<h4>Chapter 330: It Was Home</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River kept his promise. By the time Monday arrived, he had already taken care of everything.


    He had made sure my leave from both the Academy and HQ was arranged without me having to lift a finger.


    Of course, I knew he hadn’t bent rules for me. River wasn’t that type - he never mixed personal feelings with responsibility, even if I was his mate. He simply used his influence to put the right papers in front of the right people, leaving the decision up to them.


    At HQ, he wrapped everything neatly. Instead of prolonging the matter, he decided my internship would conclude at the end of this month. Just one more weekend left.


    February was almost over, and it meant I had officially worked there for five months straight. It hadn’t been easy, but the Council rewarded me in a way I hadn’t dared hope for - the option to return anytime within a year as a permanent employee.


    That alone almost made me cry. It wasn’t charity. It was recognition. And I knew it. I had worked hard, proven myself again and again, and though River was my mate, I was proud that my results weren’t simply handed to me.


    As for Silver Moon Academy... he handled it with the same precision. Medical leave for three months, approved. The professors were strict, and the academy council didn’t just nod because the founders were the Rogue brothers.


    If I hadn’t topped the entrance exam, if I hadn’t proven myself as a ss president, if I hadn’t pushed through presentations, quizzes, tests, topped the first term exams and still held my ground while doing my internship - no way would they have agreed.


    It felt surreal. Almost as though my past self, the girl who had no wolf, no family, no future, had been erased. And yet, sometimes when I looked into the mirror, I still saw her shadow staring back.


    But when my hands rested on my growing bump, I remembered why I was doing this. Why I needed the time, the space, the energy to prepare.


    The days began to pass faster after that.


    Most of my time was spent with Oscar and Draven. Shopping for our baby became our routine. Winter air bit our cheeks every time we stepped out, and Oscar always insisted on wrapping a scarf around my neck while Draven grumbled that I wasn’t wearing thick enough socks. They both carried bags, argued over colors and patterns, and somehow ended up buying twice the amount we had agreed on.


    River joined us on rare asions, his presence quieter but just as steady. He would point out what was practical, what wouldst longer, what brands had better quality. He rarely fussed, but when he did, it carried weight.


    By Friday, the renovation team Oscar had called finished with the nursery. The moment the workers left, Draven practically barricaded the door.


    "You are not allowed in," he had told me firmly.


    Oscar only folded his arms in agreement. "We want it to be a surprise."


    River said nothing, but his hand lingered on my shoulder, steady and warm, as if sealing the decision.


    I tried to peek anyway, but three grown men blocking my way was impossible to get past. They didn’t even argue about it... they simply refused in that unshakable, united way that left me smiling despite myself.


    And so, I let them have their secret.


    The weekend came quickly, and with it, myst days at HQ.


    I hadn’t expected to feel so emotional about it. The building had be familiar - the polished marble floors, the endless stone staircases, the halls that echoed with the sound of boots and heels clicking. Working under River hadn’t been easy, but it had been rewarding. I had learned more in these five months than I thought possible.


    When it finally ended, River kept his expression unreadable, though I caught the faintest flicker of pride in his eyes.


    "Good work, Miss Evaline," he said simply.


    That was enough.


    The other interns, those who were also concluding their terms, decided to go out for dinner together. Weughed, shared stories about days spent typing reports or running around on errands, and ate delicious food.


    It felt lighthearted, a proper farewell. But somewhere deep inside, a part of me wasn’t fully present.


    Because every time myughter faded, a single name echoed in the back of my mind.


    Kieran.


    I hadn’t seen him. I hadn’t heard from him. He never contacted me. And I never gathered the courage to contact him.


    More times than I could count, I had opened our chat, staring at the empty box where my words should be, and then closed it again with trembling fingers. My heart screamed that something wasn’t right. But my head... my head told me to stop. To focus on my mates, my child, my future.


    And yet...


    Why was he still lodged in my thoughts? Why did guilt mix with longing every time I whispered his name in my mind?


    I didn’t have an answer. And I wasn’t brave enough to search for one.


    By then, my bump had grown even more. Loose sweaters and thick coats weren’t enough to hide itpletely. And even if I somehow hid it under theyers of clothes, people started noticing that I was getting slightly plump and how I seemed to have a natural, rosy glow on my face.


    They didn’t mean to pry. Their words were kind, harmless. But every time, my heart raced. I felt as though the secret was burning at the edges of my clothes, desperate to break free.


    Ending my internship felt like lifting a heavy weight from my shoulders. At least I wouldn’t need to hide anymore. At least not at the mansion.


    As another monday arrived, so did thest day of February and the end of the ongoing holidays. While my friends were already back at Academy, I was still at the mansion.


    More specifically, facing my mates.


    Oscar and Draven were already grinning when they found me in my bedroom that evening, their eyes glinting with mischief. River followed them, his expression calmer but no less purposeful.


    "What are you three up to?" I asked suspiciously, narrowing my eyes.


    "Nothing," Draven said far too quickly.


    Oscar smirked. "Come with us."


    Before I could protest, a soft cloth slid over my eyes. I squeaked. "Hey!"


    "Trust us," River’s voice whispered near my ear.


    And so, blindfolded, I let them guide me. Their hands were steady, their steps sure, and though I tried to guess where we were, I couldn’t. My heart raced with anticipation.


    Finally, we stopped, and secondster, the blindfold slipped away.


    And I froze.


    Before me was the nursery. Our baby’s nursery.


    The room was glowing with soft golden light, the walls were painted in gentle tones that reminded me of dawn skies. A cradle was standing in the center, carved with delicate patterns, a mobile of stars and moons swaying above it.


    Plush animals were lining the shelves, cubboards standing against the wall, nkets folded neatly, and a rocking chair was waiting in the corner. The air was smelling faintly ofvender and wood polish.


    Tears blurred my vision as my hands flew to my mouth.


    It wasn’t just beautiful. It was love, carved and painted into every detail.


    And in that moment, surrounded by my mates and with their eyes fixed on me, I realized...


    This wasn’t just a nursery.


    It was home.<fn3439> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Find_Novel(.</fn3439>