Chapter 119

Kayla

The dress was perfect.

I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing my hands over the soft lavender fabric, the delicate lace detailing catching the light. It fit like a dream, as if Nicholas had sneakily taken my body’s measurements in my sleep. I felt beautiful, elegant, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like…

Myself.

But I couldn’t help but tease Nicholas about it.

“You really didn’t have to do this, you know,” I said as I stepped out of my room, finding him waiting for me in the hallway.

He looked up, his amber eyes sweeping over me unabashedly. I didn’t bother to hide the way his heated gaze sent a flush rising to my cheeks, and I also didn’t bother to hide my own look of appraisal in return. He looked just as handsome as always in his all-black suit, tailored perfectly to his muscular body, his dark hair neatly swept back to reveal his prominent brow.

“You’re right,” he said, glancing at his watch. “I didn’t have to. But I wanted to.”

I rolled my eyes and skipped down the last few steps toward him. “You’re spoiling me, you know. One gift after another isn’t going to fix the fact that you’re a pain in the ass.”

He simply shrugged. “I’m allowed to spoil my Luna. And besides, I’m not trying to be less of a pain in your ass. I’m trying to bribe you into being less of a pain in mine.”

My blush deepened, and I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. To be fair, he was sort of right. Lately, whenever I wanted to be annoyed with him, I found myself glancing at that star on my bracelet that reminded me all too well of the constellation of moles across his left shoulder, where I’d nipped at his skin on the night of my birthday.

Once, and only once, I’d felt his skin against mine. I craved feeling it again. And with the full moon approaching, I was feeling it more than ever these past couple of days.

“Well, thank you,” I finally managed around the lump in my throat. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said simply, his voice low and utterly sincere.

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just averted my gaze and followed him out to the car.

The party was being held at the guild hall, a surprising turn of events given our recent suspension. But the guild had lifted the ban, allowing us to use the communal space for the baby shower. It was a gesture of goodwill, or so they claimed, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it.

Still, we had a plan, and we were ready. Two birds with one stone, if you will.

The guild hall was beautifully decorated when we arrived. Pastel-colored streamers and balloons hung from the ceiling, and a long table was set up with an array of finger foods and desserts.

Anna was already there, sitting in a chair near the center of the room with the baby in her arms. She looked radiant as ever, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes soft as she gazed down at her son.

Nicholas and I made our way over to her.

“Anna,” I said. “Thank you for coming. We’re so glad you could be here.”

She looked up, her expression unreadable as she met my gaze. “Thank you for doing this,” was all she said.

Nicholas nodded, his hand resting lightly on my lower back. The way her eyes flicked to that small point of contact wasn’t lost on either of us. “We just want to make sure you and the baby have everything you need.”

Anna’s eyes moved between us, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of guilt in her expression. But then she smiled coyly, her gaze dropping back to the baby.

The party began, and Nicholas and I were ever the gracious hosts, ensuring that Anna had a nice time. We mingled with the guests, making small talk and keeping the atmosphere light and cheerful.

But then, just as the party was in full swing, Gray arrived.

He stepped into the room, his presence immediately drawing everyone’s attention. He was carrying a gift, and immediately made his way over to Anna—although not before his gaze swept over to me and Nicholas standing by the punch bowl, something dark and lethal guttering in his eyes.

“Congratulations,” he said, nodding his head politely to Anna as he handed her the gift.

Anna hesitated for a moment before taking it, her eyes flicking to Nicholas and me—as if checking to see our reactions. “Thank you.”

Nicholas and I exchanged a glance, our plan already in motion. Nicholas nodded subtly to Noah, who was standing near the door. He slipped out of the room without a word, his movements quick and silent.

We had expected Gray to show up, and we had a plan in place. While Noah snuck into Gray’s office to search for information, Nicholas, Jade, Emma, and I would keep Gray occupied.

“Mr. Gray,” Nicholas said, striding up to the guildsman. “We weren’t expecting you.”

Gray smiled in that dangerous but strikingly polite way that he was so good at. “Ah, well, I couldn’t miss such an important event. After all, we’re all part of the same community, aren’t we?”

I forced a smile despite the way my stomach twisted violently at that word. Community. As if that bastard knew a damn thing about what that meant. “Of course,” I said. “We’re glad you could make it.”

The next hour was tense, but we managed to keep Gray distracted. We made small talk, introduced him to other guests, and kept the conversation light. All the while, Nicholas and I kept an eye trained on the door at all times, waiting for Noah to return.

“Well,” Gray finally said, yawning—yawning—in show of how bored he’d grown of our conversation about tariffs, “I must go. I’ve work to do.”

Nicholas stiffened ever so slightly beside me, but his smile was nothing short of gentlemanly. “But Mr. Gray, I still haven’t gotten your opinion on the matter of rogue rehabilitation in the packs.”

Gray’s eyes narrowed as if sensing our ulterior motives. I quickly cut in, “Let him go, Nicholas. He’s had enough of our chatter.”

Nicholas shot me a withering glance, but I sent a single, firm thrum along the bond as if to say, “Trust me.”

Finally, Gray nodded and stepped away, making for the door. Nicholas turned to me again, his eyebrows raised. But I just nodded toward the back entrance, where Noah had just slipped back into the room.

Nicholas let out a slow breath.

Noah nodded subtly to Nicholas and me, confirming that he had found what he was looking for. We let Gray go, relieved that the worst was over, and waited for his form to disappear through the double doors at the front of the room before we made our way to Noah.

“What did you find?” Nicholas hissed.

Noah glanced around to make sure no one was listening before answering. “Enough to make a case,” he said, low enough so only we could hear. “But we’ll discuss it later.” Nicholas and I nodded at the same time.

After that, the party went on without another hitch. If Mr. Gray somehow knew about our little break-in, he certainly didn’t indicate it. And in fact, we even began to enjoy the party for what it was—a party. We ate, laughed, drank, and talked amicably, hardly a care in the world.

Around sunset, the party began to wind down, most of the guests having left. Anna was swaying by the window, her baby nuzzled in her arms. Despite everything, she still looked like the perfect picture of a happy new mother. I found it hard to imagine her doing anything that wasn’t simply in the interest of her own child.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way over to her with a small gift bag in my hands.

“Anna,” I said, holding the bag up, “I wanted to give you something for the baby.”

She looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as I handed her the gift. It was the soft, knitted baby blanket I had bought on the day I went out with Jade and Emma.

“Kayla,” she said as she unfurled the blanket. She glanced at me with confusion written across her face, as if she never expected me to give her a damn thing. Not without an audience, anyway. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know. But I wanted to. Despite everything, I truly wish the best for you and your son. And if you ever need anything, I’ll do my best to help.”

Anna’s eyes misted with tears, and before I could react, she pulled me into a tight hug. My body tensed, my hands moving out to the sides—I wasn’t expecting this. Not by a long shot. In fact, I was pretty certain she hated me, saw me as a barrier between her and whatever goals she had.

But then she whispered in my ear, “Thank you.” And it was then that I knew this wasn’t just a show. She was genuinely grateful… for everything.

I hugged her back, tentative at first but then tighter when she didn’t pull away. Maybe Anna wasn’t as bad as I had thought. Maybe she was just caught up in Gray’s schemes, trying to survive in a world that had been cruel to her.

I couldn’t blame her for that. I was a woman who had, once, had to make certain… deals to get by in this society.

Deals that I was still profiting from.

When she pulled away, she looked at me with a soft smile. “Would you like to hold him?” she asked, nodding down to her baby.

My eyes widened.