We moved slowly down the stairs well, she moved slowly, and I matched her pace. She held onto the railing with her free hand, while her other hand stayed on her rounded belly as though she were holding the baby in place.
"I swear this child wants to break out early," she muttered with a soft laugh. "If he kicks me one more time, I might just sit on these stairs permanently."
I forced a small smile.
The situation was too strange for me to properly respond. Everything around me felt like a dream that wasn't mine, a reality wearing the mask of the life I knew.
At first I'd thought it was a dream but it felt more real than I thought. I could feel every single emotion and I am influencing my actions.
We reached the ground floor, the familiar scent of early morning breakfast prepared in the kitchen filled the air.
The living room looked normal, but not the normal I remembered. The walls were brighter, the furniture more polished, the atmosphere colder than the cold, calm environment the Green Lineage Pack usually maintained.
The pregnant woman released a breath of relief and rubbed her belly. "Finally. If I had stayed upstairs any longer, my feet would have declared war on me."
I almost chuckled despite myself.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway ahead.
Deep, steady, authoritative.
My breath stilled.
Two seconds later, a tall man appeared at the bottom of the staircase. He wore a dark shirt tucked neatly into black trousers, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His hair black as a moonless night was styled back smoothly. His posture was straight, confident, powerful.
His eyes...
His eyes made my heart nearly stop.
Pitch-black.
Sharp.
Unmistakable familiar.
I knew those eyes. Even if I had last seen them on an aged face, full of wrinkles, pain, and time.
"Alpha Logan…" the woman breathed, smiling warmly.
Alpha Logan.
My great-grandfather.
The former Alpha of the Darkblood Pack.
who is supposed to be long gone before I was even born.
But here he was.
Young. Strong. Breathing.
And standing right in front of me.
My entire body felt cold.
The woman didn't notice my shock; she was too focused on her alpha.
"Logan," she greeted softly. "You're awake earlier than usual."
He approached her with a gentleness I had never seen in the stories told about him. He stopped a few steps away, a flicker of concern crossing his face.
"You should be resting, Celina," he said, his voice smooth and firm. "You push yourself too much."
Celina.
So the pregnant woman had a name.
She chuckled lightly. "If I stay in that room any longer, the walls will bore me to death."
"You're carrying a full-grown wolf in there," Logan said, eyeing her stomach with a rare softness. "You shouldn't be wandering around without assistance when you're carrying my grandchild."
Celina placed a hand on her hip. "I have assistance. Anna was helping me."
Anna.
Me.
Logan turned his head toward me. His gaze swept over me sharply, judging, assessing exactly the way a powerful alpha evaluated someone beneath him.
I swallowed hard.
He didn't recognize me, of course.
He couldn't even recognize his own grand daughter,
Not Elena.
Not his descendant.
Not someone who should even exist yet.
Still, that didn't stop my heart from racing like a hammer against my ribs.
"Anna," Logan said. His voice deepened when he spoke my supposed name. "Next time, make sure she does not walk down the stairs alone. She could have fallen."
His tone wasn't harsh, it was commanding. Protective. Alpha-like.
Celina rolled her eyes. "Father , please. I am pregnant, not made of glass."
Father?
Was Celina is daughter or what?
This was killing me because the more I stayed the more confused I get.
"You're both," Alpha Logan countered calmly.
She laughed again, the sound airy and affectionate.
Watching them talk felt surreal, like reading a book about my family's history but stepping into the scene myself. The warmth between them confused me. I had heard old pack rumors and stories of Logan's brutality, his ruthlessness, his leadership that bordered on tyranny. The man before me looked nothing like the monster those stories described.
"You're awake early," Celina said again, giving Logan a curious look. "Did something happen?"
Logan's jaw tightened oh so slightly. "Just checking the borders."
"At seven in the morning?" she asked, eyebrows lifting.
"Wolves don't sleep," he said dryly.
Celina sighed and shook her head. "You worry too much."
"And you don't worry enough," Logan shot back. But then a faint smile tugged at his mouth, making him look human. Younger. Softer.
Celina reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "I'm fine, Alpha Logan. Your son is taking care of me."
Was this woman married to one of the green lineage brothers.
It couldn't possibly be my father then it could be my uncle who had died way before I was born.
He placed his hand gently over hers.
A gesture full of tenderness.
I blinked.
Everything I knew about him clashed violently with what I was seeing now.
But then Grandfather's black eyes flicked toward me again.
"Anna," he said, "did she have any trouble climbing down?"
I shook my head quickly. "No, Alpha." My voice came out steadier than I expected. "She was fine."
Celina grinned at him triumphantly. "See? I'm stronger than you think."
"You're stubborn, Rufus really needs to address this." Logan said with a bright smile.
He turned slightly, speaking to me again. "Get her a seat. She shouldn't stand too long."
The command was gentle but absolute.
I nodded and guided Celina to the long couch in the living area. The cushions were soft, decorated in shades of beige and pale green.
Logan followed behind us, "Would you like anything to drink?" I asked Celina quietly.
"Tea," she said. "Something calming."
"I'll go prepare it," I offered.
But Logan spoke before I could take a step.
"No," he said firmly. "Stay with her. I'll call someone else."
Celina looked amused. "Alpha Logan , I'm pregnant, not helpless."
"You're both," he repeated, the exact same tone as before.
She laughed again, shaking her head.
I sat beside her, still overwhelmed but things were clearer than before.
Celina sighed contentedly, rubbing her belly.
"You know," she murmured, "I think the baby likes when Rufus sings."
Logan blinked, startled. "What?"
"Every time he sings, he starts kicking," Celina said, smiling warmly.
Logan cleared his throat and looked away, the slightest flush touching his cheeks. "It seems my son is going to be a great father."
Celina giggled. "Yes, indeed."
For the first time since seeing him…
he looked vulnerable and a wide smile spread across his face.
His eyes softened, the blackness glowing with emotion I never imagined he could feel. He leaned down and placed a gentle hand on her belly, his voice dropping so low it felt like a whisper of wind.
"I can't wait to meet you,my darling grandchild."
My vision began to blur as I stood behind Celina. I struggled to listen to what they were saying but it began harder the more I tried.
"I can't wait to meet you,my darling grandchild."
Those were the last words I heard began I blanked put an the next moment my eyes opened.
And I was back to my room in the darkblood pack.