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    The night sky was a tapestry of stars, seeping through the curtains and casting an ethereal glow in the bedroom of my father''s mansion. Enzo was sprawled on the bed, lost in a book, while I sat at the vanity, running a brush through my hair.


    "My dad''s really going all out with this ball, huh?" I finally said, setting down the brush.


    Enzo looked up, marking his page with a thumb. "He''s excited. Can''t me the man. A grandchild and a doctor-to- be daughter in one go. That''s a lot of happiness."


    I bit my lip, gazing at my reflection. "I know, but... a ball? It feels... overwhelming."


    "What''s on your mind?" Enzo asked, closing his book entirely now, his full attention on me.


    "I''ve danced with you before, Enzo. But a ball is a whole other story. I never really grew up with... well, princessy stuff. It makes me nervous," I confessed.


    Enzo''s lips curled into a small smile, and he got up, crossing the room to stand behind me. He met my eyes in the mirror. "Dancing at a ball is different than dancing in the club together, you know," he teased. "Gs are amon thing here in the upper echelons of the werewolf realm. Get used to it."


    "What, you mean I have to actually dance and not just move my hips?" I quipped, but my eyes were serious. "Yes," Enzoughed, turning me to face him. "How about we practice? Right here, right now."


    I shot him a sideways nce. "You''re serious?"


    "As a heart attack," he grinned, pulling his phone from the bedside table and fiddling with it until soft music filled the room.


    "Alright, dance teacher, show me the way," I said, allowing him to pull me to the center of the room.


    Taking my right hand in his, Enzo ced his other hand on my waist. "Now, remember to let me lead."


    Iughed. "I''ll try, but no promises."


    With a chuckle, Enzo began moving us in time to the music. The first few steps were awkward; I was overthinking each move. But then Enzo locked eyes with me, and something clicked. My feet started moving almost on their own, falling into step with his.


    "See? You''re a natural," he said softly, twirling me around.


    The giddyughter that bubbled from my lips was as unexpected as it was freeing. I felt lighter, as though the dance had lifted the weight off my shoulders.


    When the song ended, we were both a little breathless, our foreheads touching. "You think we''re ready for that ball?" I asked, still caught in the enchantment of the moment.


    Enzo''s eyes searched mine. "I think we''re ready for anything, as long as we''re together."


    Something about his words struck a chord deep within me, and my mind drifted momentarily to the little life growing inside me. "Speaking of being together," I began, my voice tinged with wonder, "in a few months, it won''t be just you and me. We''ll be a family, Enzo."


    A mixture of emotions flickered across his face before he responded. "A family," he echoed. "That''s... that''s something I never thought I''d have, if I''m being honest. And yet here we are."


    I couldn''t help but think of how different our childhoods had been; me growing up in the human realm, unaware of my royal lineage, and Enzo being raised in a world I was still trying to understand. "Our baby will have a life so different from either of us. A life filled with both realms."


    "And so much love," Enzo added, pulling me closer.


    I looked up at him, my heart swelling with an emotion so profound that words could never capture it. But as I met Enzo''s gaze, I knew I didn''t have to put it into words. He felt it too. And that, more than anything, told me we were ready for the ball, for the baby, and for whatever else life had in store.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.