Chapter 83
Adeline West
I slammed my bedroom door behind me, my mind spinning in circles as I paced around the room. My heart was racing, my thoughts mixing together like a mess of threads that I couldn’t untangle. This wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about Tristan and Bridget–my babies. The two most important people in my life, and now Killian, the man who rejected me, wanted to claim them.
I looked out the window, watching the trees sway gently in the evening breeze. Everything was so calm outside, while inside. I felt like I was drowning in chaos. How could everything have changed so quickly? A few weeks ago, I was in control of my Affe, happy, content with what I’d built. Now, everything was crumbling around me, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
My–children loved this place. They had friends here, a routine, a life I had fought tooth and nail to give them. And now Killian wanted to destroy all of that, drag us back to Silver Moon, back to the pack that had caused me so much pain. Could I do that to them? Could I bring them into a world filled with the same hurt that once tore me apart?
I sank onto the bed, my head in my hands, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. Every decision I made now wasn’t just
about me. It was about their futures. Their happiness. Their safety.
A soft knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I lifted my head, wiping the stray tear that had fallen without me realizing. “Come in, I called, trying to sound composed.
The door opened, and Sebastian’s sister, Elena, stepped into the room. Her eyes were kind, a soft expression on her face as- she looked at me. She was always so warm, the kind of person who made you feel like you could trust her with anything. I had come to appreciate that about her.
“Adeline,” she said softly, closing the door behind her. “I could feel something was off. Are you okay?”
I sighed, giving her a tired smile. “Not really,” I admitted. “But when is life ever simple?”
Elena walked over and sat beside me on the bed, folding her hands in her lap as she turned to face me. “Do you want to talk about it? I’m here to listen. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
I hesitated for a moment, but then the words started pouring out before I could stop them. “It’s just… everything is so complicated. I don’t know what to do, Elena. I feel like I’m being torn in two directions. On one side, there’s my life here.. where I’ve built everything for myself and my kids. They’re happy here, they have stability. And then there’s Killian… and” Silver Moon. I know Killian has a right to be in Tristan and Bridget’s lives, but…”
Elena stayed quiet, nodding, urging me to continue.
of our
I exhaled deeply, trying to make sense of it all. “Silver Moon was where everything went wrong for me. That place holds
part nothing but painful memories. And now I’m supposed to go back? Just because Killian decided he wants to be lives again? I don’t know if I can do that.”
She reached out and placed her hand over mine. “You’ve been through so much, Adeline. No one expects this to be an easy decision. But you don’t have to make it alone. What does your heart tell you?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I know Killian should be part of their lives. They deserve to know their father. But… What if going back means losing the life I’ve built for them here? What if they get hurt?”
Elena’s eyes softened, and she squeezed my hand gently. “Adeline, you’ve always put your children first. That’s never going to change. Whatever decision you make will be for them, and that’s all that matters. But have you considered that maybe…. Killian isn’t the same person he was back then? People can change
I scoffed, shaking my head. “Killian has always been… controlling. Possessive. He thinks he can just walk back into our lives and everything will be fine. But it’s not that simple.”
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Chapter 83
“Maybe not.” Elena said quietly. “But he’s their father. And I think deep down, you know that it’s important for them to have a
that connection.”
I stared at her, my chest tightening with the weight of her words. I hated how logical they sounded and how right she seemed. Because despite everything, despite the hurt and betrayal, I couldn’t deny that part of me wanted Killian to be in their lives. For their sake.
But going back to Silver Moon? Returning to the place where everything had fallen apart? That terrified me. Could I really go back and face all of that again? Could I live in the same pack as Killian, knowing everything we had been through and knowing the damage he had caused?
“Elena.” I began, my voice thick with emotion, “what if going back means reopening wounds I’ve spent years trying to heal?
hat if I can’t do it? What if I fall apart again?”
Ah
She looked at me with so much understanding, her eyes filled with empathy. “Adeline, you’re one of the strongest people I know. You’ve built a life for yourself and your children. You’ve survived so much, and you’ve come out stronger because of it. I believe in you. Whatever decision you make, I know you’ll find a way to make it work.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of her words settle over me. She was right; I had survived before. I had clawed my way back from the depths of pain and despair. But this felt different. This wasn’t just about surviving–it was about protecting my children from a world I wasn’t sure I wanted them to be a part of
“What if they hate me for it?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Elena frowned, confused. “Who?”
“Tristan and Bridget,” I said, my heart clenching. “What if they hate me for taking them away from here, from the life they’ve known? What if they don’t understand?”
She shook her head, her voice firm but kind. “Adeline, children don’t understand everything at first, but they trust their mother. They know you love them, and they know that whatever choice you make will be because you want what’s best for them. Tristan may be angry at Killian now, but that doesn’t mean he’ll feel the same way forever. And Bridget… well, she’s already warming up to him.”
1 swallowed hard, my mind replaying the way Bridget’s face had lit up when she saw Killian earlier today. She didn’t even. know that he’s her father. Now that she knew the truth, would she run to him even faster? Would she start to see him as her hero, the father who was going to sweep in and change everything?
I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal rising in me–a small, bitter seed of jealousy. Would Killian steal their love from me, just like he had stolen everything else?
“What about the Silver Moon?” I asked quietly, my voice trembling. “That place… it’s full of memories I’ve tried to bury. I don’t know if I can live there again.”
Elena paused for a moment, thinking carefully before she answered. “It’s not the same place anymore, Adeline. People grow, packs change. And maybe… maybe this time, you won’t be alone. You have the strength to face your past, but you also have the right to say no if that’s what’s best for you and your children.”
Her words hit me hard, like a punch to the gut. I had a choice, didn’t I? It wasn’t about doing what Killian demanded or what Samuel thought was right. It was about what I thought was best for my children. For me.
I looked into Elena’s eyes, seeing the sincerity there, the genuine concern. I trusted her, maybe more than I trusted myself at that moment. But I still felt torn in two, stuck between what was right for my children and what was right for me.
“I’m scared, I finally admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Elena nodded. “It’s okay to be scared, Adeline. But you’re not alone in this. You have people who care about you and who will stand by your side no matter what. And you
1 I stared down at my hands, wringing them together as my mind spun. I needed to make a decision. I couldn’t keep putting in off. I couldn’t keep rumming from the inevitable. But every choice felt like it would break something, either in me or in my children.
Elena squeezed my hand again, giving me a soft, encouraging smile. “Whatever you decide. I’ll support you. And so will Sebastian. You’re not alone, Adeline.”
I nodded, feeling a little lighter with her words, I had a decision to make, and it wasn’t going to be easy. But I had to trust myself–trust that whatever choice I made would be the right one for Tristan and Bridget.
But the question still lingered in the back of my mind. What was the right choice?
stood up slowly, walking over to the window and staring out into the night. The stars twinkled above, so distant and serene, while my life was anything but. The silence in the room weighed on me, my thoughts swirling as I gazed out.
I turned back to Elena, my heart heavy but determined. “I think I know what I have to do,” I whispered.
Elena stood, her eyes searching mine for the answer. I wasn’t ready to speak out loud. “Are you sure?”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yeah… I think I’m sure.”
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r children… they’ll always need you, no matter where you are.”
