<b>Chapter </b><b>101 </b>


    94%


    Days began to mold together, blurring into one another, stitched with quiet routines and little moments of magic. Normal, or as normal as it could be in my situation. The guys had taken to Elliot effortlessly, wrapping him in a cocoon of fierce protection and unconditional love that made my heart ache with gratitude. Watching them with him was like seeing the futureid out in soft light: this child, our son, growing strong and sure, already carving his ce among us. It gave me a sense of peace; knowing our next child, the one I carried now, would be weed just the same. Elliot was blossoming. More and more, I saw him shed the shadows of his past, his tentative edges: softening with every smile, every burst ofughter shared with Macey and the other kids at the orphanage. Those afternoons were his favorite, running through the woods, conjuring sparkles of magic that painted the air, his eyes lighting up as he crafted secret hideouts and enchanted forts that defied even the oldest shifters imaginations. One evening, after Elliot had fallen asleep with Fergus clutched tight; I sat with the guys around the firepit outside the packhouse, the stars stretched vast and silent above us.


    “I still worry,” I admitted quietly, voice low enough that only they could hear: About the Underworld. After everything he’s been through… is it really the right ce for him?”


    They exchanged looks, words unspoken passing between them.


    Xavier was the first to speak. “He’s stronger than you think and wiser. The Underworld isn’t just a ce of death; it’s a ce of bnce. And Elliot is learning to be a guardian of that bnce.”


    Levi nodded, tossing a stick into the fire. “He’s adapting. From pack to Underworld, he’s stepping into each role like he was born for it.”


    Noah’s grin was wry but sure. “The kid’s got heart. And some serious stubbornness. He’s making it work, on his own terms.”


    Haiden’s gaze was steady and fierce. “He’s not just surviving. He’s thriving. That’s what counts, and the souls love him in the reception area. He’s a sweet wee into the next stage of life.”


    I let their words sink in, a soft warmth blooming in my chest. They were right. Elliot wasn’t just the boy who’d been broken; he was bing something whole, something powerful, and so was I. I reached down, cing a hand over my belly, feeling the steady,


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    rhythmic flutter that reminded me life was growing, resilient and unyielding, just like us.


    The next morning, I was in the throne room in the Underworld, having just finished a meeting with the Forgotten. Their endless bickering over space and rituals still rang faintly in my ears as I stood from the obsidian throne, stretching out the tension from my shoulders.


    3


    “Mum!” Elliot’s voice rang through the chamber like a bolt of joy, and I barely had time to turn before he skidded to a halt behind me, nearly slipping on the polished floor. His cheeks were flushed with excitement, mischief dancing in his eyes.


    “Darling?” I asked, arching a brow. “What are you doing?


    “You have to hide me!” he whispered urgently, ducking behind my skirts like I was his shield and sanctuary all in one.


    “Wh-”


    N


    Before I could finish, the doors were flung open again, and Haiden stormed in:like a man on a mission. Except… he was covered in glitter. Not just a little shimmer either. No, this


    was a full–blown sparkle explosion. It clung to his darkshes, his beard shimmered like


    子


    crushed stars, and a streak of neon pink ran across his cheek.


    “Love,” I said, fighting a smile, “I think you have a little something on your face.”


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