Morning arrived quietly.
Aiden woke before sunrise.
For one blissful second...
He forgot.
He expected to hear little paws racing across the den.
Expected Kael climbing onto the bed.
Expected Ryn telling Lior to stop stealing the blanket.
Expected Theron's sleepy voice asking for "five more minutes."
Instead...
There was silence.
Aiden slowly sat up.
The Moon Temple.
Right...
He rubbed his face before getting dressed in the simple cream robes left for him.
A servant arrived soon after.
"My Lord requests your presence for breakfast."
"I didn't ask for breakfast."
"...Node."
"I don't want breakfast."
"The Moon God requested it."
Aiden sighed.
"...Fine."
The dining hall was enormous.
Silver pillars reached toward a ceiling painted like the night sky.
Large windows allow warm summer sunlight inside.
Theron was already there.
Reading several scrolls while calmly drinking tea.
Ronan stood behind him.
Like a statue.
Li Mei smiled warmly.
"Good morning."
Aiden gave a small nod.
Luna walked in moments later.
Without hesitation...
She sat beside Theron.
Close enough that their shoulders nearly touched.
Aiden looked away immediately.
Don't.
Don't think about it.
He's not your Theron.
"...Sit."
Theron's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Aiden looked up.
There was an empty chair.
Directly beside Theron.
Luna blinked.
"So close?"
Theron looked at her.
"He is the newest resident."
"...It is practical."
Luna nodded slowly.
"...Of course."
Aiden remained standing.
"I'm fine over here."
"You'll have difficulty eating from across the room."
Theron answered calmly.
"..."
Aiden hated when he was logical.
With obvious reluctance...
He walked over.
He sat down.
Close enough to smell moonflowers on Theron's robes.
Close enough to remember entirely different mornings.
His chest tightened.
Servants began placing food on the table.
Fresh fruit.
Warm bread.
Honey.
Cooked fish.
Roasted rabbit.
Herbal tea.
Aiden stared.
"..."
Then...
without thinking...
He picked up another plate.
Small.
Wooden.
He placed tiny portions of food onto it.
A little fruit.
Small pieces of rabbit.
Half a piece of bread.
Li Mei watched curiously.
Are you still hungry?
Aiden froze.
"..."
His hand stopped moving.
The empty chair beside him suddenly felt enormous.
He stared at the tiny plate.
Three portions.
Exactly enough...
for three little wolves.
His fingers tightened.
"...Habit."
He quietly pushed the plate away.
"I forgot."
No one understood.
Except...
Theron noticed the look in Aiden's eyes.
Not hunger.
Loss.
The same expression he'd worn while humming last night.
Theron quietly reached over.
Without saying anything...
he moved the little wooden plate closer to Aiden again.
"You forgot what?"
Aiden looked at the plate.
For several seconds...
He couldn't answer.
"...Nothing."
His voice barely existed.
"I just..."
"...made too much."
Theron looked at the three tiny portions.
Then at Aiden.
Again...
He had a strange feeling...
that this omega had lived an entire life before arriving at the Moon Temple.
A life no one else could see.
And somehow...
Theron wanted to know every part of it.