Chapter 360

Evaline:
By the time brunch was over, my belly felt pleasantly full and my heart even fuller. Madam Elira had outdone herself with the food, and my friends had not stopped laughing since they had sat down.
Rowan teased Kyros over the way he piled his plate like he hadn’t eaten in days, Mallory and Draven were busy planning something in hushed whispers as if not everyone around them had a wolf’s hearing strength, and somehow Oscar had managed to win every small debate at the table, as if the meal was just another battlefield.
After the dishes were cleared, we all migrated to the living room. The house suddenly felt alive, brimming with voices, laughter, and the occasional sound of the pup’s soft gurgles. Our son lay in my arms, dressed in the pale blue outfit Mallory had brought as a gift. He seemed content, blinking up at the ceiling as if it held secrets only he could see.
Mallory clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “Alright, time to play! We can’t keep calling him ’pup’ forever. The little master deserves a name, and today we are going to pick it.”
Kieran, who was lounging near the window, arched a brow. “And how exactly do you intend to make that decision, Miss Campbell? By drawing straws?”
Mallory grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Close. We are going to play a naming game.”
“Oh, Goddess,” River muttered under his breath, making us chuckle.
I tilted my head, curious. “What kind of game?”
She stood in the middle of the room like a host about to unveil a grand performance. “Here’s how it works. Everyone has already thought of a name, right?”
There were nods all around. Even Kyros lifted his hand.
“Good. We’ll write our chosen names on slips of paper. No one signs their slip. Then, we’ll put them in this bowl” – she snatched an empty fruit bowl from the table – “and shuffle them.”
Oscar smirked. “Sounds too simple. Where’s the game in that?”
Mallory’s grin widened. “Patience. Once the names are shuffled, we’ll draw them one at a time. Each person will read the name aloud, and then the room votes with tokens.”
“Tokens?” I asked.
Rowan produced a small pouch with colored stones. “Already taken care of. Mallory recruited me last night.”
Mallory took the pouch, tossing it lightly in her hand. “Everyone gets three stones. You can use them to vote for whichever names you like, but you can’t place more than one stone on the same name. At the end, the name with the most stones wins.”
“And if there’s a tie?” Draven leaned forward, grinning like a predator who already smelled chaos.
“Then the mother gets to choose,” Mallory declared. “She has the final say.”
I blinked, surprised. “Me?”
“Of course you. You carried him, birthed him, and you are raising him. The rest of us are just here to make things fun.”
I couldn’t argue with that. My cheeks warmed as all eyes briefly turned to me, but I nodded. “Alright. Let’s play.”
Madam Elira, who had been hovering at the edge with a fond smile, fetched paper and pens. Everyone scribbled down their choices with exaggerated secrecy. Draven hid his hand like a gambler guarding his cards, while Rowan turned his back completely to make sure Kyros wasn’t peeking. I wrote mine quickly, my fingers trembling slightly. Naming my child… it felt so monumental, like branding him with a piece of my heart forever.
Once the slips were folded and tossed into the bowl, Mallory shook it dramatically, then held it out to me. “Mama gets to draw.”
I reached in and pulled out the first slip. Unfolding it carefully, I read, “Lunaris.”
A murmur rippled through the room. “Nice,” Rowan admitted. “It means something along the line ’of the moon’, doesn’t it?”
“Latin origin,” Mallory supplied.
Votes were placed. Three stones. The name was beautiful, but it didn’t quite land.
The next slip revealed “Elias.” Strong, sharp. Draven sat straighter, and I suspected it was his. That one earned four stones, mostly from my friends.
Then came “Ryan.”
My heart tugged at the sound. I noticed as Oscar’s lips curled slightly, and I knew it was his. Five stones. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ͟.net
Round after round, names were drawn – “Kaelen,” “Oliver,” “Luceris.” Each one sparked whispers, smiles, and a little rivalry. But none struck with finality.
Finally, I unfolded the last slip.
“Lioren.”
The moment the name passed my lips, silence fell. Even the pup blinked up at me as if he recognized it. I repeated it, softer this time, tasting it like honey. “Lioren.”
“Moonlight,” Kieran said quietly from his place by the window. His voice was low but certain. “It means moonlight.”
I turned my head toward him. He wasn’t smirking or posturing like the others. His gaze rested on the pup, tender and unguarded in a way that made my breath catch.
“Moonlight for the boy born on the night of the full moon,” Mallory whispered, her usual teasing gone.
Oscar dropped his stone first, the clink echoing in the hush. Then Draven, River, Rowan, Kyros, and finally Mallory. I set mine down last, my fingers trembling. Every single stone landed on Lioren.
I laughed softly, overwhelmed. “Unanimous?”
Mallory clapped again, though her eyes were shining. “Unanimous.”
“Lioren Thorne,” River said, testing the sound. His deep voice made it resonate through the room.
Draven leaned forward, grinning at the baby. “Little Lioren.”
Oscar nodded approvingly. “It suits him.”
I looked down at my son… at Lioren. His tiny hand had curled around the edge of my blouse, and he yawned, as if to accept the name we had given him. My chest swelled, my eyes prickling. “Lioren,” I whispered again, kissing the soft crown of his head. “My Lioren.”
Kieran still hadn’t moved. His eyes were locked on us, unreadable shadows flickering in their depths. But when my gaze caught his, something passed between us – an unspoken truth. This wasn’t just a name. It was a promise. His promise.
The room erupted again with chatter, jokes, and playful arguments about who would spoil Lioren the most. Kyros claimed he would be the fun uncle, Rowan swore he would teach him how to have fun, and Mallory immediately announced she would make him the best-dressed pup in the community.
But I barely heard them. My world had narrowed to the now sleeping child in my arms… and the quiet, steady presence of the man who had given him his name.
Lioren.
Moonlight.
Yes, it was perfect.