Chapter 147 Halfway Home
Kira’s POV
‘No, Kira. We stick to the plan,’ I muttered under my breath, like saying it out loud would weld my resolve into something unbreakable.
Leah scoffed…loud, dramatic, and completely unbothered. ‘You’re being delusional, Kira. The plan is to get pregnant. As soon as possible.’
As soon as possible?
The audacity.
‘Pregnant?’ I scoffed right back. ‘In your dreams, Leah. You think I need a man? I’m an independent, hardworking—’
She cut me off with a yawn. An actual yawn.
Then, like this wasn’t a life-altering debate… ‘I’m going to sleep.’
And just like that…silence.
I blinked. ‘Leah?’
Nothing.
Wow. Incredible. She really just logged out mid-argument like a tired customer service agent.
I huffed, crossing my arms. Unbelievable.
Honestly, if it ever came down to it, Leah would pick Adrian over me. No hesitation. No shame.
I’ll be like… “We have goals, ambition, and dignity.”
Leah will be like… “Yes…but have you considered Adrian’s face?”
Traitor.
I swear, I’m sharing my body with a hopeless romantic who has zero respect for structure, planning, or basic communication etiquette.
With my head quiet, I let out a huge breath, shoulders sagging in relief.
Thank God for that interruption.
My heart was still hammering like I’d run a marathon, and my body… Well, it was definitely not on the same page as my brain. I flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to calm the stupid butterflies that refused to settle after everything.
Minutes ticked by as I scrolled through my phone, catching up on the latest news about the Summers.
Then, I heard footsteps approaching again. Crap. I dropped the phone and squeezed my eyes shut, forced my breathing to go slow and even, pretending to be fast asleep.
Maybe he’d buy it and leave me alone.
The door opened quietly. I felt his presence fill the room…big, warm, impossible to ignore. Please just walk away. Please just ignore me and leave.
He didn’t.
Instead, I felt the mattress dip as he sat beside me. Then strong arms slid under my back and knees, lifting me like I weighed nothing.
He cradled me against his chest, one hand gently tucking the light blanket around us both. He started rocking me slowly, side to side, like I was something fragile and precious he needed to soothe.
Butterflies exploded in my belly…wild, fluttering, traitorous little things that made my cheeks heat up even with my eyes closed.
Damn it, Adrian. This isn’t fair.
Leah’s voice purred softly in my head then. ‘Shhh… keep it down. Why are you pretending you don’t like it? Just let him rock us, Kira. It feels good, doesn’t it?’
‘Go away, Leah,’ I snapped back silently. ‘I don’t need your commentary right now.’
But she was right. It did feel good…too good.
His steady heartbeat thumped under my ear, his scent wrapping around me like a safety blanket I didn’t want to need.
I kept pretending, staying limp in his arms, until I didn’t have to pretend anymore. Sleep pulled me under without warning, warm and heavy in his hold.
Hours later…unending, dreamless hours…the captain’s voice crackled over the intercom, pulling me awake.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into Alaska. Please prepare for landing.”
I blinked, disoriented. The air felt different already…crisper, colder. I turned my head toward the window and my breath caught.
Snow-covered mountains stretched out like a frozen kingdom, sharp and beautiful under the pale sky. We were really here.
Adrian was watching me, eyes soft but guarded. “How was your rest?” he asked quietly.
I ignored him, turning my face back to the window.
He sighed. “How long are you going to keep not talking to me, Kira?”
“Until I feel like it,” I huffed, crossing my arms and sinking deeper into the seat.
He exhaled in pure frustration, the sound low and rough, but he didn’t push. Not yet.
A few minutes later, the flight attendant’s voice came on again. “Please fasten your seatbelts. We’ll be landing shortly.”
He helped me up and buckled the seat. I still didn’t talk to him or even look at him.
The plane touched down smoothly on the private runway.
When the door opened, icy air rushed in, biting at my cheeks.
Adrian stood first, then reached for my hand. I tried to pull away, but he laced our fingers together anyway, firm and warm despite the cold.
I glared at him. He just gave me a small, stubborn smile and led me down the steps.
At the edge of the private helipad, sleek black SUVs waited, engines purring, windows tinted so dark you couldn’t see inside.
The Royal guards were already at attention, lining up the walkway.
Adrian guided me toward the lead car, still holding my hand the whole way like he was afraid I’d vanish if he let go.
I kept my face blank, staring straight ahead, giving him nothing. He kept trying anyway…leaning close in the back seat as we pulled away from the helipad, his voice low and teasing.
“Come on, talk to me, baby. You can’t stay mad forever.”
I stayed silent, eyes fixed on the passing scenery…endless white, towering evergreens dusted with snow, the distant palace looming like something out of a fairytale.
The ride to the palace stretched on. I pressed my forehead to the cool window, watching the world blur by. Adrian shifted closer, his thigh brushing mine.
“You better start talking to me soon,” he murmured, hot and dangerous, breath tickling my ear, “or I’ll kiss you right here in front of the whole pack the second we step out.”
My head snapped toward him. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He smirked, golden eyes flashing with challenge. “Try me.”
I gulped, already knowing he wasn’t joking. Not even a little. The man had zero shame when it came to staking his claim.
Just then the car rolled to a smooth stop outside the massive palace gates.
Adrian’s eyes glazed over for a second…he was mind-linking someone.
Seconds later, his beta, Thomas, came rushing out from the grand entrance, coat flapping in the wind.
We stepped out into the biting cold, but it felt warm…like before.
Strangely, I felt cold while in LA, but here that it’s freezing, I don’t feel even a single chill.
Thomas greeted Adrian with a quick, respectful nod and a clipped “Your Majesty,” then moved straight to the car behind ours.
I watched as they opened the door and brought the girl out…the same one from the plane.
She was bundled up now, a thick hoodie pulled low over her face, a medical-style nose mask covering most of her features. Only her eyes peeked out, wide and intrigued.
Why are they hiding her so much? I wondered, frowning. What’s the big secret?
The whole group started moving toward the palace gates…Adrian and me in front, James, Victoria and her mate, Thomas, and a handful of other guards forming a loose but deliberate formation.
They kept the hooded girl subtly in the middle, bodies angled just enough to shield her from any prying eyes without making it obvious. Even Victoria walked close, her expression tight and protective.
We reached the tall iron gates. One by one, everyone passed through without issue…guards nodding respectfully, the cold wind whipping around us.
Everyone except the girl.
She stepped forward…and stopped short, like she’d hit an invisible wall.
Her body jerked back slightly, eyes widening in panic behind the mask.
She tried again, pressing forward, but something wouldn’t let her cross. The air around her seemed to ripple, almost like a ward or barrier shimmering faintly in the snowy light.
Adrian’s hand tightened on mine as Thomas frowned hard and James muttered a low curse.
The girl looked up at us, voice muffled through the mask but clear enough to hear the fear.
“I… I can’t get in.”
The entire group froze, tension crackling thicker than the Alaskan frost.
And just like that, the drama I thought I’d left on the plane came roaring back to life at the palace gates.