It was one of the rare evenings when all four of them were home. The dining table was neatly set, with soft light falling across it, while quiet conversation and the clink of dishes filled the space.
Anya sat beside Alaric, and across from them, Marcus and Evelyn watched with calm but warm expressions.
Evelyn was the first to speak, her tone gentle as she looked at Anya. "How have you been coping?" she asked. "College life, and your work at the café… it must be quite a lot to balance."
Anya offered a small, polite smile, her hands resting lightly in her lap. "It's busy," she admitted honestly, "but I'm managing. It took some time to adjust at first, but I think I'm getting used to it now."
Evelyn nodded, her expression warm. "That's good to hear. It's not easy, especially in a new environment."
Marcus, who had been quietly observing, set his utensils down before speaking, his tone calm but carrying a quiet authority. "Alaric has told us about the two of you," he said, his gaze steady but not unkind. "We're also aware that he has begun to share more about our family and our kind with you."
Anya felt her chest tighten slightly, though she did not look away. She nodded. "He has," she replied softly.
Marcus continued, his voice measured. "He mentioned that you've visited the villa and observed one of the morning trainings."
"Yes," Anya said. "I have."
There was a brief pause before Marcus leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful as he continued. "What you've seen is only a part of what we do," he explained. "Your Aunt Evelyn and I are responsible for maintaining order within the pack. We move around the city regularly, ensuring that our kind remains hidden and that no one breaks the rules that protect us."
Evelyn added quietly, "We also travel to other cities. There are many packs beyond Central City, and maintaining peace between them is just as important as managing our own."
Marcus gave a small nod in agreement. "Relationships between packs must be handled carefully. One mistake can lead to conflict, and conflict is something we cannot afford. Our role is to ensure harmony, both within our pack and beyond it."
Anya listened attentively, absorbing every word.
Marcus's gaze shifted briefly to Alaric before returning to her. "Alaric has begun taking on responsibilities of his own," he said. "He works closely with the younger members, especially those who have recently shifted. They need guidance, discipline, and control. Without it, they become a danger not just to others, but to themselves."
Anya glanced at Alaric, seeing a different layer of him again, one that carried responsibility far beyond what she had once imagined.
"When the time comes," Marcus continued, "he will take over my role as Alpha."
The words settled heavily in the air.
Anya felt the weight of them, not just as a statement of fact, but as something that would shape both of their futures.
Marcus's expression softened slightly, though his tone remained serious. "Alaric has always been different," he said. "He shifted earlier than any of us expected. And even before that, he recognized his mate."
He paused briefly before adding, "At the age of six."
Anya's breath caught slightly, even though she already knew part of this.
"That is not something that happens under normal circumstances," Marcus said. "It means his instincts are stronger, sharper. It also means that the path ahead of him will not be ordinary."
Evelyn watched Anya carefully, her gaze kind but observant.
Marcus leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering just enough to carry weight without pressure. "He will not be an ordinary Alpha," he said. "And the life that comes with that will not be simple."
There was a brief silence before he asked the question that had been building beneath everything else.
"Are you ready to face that world with him?"
The question was not harsh, but it was direct.
Anya felt her heartbeat quicken slightly, her fingers tightening together in her lap as she took a moment to gather her thoughts. She could feel Alaric beside her, quiet, steady, not interrupting, but present.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet Marcus's.
"I know it won't be easy," she said, her voice soft but clear. "There's still a lot I don't understand, and a lot I need to learn."
She paused briefly before continuing, her tone gaining a quiet firmness. "But I've already made my decision."
Her eyes flickered briefly toward Alaric before returning to Marcus and Evelyn.
"If he still needs me," she said, "then I'll stay with him."
Evelyn's expression softened, a faint smile touching her lips, while Marcus studied her for a moment longer before giving a small, approving nod.
Beside her, Alaric did not speak.
But his hand found hers beneath the table, his fingers closing around it gently, steady and sure.
****
After dinner, Anya stayed behind to help wash the dishes at the kitchen sink. while Alaric and his parents moved toward the study.
In the study room, the door closed softly behind them. The atmosphere shifted slightly, more private, more focused.
Marcus took a seat across from Alaric, his tone steady. "So," he began, "what are your plans? When do you intend to formally mark and claim Anya?"
Alaric paused, the question landing more abruptly than expected. He had not anticipated things moving so quickly. In his mind, there had always been more time for Anya to understand, to adjust, to prepare for what the bond would mean.
"I didn't expect her to accept me so soon," Alaric said after a moment. "We would need time. She needs to know more first… and be ready for it."
Evelyn, seated beside Marcus, nodded in agreement. "Especially since Anya is not a pure werewolf," she said gently. "It would be better for her to understand the bonding properly."
She paused briefly before adding, "Serene could help explain the werewolf bond to her one day."
Alaric gave a slight nod. "I'll look into it," he said.
*****
After the conversation with his parents ended, Alaric remained seated for a moment longer at the study room, quietly absorbing everything that had just happened. Hearing Anya speak so firmly about staying beside him had affected him far more deeply than he expected. Even now, his chest still felt tight with emotion every time her words replayed in his mind.
If he had lost her once before, then this moment felt almost unreal.
Eventually, he stood and headed upstairs, his steps steady but quicker than usual. When he reached the second floor, he stopped outside Anya's room and knocked softly against the door.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Anya had barely looked up before Alaric stepped forward, closing the distance immediately. One arm slid firmly around her waist, pulling her against him, while his other hand moved to the back of her neck.
Then he kissed her.
The kiss was deep and full of restrained emotion, carrying everything he had held back throughout the evening. His lips moved against hers slowly at first, warm and deliberate, before the intensity grew. Anya froze for only a heartbeat, caught off guard by the suddenness of it.
Then she melted into him.
Her hands lifted instinctively, sliding around his neck as she kissed him back, her fingers tangling lightly in his hair. The warmth between them deepened quickly, their closeness making her heart race so hard she could feel it echoing in her chest.
Alaric tightened his hold around her waist as he continued kissing her, slowly guiding her backward into the room without breaking contact. The door closed softly behind them as he walked her further inside, neither of them willing to pull away for more than a breath.
The kiss grew slower after a while, deeper and more intimate than rushed, as though they were both trying to pour unspoken feelings into it. Anya could feel the way his hands trembled slightly against her waist, subtle but real, and it only made her hold him closer.
Eventually, the back of her knees brushed against the bed, and together they sank onto it, still wrapped around each other.
Only then did Alaric finally break the kiss.
His breathing was uneven as he rested his forehead gently against hers, his arms still securely around her waist as if he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.
"Anya," he murmured softly, his voice rough with emotion, "you don't know how happy I am right now."
She looked at him quietly, still trying to steady her own breathing.
"When you sat there with my parents tonight," he continued, his gaze fixed entirely on her, "and when you said you'd stay with me…" He let out a quiet breath, almost disbelieving. "You have no idea what that meant to me."
The sincerity in his voice made her chest ache warmly.
Slowly, Anya lifted both hands and cupped his face gently, her thumbs brushing softly across his cheeks as she looked at him with quiet affection.
"Meeting you," she said softly, "is one of the luckiest things that ever happened in my life."
Alaric's expression softened immediately.
"You found me first," she continued quietly. "You have stayed beside me since we were young. You gave me care, support, and love even when I didn't realize how much I needed it."
Her eyes grew gentler as she spoke.
"When things were hard, you were always there. Even when I pushed you away sometimes, you still stayed."
Alaric felt something tighten painfully in his chest at her words.
Because she did not know.
She did not know how much he regretted losing her once before.
She did not know how desperately he had wished for another chance the night he found her motionless body.
And now she was here, sitting in front of him, holding his face so carefully as if he was something precious to her too.
Silently, deeply, he thanked fate for giving him this second life and for giving him her again.
His eyes lowered briefly before he leaned forward once more, capturing her lips in another kiss. Anya responded just as deeply, her fingers tightening slightly against him as she kissed him back without hesitation.