Damon let out a soft laugh as he opened the microwave. "Yes, ma’am. The legendary al you’ve tried to heat up three tis but never managed to actually turn on the microwave."
It was true. Every ti Charlotte had gone to warm up the food, Damon had ended up pulling her close and penetrating her right then and there.
In the end, they only got to eat a few bites of cold food straight from the fridge.
"Well, at least we didn’t completely destroy the kitchen," she joked, stepping off the couch and walking toward him.
As Damon poured the warm chicken stew into two bowls, Charlotte wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and pressed gentle kisses along his bare back.
"You sll really nice," she murmured with a soft smile, resting her head against him.
"I actually used your soap and shampoo," Damon chuckled. "Figured if I wanted to sll like your favorite scent, I might as well go straight to the source."
Charlotte laughed softly, her voice muffled against his skin. "You’re such a cheat."
"I prefer the word romantic," he said, setting the bowls on the table before turning to face her. He gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, I like it when you cuddle longer just because I sll like your shower."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, now I can’t even argue with that."
Damon leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Co on, let’s eat before it gets cold."
They sat down side by side, the warm, comforting aroma of the stew filling the small room.
After a few minutes of eating in peaceful silence, Damon spoke again.
"Charlotte," Damon said suddenly, just as she had finished half of her plate, "there’s sothing I want to ask you."
Charlotte lifted her face and looked directly at him. "What’s wrong?"
Damon set his fork down and leaned in a little, his tone turning more serious. "I promised the Elder I’d visit the children at the orphanage the day after tomorrow. Would you like to co with ?"
Charlotte was utterly speechless. The food in front of her suddenly didn’t look so appetizing anymore. "Wait ... we’re allowed to do that?" she asked. "I thought no one was allowed to visit them."
The Nocturnal Order had stated that the children’s bodies still contained traces of a substance called Nightshade. It wasn’t enough to turn them into rogues right away, but it was dangerous. That’s why the Order kept a close watch on them until the substance completely left their systems.
"Others might not be allowed, but I have access," Damon explained. "I just thought ... since you once said we could adopt kids, maybe we could take a look at them."
Charlotte straightened her back, staring at him with a shocked expression. "Are you serious?" she asked. "We can actually adopt them?"
"Well, maybe not all of them," Damon replied. "But I could help the Nocturnal Order take care of them under my protection and even let them join our packs if they want to."
He continued, "But I was thinking ... maybe we could adopt one or two who feel like they belong with us, like they’re ant to be part of our little family."
Charlotte suddenly stood up from her chair and, without thinking twice, walked around the table to throw herself into Damon’s arms.
The table clattered slightly, and a glass of water accidentally fell over, but she didn’t care about the ss.
"We can really do that?" Charlotte asked again, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"We can," Damon said gently, wrapping his arms around her waist and running a hand along her back. "You’ve always dread of having children and those kids have always dread of having soone to call Mom and Dad."
Both of them knew they could still try for a child of their own, a baby born from her womb. But ever since the miscarriage, Charlotte had begun to doubt whether she was truly ant to be a mother or not.
She buried her face against Damon’s chest, her voice muffled but filled with emotion. "I thought ... I’d never get that chance again."
Damon rested his chin on her head, gently swaying her in his arms like he was trying to comfort every broken piece of her heart. "You will. No matter how they co into our lives, whether they grow inside you or co from sowhere else, you’re going to be an incredible mom."
Charlotte blinked back tears, her fingers clinging tightly to his shirt. "They deserve to be loved. They don’t deserve to be treated like monsters just because of sothing that wasn’t their fault."
"That’s why I want to give them a ho," Damon said softly. "Even if the rest of the world turns its back on them, we won’t. We’ll be the ones who choose them."
It made perfect sense.
Once words had spread among the supernatural community that Ronan had given the children a dangerous substance, most people wouldn’t want to take them in.
It was because they would be afraid the kids would one day turn into rogue werewolves.
Even if the children were eventually cleared of the substance, there was still a high chance they’d never receive the love of a real family.
"Then let’s see them," Charlotte said firmly. "I want to et them."
Damon smiled and nodded. "Alright. I’ll contact the Elder and let them know you’ll be coming with later."
Charlotte sat back down, her heart still pounding in her chest. The thought of adoption had always lingered in the back of her mind, like a small candle flickering in the dark.
But now, it felt like Damon had lit a fire inside her.
• • •
On the day after tomorrow, just as the sun began to rise, Damon and Charlotte set off toward the Nocturnal Order’s headquarters.
Unlike the dark and intimidating image most people had of the place, the headquarters was surprisingly peaceful.
Nestled at the edge of Blackwood Forest, it was surrounded by towering trees, blooming nightshade flowers, and a soft mist that curled around the cobblestone path like a gentle veil.
Charlotte looked up at the building and fell silent for a mont.
"Are you nervous?" Damon asked as they approached the gate.
"A little," she admitted, adjusting the scarf around her neck. "What if they don’t like ?"
"They will," he said simply, placing a hand on the small of her back. "How could children not like you?"
Two guards at the gate recognized Damon imdiately and bowed respectfully. "Alpha Damon. Luna Charlotte. The Elder is expecting you."
Reviews
All reviews (0)