Chapter 129

Iris

“Welcome to Whispering Pines!” the cheerful pilot announces as our small private plane touches down on what can barely even be called a runway. It’s more like a cleared strip of land in the middle of nowhere.

My eyes widen as I look out the window and recognize the familiar landscape of rolling hills and dense forest. No fucking way.

“Arthur…” I start, turning to face him. He’s grinning like a kid in a candy shop.

“Surprise,” he says simply.

I can’t believe it. Whispering Pines—our place. The tiny, quaint town nestled in the wild northern territories—where there are no countries or cities, but rather individual pack lands, just like the old days—that Arthur and I used to escape to.

It’s the place where we fell deeper in love with each passing visit, far from the pressures of Ordan society. Where we kissed under the stars and where I painted next to waterfalls and where we were happy and free.

I never thought I would see this place again after our breakup.

As we disembark the plane, Miles jumps up and down with excitement, holding both of our hands and swinging between us. “Where are we? What are we gonna do? Are there animals?”

Arthur laughs. “Patience, buddy. You’ll see everything soon enough.”

The drive through the countryside is familiar and yet new. The same winding roads through dense pine forests, the same breathtaking views of distant mountains, but now seen through the eyes of a mother watching her son experience it all for the first time.

“Look, Mommy!” Miles cries, pointing out the window at a pair of deer bounding through the trees. “Animals!”

“Yes, little wolf,” I say, smiling at his excitement. “There are lots of animals here.”

After about twenty minutes, our driver turns onto a gravel road I don’t recognize, leading up to a sprawling ranch house surrounded by fenced pastures and outbuildings.

“What’s this?” I ask Arthur as we pull up to the main house. “We usually stay at the inn in town.”

“I wanted something a bit more private this time, and for all of our future visits, which there will be many,” he explains as we climb out of the truck. “So I bought you a ranch.”

“Bought?” I squeak. My jaw drops. “You bought an entire ranch?”

He shrugs as if it’s nothing. “The old owner passed and the place went up for cheap. Came with all the animals and everything.” He glances at me, and the meaningful look in his eyes almost makes me burst into tears. “We’ll be coming back here plenty, Iris. I intend to have lots of family vacations.”

I feel like I’m going to collapse. Arthur bought us a ranch. It’s not that I’m worried about money—Goddess knows he has always had more than enough, and with our combined fortunes, we could probably buy every ranch in the entire world at this point—but it’s just… hard to wrap my head around.

Suddenly, Miles spots a small herd of goats in a nearby pen and lets out a shriek of delight, which pulls me out of my reverie. Before we can stop him, he’s bolting toward the pen, his little legs pumping as fast as they can go.

“Miles, wait!” I call, hurrying after him. Arthur’s booming laughter follows me all the way across the lawn.

A little while later, once Miles has had his fill of baby goats, we head inside to get settled. The ranch house is small and rustic but luxurious nonetheless, with exposed wooden beams, a massive stone fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the property. It’s nothing like the cozy little rooms at the inn Arthur and I used to stay in, but it has the same warm, inviting feel.

“I can’t believe this is ours,” I murmur, turning to Arthur as Miles excitedly explores every nook and cranny. “Arthur, this is… incredible.”

Arthur grins and gives me a peck on the tip of my nose. “I hope you like it.”

“Like it?” I breathe. “I love it. But… You know you didn’t have to do this, right?”

He simply shrugs. “I know you don’t expect extravagant gifts. But this isn’t just for you or me. It’s for Miles.”

I can’t argue with that. My heart soars as I picture summers spent here as a family; all of the memories, the joy and laughter… Maybe more children will fill these walls, too. Although the thought of having more kids with Arthur makes me blush.

After we unpack, a ranch hand offers to take us on a tour of the farm. Miles is beside himself with joy as we visit the chicken coop, the gardens, and the barn where a litter of kittens has recently been born.

Watching my son’s face light up with each new discovery, I feel a lump form in my throat. This is what I used to dream about—bringing our children to this special place, sharing our love of nature and simplicity with them.

Back before everything fell apart, before Selina, before… everything.

And now, against all odds, that dream is finally coming true.

“You okay?” Arthur asks quietly, noticing me discreetly wipe away a tear as Miles giggles at a chicken pecking near his feet.

I nod, unable to find the words to express what I’m feeling. Arthur seems to understand anyway. He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me against his side, pressing a kiss to my temple.

“Why here?” I ask softly.

Arthur is quiet for a moment before he responds, “You’ve been working so hard lately, and I thought… Maybe we both needed a reminder of where we started. Before all of this.”

I tilt my head.

“I loved you before I knew you were a Willford,” he says simply. “Before I knew you might be a werewolf. And I wanted to remind you of that, just in case you forgot.” He grins. “Besides, Miles is still little, and I wanted to have our first family vacation before he has to go off to school.”

My throat tightens at the thought of Miles starting kindergarten soon. It’s a bittersweet thought, but I push it away for now, just wanting to focus on our vacation. I lean up to kiss Arthur and murmur against his lips, “Thank you for doing this.”

He returns the kiss, hands gently tugging me closer by the waist. When we pull back, I’m a little breathless, not necessarily from the kiss, but from how fast my heart is pumping with excitement. “Now,” he says, “are you ready for our first official family activity?”

“Depends. What is it?”

“Follow me and find out.”

The ranch hand leads us to the stables, and I stop short when I see two saddled horses standing in the yard. I look up at Arthur in shock. He knows damn well I’ve never ridden a horse in my entire life.

“Arthur…”

“It’s just going to be a gentle trail ride,” Arthur assures me. “Perfect for beginners.”

I gulp as the ranch hand leads us into the stable, where I can get a better view of the horses. One is a calm-looking chestnut with a white blaze down its nose. The other is bigger with a dappled gray coat.

“This here’s Buttercup,” the ranch hand says, patting the chestnut’s neck. “She’s as gentle as they come. Perfect for your first time, ma’am.”

I eye the horse warily. Even the “gentle” one looks enormous up close.

“And this is Thunder,” the ranch hand continues, moving to the dappled gray horse. “He’s one of our more experienced horses, good with kids. The President and your son will ride him together.”

I watch as the ranch hand explains to Miles how to approach the horse slowly and let it smell his hand. My son shows no fear whatsoever as he follows the instructions, giggling when Thunder’s velvety nose tickles his palm.

Arthur lifts Miles up to stroke the horse’s neck, and my heart does a little flip at the sight of them together.

But then I turn back to Buttercup, who stands at least a foot taller than me, with powerful muscles shifting beneath her shiny coat. She turns her massive head toward me and snorts, stamping her hoof, and I feel my legs turn to jelly.

There is no way in hell I’m getting on that beast.