Chapter 105 Cut In-between
Maureen Laskovic
“Are you sure about this?” I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Vuk didn’t answer immediately.
He simply nodded and carefully placed Adrian into my arms, adjusting my hold like he always did—steady, controlled, as if he didn’t trust the world not to break what we held between us.
I looked down at him.
So small.
So warm.
So impossibly perfect.
A soft smile touched my lips as I leaned in slightly, breathing him in. There was something almost overwhelming about it—the faint sweetness of him, the quiet rhythm of his breathing, the way his tiny fingers curled instinctively against me.
“He’s so cute,” I murmured, my voice softer now. Almost afraid to disturb the moment.
“I know…” Vuk’s voice came from behind me, low and quiet. “He’s cute.”
There was a pause.
Then, more gently—
“He looks like you.”
My chest tightened at that.
I swallowed, my eyes never leaving Adrian’s face.
For a second, I braced myself.
Waited for it.
The fussing.
The crying.
The rejection I had come to expect.
But it didn’t come.
Instead—
He stayed.
Quiet.
Calm.
Resting against me like this was where he belonged.
My breath caught.
“He’s not crying…” I whispered, disbelief slipping through. “He’s not crying anymore…”
My arms tightened around him just slightly, like I needed to confirm he was real. That this was real.
“He’s… accepting me…”
A small, fragile smile broke through, trembling at the edges.
“He’s accepting his mama…”
For a moment, I didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Didn’t dare ruin it.
Behind me, I felt Vuk shift.
Then his arms came around me slowly, carefully, like he was afraid I might pull away if he moved too fast.
“Yeah…” he murmured against my hair. “You’re his mama… after all.”
I closed my eyes.
Letting that sink in.
Letting myself feel it.
For the first time since all of this began… something in me loosened.
We stayed like that for a while.
Quiet.
Still.
Holding onto something fragile and new.
At some point, Adrian’s breathing deepened, his small body going completely limp in my arms.
Asleep.
I exhaled slowly, carefully shifting as I stood.
Each step toward the crib felt deliberate, like I was walking on glass.
I placed him down gently, adjusting the blanket around him before letting my fingers linger for just a second longer than necessary.
Then I pulled away.
Reluctantly.
“Baby…”
“Yes?” Vuk answered softly behind me.
I turned, moving toward the bed before settling onto it, exhaustion finally catching up with me.
He followed a second later, laying beside me, close—but not crowding.
“Lady Livia…” I began quietly. “Have you heard anything? Any update?”
He exhaled, his gaze shifting to the ceiling for a moment.
“I did,” he said. “The doctors say she’ll wake up…”
There was a pause.
“But she may not be the same.”
My brows pulled together.
“Oh my goodness… is it that bad?”
“Yeah,” he said, voice low. “The damage to her head was… significant.”
Silence settled between us for a moment.
Then he added,
“I don’t even know how it happened. The security cameras didn’t catch anything.”
That made me frown.
“That’s strange…”
A brief pause.
Then, more hesitant—
“And… I don’t know why, but I feel… off… whenever Celeste is around.”
I turned slightly to look at him.
“You mean because of Cassian?”
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
I let out a small breath.
“I thought it was just me…”
The unease in my chest tightened slightly.
“I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Neither do I,” he said immediately.
A beat passed.
“She should leave.”
I nodded.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Another quiet moment.
Then—
“She will,” Vuk said calmly. “We’ll inform her soon.”
His hand reached for mine, pulling me gently closer until I was against him.
“But not now.”
His voice softened.
“Right now…”
He pressed a light kiss against my temple.
I turned my face slightly, my lips brushing against his.
Soft at first.
Careful.
Like we were both testing something fragile between us.
Then it deepened.
Slowly.
Then suddenly
A sharp cry cut through the room.
I pulled back first, breathless—and then I laughed.
A soft, helpless sound that surprised even me.
Vuk exhaled quietly, resting his forehead briefly against mine before pulling away.
“Of course,” he muttered under his breath.
I shook my head, still smiling. “Go.”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
He moved toward the crib, already reaching for the baby before the cries could build any further.
“Hey… hey…” his voice dropped immediately, gentle, steady.
“Lauren,” he murmured as he lifted her into his arms.
The crying softened almost instantly.
I watched from the bed, my smile fading into something quieter. Softer.
He handled her so naturally.
Like this was second nature to him.
He picked up the bottle, checking the temperature before bringing it to her lips. She latched onto it quickly, small hands twitching as she fed.
“She was hungry,” he said absently.
“I figured,” I replied, pulling the blanket slightly over myself as I watched them.
When she finished, he moved with the same quiet efficiency—changing her diaper, murmuring soft nonsense to her under his breath.
Then he carried her, pacing the room slowly.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
His voice shifted into something softer… almost melodic.
A low hum.
Then quiet singing.
I couldn’t even make out the words.
But it worked.
Lauren’s small body relaxed completely in his arms, her breathing evening out as sleep finally claimed her.
“Tired,” he murmured, more to himself than to me.
He laid her down gently beside her brother, adjusting the blanket with careful hands before stepping back.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Watching them.
Then he turned back to me.
The rest of the night passed quietly.
—
The Next Morning
The sunlight slipped through the curtains in soft streaks, warm and quiet.
I woke slowly.
For a second, I didn’t move.
Didn’t open my eyes.
Just listened.
No crying.
My gaze shifted toward the crib.
All three of them were asleep.
Safe.
A small breath left my lips.
Then I pushed myself up from the bed.
There was something I needed to do.
_
“Send Celeste in.”
The maid nodded quickly and disappeared without a word.
It didn’t take long.
A soft knock followed.
“Come in.”
The door opened slowly, and Celeste stepped inside.
“Good morning, my lady,” she said politely, lowering her head.
I watched her for a moment.
Studying her.
Something about her presence still made something in me uneasy.
“I won’t take much of your time,” I said calmly.
She looked up slightly, attentive.
“You’ll be leaving the pack house.”
The words landed quietly.
But the effect was immediate.
Her face fell.
“My lady…?” her voice trembled.
“I— I don’t understand…”
I didn’t look away.
“It’s for the best.”
Her eyes filled instantly.
“No—no, please…” she rushed forward slightly before stopping herself. “Please don’t send me away. I—I have nowhere to go.”
Her voice broke.
“I’ve served here faithfully, my lady. I’ve done everything asked of me. Please… don’t do this to me…”
Tears slipped down her cheeks freely now.
“I’ll do better—anything you want, I swear it—just please don’t send me away…”
I remained still.
Watching her.
Listening.
But the unease in my chest didn’t fade.
If anything—
It deepened.