Ch 1 A New Morning
Chapter 1: A New Morning
Days turned into weeks and a month has passed.
The unbearable silence that had once consumed the Night house slowly became something Lura had learned to live with. She still wasn't herself, but she was trying.
She had finally started eating again, though only enough to satisfy everyone who constantly checked on her. Food had lost its taste after Kael's death, and most days she ate simply because she knew Rowan would've wanted her to.
There was still no word about Marisa.
No letters.
No sightings.
Nothing.
After weeks of paperwork, Alpha Aldric had helped Lura reclaim everything that legally belonged to Rowan. It wasn't much comfort.
As she sorted through the finances, she discovered a truth that made her chest tighten.
Marisa hadn't just abandoned the family...
She had nearly ruined it.
Every account her father had carefully built over the years had been drained. The savings Rowan had worked tirelessly to leave behind had vanished into expensive clothes, jewelry, parties, and countless pointless purchases.
Lura sighed as she flipped another bank statement onto the growing pile covering her father's desk.
Her father's desk...
No.
Her desk now.
She rested her hand along its worn wooden edge, slowly tracing the grain beneath her fingertips.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"I remember helping Dad sand this..."
Her fingers followed every tiny groove.
He had built it himself.
Every cut...
Every scratch...
Every imperfect corner carried his hands.
"Earth to Lura!"
She blinked.
"...Are you even listening?"
Lura laughed softly and lifted the phone back to her ear.
"Sorry."
In the background she heard loud banging followed by an exaggerated groan.
"Eli!" Jessa yelled. "Stop messing with it! The cage is perfectly fine!"
Another loud thud echoed through the phone.
Lura couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Jessa..."
"What?"
"I told you to stop calling it a cage."
"It is a cage!" Jessa argued. "It's literally an entrapment device for babies!"
Lura burst into laughter.
On the other end of the call Eli dramatically sighed.
"Lura... please help me."
"What happened now?" she asked between laughs.
"I love my mate with all my heart..."
A pause.
"But she's absolutely feral."
Jessa gasped dramatically.
"I heard that!"
"You were supposed to!"
The three of them dissolved into laughter.
For the first time in what felt like forever...
Lura laughed without forcing it.
The conversation drifted from nursery decorations to names for the baby before finally winding down.
Jessa and Eli had officially become mates and were expecting their first pup.
Mira had fully embraced life as a healer, spending nearly every waking hour studying herbs, medicines, and remedies.
Everyone was moving forward.
Life hadn't stopped.
Eventually they said their goodbyes and ended the call.
"You smiled."
Lura looked up.
Curled comfortably in the reading chair by the window sat Rae with a thick book resting in her lap.
"I've been smiling."
"No," Rae teased with a grin. "That one reached your eyes."
Lura rolled hers.
"How long have you been hiding in my house this time?"
Rae shrugged.
"A few days."
"A few?"
"Maybe four."
Lura laughed.
"When are you going to stop hiding from your dad? He's probably worried sick."
"My dad is dramatic," Rae scoffed. "All he wants is for me to walk around looking at random male meat until one of them becomes my mate."
Lura nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Rae continued reading as if discussing the weather.
"He even sent a letter to Leon."
Lura blinked.
"He did?"
"Mhm."
"He's actually calling your brother home?"
Rae nodded.
"Looks like Alpha Aldric is finally ready to step down and let Leon become Alpha."
Lura smiled.
"I'm happy for him."
"I'm not," Rae groaned dramatically. "You know what this means?"
"What?"
"It means Dad recruited my own brother to hunt me down and shove eligible bachelors in my face."
Lura couldn't stop laughing.
Rae finally snapped her book shut.
"I'm hungry."
"So am I."
Rae grinned mischievously.
"Brownies?"
Lura smiled—a real smile this time.
"Brownies."
Together, they headed toward the kitchen, the quiet house feeling just a little less lonely than it had the day before.
The rich scent of warm chocolate drifted through the kitchen as Lura carefully poured the brownie batter into a baking pan.
Behind her, Rae rested against the counter with her arms folded.
Rae:
"I still don't understand why we're making brownies before lunch."
Lura smiled without looking up.
"You were the one who asked for brownies."
Rae:
"I know."
She nodded proudly.
Rae:
"But now I also want lunch."
Lura laughed.
"You always want food."
Rae:
"My wolf burns a lot of calories."
Lura rolled her eyes.
"Your mouth burns more calories than your wolf."
Rae reached toward the bowl with a mischievous grin.
Without even looking, Lura lightly tapped her hand away with the wooden spoon.
"No."
Rae:
"I was just making sure the batter wasn't poisoned."
"You were stealing."
Rae:
"Same thing."
Both girls burst into laughter.
A sudden knock echoed through the quiet house.
Rae immediately froze.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
She turned toward Lura.
Rae:
"You didn't hear that."
Lura couldn't help smiling.
"I definitely heard it."
Rae:
"Maybe whoever it is will leave."
Another knock.
Louder this time.
Lura crossed her arms.
"How long are you planning to hide from your dad?"
Rae:
"I'm not hiding."
"You've been living here for almost a week."
Rae:
"I'm strategically avoiding."
Lura laughed.
"That's called hiding."
Rae gasped dramatically.
Rae:
"It is not."
Smiling to herself, Lura walked toward the front door.
As soon as she opened it, Alpha Aldric stood on the porch wearing the patient expression of a father who already knew exactly where his daughter was.
Beside him stood a tall young man carrying two wooden crates overflowing with fresh vegetables, flour, meat, eggs, and other supplies.
The young man smiled.
Leon:
"Hey, Lura."
She blinked for a moment before recognition spread across her face.
"Leon?"
He chuckled.
Leon:
"It's been a while."
Lura stepped forward and wrapped him in a warm hug.
"It really has."
When they stepped apart, she looked him over.
"I almost didn't recognize you."
Leon:
"I've changed a little since we were kids."
"You definitely have."
Alpha Aldric cleared his throat with exaggerated offense.
Alpha Aldric:
"I bring groceries every week and he gets the first hug?"
Lura laughed before stepping over and hugging him as well.
"Thank you... for everything."
His expression softened.
Alpha Aldric:
"Your father would've done the same for my pup."
From somewhere inside the house—
Rae:
"I'm still not coming out!"
Alpha Aldric sighed toward the ceiling.
Alpha Aldric:
"I know you're in there."
Rae:
"You have no proof!"
Alpha Aldric:
"Lura laughed."
Rae:
"Traitor!"
Leon laughed, carrying the crates into the kitchen.
As he walked past the doorway, Rae peeked around the corner.
The moment their eyes met—
She groaned.
Rae:
"No... not you too."
Leon grinned.
Leon:
"Miss me?"
Rae:
"Absolutely not."
Leon:
"Good. Dad said if I couldn't find you, he'd make me Alpha immediately."
Rae's eyes widened.
Rae:
"See! He's already trying to trap me!"
Lura couldn't stop laughing.
"I think he's just happy you're home."
Rae:
"No... they're working together."
Leon shrugged innocently.
Leon:
"I haven't even been home a full day."
Rae:
"And you're already joining Team Dad."
The room filled with laughter.
For the first time in weeks...
The Night house no longer felt empty.
It sounded like home again.
