I shake my head. “Not good.”
“I get it,” she says softly. “But Caleb and Felix know what they’re doing. We’ve got a strong pack, Evan. Even stronger than before, now we have the addition of Cole’s pack, Jaxon, and the rest of the district. They’ll be okay.”
My heart thumps, but I don’t respond.
“At least we’re together,” she says sincerely.
“Yeah…” I trail off. “Felix didn’t want you to go with him?”
The corner of Zara’s lip twitches before she places her hand on her stomach and cups the very, very small bump that’s starting to show. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head as I step off the windowsill and walk towards her.
“You’re pregnant?”
Zara’s eyes glisten as she smiles. “Yeah, eight weeks. We’ve wanted to keep it quiet until the three-month mark.”
I wrap my arms around her. “Congratulations,” I whisper. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you.” She embraces me. “They’ll be home soon. I promise.”
My arms hold her tighter before pulling back. “It feels weird knowing what they’re doing and not being able to help.”
“Yeah,” she says with a sad smile. “Caleb only wants the best for you. You know that, right?”
I hum softly, wanting to change the subject. “Can you tell me how you and Felix met?”
Zara immediately grins. “We’ve known each other since we were kids,” she laughs. “And I remember having the biggest crush on him. We used to attend school together in the town centre. It was only small, and we’d be around each other all the time. I didn’t think he even noticed me.”
I frown. “I doubt that.”
“The closer we got to eighteen, I wished he was my mate,” she sighs. “But I started to realise what the possibility of him being my mate actually was. It’s rare you’re from the same district, let alone pack, you know?”
I nod silently.
“And then when we both turned eighteen, and we saw each other, it was like my entire world lit up like fireworks. I couldn’tbelieve it. I actually burst into tears, and he thought I was crying out of disgust and frustration,” Zara says, fighting back a smile. “But he had no idea I had been wishing for it.”
My heart warms at her story. “That’s cute. Childhood sweethearts.”
“Yeah.” She grins. “And that’s when he told me he did notice me, but he was too terrified to say anything out of rejection. But the Moon Goddess had everything planned out for us.”
I flick my eyes down to her wedding ring finger to find the most beautiful emerald ring, along with a diamond band.
“How long have you been married?”
“Two years,” she states as she studies her rings stacked together. “The baby wasn’t really planned, but when I found out, I’ve never felt so happy. Felix will be the best father ever. He’s dedicated to being the best Beta and helping Caleb, but he’s honestly the sweetest soul when you get to know him.”
“Mm.” I chuckle. “Like someone I know.”
Zara’s eyes widen an inch. “Exactly. They have a hard exterior, but inside, they’re a bunch of softies for the ones they love.”
I waver a moment at the word love.
It’s not something we’ve said to one another, but deep inside, I know my love for him has been growing day by day. Love is a strange emotion to me when I’ve only dealt with hatred for the majority of my life.
There was a time I was convinced no one would be able to love me after all the nonsense my brother drummed into my head, but I’ve started to learn that anyone can be loved.
Including myself.
The things Caleb does for me show me he cares, and I don’t want to jump the gun assuming he loves me, but I know we’re definitely heading that way.
