?Chapter 0479


    The air was thick withughter and clinking sses, everyone ecstatic over the end of another grueling semester.


    Lori, Jessica, and a handful of others from our pre-med program had gathered in my living room to celebrate our triumphs, academic and otherwise. The room was a vibrant mixture of color,ughter, and shing smartphone cameras capturing a moment we would hopefully all remember.


    Just as theughter reached another crescendo, I slipped into the kitchen, my eyes darting over the array of chips, cookies, and assorted finger foods spread across the counter.


    As much as I loved my friends and their vibrant energy, I felt an inexplicable pull toward solitude, even if only for a moment. I reached for some chips, contemting how this room had morphed into a sanctuary from the noise and mirth that filled the living room.


    Suddenly, callused hands covered my eyes, plunging me into yful darkness. "Guess who?" a familiar voice whispered.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    A chuckle escaped my lips. "Hmm, let''s see...Ryan Gosling? Chris Hemsworth? Oh, wait, it must be Zac Efron!"


    The hands lifted, and I was spun around to face my grinning husband. "As much as I wish I had the abs of any of those guys, sorry to disappoint."


    "Never a disappointment," I shot back, feeling a warmth spread through me, soothing the jagged edges of my unsettled thoughts. I yfully ran my hand along Enzo''s midsection, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. "Your abs are even better."


    Suddenly, Enzo pulled one hand from behind his back to produce a small box with a lid. He held it out to me with a sheepish grin on his face like a child who had just picked his mom a flower, roots and all.


    "What''s this?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.


    "Oh, just a little something tomemorate your eptance into medical school," he said, handing me the box. My fingers gingerly opened the tiny case to reveal an intricately designed locket, a swirl of silver that seemed to capture the moonlight. When I popped it open, inside were pictures of us-a selfie of us taken overlooking the cliff behind the house, where I was kissing his cheek and he was grinning into the camera, and another one taken on our wedding day.


    My eyes watered as I studied the tiny pictures closely. "This is... beautiful," I murmured.


    "May I?" he asked, gesturing to put it on me.


    "Of course," I said softly, lifting my hair to give him ess to my neck. I felt the delicate chain slide around me, followed by his fingers expertly fastening the sp. His touch lingered for a moment longer, sending a shiver down my spine.


    "There," he said, his eyes meeting mine. "Perfect."


    Unable to resist, I closed the gap between us, our lips meeting in a fervent kiss. For a moment, I considered taking it a few steps further right there in the kitchen, but we had guests.


    My lips still tingled from the kiss when we broke away.


    *I love you," I murmured, leaning my cheek against his chest to hear his heartbeat.


    "And I love you," he replied, his arms enveloping me in a tight hug. "Always will."


    Just then, Jessica''s voice broke through our reverie. "Another round of shots!" I looked up to see her standing over by the bar in our living room, holding a tray above her head while people cheered in response to her announcement.


    Enzo grinned and patted my shoulder, nudging me away gently. "Have fun," he said, before grabbing a beer from the fridge and slipping out into the backyard to be with Matt and the rest of the hockey team.


    I smiled and reached for one of the shots, but as the liquid warmth cascaded down my throat, a sudden wave of nausea struck. Discreetly, I slid away from the revelry and retreated to the bedroom.


    The cool sheets enveloped me as Iy down, my hands folded over my belly. I knew I wasn''t pregnant, but I was still feeling intermittently sick. It must have been food poisoning, but it was strange food poisoning at that. I''d never had food poisoning before where I only threw up sporadically.


    I wasn''t in there for much longer than ten minutes when my thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open. Enzo peeked in, his eyes immediately narrowing in concern. "Hey," he said softly, sitting down beside me." Lori told me you ran off. You okay? You don''t look so good."


    "I''m fine," I lied, trying to muster a smile. "I just needed to rest for a while."


    He sighed, his eyes searching mine. "Nina, I''ve seen you pull all-nighters, down energy drinks like water, and still be the life of the party. This doesn''t seem like you."


    I hesitated, my gaze dropping. "I know, Enzo. I just feel a bit off, and it doesn''t feel like normal food poisoning. I''m almost wondering if I should take another pregnancy test."


    His eyes met mine, filled with a blend of love and concern that was uniquely Enzo. "If you think it''s necessary. then you should do it. But if you''re still feeling like this in a couple of days, promise me you''ll go to the doctor." I nodded, appreciating the seriousness in his tone. "I promise, Enzo."


    Later that night, I awoke to a room cast in the blue glow of the moonlight streaming through therge windows. Something felt different. My senses were heightened; I could hear the rustling of leaves outside, the distant hoot of an owl, even Enzo''s soft, gentle breathing next to me. And then I felt it-my wolf was present, not just a lingering consciousness, but as if she were standing right beside me.


    *Nina," she whispered, her voice tinged with an emotion I hadn''t felt from her in a long time. "Something''s wrong.* I closed my eyes, focusing on her presence inside of me. "What do you mean?"


    "I''m not sure. I can sense another presence inside of you, but I''m not sure what. It''s faint, but it''s there." Panic welled inside me, sharp and cold. "It can''t be a baby." I thought desperately, although a part of me was beginning to wonder if-and maybe almost hope, in a strange way-that the tests had been wrong. "I took a test earlier, after the party. It was negative."


    "I can''t tell," she admitted, her voice sounding almost vulnerable. "But whatever it is, it''s not just part of us-it''s something else."


    I thought for a moment, confused. If it wasn''t a baby... Then what could it be? I had been followed by the shadow entity, but I knew that was just my imagination, my brain''s way of processing my trauma.


    But then, I found myself wondering, my mind darting to the worst case scenario. My years of medical training suddenly flipped on like a switch, and the worst possible oue burst into my mind.


    *A... tumor, maybe?"


    My wolf was silent for a moment before she finally spoke. "I wish I knew, Nina. But all I know is that you are not alone in your own body. And I''m worried."


    As Iy there, the silence of the bedroom punctuated by the sound of Enzo''s soft breathing in deep sleep, couldn''t help but think about my wolf''s words. I wasn''t alone in my own body... What did that even mean?


    A parasite of some sort? An entity? Some sort of magic?


    Or was it somehow even worse?