Anne paced nervously back and forth in her room, the soft fabric of her dress swishing with each step. The large windows allowed the late afternoon sunlight to stream in, but it did little to ease the growing anxiety. Her gaze flickered occasionally towards the door, half-expecting it to burst open with news at any mont.
Across the room, Ryan sat contentedly at a small table with his nanny, happily absorbed in colouring. Creating a wild mix of colours that had no rhy or reason.
It had been soti since Damien and Chris had gotten to rescue Nicky and Aaron.
Anne’s phone buzzed on the nearby dresser, causing her heart to leap into her throat. She rushed over and grabbed it with trembling fingers. Her breath hitched as she read the ssage:
Damien’s back.
Without a second thought, she dropped the phone onto the bed and rushed towards the mansion’s entrance. She needed to see them—to know they were all alright.
As she descended the grand staircase, the massive front doors of the mansion swung open, revealing Damien and Chris walking side by side. Behind them, Nicky and Aaron followed, their faces flushed from the journey.
Anne’s breath caught in her throat. Relief washed over her as her eyes landed on them. Chris gave her a weary smile, while Nicky and Aaron trailed closely behind, looking no worse for wear.
Without hesitation, Anne broke into a run, her feet barely touching the ground as she rushed towards them. Damien was the first to step forward, his strong arms opening wide to embrace her. The mont Anne felt his familiar warmth, she let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. She clung to him, as though needing to feel the solidity of his presence to fully believe he was back.
"It’s alright," Damien murmured into her ear, his voice low and comforting.
Anne pulled back slightly to look up at him, her eyes searching his face for any signs of injury, but he seed unhard. "I was so worried," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"I know," Damien replied gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It’s over now. We’re safe."
Just then, Nicky stepped forward with a wide grin. "Anne! I’m so happy to see you again!" she exclaid, throwing her arms around Anne in a tight hug. Anne smiled through her tears, holding Anne close.
"I missed you too, Nicky," Anne said, pulling back to look at the girl’s glowing face. There was an undeniable sense of joy in Nicky’s eyes, and Anne could feel her own heart lighten in response.
Aaron, standing next to Chris, gave Anne a small wave, his usual stoic expression softening. "Good to see you, Anne," he said simply, and Anne nodded in agreent, her gaze moving between the group.
The tension that had been building for days finally lted away. For now they were all safe, and that was all that mattered.
"Co inside," Anne said, her voice steadier now. "You all need rest."
Anne gently guided Nicky and Aaron up the wide staircase to her suite, the soft carpet muffling their steps.
As they entered her suite, a large, sunlit room filled with books, soft furniture, and Ryan’s scattered toys, Ryan looked up from his colouring with a curious expression. His small face, frad by tousled brown curls, brightened when he saw Anne, but his wide eyes quickly darted to the two new faces besides her. His crayon hovered uncertainly over the paper.
Nicky, for her part, stared back at Ryan in wonder. She had heard so much about him but had never t the little boy. There was sothing magical about seeing him in person—his tiny features and wide, inquisitive eyes a perfect blend of Anne and Damien. Nicky felt a strange, imdiate connection to the boy.
"Is that...?" Nicky began, looking up at Anne with wide eyes.
Anne smiled softly, her hand resting on Nicky’s shoulder as she nodded. "Yes, that’s Ryan," she said, her voice warm with motherly pride. "Our son."
The words hung in the air for a mont, and Nicky’s expression shifted from amazent to pure joy. Without a second thought, she rushed towards Ryan, her excitent bubbling over.
"Hi, Ryan!" Nicky exclaid as she knelt down to his level, a bright smile on her face. "I’m Nicky. Your aunt!"
Ryan blinked at her; his crayon still paused in mid-air. His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned to Anne for confirmation. "My aunt is Aunt Emily," he said, his voice small and uncertain.
Anne laughed lightly, walking over to join them. She kneeled besides Nicky and put an arm around Ryan’s small shoulders. "Yes, sweetheart, Aunt Emily is your aunt," she explained gently. "But now you have two aunts—Aunt Emily and Aunt Nicky." She glanced at Aaron, who stood quietly by the door; he was staring at Ryan with the sa wonder. "And you even have an uncle now. Uncle Aaron."
Ryan’s eyes widened at the new information. He looked from Nicky to Aaron, then back at Anne, as if trying to process the idea of having more family than he had before. After a mont, he nodded solemnly, his little face taking on an air of seriousness far beyond his years. "Okay," he said simply, then without another word, he went back to his colouring, as if this new developnt was just another detail in his ever-expanding world.
Anne chuckled, her heart swelling with love for her son. Ryan’s ability to adapt never ceased to amaze her. He accepted things so easily, with the quiet understanding that ca naturally to children.
Nicky, however, wasn’t quite ready to let him go back to colouring just yet. "What are you drawing, Ryan?" she asked, leaning closer to get a look at his creation.
Ryan glanced up at her, then down at the colourful, abstract shapes he had been scribbling onto the paper. "A dragon," he said matter-of-factly, though the image looked more like a tangled rainbow. "But he’s invisible, so you can’t see him yet."
Nicky grinned, clearly delighted by his imagination. "An invisible dragon! That’s the best kind," she said, nodding in approval. "You’ll have to introduce to him once he’s done."
Ryan gave a small, shy smile at that, but his focus returned to his art, his little hand moving the crayon with renewed energy.
Aaron, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, finally stepped forward. He crouched besides Nicky and Ryan.
"That’s a good dragon, Ryan," he said, his deep voice filled with a warmth that caught Anne off guard.
Ryan looked up at Aaron, studying him for a mont before nodding in agreent. "He is," Ryan said, his voice growing more confident. "He can fly, too."
Aaron gave him a small, approving smile, then stood up again, glancing at Anne. "You’ve done a good job with him," he said quietly, his eyes reflecting a rare softness.
Anne smiled, touched by his words. "Thank you," she said, her gaze lingering on Ryan as he continued to colour, now seemingly unfazed by the new additions to his world.
"Co on, have a seat, and tell what happened ? Why did Alpha Jackson throw you out ?"
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