⋆ Chapter 188

⋆ Chapter 188
I sank into the cushions, my body heavy with exhaustion, but their presence, the way they all hovered around me, fussing and talking over each other… it started to steady me somehow.
It was my father who broke through the din next, clearing his throat as he crouched down in front of me.
“We’ve been told everything,” he said carefully. “That guy, Rafael… he came to us. He explained what happened. You said you made a choice to step into this world. That it wasn’t easy, but you… You did what you had to do. He told us you fought bravely. Faced down their Alpha. Shifted for the first time in the middle of it all and came out on top.”
I stared at him, trying to swallow past the knot in my throat. His words reminded me of Cillian—of how he’d ripped out Alpha Loric’s heart so I wouldn’t have to carry that weight. I opened my mouth to tell them as much, but before I could say anything, Trisha cut in.
“You made me proud,” she said, her voice breaking, though she quickly masked it with a crooked little grin. “My big sister, kicking an Alpha’s ass. Nobody’s ever going to mess with my kids now. They’ll all know their aunt’s a goddamn lycan.”
Her words pulled a faint laugh out of me, and it earned her a chorus of chuckles from the others.
Georgia shook her head, still looking slightly stunned as she sank into the armchair across from me, tugging a throw pillow onto her lap and hugging it absently.
“I still can’t believe all of it,” she said quietly. “Back at work, we were gearing up for some big product launch, everyone freaking out about deadlines and branding while you… You were out there fighting for your life. It’s surreal. Like we’re all living in two completely different realities and none of us even knew.”
I glanced at her. “It does feel like that sometimes,” I murmured.
She huffed a humorless little laugh and leaned back, her gaze distant.
“It’s crazy how all this stuff—the Lycans, vampires, their wars, and politics—has been hidden from us. It makes you wonder how much else we don’t know. How much of our lives are just this… bubble they keep us in so we don’t have to see how dangerous the world really is.”
Trish crossed her arms where she sat next to Dad on the sofa, nodding solemnly.
“Maybe that’s the point,” she said. “If regular people knew how bad it really is out here, how many of them could even handle it? Maybe it’s better we don’t know.”
My father chimed in with a grim little smile.
“The truth has teeth,” he said softly. “And some people aren’t ready to get bitten.”
Even my mother, who hadn’t said much beyond comforting me, nodded faintly in agreement.
Georgia turned her eyes back to me then, narrowing slightly, and I knew that look well.
“And then there’s you,” she added pointedly. “You and… Cillian. Are you two in some kind of secret relationship or something? Because Ralph told me everything he knew, and… he said Cillian was Kurt the whole time?”
Her voice trailed off expectantly as everyone else in the room, their curiosity piqued by her question, turned their heads to me. Trish raised a brow while my father looked confused.
But my mother tilted her head with a smile. “I like Cillian.”
I swallowed hard and gave them a weak little smile, though it didn’t reach my eyes.
“I… I’ll explain that another time,” I said quickly, my voice faltering just enough to shut down the conversation.
Before anyone else could speak, Ralph shifted uncomfortably on the arm of Georgia’s chair, his usual restless energy returning as he tried to change the subject.
“Let me just say it out now, once and for all,” he blurted. “I was a coward,” he looked at me, “And you, Tilly, had to step up when I didn’t. You saved me, Tilly. If you hadn’t…” He didn’t finish his thought, just shook his head with a faint, rueful smile.
"Damn, Tilly. I never thought you had it in you,” Georgia said, shaking her head with a half-smile. “Honestly, I figured you’d end up in AA before something like this, with your drinking problem. But here you are, Luna of one of the biggest damn packs around. Ralph’s ex, you know, the lycan, she told us Silver Moon is one of the strongest packs.”
Ralph let out a low laugh, still looking a little stunned. “And you just went and kicked their Alpha’s ass.”
Listening to them—hearing them tell me how proud they were, how much they still saw me despite everything—I realized Wanda might’ve been right. Being here with them, surrounded by my family and friends… it didn’t make the pain disappear, but it dulled it, gave me something to hold onto other than just grief.
My mother cupped my cheek then, brushing a fresh tear away with her thumb.
“I know your heart’s broken right now. You loved him,” she murmured gently. “I know you’re hurting more than you can say. But it won’t last forever, my little Tilly. Trust time. You will find yourself again. And if you like, we’ll go to the beach. We’ll collect shells just like we used to, hm? Take your mind off of all this.”
I nodded faintly, new tears slipping down despite myself.
Then Ralph decided it was time to lighten the mood.
“Speaking of unbelievable things,” he said, leaning over to smirk at Georgia, “I still can’t get over Soren. Really, Georgia? You and him?”
My head shot up, and I blinked at her through my damp lashes.
“Yeah. You’re with Soren?” I asked, my voice cracking just a little.
Georgia rolled her eyes, though her cheeks turned a little pink.
“Don’t look at me like that. He’s… on probation. Let’s just say I don’t exactly trust vampires yet, so he’s got work to do before I let him fully in.”
I actually let out a small laugh then, a quiet, fragile thing, but real.
And for the first time since Grimshaft Mire, it felt like maybe, just maybe, I’d find my way through this.
We drifted into easier talk then—Georgia and Soren, mostly. Trish leaned in, curious, asking who Soren was. Ralph grinned, clearly proud, and told her he was Cillian’s cousin.
But then the door creaked open, and Rafael stepped in. His eyes went straight to mine, steady and unreadable.
“He’s ready for your private viewing, Luna.”
The room went still.
All of them turned to me, and just like that, the weight was back, written plain on their faces. That quiet, heavy sadness was settling over them, for me, because of me.