Chapter 182 Teresa POV
Chapter 182 Teresa POV
I drive my Maserati Grecale over the cobblestone road, heading to see Caden like he asked. We're spending three weeks together before we head to Rage, Nova, and Ares’s mating ceremony.
Things between us have been intense lately—first at Rose and Matt's ceremony, then again at Lucas and Lacy's. My feelings for him have grown deeper, stronger, impossible to ignore. I want to cross that line with him, to finally say what I really feel, but I keep hesitating.
Yes, we say "I love you".
But we've been saying that for so long it almost feels like saying hello.
My phone rings, pulling me back to reality. I drive past stunning Victorian brownstones, all lined up along the road like something out of a painting. Their pack house sits in the middle of the neighborhood, surrounded by neatly manicured lawns, open meadow, and deep, endless forestry. Everything is painfully green. Alive.
I roll down my window and breathe in the rich, earthy air, letting it fill my lungs.
Lilith's voice comes through the car speakers just as I pull in and park. I glance at the brownstone to my right and spot a sign that reads Beta. It’s charming in a way I wasn't expecting.
Before I can even unbuckle my seatbelt, the front door swings open and Caden appears in the doorway, watching me.
I motion for him to come to me. He runs a hand through his dark brown hair, then jogs down the steps and slips into the passenger seat.
"Okay, Lilith, I've got Caden. What news do you have?"
"Is everyone else ready?" she asks.
A chorus of yeses answers her. I can hear Lacy and Jenna, and Rose is with Lilith, Nova and Ares too. The guys all chime in somewhere in the background.
"We have good news and great news!"
"What is it?" I practically buzz in my seat.
Caden takes my hand and presses a kiss to it. My stomach flutters instantly at the gesture.
"If you haven't seen the news yet, they caught Moon last night. She came up on our beach begging for death."
We all gasp.
"Please tell me you at least got one punch in," Lucas says.
"She was too unstable to predict, and I wasn't risking it," Dragon says. Then his voice changes completely, bright and full and almost disbelieving. "We’re pregnant!"
Pure joy rushes through me so fast it nearly takes my breath away. It fills me from the tips of my toes to the bridge of my nose. We all start cheering at once. They deserve this. They deserve happiness and every good thing life can give them.
"Triplets?" Lacy asks, giggling.
"No, Lacy," Dragon says, laughing. "Just one. But it's a boy."
"How do you know?" Caden asks.
"The heartbeat," Dragon says, sounding proud all over again. "It's slower than 140 bpm."
"Shut up!" Lilith laughs. "I had a blood test done to be sure."
No one says it, but I know we're all thinking the same thing—whether they'll name him Dimitri. Nobody asks. It's too tender, too loaded.
When we see them in a couple of weeks, Lilith will probably be showing. I already can't wait to get my hands on her growing belly. I wonder what he'll look like.
I lean back in my white leather seat while everyone keeps talking, gushing over the news. Dragon made it possible for me to bring my bright orange new car, gracious enough to let me fly on one of his planes. Caden lifts his eyebrows and mouths, "I love the new wheels".
I smile at him.
Goddess, I am so in love with him.
About ten minutes later, the call ends. The quiet that follows feels softer somehow. Caden reaches across the console and brushes the back of his hand against my chin.
"How many bags do you have? Let’s get you inside."
Caden grabs the two trunks from the backseat while I go around to the trunk and wrestle out my two suitcases.
I drag them up the steps.
"Damn, Caden, your girl can pack," a deep voice says, making me turn.
Caden laughs. "It's for work," he says, setting the trunks just inside the door. "Teresa, this is Delta Keith, and right behind him is Gamma Mason."
"Can we steal him for a quick meeting?" Mason asks, scrunching his nose. "Sorry to interrupt."
Caden glances over at me like he’s asking permission without saying it.
"It's fine," I tell him. "I want to take a bath anyway."
He smiles at me, warm and quick.
"Come on in," he tells them. "Go out back and grab a beer. I'll be right down as soon as I get Teresa settled."
I follow him inside.
The house is even more beautiful than it looked from outside. It’s spacious, with a foyer that opens toward the backyard, where I can already see hints of a lush garden. A staircase curves all the way up to the third floor.
As we walk, Caden points out the rooms. "Office, formal sitting room, kitchen, dining room..."
His voice is easy, proud without showing off.
"The living room is on the second floor, along with a game room and two guest rooms. The third floor is my bedroom and a few other rooms I haven't decided what to do with yet."
He glances back at me and winks.
My heart does a ridiculous little flip.
He carries my trunks upstairs and stops in a room beside his bedroom. "I set up a studio for you."
He says it with a shy smile, and that smile nearly undoes me.
I step inside and just stare.
There's an oversized art desk, a light table, chairs, a couch, and mannequins tucked into one corner. It's thoughtful. Personal. More than I expected.
I can't help blushing.
Something between us feels different now. Softer in some places. More dangerous in others.
I follow him into his bedroom, and he shows me the closet where I can put my suitcases. I love the room instantly. It smells like him, and everything about it feels warm and lived-in and comfortable—from the big bed to the cozy chair in the corner beside a bookcase, to the dark curtains hanging over all three windows.
"The bathroom"s through that door," he says, pointing. "Come down when you're done. We'll be out back."
And just like that, I'm standing in his room, surrounded by him, trying to steady my breathing like my heart hasn't already decided this place could feel like home. I take a deep breath in, his musky vanilla scent drives me up the wall for a moment before I retreat to take my much needed bath.