Chapter 296 Family Portraits
When Elara walked back into Wolfe Manor, she felt it right away.
Something had changed between Nancy and Yardley.
Yardley was usually cold. Distant. Like everyone around him was just background noise.
But tonight he could not take his eyes off Nancy during dinner.
He watched her like she was the only person in the room. Like the rest of them did not exist. It was almost uncomfortable to see.
Nancy noticed. She gave him a look that was supposed to be annoyed.
But it came out softer than she meant. Yardley just grinned and kept staring.
“Father.” Yardley set his fork down. The whole table went quiet. “Nancy and I are doing a real family photo shoot next week. Not that rushed thing we did before the wedding. This time I want Orion in the shots. I want photos that actually mean something. If you are free, we could do a full family session.”
Alpha Hunter nodded slowly. A small smile crossed his face. “That sounds wonderful.”
Alpha Dominic leaned forward. “Wait. You invite Dad but not your own brother? That is cold, man.”
Elara hid a smile behind her water glass.
Before Yardley could answer, Alpha Dominic turned to Elara. “We should do maternity photos too.” He reached for her hand under the table. “Let’s make it a double shoot. Same day. Same photographer.”
Yardley raised an eyebrow. “You want to crash my family photos?”
“I want to document my kids before they are born. That is different.”
Nancy snorted. “So you are crashing it.”
“I am joining it. There is a difference.”
Alpha Hunter let out a low laugh. “I will handle the photographer. Consider it my gift.”
Yardley and Alpha Dominic looked at each other. For a second, they were just brothers again.
“Fine,” Yardley said. “But I am picking the location.”
“Absolutely not. You have terrible taste.”
“My family. My choice.”
“Our family too, apparently.”
Nancy and Elara looked at each other across the table. The kind of look that said: Men are exhausting.
But neither of them was complaining. Not really.
So the date was set.
—
Everyone started getting ready.
Nancy dragged Orion to three different stores before he finally picked a white suit. The first one was too stiff.
The second one had ruffles, which he called “disgusting.”
The third one fit okay, but he spent ten minutes staring at himself in the mirror before nodding. “Fine. This one.”
Elara dug through her closet twice before she found something that worked. She was three months along.
That was halfway there for a shifter pregnancy. Her belly had a definite roundness to it now. Not huge, but noticeable.
Enough that her normal clothes did not fit right anymore.
“Maternity photos can wait,” she said. “I am not doing a shoot until I actually look pregnant.”
Alpha Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Babe, you look pregnant right now.”
“I look like I ate too many tacos.”
“You look like you are carrying my pups. That is the sexiest thing I have ever seen.”
Elara rolled her eyes. But she was smiling. “Fine. When I am five months along, we will do another shoot. Just us.”
“I will fly the photographer in from Hollywood. Best in the business.”
“Whatever makes you happy.”
“What makes me happy is seeing you round with my kids. So win-win.”
—
The day came faster than anyone expected.
Nancy and Yardley went first for their couple shots.
The photographer set them up in the garden. Afternoon light fell through the old oak trees in long golden streaks.
During their first wedding shoot, Nancy had been stiff. Uncomfortable. Like she was posing for a mugshot. Today was different.
When the photographer caught them mid-kiss, Yardley’s hand was buried in her hair. Her fingers gripped his jacket. The chemistry was impossible to miss. It was real. Raw. The kind of thing you could not fake.
Orion watched his parents kiss for a solid ten seconds. He made a face. Turned to Elara. “Aunt Elara. Why do they keep doing that?”
Elara opened her mouth. Closed it. She had no idea how to answer that.
Alpha Dominic jumped in. “Because your dad loves your mom. That’s what people do when they love each other.”
Orion frowned. “But they already got married. Why do they have to keep doing it?”
“Because marriage doesn’t stop the loving part.”
Orion thought about that for a second. He did not look convinced. “Still gross.”
Alpha Dominic laughed. “Yeah. It kind of is. Wait until you’re older. You’ll get it.”
“I will never get it.”
“Sure you won’t.”
Orion crossed his arms and watched his parents with the deepest suspicion a seven-year-old could manage. Elara hid a smile behind her hand.
After the couple shots, Nancy called Orion over for family portraits.
The photographer arranged them under the big oak tree.
Yardley stood behind Nancy, his hands resting on her shoulders.
Orion sat in front, leaning against his mom’s legs.
The shutter clicked. Clicked again. Then a third time.
“Perfect,” the photographer said.
—
Elara finally felt like she could breathe. She settled next to Elizabeth on the bench under the shade. The old woman was watching the photo shoot with a quiet smile.
“Your mother came to see me last week,” Elizabeth said without looking at her.
Elara stiffened. “Oh?”
“She asked about burial arrangements. Wants to be put next to your father when her time comes. I told her that’s fine by me.”
Elizabeth said it the way someone might talk about weekend plans. Casual. Matter of fact. Like it was no big deal.
Elara did not know what to say. She stared at the grass. “Wow. Okay.”
“I figured you should know.” Elizabeth shrugged. “One plot. Easier for you when you want to visit. No driving all over the state.”
Elara nodded slowly. “Yeah. That makes sense.”
Elizabeth turned to look at her then. Her eyes were sharp, even now. “You alright with it?”
“It’s not really my call, is it?”
“No. But I’m asking anyway.”
Elara thought about it. Her mother had made her choices. She would live with them. Or die with them. Whatever came first. That was not Elara’s problem to carry.
She let out a breath. “Yeah. I’m alright.”
Elizabeth patted her knee once. Firm. Done. “Good. Now go get in some of those photos. You’re gonna want them later.”
Elara smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”