Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 290: Silver Threads and Fancy Dinners

Chapter 290: Silver Threads and Fancy Dinners

Nova’s POV

Four days. That’s how long it took for my life to spiral into what I could only describe as a chaotic circus on steroids.

Two days after my so-called mother re-entered and then swiftly exited my life with the grace of a wrecking ball, I was still dealing with the fallout. Not the emotional kind—I was dealing with that too—but I mean literal, real-life fallout. Like... reporters.

Reporters camped outside my building.

They found my apartment.

How? I had no idea. Maybe someone tipped them off, or maybe the universe just hated me with a deep, creative passion. Whatever the reason, they were suddenly everywhere—shoving microphones at my face, shouting questions like, "Are you really Emily Hart’s secret daughter?" and "Do you have any plans to act like your mother?" and my personal favorite, "Did she abandon you for fame?" (Yes, Todd from Channel Nine. Thanks for the reminder.)

Initially, Eldur had begged me to come stay with him until everything blew over but I said no because I didn’t want his peace disturbed as well if they ended up finding his apartment too; but then, after the fourth day of having to sneak out my own apartment just to buy toothpaste, I knew I had to leave. I needed a quiet, safe place.

Naturally, I ended up at Eldur’s.

And by "ended up," I mean I showed up at 6AM with a duffel bag, mascara smudged under my eyes, and the emotional stability of a wet napkin.

Eldur opened the door shirtless—with sleep-tousled white hair and those haunting silver eyes narrowed in confusion.

"You look like you were mugged by reality," he said.

"Close," I replied. "Reality and the entertainment industry."

He moved aside without another word, and just like that, I had a place to hide.

Eldur didn’t ask me questions, didn’t push me to talk. He just let me sleep in his bed and in his arms, while he cuddled me close, muttering things like, "This is why I hate humans. They ruin everything."

But the real chaos came three days into my stay.

I was halfway through raiding Eldur’s kitchen (aka opening cupboards and finding absolutely nothing edible except a dusty box of dried mushrooms—what even is that?) when the air shifted.

There was a soft whoosh, like silk being pulled through the air, and then—

"Oh dear stars, is that her?"

A tall, stunning woman with waves of brown hair and piercing brown eyes stood in the doorway, looking at me like I was the Mona Lisa come to life.

I blinked.

She blinked.

I screamed.

She smiled.

A beat later, a tall man strolled in after her, as casual as you please. He was elegance in motion—black tailored suit, slightly amused expression, and the kind of aura that made you want to both hug him and never make eye contact.

"...Eldur?" I called, backing away slowly from the kitchen like I’d accidentally summoned demons.

From the living room came the sound of a muffled groan. "Mom... Dad... can you not just appear out of nowhere?"

"We knocked with our minds," his mother said brightly. "You didn’t answer."

"That’s because I was ignoring you," he muttered, stomping into the room in a black shirt and sweatpants, silver hair even messier than usual.

"Rude," said his father, though he was already walking toward me with a kind smile. "You must be Nova."

"I—uh—yes?" I said, clutching a box of cereal like it was a holy artifact.

Eldur’s mom—yes, the one he told me was called Juliette, and was the Gamma of a whole werewolf pack apparently—grabbed my hands warmly. "You’re even prettier in person. And look at these cheekbones. I could cry."

Eldur groaned again. "Can we not do this now?"

But his mother was already circling me like a designer at a fashion show.

"I’m not mad you’re hiding her here, darling," she told her son. "I’m mad you didn’t tell us how beautiful your mate is. Honestly, the audacity."

"Mom you—" Eldur started.

"Thank you, ma’am," I said, cutting him off with a small smile. I didn’t know why I said it. Maybe because of how kind they looked. Maybe because I was tired of hiding from everything. "I’m Eldur’s girlfriend, Nova."

Eldur’s mouth opened, then closed. His eyes met mine—burning, unreadable. Then he looked away with a scowl. "...You digged your own grave, Nova."

"Oh, darling," Juliette cooed, pulling me into a fierce hug. "Thank you. Thank you for liking him despite the fact that he is emotionally constipated and prone to brooding in corners like a haunted poet."

"I don’t brood," Eldur grumbled.

Adrian, his father, reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. "Please don’t ever leave him. He’s difficult, yes, but he’s loyal. Once he loves someone, that love burns eternally. Like dragon fire."

Eldur turned beet red. "I hate you guys."

"And yet," Juliette said, tossing her hair, "we came bearing dinner plans."

"No."

"Yes."

"She’s not—"

"She’s coming," Juliette said sweetly. "Nova, darling, how would you feel about joining us for dinner tonight?"

Eldur looked horrified.

But I smiled. "I’d love to."

Twenty minutes later, Adrian Daegon literally conjured a dress for me.

Like father like son.

One minute I was standing in front of a mirror wearing my hoodie and Eldur’s socks, and the next? I was draped in a deep midnight-blue gown that shimmered like the sky just before dawn.

"I—what is this?" I gasped.

"A gift," Adrian said smoothly. "The moment I saw you, I knew this color would suit your soul."

"I don’t even know how to process that," I whispered, spinning in front of the mirror.

Juliette appeared behind me, twisting my curls into an elegant updo with a flick of her hand. "You’re going to make every creature in that restaurant jealous," she said. "Even the fae."

"What—"

"Don’t worry about it."

Eldur, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, looked like he’d swallowed a porcupine.

"I’m never letting them in my house again."

"You say that every time," Adrian replied.

The limo they brought was so fancy I genuinely thought they were kidding. I tried to enter through the driver’s seat, because I don’t know how limos work, okay?

Eldur helped me in with a smirk. "You’re ridiculous."

"Says the guy who creates flaming portals for fun."

Touché.

The restaurant was even worse—in the best way. Chandeliers hung like constellations. The servers wore tuxedos. There was a live string quartet. And the bread was hand-sculpted.

I sat at the table, feeling like a fraud in a fairy tale.

But then Juliette looped her arm around mine and whispered, "You belong here."

And for the first time in a long time... I almost believed it.

Dinner was chaos—in a beautiful, hilarious way.

Eldur kept trying to stab his steak like it insulted him personally. Adrian kept refilling my wine glass and telling stories about ancient vampire councils. Juliette teased Eldur about the time he accidentally summoned a goat in the middle of a war council. I laughed so hard I snorted water out of my nose.

"They’re never going to let me live this down," Eldur muttered.

"You love it," Juliette teased, singing the words like a line from a musical only she could hear.

I glanced around the table—at this chaotic, brilliant, deeply weird family—and something unfamiliar stirred in my chest. A kind of warmth. Like the sun cracking through after a lifetime of winter.

Was this... love?

Not the romantic kind. This was different.

This was belonging.

This was family.

Something I hadn’t felt in so long, I’d forgotten how good it could be. How safe.

Dessert arrived like it had walked out of a dream—a glossy chocolate sphere that melted into a gooey lava cake the second hot sauce touched it. Because of course it did. That’s just how things went with them—impossible, extra, and totally magical.

Juliette reached across the table, her eyes soft, and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"You’re safe with us, Nova."

My throat tightened. I blinked fast, but the tears still threatened to fall.

For a heartbeat, my mind flashed back to her—my mother.

The way she said I was a stain.

The way her eyes skimmed over me like I was a problem she didn’t want to deal with.

But then I looked at Juliette. At Eldur’s goofy grin. At Adrian clinking his glass of water like it was champagne. And something inside me clicked into place.

I didn’t need her to come back. Not anymore.

Because I had found better.

I leaned back, exhaled, and for the first time in a long time, just... existed. I laughed. I actually laughed. My shoulders loosened, my voice joined the chaos around the table, and for once, I wasn’t bracing for something to go wrong.

I was having the time of my life.

And then—everything stopped.

The bell over the restaurant door jingled, and a wave of sleek, polished energy walked in. A group of well-dressed people, loud with the kind of laughter that made everyone else in the room turn to look. They were celebrities—actors, models, influencers. The kind of people who lived in headlines.

And at the center of it all—her.

My mother.

Looking expensive. Flawless. Cold.

Our eyes locked.

My smile fell.

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