nine.”
He shrugged and scooped another spoonful of mashed potatoes. “I feel much older than nine.
Before I could respond, Daniel leaned forward, his tone turning serious again.
“I’ll tell you something, Lucian,” he said quietly. “I’ll always stand on my mom’s side. Always. All I want is for her to be happy. So if you ever hurt her, I won’t forgive you.”
His dark eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I was back at the bar staring down Kieran. “And I’ll hurt you back.”
For a moment, I just looked at him. His small face, his steady gaze-the calm, grounded strength that could not be taught.
I could see the future in him-the power, the resolve, the natural authority that would one day make werewolves and humans alike bow their heads in respect.
“You’re going to be a great Alpha someday,” I said finally, my voice lower, more earnest than I’d planned.
Daniel’s chest puffed out a little, a proud smile breaking through the tension on his face. “Of course. I’m going to make Mom proud. I won’t let her down.”
I smiled faintly. “Good. Then we have something in common.”
He blinked. “Huh?”
“I don’t plan to let her down either.”
That earned me a thoughtful look-skeptical, maybe, but not unfriendly. Then, after a pause, he extended his hand toward me in a closed fist.
“Promise?”
My hand hovered halfway before I froze.
The gesture was so simple, so childlike-and yet it knocked the air from my lungs.
Because it wasn’t just a child’s promise.
It was something Zara used to do. The same playful oath she’d insisted on when we were younger, when we were building the future out of our shared dreams.
Before…everything.
Daniel frowned slightly, shaking his fist lightly. “You’re supposed to bump it.”
“I…” My throat tightened. “I know.”
It wasn’t special. A fist bump was one of the most common gestures ever.
Yet.
That was when Sera’s voice cut in-gentle, lilting, but with that soft command she didn’t even realize she had.
“What are you two conspiring about?”
We both looked up. She stood at the edge of the table, her hands folded neatly in front of her. There was less tension in the lines of her body, but her gaze darted between us with faint suspicion.
Daniel grinned. “We were making promises.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Promises?”
“Yep.” He turned to me and stage-whispered, “He was about to promise not to break your
“Daniel,” Sera chided, her tone half-amused, half-mortified.
I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “That’s…accurate enough.” heart.”
Her eyes flicked to me, her expression uncharacteristically guarded, as she slid back into her seat. “You two have been bonding, I see.”
“I’m learning valuable lessons,” I replied lightly. “Your son is an exceptional conversationalist.”
She sighed, but her lips curved slightly despite herself. “I can only imagine what kind of lessons those were.”
Dinner continued after that, though the tension between us hummed quietly beneath the surface.
The drive back was quiet for a while. Exhausted after his eventful day, Daniel dozed in the backseat, his head tipped against the window.
The silence was filled with my thoughts, looping endlessly between what-ifs and regrets, gathering like a storm I could no longer outrun.
And when I pulled up to Sera’s driveway, I decided that I wouldn’t wait a second longer. It was now or never.
The engine was still idling when I turned to her. “Can we talk?”
To my surprise, she didn’t hesitate. “I was going to ask the same thing.”
I left the engine and AC on as we stepped out stealthily, careful not to wake Daniel, and made our way toward her porch.
We sat on the step, just close enough that our clothes brushed together and I could feel her warmth.
The night was quiet, save for the hum of crickets and the low rumble of my engine. The distant glow of city lights bled into the sky, but a smattering of stars was still visible.
It was a beautiful night, and I wished more than anything that we didn’t need to have this difficult conversation.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply