Thea’s POV

Iris and Sophia should arrive any minute, but I couldn’t calm my nerves. To be honest, I didn’t even know why I was so anxious.

“Luna, would you like me to prepare drinks and snacks for your guests?” Mary asked, entering the living room.

I nodded. “Yes, that would be great, thank you.”

Phoenix was sleeping quietly in her crib, Leo was at school, and Sebastian was at work.

I let out a frustrated sigh. Leo was still angry at me for forcing him to invite Piper to his birthday party. He wasn’t even speaking to me. Every time I tried talking to him, he’d just glare. This only increased my irritation.

I understood he disliked the girl, but refusing to invite her while inviting everyone else was cruel. I couldn’t let my son be full of hate. Besides, he didn’t even have to interact with her.

I sat on the floor, crossing my legs, and my thoughts drifted to Sebastian. He was another source of my irritation. Perhaps I was foolish, perhaps paranoid, but I’d decided to give him the chance he’d asked for. Sebastian had never begged for anything, so this had to be important. You can hate me for it, but I chose to suppress my desire to know the truth until I couldn’t bear it any longer. For now, I just wanted to enjoy this happiness before everything came crashing down.

“Luna?”

His voice startled me, and I looked up at Talon, one of the guards Kestrel had assigned to patrol the house. I hadn’t known his name when I’d gone to lunch with the Kincaid parents, but now I could remember most people’s names.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I wanted to inform you that your guests have arrived.”

I gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Talon. Please show them in.”

He nodded and left. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, then stood up. A few seconds later, Iris and Sophia walked in.

“Hi!” I greeted shyly. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I shake their hands? Hug them? Before I could decide, Sophia rushed toward me and hugged me. A few seconds later, Iris joined in, turning it into a group hug.

“God, I’ve missed you so much, Thea,” Sophia whispered in my ear, her voice choked with emotion.

I said nothing, just hugged them back. In my current state, I didn’t truly know them, but deep inside, my heart and soul connected with them. I couldn’t explain it. I just knew they were my people.

Our moment was interrupted by Phoenix’s loud crying. We pulled away, all of us laughing.

I moved to pick her up from her crib. She immediately quieted, but she was now fully awake.

“My little niece,” Iris squealed, taking her from my hands and covering her face with kisses. Phoenix’s eyes widened, and I worried she would cry, but she didn’t. She just stared at Iris like she was studying a specimen.

We sat down just as Mary arrived with drinks and snacks. She greeted my friends before leaving us alone.

“Girl, you really know how to pick good genes for your pups. First Leo. We all know that boy is going to be as handsome as his father. He’ll have many girls losing sleep… Now Phoenix, she’s going to be breathtakingly beautiful, especially with those eyes, just like Kane’s—mesmerizing,” Iris broke the silence.

I laughed, knowing it was true. My kids were beautiful.

“True, but your pups will look good too… I mean, you’re beautiful, and Roman, despite his flaws, is hot,” Sophia chimed in.

“You haven’t seen him without clothes; that guy is a work of art,” Iris said with a smug smile.

I wrinkled my nose. “Please stop,” I begged her. We might not be real siblings, but he had been my brother my entire life. Hearing Iris talk about him like that made me want to puke.

She laughed but didn’t continue on that subject. I turned to Sophia. “What about you?”

“Maybe you should date Damien,” Iris suggested excitedly. “It would be so cool if we all dated those three best friends.”

“No, thank you. Damien is a total player. I heard he has a new fling every week. And he’s not my type,” she paused. “Besides, I don’t have time to date or be in a serious relationship,” she shrugged.

“So you’re not sleeping with anyone?” Iris asked.

Sophia took Phoenix from Iris’s arms, kissed her forehead. Seeing how much they both loved my daughter warmed my heart.

“No. I haven’t had sex in months,” she finally answered.

“Anyone you like?” I asked.

She looked away, but I caught something flashing in her eyes. It was too quick for me to read, which made me very curious.

“Sophia?” Iris must have sensed something too, because she called her name in a warning tone. Her eyes flickered between us, then away again. I don’t know how I knew, but she was hiding something.

“Spit it out,” I told her, the words flowing effortlessly. I felt so comfortable with them. I didn’t think I’d speak to anyone else like that.

“Fine,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Graves showed up at my house two days ago.”