Chapter 100 100
Six Years Later
“Will she be alright?” Sofía’s voice trembled with barely restrained panic.
Her eyes were fixed on the doctor as if his answer alone held the power to steady her world.
He sighed gently. “She’ll be fine, Luna. It’s only a fever nothing serious. These medications will help.” He handed her the medicine calmly.
It felt as though Sofía could breathe again. She nodded, clutching the small bag like it was salvation.
Ricardo escorted the doctor out while Sofía hurried toward Charlotte’s room.
Her daughter lay still on the bed, cheeks pale against the pillows. Fever had drained the color from her soft skin. Sofía sat beside her immediately, brushing trembling fingers over her forehead before pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“My strong baby,” she whispered, smoothing Charlotte’s hair lovingly.
The door opened again.
Fernando stepped inside, exhaustion etched across his face. For three days, their princess had battled a relentless fever. They had barely left her side. Only now was she finally beginning to improve.
He moved to the bedside, gently stroking Charlotte’s cheek before kissing her forehead and settling into the chair.
Moments later, the door creaked open once more.
Damien. Dominique. Alexandre. Gabrielle. And little Eugénie.
They entered quietly, their usual energy replaced by worry.
Dominique squeezed Charlotte’s small hand. Eugénie leaned in and kissed her cheek. Alexandre and Gabrielle lingered a moment before stepping out again, but Damien remained.
“You both need rest,” he said softly to his parents. “Go. I’ll stay with her.”
Sofía hesitated, reluctant to leave, but Fernando gently guided her out. She needed rest too.
After one final glance at Charlotte, they left.
Damien sat beside the bed, taking Charlotte’s small hand in his and rubbing it gently with his thumb.
“You scared us a lot, princess,” he murmured to her sleeping form. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.”
She was precious to him their bond ran deep, unshakable.
“Get well soon,” he whispered.
Sleep claimed him too, his back resting against the headboard, still holding her hand.
“She will be fine,” Sofía repeated to herself for what felt like the thousandth time.
But her heart trembled.
Cécile had warned them. Charlotte, being a hybrid, would face challenges. Her body was neither fully human nor fully werewolf. As she grew, it would undergo changes some painful, some dangerous. Not all hybrids survived those transformations.
Charlotte couldn’t shift. She didn’t even possess a wolf. Only fragments of wolf power ran in her blood. And as she matured, those fragments were awakening in unpredictable ways.
This phase was difficult.
But it would pass.
“She’ll be fine. She’s our strong daughter,” Fernando said softly, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly.
“But she looked so pale,” Sofía cried, covering her face with her hands.
Fernando pulled her against him, wrapping her in warmth. “Charlotte is strong,” he murmured. “Just like her mother.”
He kissed the crown of her head, and she sniffed quietly. When she pulled back, he wiped her tears away and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
In the middle of the night, a shadow slipped quietly into Charlotte’s room.
The fragile-looking girl closed the door behind her and walked to the cupboard, retrieving a blanket. She moved toward the bed, checking on Charlotte before tucking the blanket around her carefully.
Then she moved silently to the other side.
Gabrielle knelt beside Damien and began removing his shoes one by one, as gently as possible. She inhaled sharply, then carefully pushed at his shoulders until he lay down fully on the bed the effort leaving her breathless.
Once he was comfortable, she covered him with the blanket too.
She turned to leave.
A hand caught her wrist.
She gasped.
Slowly, she turned.
Her wide brown eyes met olive green ones.
Her breath stalled.
Without a word, she pulled her wrist free and fled the room, closing the door hurriedly behind her.
In the hallway, she nearly collided with her mother.
“Where are you coming from?” Jeanne asked with a slight frown.
“I was checking on Charlotte,” Gabrielle mumbled.
Jeanne nodded. “I hope she gets better soon.”
Gabrielle nodded again and walked away, heart pounding wildly.
She hadn’t wanted Damien to see her.
What if he changed? What if he acted differently? She couldn’t lose her best friend.
Damien stepped out into the hallway moments later, glancing around for Gabrielle.
She was nowhere in sight.
It didn’t feel right to go into her room at this hour.
Still… he couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had looked.
Did she like him?
He swallowed hard.
Then returned to Charlotte’s room.
Gabrielle was escorting Eugénie toward her room when the younger girl noticed Dominique heading toward the backyard.
“I need to talk to Dominique. I’ll be back,” Eugénie said.
Gabrielle nodded.
Eugénie approached him cautiously. He sat alone on the steps.
“Dominique?” she called softly.
He sighed. “Yes, Eugénie?”
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
His head snapped toward her. Her chin trembled. Her forest-green eyes shimmered with tears.
“Hey, hey,” he said gently, pulling her close and sitting her beside him. He wiped her cheeks carefully. “Why are you scared?”
“C… Charlotte,” she hiccupped.
“Nothing will happen to her,” he said firmly but softly. “She’s our strong sister. She’ll get better tomorrow.”
“You promise?” she asked, lifting her pinky.
Dominique hesitated just for a second. Then he hooked his pinky with hers.
“I promise.”
Her smile bloomed instantly. She kissed his cheek, and he chuckled.
“Alexandre?” Gabrielle called softly.
He was sitting alone on the roof.
He rubbed his palm down his face. “Leave, Gabrielle. I’m not in the mood.”
She ignored him and sat beside him quietly.
“Don’t worry. Charlotte will get better,” she said gently.
He tensed. “Hmm.”
Silence lingered.
“So… when are you going to confess to her?” Gabrielle asked suddenly.
He stared at her. “What?”
“Don’t pretend. I know you like her,” she smirked.
He was speechless and then slowly, a smirk formed on his own lips.
“When are you confessing to Damien?” he shot back.
She gasped. “What?!”
“Your acting is terrible,” he muttered dryly.
She fell silent.
“I’m a good observer,” he added.
She sighed. “Fine. On my eighteenth birthday, I’ll confess to Damien. After that, you confess to Charlotte. Deal?”
She extended her hand.
He clasped it. “Deal.”
They sealed it with a shake, grinning.
“But don’t you dare tell anyone,” she warned. “If you leak a word, I’ll leak yours with a million extra details.”
He laughed loudly.
She smiled.
She just wanted to see him smile.
“Okay, partner.”
“Partner,” she echoed, rising to leave.
Gabrielle had always loved one thing most
Making everyone happy.