Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Aurora

Freya

Six Years Later

I arrived at the Northern Territory airport just past nine,the weight of my birthday hanging in the air like an unspoken promise. When I turned on my phone,a flood of notifications lit up my screen—birthday wishes from colleagues and friends in the tech industry where I’d built my reputation as an AI development pioneer.

I scrolled through the endless notifications,my heart skipping every time a new message popped up—until I realized none of them were from him.

I felt my wolf stir restlessly within me,seeking connection with its mate. The bond between us had once been so strong that we could sense each other’s emotions across continents. Now it felt stretched thin,fragile as gossamer.

"Happy birthday to me," I whispered,tucking my phone away as I headed for the exit.

By the time my cab pulled up to our sprawling woodland villa—a property Silvano had purchased when expanding the Shadow Pack’s business interests into this territory—it was already past ten.

Sara,our human housekeeper looked genuinely startled when she opened the door. "Luna Freya! Oh my— we didn’t know you were coming!"

The title still felt strange on my tongue,even after all these years. Luna Freya Stone-Moretti of the Shadow Pack. The ceremony where Silvano had officially claimed me as his mate had been beautiful,meaningful—everything I’d once dreamed of during those dark days with Jasper.

"Where are Silvano and Bella?" I asked,setting down my designer bag with the neural network prototype still inside. I’d pushed aside critical work on my AI launch to come here,hoping to spend my birthday with my family after two months of separation.

"Alpha hasn’t returned yet," Sara replied carefully. "Miss Isabella is playing in her room."

I nodded,handing my luggage to Sara before climbing the stairs. My wolf was already pulling me toward our daughter,desperate to nuzzle and scent her after our time apart.

Isabella was sitting cross-legged in her pajamas at her small table,concentrating so intently on something that she didn’t notice me enter. At five years old,she was the perfect blend of Silvano and me—she had his dark curls and my determined chin. More importantly,she’d inherited his rare mixed blood; already the pack elders whispered about her potential.

"Bella?" My voice caught in my throat.

Hearing my voice,Isabella turned her head and happily called out: "Mommy!" Her eyes flashed a momentary amber—a sign of her wolf’s excitement—before returning to their normal hue.

She turned back to her project just as quickly,her small fingers working deftly with colorful moonstone beads.

For a heartbeat,I stood frozen,my arms still half-open,holding nothing but air.

I moved to embrace her,but she squirmed away."Mommy,not now! I’ll mess it up if you talk to me."

The rejection stung more than it should have. Two months without holding my pup,and she wouldn’t even spare me a hug.

"Are you making a necklace?" I asked,trying to keep my voice steady.

"Mm-hmm!" Isabella’s eyes lit up: "In a week,it will be Aunt Aurora’s birthday. This is a special gift I’m making with Dad for Aunt Aurora! We carefully selected these moonstone beads together,and Dad showed me how to infuse them with pack energy. Aren’t they beautiful?"

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