*~Hazel’s POV~*
"Are you sure you’re not wearing the red dress?" Aurora asked me for the hundredth time.
I turned so fast I almost gave her a full-on glare. "I am not, Aurora."
"I already look beautiful in this," I added, more to convince myself than her, as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
The blue gown Caspian had picked shimmered like moonlight over water. It hugged me in all the right places. Delicate diamonds laced the bodice, and the off-shoulder sleeves gave a soft, elegant glow to my collarbones. I smiled faintly.
But of course, Aurora wouldn’t quit.
"You know what’s going to fit you even more perfectly? That red dress. It would bring out your hair and your eyes." She gestured dramatically toward it.
"I said I’m not wearing it," I replied through gritted teeth. "Now pack it up and take it to Elder Anna."
"Elder Anna already has her dress."
"Well, Cayden brought this one for her," I countered.
"No, he didn’t. He lied." Aurora folded her arms. "He got it for you."
"Aurora, please don’t stress me. I have a whole day ahead of me," I sighed, then turned my attention to my babies. They were already dressed in the most adorable little outfits. My heart swelled. "We’ve waited so long for this, and now you two look perfect. I just wish I knew what your names were."
I crouched slightly, brushing my fingers against their soft cheeks.
"I thought of a million names back when I was pregnant, but now? Nothing. My mind’s blank. It’s like... you two don’t need names," I chuckled softly. "Weird."
Just then, as Aurora was reluctantly packing the red dress back up, Leon walked in.
Aurora stumbled—literally stumbled—and turned her face quickly away from him. I smirked.
He looked between us, holding out the red dress. "Alpha Cayden told me to leave this in Luna Hazel’s room."
"Here it is," Aurora said quickly, handing it over. "She’s not wearing it, though. Already put on the blue one."
Leon blinked. "He didn’t say you should wear it. Just that it should be left here."
"Why?" I asked suspiciously.
"I don’t know, ma’am. He just said it was for you," Leon replied, his expression unreadable as he bowed and left.
Aurora turned to me, eyes practically screaming "I told you so." I glared at her before she could say it out loud.
"Fine," she muttered, raising her hands in surrender. She dropped the red dress gently on the bed, turned on her heels, and asked, "Are you ready? We should go."
I hesitated. "No. I need to see Cayden first."
She tilted her head slightly. "Why?"
"To talk... about the babies’ names. And the danger he mentioned. Something’s not sitting right with me."
She nodded with that same softness she always reserved for serious moments. "Alright. I’ll send him straight to your room."
I sat back, a heaviness pressing down on my chest.
Why does this feel so wrong?
Naming my babies — something that should be beautiful, sacred even — felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I was naming children that already had names... names I once knew. My mind spiraled.
I stood up, the urge overwhelming me.
I need to see Jonathan.
He promised to come today... promised to tell me the truth.
The truth that everyone’s hiding from me.
I walked to the window where I had first seen him — the very spot our hands once touched through the glass, as if it were fate trying to stitch together two timelines. I placed my hand on the cold surface, closed my eyes, and willed him to appear. To show up. To tell me what no one else would.
But when I opened my eyes...


He paused, then offered, "I was thinking... maybe the boy could be Jordan, and the girl... Kaylee?"
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