Geraldine lifted her head, staring at Aiden with wide, disbelieving eyes. Then her gaze darted to me. “I get it now. You two planned this, didn’t you? I knew it—knew there had to be a reason Aiden suddenly agreed to be with me. This was all your scheme!” Her voice pitched higher, a note of hysteria creeping in. Then, like something in her snapped, she jumped to her feet and let out a sharp, manic laugh. “I know everything now. I won’t let you get away with this—I’ll never let you get away with this!” With that, Geraldine stumbled toward the door and ran out. I watched her disappearing figure and let out a quiet sigh. “Honestly, I’m starting to worry about her mental state.” Aiden slipped an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t. Whatever happens, she brought it on herself; it has nothing to do with us.” He wasn’t wrong; Geraldine had dug her own grave. But seeing her like that… I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of pity. “The way she said that last part… I don’t think she was joking.” A sharp unease coiled in my chest. I might not have liked Geraldine, but I didn’t want to see her spiral into something dangerous. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” Aiden murmured, pulling me firmly into his arms. “Ahem…” A discreet cough sounded nearby, snapping us both out of the moment. Only then did we remember the Alpha and his luna were still in the room; we stepped apart quickly, the air awkward between us. “Young people these days,” Robin said with an awkward laugh. “You don’t have to mind me. Just pretend I’m not here.” His attempt at humor only made it more uncomfortable. “Stop overthinking it,” Aiden said, letting go of me. “Dad, how’s mom?” Robin stood, relief flickering across his features. “She’s upstairs. Come on, I’ll take you to see her.” We followed him up the stairs to the bedroom. Madam Salvatore was lying in bed, breathing evenly, still deep in sleep.“Since she came back, aside from her heart acting up from the shock, she’s been fine. I just got her to fall asleep. She probably won’t wake for a few hours,” Robin explained quietly. Some of the tension drained from Aiden’s expression. “That’s good. If anything happens, let me know right away—or tell Raelyn.” Then he turned to me with a small smile. “Your future daughter-in-law here… she’s got quite the skill set.” Robin’s eyes went red, his voice thick with emotion. “Yes… all thanks to Raelyn. And I owe her an apology. It’s my fault. When I found out your mother had been kidnapped, I panicked. I acted recklessly and forced Aiden to break up with you. If not for that, none of this would’ve happened.” I shook my head. “It’s fine, Mr. Robin. I understand completely. If I were in your shoes, I probably would’ve done the same thing.” He drew in a deep, shaky breath. “Thank you for understanding… and thank you for bringing her back. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know when—if ever—I’d have seen her again.” As we spoke, Madam Salvatore stirred, letting out a soft exhale as her eyes fluttered open. “You’re awake!” Robin’s voice was full of joy. “Why so soon? You’ve barely slept.” Madam Salvatore fixed him with a playful glare. “Raelyn’s back, and you’re trying to trick me into sleeping through her visit? You didn’t want me to see her, is that it?” Robin flailed, shaking his head furiously. “Of course not!” Watching the mighty Alpha of the Eclipse Pack flustered and at a loss for words in front of his wife was honestly hilarious. I pressed my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. “Raelyn,” Madam Salvatore called gently, reaching out her hand. “Come here. Let me have a good look at you. You’ve filled out a bit, haven’t you? So much healthier than when you first came to the Eclipse Pack. I heard you and Aiden broke up for a while—tell me, did he starve you when you were together? If that’s the case, I’ll give him a good smack!” I stepped forward, taking her hand with a warm smile. “Of course not. Aiden and I are doing great; he’s been very good to me.” She shot me an unimpressed look. “Still calling him Aiden? Don’t you two have any pet names for each other?” I froze, her words completely blindsiding me. “What should I call him, then?”“You know—baby, honey, cutie, things like that.” My mind went blank. “Isn’t that a little over the top?” I stood there, flustered and at a loss. Madam Salvatore patted the back of my hand kindly. “Not at all. That’s perfectly normal. Young couples these days all do that. Back when Robin and I were dating, he used to call me ‘baby’ all the time.” Then she turned to glare at Robin. “Isn’t that right?” Robin nodded so fast it was almost comical. “Yes. That’s… exactly what I did.” “Mr. Robin, you’re surprisingly modern,” I said with a helpless little laugh. “Alright, alright,” Robin cut in hastily, clearly eager to change the subject. “Let them figure things out on their own. You need rest—stop talking and go back to sleep.” I exchanged a knowing look with Aiden and rose to my feet. “Madam Salvatore, you should rest now. We won’t bother you any longer, but we’ll come back later to check on you.” Her body was still weak, so she didn’t insist, though her eyes lingered on Robin with a faint, teasing reproach. “Fine. But come see me when you can.” I nodded quickly, grabbed Aiden’s hand, and all but bolted from the room.