Aria's POV
The light in my room burned long into the night, flickering softly over the exhausted faces of the women who had stayed by my side. Only when Lana's feverish cheeks cooled and the thermometer finally dropped to 99°F did the tension in the air dissolve like mist.
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the room. The others slumped onto my bed, utterly drained.
I stood at the edge of the bed, cradling Lana close. Her tiny heartbeat pulsed against my chest, fast but strong.
"Thank the Goddess…" I whispered, rocking her gently. A wave of gratitude surged through me, so strong it nearly broke me.
Without these women, I wouldn't have known what to do. They weren't pack, not by blood or bond, yet they'd rallied around me when I was falling apart, while the actions of my chil
