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glimpses of pale skin and delicate curves as she peeled off her blouse "You're watching!" she accused, catching
my gaze in the reflection
| didn't deny it. Tm making sure you don't pass out from hypothermia."
"You shameless-" she sputtered, yanking off her wet pants and throwing them at my head.
| caught them easily and tossed them aside. Reaching under the seat, | pulled out a Moonlight Thermal
Blanket specially designed for werewolf physiology
"Here," | said, draping it around her shoulders without looking. This will help"
The blanket's special moonstone fibers would help regulate her body temperature and provide comfort. I'd had it
installed in all my vehicles after Lily's illness, a precaution that now served her mother.
Olivia wrapped the blanket tightly around herself, still glaring but visibly relieved by its warmth. The
combination of alcohol, cold water, and emotional exhaustion was clearly taking its toll.
Within minutes, her eyelids began to droop. She fought against sleep, her head nodding forward before
jerking back up
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Eventually, she lost the battle. Her head fell against the window as she drifted off, her breathing evening out
into the rhythm of sleep.
The vehicle hit a bump in the road, and Olivia's head jerked toward the glass. Without thinking, I thrust my hand
between her temple and the window, catching her head before it could impact.
Her soft hair brushed against my palm, and for a moment, | was transported back to simpler times-before
Victoria's return, before Lily's illness, before everything fell apart.
Gently, | guided her head to rest on my shoulder instead of the hard window. She mumbled something
incoherent but didn't wake
"Slow down," | instructed Maxwell quietly. "Take the scenic route."
"Yes, Alpha," he replied, smoothly reducing our speed.
Olivia slept soundly against my shoulder, her face peaceful for the first tin years. Without the constant mask
of defiance and pain, she looked younger, vulnerable in a way she never allowed herself to be while
awake.
I'd long suppressed.
The scent of her hair-moonflowers and rain-filled my senses, bringing with it memories I'd long
Memories of a different time, a different us.
When she finally stirred, we were pulling up to Imperial Gardens, the house where she, Lily, and | had lived
together for five years. The house | still considered hers, despite her insistence on staying at Maple Grove.
"Where are we?" she mumbled, disoriented from sleep.
Without answering. | scooped her up in my arms again, blanket and all, and carried her toward the entrance.
"Putdown," she protested weakly. "I can walk
"You're barefoot," | pointed out, continuing up the path to the front door.
Once inside, | set her down with unexpected gentleness in the foyer. The familiar surroundings seemed to bring
her fully awake, her eyes darting around as if searching for ghosts.
"You should take a hot bath, | suggested. To ward off any chill"
She nodded absently, already moving toward the master bedroom. Instead of heading for the bathroom,
however, she went straight to the closet, emerging minutes later in dry clothes.
| watched in silence as she walked purposefully past me, heading not to the bathroom as I'd suggested, but
directly to Lily's bedroom.
The door creaked slightly as she pushed it open, hesitating on the threshold as if gathering courage.
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(Olivia's POV)
| stood frozen in the doorway of Lily's bedroom, my heart constricting painfully in
my chest. Everything was exactly as she'd left it-the small bed with its moonflower-patterned comforter, the
shelves lined with stuffed
animals, the drawings taped to the walls
Memories flooded back with such force that | had to grip the doorfrfor support. Lily laughing as | braided her
hair. Lily curled up with a book, her small face serious in concentration. Lily asking when Daddy
would chome.
My eyes were drawn to her study desk, where a familiar item caught my attention. It was Lily's Amu Park Family
Drawing-the one Ethan had given her, showing the three of us holding hands at Moonlight Fair
She had treasured that drawing, keeping it in a special fron her desk. But something was different now.
The frwas open, as if someone had recently handled it.
| moved closer, my fingers trembling as | touched the edge of the frame. When had Lily opened this? | couldn't
remember her ever taking it out of the frbefore she died.
This small mystery-this tiny unknown detail about my daughter's final days-hitharder than | expected. What
else had | missed? What other moments had slipped by while | was focused on her medical care?
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