Chapter 471

Talia’s POV

I woke up on the kids’ bedroom floor, a stuffed rabbit pillow under my head.

One bedtime story turned into three. After the last one, Nyla wanted the rabbit voice again. I don’t even remember falling asleep. When I woke up, it was morning, and someone had put a blanket over me.

I propped myself up and watched them sleep. They looked so peaceful. I realized I’d never really looked at them this closely before.

Nyla slept with her mouth open, her arm hanging off the bed. She looked just like me, with the same chin, eyebrows, and mouth. But I noticed she had Nolan’s eyes. Elian was lying on his back with his blanket on the floor. He looked just like Nolan, except he had my eyes, I thought.

‘Those two are going to be trouble,’ my wolf said. ‘She looks like you, he looks like him, and they’re both going to break hearts.’

“They’re five,” I said.

‘So? Didn’t you have a little boyfriend at that age?’ my wolf asked.

‘No, because Solon wouldn’t let me. And it was just child’s play, anyway,’ I replied.

I got up quietly so I wouldn’t wake them, opened the door, and ran right into Nolan in the hallway.

He was already dressed, boots and all. He looked at me, then at my pajamas and the rug mark on my cheek.

“I fell asleep,” I admitted.

“I know. I checked in at eleven,” Nolan said.

“The story was just too relaxing,” I explained, pushing my hair off my face. “I was

doing the voices, and then I guess I just passed out.”

“Did you sleep okay? I can’t imagine it was comfortable.”

“Honestly, I slept better on the floor than in my own bed, which is weird,” I explained.

‘Only because he wasn’t in the bed with us,’ my wolf muttered.

Nolan had his coat over one arm, so I caught him before he could leave. “What should I wear this afternoon? The whole pack is seeing me for the first time in five years, and I have no idea what I even own. I don’t want to get it wrong.”

Nolan smiled, and I realized I hadn’t really seen him smile before. It reached his eyes, and his eyes sparkled. I felt like I could get lost in them. I quickly turned away to hide my blush.

“Come with me,” Nolan said, leading me down the hall to my room and opening a door I thought was the bathroom.

It was a huge closet, running the full width of the room and packed. Rows of dresses went so deep you couldn’t see the back, with coats, shelves of shoes, and drawers under the rails. Everything looked like something I’d actually buy.

I paused, honestly amazed. Had he chosen all of this?

“Did you pick all this out for me?” I asked.

Nolan shook his head. “You picked most of it. Once I learned your style, I kept adding to your collection,” he explained Nolan ran his hand along the hangers, not really looking. He clearly knew exactly what he wanted. NovelPeak.org

Nolan stopped halfway down and pulled out a black dress.

I could tell it was perfect even before he took it off the rack. It had long sleeves, a high neck, and a simple, fitted cut. It was exactly what I would’ve picked, and he found it in seconds.

I put it on, and it fit like it was made for me. Standing in front of the mirror, I realized I couldn’t zip up the back by myself.

“Let me help,” Nolan said from the doorway. “You’ll never get that zipped up alone.”

He walked over, grabbed the zipper at the small of my back, and slowly zipped it up. Even though he was zipping up my dress, it felt much more intimate than it should. “You have great taste,” I said to the mirror, hoping my voice sounded normal.

“Everything here is your style,” Nolan said, still standing close behind me. “You picked the house, the garden this dress and the one next to it. He put a hand on my hip. “You picked me too, so I think your taste is pretty solid.”

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I’d been looking at the dress, but then I looked at him in the mirror, and that was a mistake.

Nolan was very handsome. I’d

noticed before, but it hadn’t really hit

me until now with his hand on my

hip and me wearing a dress he picked out. It would be so easy to fall for him if I wasn’t careful. NovelPeak.org

My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could feel it through the dress.

Someone knocked on the bedroom door.

“Luna? Clara says breakfast is ready, and she’ll bring it up herself if you’re not downstairs in ten minutes. She means it.”

“Thanks, Annie.” Relief hit me. I slipped out from under his hand and was halfway across the room before she finished. “We’ll be late. I’m coming!”

I grabbed my shoes and left, not daring to look back.

Annie was gone by the time I got to the landing, which was too bad because I wanted to thank her for saving me. If she’d been even a little later, I probably would’ve done something stupid, like kiss him.

‘What is stupid about wanting to kiss our mate?’ my wolf asked.

‘We don’t know him,’ I replied.

‘But we did and you wanted to kiss him,’ my wolf argued. ‘And he did too.’

‘I know.’ I said, hurrying down the stairs. ‘Three days ago, he barely touched me.

Now he stands too close, finds excuses to help, and keeps saying things that have double meanings.’

‘He’s our mate,’ my wolf repeated.

‘It’s like he’s trying to seduce me,’ I said.

‘You’re hopeless,’ my wolf huffed.