Evaline:
A group of servants stood there, their heads bowed respectfully. They straightened when we approached, offering warm greetings not just to the brothers but to .
But it was the old woman at the center who made my breath hitch.
She must have been in her late fifties, maybe early sixties. Her back was straight despite her age, her silver-threaded hair tied neatly in a bun. Her eyes were kind, twinkling, and endlessly warm... and they settled on with a familiarity I couldn’t place at first.
River stepped closer and I felt his hand coming to rest lightly on my back. "Evaline," he said softly, "this is Madam Elira. Sera’s mother. She was also my brothers’ nanny when they were young - especially for Oscar and Draven."
My heart squeezed as the woman reached out, clasping my hands firmly in her own. Her palms were warm, steady, full of strength.
"My Alphas could not have chosen better," she said with a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "I am so very happy to know they found such a beautiful and warm mate. And now, a family with you."
My throat closed up. I squeezed her hands back, utterly overwheld once again.
Just when I thought it was finally ti to step in, Madam Elira raised her hand.
"One mont, my Luna," she said, her voice warm but carrying the quiet authority of soone who had cared for Alphas since they were children.
But it was the title that shook completely, yet none of the brothers seed the least bit surprised.
"Before you bring the little one into this new ho, allow to perform a small ritual from my hotown. It will ward off evil, cleanse the air of lingering shadows, and invite only warmth and blessings for you and your pup."
My heart softened instantly. The sincerity in her eyes made it impossible to deny her. I smiled and nodded eagerly. "Of course. I would be honored."
I bent down and carefully picked up my son from the stroller. He stirred a little, but when I cradled him against my chest, he settled quickly, his tiny breaths tickling my collarbone.
I stepped closer to my mates, who instinctively closed the circle around , their warmth pressing against my back and sides. For so reason, standing there with them, I felt like no shadow in the world could ever reach us.
And then I watched as Madam Elira began.
She lit a small clay bowl filled with dried herbs - sage, lavender, and wolfsbane flower petals. Their smoke curled skyward in a pale silver stream. The scent was sharp yet soothing, tinged with sothing earthy that made want to inhale deeply. She held the bowl in one hand while dipping her fingers into a tiny vial of moon-blessed morning dew with the other.
First, she traced a crescent shape on the pup’s forehead, whispering words in an old dialect I didn’t understand. The cadence was low, lodic, like a lullaby carried through generations. Then she repeated the sa motion on my forehead.
"For the bond of mother and child," she murmured. "Unbroken. Protected."
Next, she circled us with the bowl of smoking herbs, moving clockwise. The smoke clung to us like a soft veil, wrapping around the pup, around , and around my mates who were surrounding with their warmth and protection.
"May no malice pierce your walls," she intoned. "May no curse linger in your air. May only love and loyalty dwell in this ho."
When she finished, she dipped her fingers into the dew again and touched each of my mates - first River, then Kieran, then Oscar, then Draven - marking the sa crescent on their brows.
"For strength to protect, for love to guide, for unity to last through storms."
The brothers bowed their heads slightly in respect, even stoic River, and sothing about the sight made my chest ache.
Finally, she poured a few drops of dew into the bowl itself, and the smoke shifted, turning a shimring silver-blue for a brief mont before fading back into pale wisps. With that, she closed her eyes and whispered the last blessing.
"So be it."
She blew gently across the bowl, extinguishing the fla.
A hush fell over us. My pup shifted softly in my arms, as if sensing the peace that had settled. My eyes prickled with tears again - not of sadness this ti, but of gratitude.
"Thank you," I whispered. My voice trembled, but Madam Elira only smiled knowingly, patting my hand.
"It is my honor, child."
With the ritual complete, River placed a steadying hand on the small of my back again. "Shall we?" he asked, his deep voice breaking the mont with gentleness.
I nodded, clutching my son closer, and finally stepped inside the house.
The air inside slled faintly of wood, herbs, and fresh paint. But it wasn’t the scent that made my breath catch. It was the sight.
The front hall opened wide, bathed in soft golden light from the tall windows that let the morning sun spill across polished wooden floors. The walls carried that sa balance between modern elegance and vintage charm - stone columns wrapped in climbing ivy that had been carefully preserved indoors, paired with sleek railings and glass fixtures that glead like starlight.
To my left, a cozy sitting room stretched open, complete with a stone fireplace whose mantle already held frad photos - , the brothers, and even a few from the Academy with my friends. My throat tightened at the thought of them sneaking these into place before I arrived.
To the right, I glimpsed what looked like a study or library, tall shelves already lined with books. It slled faintly of parchnt and ink, and I knew instantly it was a space ant for River, Kieran, and .
But before I could linger too long, I heard the chorus of gasps and laughter from behind.
Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan had followed us in, their phones in hand, snapping pictures and recording little videos. Mallory clasped her cheeks dramatically. "Oh my goddess, Eva, it’s like a dream house! Look at that chandelier! Look at this - no, Kyros, get a picture of this staircase-"
Rowan, calm as always, gave a smile as he fild. "I think I just found my new favorite place to visit."
Their excitent made chuckle, my heart warming even more. To see my friends here, part of this new beginning, made the house feel even more alive.
I shifted my son gently, pressing a kiss to his tiny forehead as I whispered, "Welco ho, little one."
* * *
Author’s Note:
I have received so amazing na suggestions from one of you. If there’s anyone else with a na in their minds for our ’Little One’, please do share!
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