~Chapter 50~
The table didn't look any different. The same plates, the same smell of warm food, the same voices mixed into a familiar noise. And yet... something was a little strange. Not in a bad way. Just different.
I sat between Sergio and Colby. Close, but not suffocating. Sergio ate quietly, his shoulders relaxed, and Colby seemed more concerned with his food than anything else. It surprises me how normal this seems.
A few minutes ago, everyone had laughed.
A misplaced joke, typically Ash. I could feel my cheeks heating up, the old reflex to disappear rising in my throat.
But I hadn’t left. I hadn’t closed myself off.
The laughter had passed over me without leaving any scratches.
"Did you notice?
", Brex murmured." It didn’t hurt anymore. "
Ash and Niko were standing further away, next to each other.
I felt their presence without pressing on me.
They weren’t following me, they weren’t expecting anything from me.
The joke had just been… a joke. Not a statement.
Not a trap. And the fact that I could leave it behind made me breathe easier.
I look at my plate and continue eating. Without rushing.
Without making excuses. The sound of cutlery doesn’t irritate me, voices don’t tire me.
Kael is at the end of the table, silent, attentive, not forcing any approach.
He gives me a quick, neutral look, and that's enough.
"Stop looking for danger in every gesture" Brex says calmly.
I swallow and the lump in my throat is no longer a lump.
Just a memory. For my first attempt at breakfast, the meal is not a test. It is not a moment from which I must exit with dignity or with prepared excuses.
It is just a meal.
And I am still here.
And, strangely… it is okay.
I am the first to get up from the table, excuse myself and go up to my room.
My steps on the stairs are quiet. No hurry. No running. Just a simple need for air, space, silence. The door closes behind me with a soft click and for a few seconds I remain leaning against it, my eyes closed.
The room is the same as always, but the feeling in my chest is different. I sit on the edge of the bed and run a hand over my face, exhaling deeply. I feel no guilt. No fear. Just a strange stillness, as if a decision had been made without being forced.
I hear footsteps in the hallway. I don’t flinch. I don’t tense my shoulders.
The knock on the door is short, respectful.
“Cass?” Colby’s voice is calm. “Can I come in?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation.
The door opens and he and Sergio slowly enter.
Sergio stops against the wall, leaning back, and Colby remains standing, hands in his pockets.
I don’t say anything right away. Neither do I.
“You’re not angry,” Sergio observes, more of a statement than a question.
“No,” I answer simply. And the truth in that word surprises even me.
Colby looks at me carefully, then nods once, as if confirming something for himself.
“That’s good, then.”
There’s a short, comfortable silence.
Colby shifts his weight from one foot to the other, then takes his hands out of his pockets.
“I just wanted to check… if you’re okay.
Everything.” The gesture is simple, but his voice is attentive, sincere.
I nod my head slightly
. “I am.” The word comes out effortlessly.
“More tired than I thought, but… okay.”
Sergio folds his arms and studies me for a few seconds, with that look of his that sees more than it says.
“Usually when you say that, it means you’re hiding something.
”
I smile briefly. “Usually, yes.”
He takes a step closer, not invasively.
“
And now?”
I drop my gaze to the floor, then look up again.
“I’m trying not to do that now.”
Colby lets out a small laugh, almost relieved.
“It’s a good change.”
"You tell them the truth without pushing it" Brex murmurs.
“I didn’t feel left out,” I add after a few seconds, surprised that I’m saying this.
“Not forced either. It was… normal.”
Sergio nods slowly.
“That’s what we wanted too.”
“I know,” I say. And I really do.
Colby tilts her head to the side, a faint smile on her face.
“You don’t have to explain anything to us, Cass.
Just… if you ever feel like it’s too much, just say so.
”
“I’m not leaving,” I say before I can change my mind.
“Not now.”
Sergio raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t ask you that.
”
“I know.” I take a deep breath. “But I felt like I needed to say it.”
The silence that follows isn’t heavy. It’s full. Like a silent agreement between us.
Colby taps the doorframe with his fingers. “Then we’ll let you rest.”
Sergio gives me a quick, warm look. “We’re downstairs.”
“I know,” I say.
They walk out slowly, the door closing slowly behind them.
I stay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, with a new feeling in my chest. It's not complete security.
It's not certainty. It's something smaller, but more real.
"You're not alone" Brex says calmly.
I don't answer.
But because I don't feel the need to do it anymore.
---
I'm at the office now.
It seems that the principal really accepted the idea of homeschooling, but only for me and Sergio.
I feel sorry for Theo and Emy, I think and look out the window.
Ever since she decided she wanted to leave…
Florida, I think, after high school. It’s like time has passed us by and we haven’t had any real conversations.
I wonder what she’s doing. If she’s thinking about everything she left behind here.
If she’s finding the people she can lean on, or if she feels the same emptiness I feel when I remember her.
It’s strange how missing someone can be so present even when you’re not talking to them.
And yet… here, with Sergio close by, with Niko and Ash by my side, and with everything that happened before…
I feel more at peace. Not because I’ve forgotten, but because I can accept that life moves on, even if some people choose different paths.
I sigh dramatically and get up from my chair, and take my eyes off the gem to go downstairs.
I go down the stairs a little stressed.
Maybe that was really rude earlier.
"How long has it been since I ate?" I ask when I get to the living room and Sergio is there on the phone.
"I don't know... maybe 2, 3 hours?" He says but more like he's asking me. "Are you hungry?" Sergio murmurs.
"No" I say and he shakes his head and goes back to typing on the phone.
I sit for a moment, looking at the empty table, the cutlery gleaming in the soft afternoon light.
I realize I’m waiting for something, but I don’t know exactly what.
There’s no food, no spoken word, nothing tangible…
just a vague feeling that something must happen, that something is changing, but I haven’t yet discovered what.
I walk through the rooms trying to find Niko or Ash, but I'm already bored after all this searching, it's really been 2 minutes straight.
"Who are you looking for, baby?" Ash whispers, and he intimidates me a little but then I go back to the expression from yesterday.
"Where were you?" I ask and put a hand to my neck, out of unconsciousness
Ash comes closer and gently takes my waist. "I was in the garage.
.. you have so much jewelry there," he says, chuckling.
I raise an eyebrow.
"The jewelry.
.. or my car?" I say in a murmur, suddenly remembering. "My dad sold it... around September."
Ash’s eyes widen, and his smile turns into a sly but warm, almost affectionate one.
“Really? If you want it back, all you have to do is tell me. Or Niko. I can get you any color you want.”
I laugh, but immediately feel a slight twinge of embarrassment.
“Uh… I have money too, Ash,” I say, trying to sound casual, but I feel my cheeks heat up a little.
Ash leans closer and almost whispers to me, his voice soft and playful:
“Uh, this is the fun part! Money doesn’t matter here. But if you want it, you have to let me know. Niko and I… we’re ready to do anything for you.”
His gaze is so warm and attentive that I can’t help but smile.
It’s funny, playful, but also intimate… and even though I know I have money too, I feel spoiled and a little guilty, but in a way that I like.
“Okay,” I say, laughing a little. “But I promise I won’t make you buy all the colors.
”
“Oh, Cass…,” he murmurs, moving closer, and chuckling softly. “Maybe I will anyway.”
He kisses my head and says:
"We're going somewhere later" he mentions and I take my head off his chest
"Where?
" I comment
"To the pack. To your family.
" He whispers softly, and I calm down a little but the stress is at its highest now.
Ash takes my head in his hands and looks at me "you don't have to be afraid, baby.
You have me, Niko and even your brothers there" he adds and hugs me again
---
~(An hour later)~
The car is rolling smoothly down the street.
I’m in the back, between Colby and me, while Sergio sits up front, calmly, his eyes on the road.
Kael is driving, and Niko and Ash are in another car.
They told me to stay with them because “you might feel weird,” and yes, I do feel a little bit that way.
I try not to fidget, but my hands are fiddling with the seatbelt.
“I don’t know… everything feels weird,” I mutter to Colby.
He raises an eyebrow, smiling calmly.
“Weird in what way? I mean… it’s okay to be weird.
There’s nothing wrong with this.”
“Well… Ash and Niko, they…” I start, but stop, because I know it’s going to sound stupid.
Colby laughs softly.
“You don’t have to stress, Cass.
It’s just another car. And even if it feels weird…
it’s not your fault. Everything is under control. ”
Sergio glances over his shoulder, not saying anything.
But he’s calm, and that helps me more than I think.
“And… if I do get in trouble?” I say, looking at Colby.
“Then you buckle up, take a deep breath, and stay with us,” he says, almost playfully.
“Simple. Nothing dramatic.”
I try to laugh, but it’s more of an amused sigh.
“Okay… okay, I’ll manage. I hope so.”
“That’s all that matters,” Colby says, leaning slightly toward me.
“And by the way… Mr. Valerius, your father, is a special man. Just like you. You don’t have to do anything but be yourself.
”
I laugh briefly and shake my head slightly.
“Okay… so I don’t have to feel bad because…
?”
Colby laughs and nods. “Exactly,” he quickly interrupts me. “You’re Cass. The rest is details.”
I roll my eyes, but I smile. Despite my nerves, it’s…
okay. I’m with people who matter. And if I mess up, it’s not the end of the world.
I look out the window and see the other car slowly approaching, Ash and Niko inside, smiling at me.
It feels a little easier, even though my heart is still pounding.
---
~(2 hours later)~
I finally get out of the car after two hours of non-stop driving, and my bones are crying and begging for oil.
"FINALLY!" Sergio literally screams and I laugh at his tone
"Yeah" I say from behind him.
Now that I look closer at where we are. It's...amazing
It's not that kind of stiff or ostentatious place. It's neither old, nor new in the cold sense.
It's right in the middle, as if time had decided to stop here, but to preserve the best of each era.
The houses are scattered everywhere, some small, chic, some large, imposing, but they all fit together, like in a living neighborhood. Different colors, not garish, but warm, mix among tall, thick trees that seem to watch over the whole place. Wood, stone, glass. Modern, but with roots.
In the distance I hear water.
A large waterfall crashes between the mountains, not violently, but steadily, soothingly.
The water sparkles in the light, and its sound fills the air in a way that makes my chest relax without me realizing it.
The mountains rise around the pack like protective shoulders, covered in green, with trees that seem to touch the sky.
Children run past us.
Some laugh, others take turns arguing at the playground, built right next to an open area with benches and paths.
The swings creak softly, a ball bounces on the asphalt, and someone calls out a name I don’t recognize, but which sounds…
familiar. Normal. Alive.
People stand at the gates, talking, laughing, greeting each other with glances.
They don’t stare at us. They don’t analyze us.
It’s as if our presence is already accepted, without question.
I swallow hard.
It’s not intimidating.
It’s not too much. It’s… home, in a way I’ve never felt before.
“Wow…” I blurt out involuntarily.
Sergio stops next to me, his hands on his hips, and smiles proudly.
“I told you so.” Colby looks at me from the side, watching for my reaction.
“Is it a lot?”
I nod slowly. “It’s… perfect.”
I find myself smiling broadly, without letting myself or thinking about whether I should. My heart is beating fast, but not with panic. With excitement.
I look around once more, at the houses, the children, the water, the trees, and something in me falls into place, like a piece that has been missing for a long time.
"This is a pack, Cass" Brex murmurs, a rare stillness in his voice. "A family"
I take a deep breath.
Yes. This is a family.
Someone kisses my neck, I look up from the waterfall and look to see it's Nikolai with a smile that says 'love me until I die please', I chuckle at the thought.
"You're stuck," he says softly, with that smile of his that demands nothing but promises everything.
"It's... a lot," I admit, still looking at the waterfall.
"In a good way."
Niko clings to me from behind, his arms around my waist, not tight.
Just enough to remind me that I'm anchored.
He rests his forehead on my shoulder and takes a deep breath, as if taking his place in it.
"That's the idea," he murmurs. "To feel small enough to be protected, not lost."
I chuckle softly, more to myself.
"That sounds very... poetic for you."
"Don't tell anyone," he says, his smile widening. "I have a reputation."
I hear footsteps on the gravel, and before I can turn around completely, Ash appears next to us, a calm but present energy.
He touches the back of my neck with his fingers, exactly where Niko had kissed me earlier, and it makes me jump slightly.
“I lost you for two seconds,” he says playfully.
“Have you been claimed yet?”
“Not claimed,” Niko answers quietly, not letting go of me.
“Just reassured.”
Ash laughs briefly and moves close enough to cup my chin between his fingers, forcing me to look at him.
He’s not possessive. He’s attentive. He searches for something in my eyes.
“Is it too much?” he asks, more seriously now.
It takes me a second to answer. I can feel my heart, my breath, the weight of their hands.
I don’t feel trapped. I feel chosen.
“No,” I say quietly.
“It’s just right.”
Ash’s gaze softens immediately.
He kisses my forehead, simply, without show, and whispers, "Then welcome home, Cass. "
That word 'home' hits me harder than I expected.
I rest my forehead on Niko's chest for a moment, then laugh softly.
"You know, if you keep this up, I'll get used to it.
"
Ash arches an eyebrow
"That's the risk we're taking.
"
Around us, life goes on, laughter, running water, distant voices, but for a few seconds, the world shrinks to just the three of us.
"Okay! No more love. Mom's waiting for us," Kael says and walks away in front of us.
"Is he jealous?" Colby asks and looks at me
"I think so," I whisper and then nod.
I break away from Niko after he gives me a quick kiss on the lips, and we walk in the direction Kael went.
---
We arrive after about 5-10 minutes of walking.
We arrive in front of the house and the first thing I feel is not amazement, but… tranquility.
It’s a big house, but not imposing in the sense that it makes you feel small.
It doesn’t have the cold, calculated air of a city mansion.
There are no massive gates or facades that say, “Look who I am.” Here, everything seems to say, “Come in.” The exterior wood is warm, slightly weathered, as if the house has been lived in, not displayed.
The windows are large, lit from within, and the curtains move gently in the breeze.
On the porch are plants, not decorative, but living, grown without haste.
A rocking chair creaks discreetly in a corner, abandoned as if only for the moment.
I stop without realizing it.
The feeling is unlike anything I’ve felt in the city.
The mansion there was perfect, symmetrical, impeccable…
and empty in a way that’s hard to explain.
The walls held the echo of my footsteps for too long.
Here, it’s as if the sounds are absorbed by something softer.
“It’s… different,” I say quietly.
Niko stops next to me and follows my gaze.
“Because it’s not built to impress,” he says simply.
“It’s built to keep people in it.”
Ash nods approvingly.
“Dad always wanted this. A place that could breathe. That would let you be tired without judging you.”
I take a deep breath, and the air seems to touch me more easily here. I don’t feel the need to square my shoulders or adjust my expression. I don’t feel that invisible pressure to behave properly. The house doesn’t demand anything.
Kael opens the door without knocking, as if the house recognizes him. From inside comes the smell of warm tea and something sweet, maybe vanilla or cinnamon. The voices are low, calmed by the space.
I take a step forward and feel something inside me relax completely, as if I’ve been holding my breath for a long time without realizing it.
This isn’t an alpha’s house. This isn’t a pack’s house. This is… a family’s house.
My family’s
When we enter she is as imposing as she was outside.
But I don't have time to notice anymore because I'm distracted by...mom
I look at her as if I haven't seen her in years. She looks at me and Sergio.
A bright girl, with curls and brunettes and blue eyes full of sadness.
An elegant, refined and cunning lady once, but now just a lady who doesn't know where to hide from shame.
"Kids.." she begins and then Ash puts a hand on my waist that he holds there.
"My Little children, Cassy and Romony.
.." She doesn't get to say more because Sergio fills in.
"MOM! Just Sergio, okay? S. E. R. G.
I. O., Sergio" Sergio says nervously.
"SERGIO ROMONY VEX!
HOW DARE YOU?" my mother screams and I try not to laugh out loud.
"Okay! Okay! Let's take a seat, we've got a table outside" says a gentleman with bleached blond hair and green eyes. Who I think is Valerius or 'dad'
We walk outside with him still laughing and my mother and Sergio were still arguing.
Maybe I don't have the best family when it comes to conversations between us but I'm proud of her.
---
We have been sitting at the table for some time now.
The conversations flow slowly, without rushing. They are not common childhood stories, not memories shared by everyone. They are different pieces of lives placed next to each other, without forcing them to fit.
My mother talks about Sergio when he was little, about how he never sat still.
Sergio contradicts her, of course. Valerius complements her from time to time, with calm observations, without dominating the table.
Kael listens more than he speaks. He does not go over our memories. He does not pretend to have been there.
And that's exactly what makes things...right.
I watch Valerius furtively. He is not a perfect man.
He has not always been there, he has not always made the right choices.
But he is here now. He sits at the table with us, without masks, without defending himself.
He loves his family in his own way ,perhaps clumsily, perhaps too quietly at times, but with all his heart.
Maybe he started with the wrong one.
Maybe many things were said too late.
But the beginning does not cancel out what you choose to be from now on.
I realize we didn’t have to grow up together to get here. We didn’t have to share the past to share the present.
I look around the table.
At Sergio and Colby
At my mother.
At Valerius.
At Kael, who is here without claiming anything.
At Ash and Niko, close, anchored to me without holding me captive.
This is my family.
My friends.
My world.
Not because it's always been this way.
But because I chose it to be.
"This isn't the end, Cass" Brex murmurs calmly.
"This is when things really begin" I approve and support everything he says
I stay at the table.
I stay in this moment.
I stay here.
And maybe this life isn't perfect.
But it's the end of the beginning of something old... and the beginning of a new era..
THE END