"You disappeared for so many weeks," Amelie told her sister, patting Flora's back after pulling her into a warm embrace.

"Zander wanted me there," Flora replied, finally pulling away. She looked slightly tired but carried a new air of discipline. "I am sorry. I was so busy with the pack's work that I didn't have time to even check my phone. I would even train for hours, sis. Zander said it was important, and I felt he was right."

"Hmm. I can see the visible change in your physical appearance," Amelie answered, noting her sister's leaner, more toned frame.

"Leave all this. Where is my cutie pie? I shopped a lot for him," Flora opined, holding up several bags with a big, radiant smile.

"Noah is with Zilia," Amelie replied. "They're in his room upstairs."

"Zilia is here!?" Flora asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah. She wanted to be with us for a few days, so Brother Cas dropped her here. We have an appointment later, so Noah will be on your watch while I'm out," Amelie explained.

"Appointment for?" Flora looked confused as the two sisters finally sat down on the couch.

"Zilia is pregnant with triplets," Amelie answered softly. "It's a secret among the royals for now, and I'm only telling you."

"Oh my god! That is such wonderful news! Three pups... we're going to have three more little ones running around soon," Flora remarked, her excitement practically radiating off her. She looked toward the stairs, clearly eager to get up there.

As the servants placed the tray of refreshments on the low table, Amelie leaned in. "The date of your wedding is fixed for next month. We should go shopping together. What do you say?"

"I was going to say the same thing," Flora answered, her expression softening. She picked up a warm cup of jasmine tea and continued, "I want you to help me choose my dress and the other outfits. It was a difficult decision for me to think about standing at the altar once again, but Zander provided me with a sense of security and comfort I didn't know existed."

"Zander has been a gentleman always," Amelie stated, her voice full of genuine approval.

Flora agreed and took a slow sip of her tea, looking more at peace than she had in years. "He really is. I think I feel like I'm walking toward home."

"You are," Amelie asserted.

~~~~~

Juniper sipped on her latte while scanning the documents, her eyes moving rhythmically between the papers and the computer screen. After entering the final set of data into the software, she hit enter, letting the program run as she leaned back into her chair.

She closed her eyes for a moment, the office providing a steady backdrop to her thoughts. Once the processing was complete, she meticulously noted the results into her notepad before beginning the final report.

Her entire day was consumed by the task, every hour dedicated to refining the analysis. When she finally finished, she headed to the corner office to hand it over.

"June, thanks a lot. You really worked hard today. I knew only you could finish it in a day," the manager, Angela Disto, praised her, her voice full of genuine gratitude. "Now, you should leave. It is already late."

Angela's secretary held the door open as they walked out together, heading toward the waiting car.

Meanwhile, Juniper collected her things and tucked them into her shoulder bag before stepping out of the office. Instead of going home, she chose to eat out. She found a cozy restaurant, where she ordered a hearty meal and settled into a corner booth.

She had just begun to relax when a sudden commotion broke the peace. A woman yelled at the man for cheating with another woman standing nearby. The other diners paused their conversations to watch the unfolding drama.

Juniper looked in their direction. Before the scene could escalate further, the restaurant staff intervened, firmly but politely asking the trio to take their dispute outside.

As they were ushered toward the door, Juniper turned her attention to her soon-to-be arriving order when she heard a familiar voice.

"Is that you, Juniper?"

"Flora!"

"What a surprise!" Flora remarked, her eyes bright as she looked around the crowded space. "Can I share the table with you? The other spots are packed, and this happens to be my favorite restaurant."

"Sure," Juniper replied, gesturing toward the empty seat across from her.

"Thanks." Flora lowered her purse onto the chair, setting it next to Juniper's. "Did you shift here recently?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Yeah, I did."

"How are you doing?" Flora asked, her tone shifting to one of genuine concern.

"Better," Juniper replied, a small, honest smile touching her lips. "You tell me? But first, you should probably order," she added as the waiter approached their table.

Flora was quick to place her order, clearly familiar with the menu. Once the waiter moved away, she turned her full attention back to Juniper. "I'm actually doing really well."

"That's great," Juniper replied. "It really is strange that we met like this. By the way, I want to apologize for my behavior in the past. I was too cruel to you back then," she asserted.

Flora gave her a small, knowing smile. "It's okay. I wasn't exactly a good person myself once," she murmured, looking down at the table for a moment.

"How did you manage it?" Juniper asked, her voice dropping to a deeper, more personal level. "Fighting through all that hate? I've done some things I regret, too. And it's been incredibly hard for me to move past them," she added.

"Amelie… She was my strength," Flora answered, her eyes softening at the mention of her sister. "I was so terrible to her, but she gave me a second chance, putting all the hatred aside. She doesn't hate me anymore. Honestly," she chuckled softly, though there was a hint of old pain in the sound, "there was a time I didn't even want to live. But I was blessed to have a sister like her. And then there's my mate, Zander. He never judged me for my past. Instead, he always guided me toward doing what was right and taught me how to actually start living again."