The night wind carried the scent of wild lavender and cold river stones as Shen Yueli sat on a flat rock just outside the cave, the second moon high above her head. Its silvery glow painted the forest in dreamlike hues, like a forgotten painting left to fade in the dark. She held her belly gently, eyes closed, listening to the life within her.
A soft kick responded to her touch, and for a moment, the pain of the past faded.
" You feel that too, little one?" She whispered. "We're still here."
Behind her, the warmth of the fire crackled within the cave. Di Yan was inside, but she could sense him even without turning. His energy was different from Yechen's— less like fire and more like earth. Unmoving. Safe.
For days now, they had built something small, delicate, like frost forming on leaves— unspoken trust. He didn't ask questions she wasn't ready to answer, and she respected the ghosts he carried in silence.
But something had changed between them.
Earlier that day, Di Yan had brought back a wounded bird— a small hawk with a torn wing. He had cradled it in his hands with such reverence that Yueli had felt her breath catch. She had watched him clean the wound, whispering in a language older than the stars, before laying the bird beside the hearth.
When she asked about the chant, he'd simply said, " Old magic. Not all healing comes from herbs."
Now, her fingers traced the growing curve of her stomach. She was nearly seven moons in. The child moved often— especially when she was near Di Yan.
It unsettled her.
No— not in a bad way
But the way the baby responded to him, as if recognizing his energy, sensing his calm, made her wonder if the bond had begun before she was ready to accept it.
Was the moon trying to show her something?
" Why do you always sit alone?" came Di Yan's voice, breaking her thoughts.
She opened her eyes as he joined her on the rock, his long silver hair loose around his shoulders. He'd shed the heavy cloak he usually wore, revealing scars trailing down his collarbone and across his arms.
He caught her gaze and smirked. " Like what you see?"
Yueli snorted, looking away quickly, though heat climbed up her cheeks. " I was admiring the moon."
" Liar."
She rolled her eyes. " Fine. Your scars. I was curious. You don't seem the type to get wounded easily."
Di Yan's smile faded slightly, and for a heartbeat, silence hung between them.
" Some wounds are from battles worth fighting," he said quietly. " Others… are from mistakes I wish I hadn't made."
Yueli turned to him slowly. " Like the mate who chose power?"
He nodded. " I trusted her. She used me. Left me behind when I was captured by the Blood Clan. They carved into me to break my wolf from."
Her breath caught. " You survived that?"
" Barely."
The wind rustled through the trees, wrapping around them like an unseen spirit. She watched his fingers— long, calloused, steady— as they traced the rim of the rock.
" I wasn't supposed to survive either,"
she whispered. " Yechen's rejection should've shattered me completely.
But… I didn't die. Not even when the bond snapped."
Di Yan's golden eyes met hers. " Because deep down, you didn't belong to him."
Yueli blinked. " Then who do I belong to?"
" You."
He didn't say it like a poet or a lover. He said it like a truth he'd carved into himself.
" You're not anyone's possession, Shen Yueli. You're not someone's second chance. You are your own story."
She exhaled, and it felt like she'd been holding her breath for years.
—
Over the next few days, their rhythm changed. Di Yan grew more protective, especially after he noticed her wincing during walks. Her belly had dropped slightly, a sign the baby would arrive soon.
" You're almost there," he said, kneeling before her one morning as she sat on a mossy log.
" I know," she whispered, brushing sweat from her brow. " But it's getting harder."
He looked up at her, concern etched across his face. " We need a midwife. You can't give birth alone."
" You said this place was hidden," she replied, chewing her lip. " No one would come here."
" I'll go," he said. " To the boarder town. I know a healer. She helped me once before. She won't ask questions."
Yueli hesitated, fear crawling up her spine. " What if you don't come back?"
He reached for her hand and placed something cold into her palm. A pendant— a wolf's tooth carved into moonstone. It pulsed faintly with warmth.
" If I don't come back, this will lead me home."
She stared at it, then at him. " You trust me with this?"
" I trust you with everything."
And just like that, her fear lessened.
—
Di Yan left before dawn. Yueli stood at the mouth of the cave long after he vanished into trees. The forest was quiet— too quiet. No birdsong. No rustling.
Something felt wrong.
As the sun rose, her back ached more than usual. Then came the pressure— deep and sharp. She doubled over, gripping the cave wall. Her water had broken.
" No, no, not now," she gasped. " Di Yan…"
But he was gone.
Alone, she stumbled into the cave. The fire had gone out, and her strength was failing. Each wave of pain brought her closer to the edge.
Then, a shadow.
A figure entered the cave.
Not Di Yan.
A woman cloaked in dark red, her eyes glowing faintly blue. Her aura was cold, heavy with old magic.
" Peace, girl," the woman said. " I'm the one Di Yan sent."
Yueli tried to speak but screamed instead as another contraction tore through her.
The woman moved swiftly, preparing cloth, boiling water with a flick of her fingers.
" You're strong," she said. " You've carried pain longer than most. Now carry this life."
Hours passed.
Screams echoed through the cave.
Blood. Sweat. Tears.
And then—
A cry.
A baby's first breath under the second moon.
The healer wrapped the child in soft linen and placed them into Yueli's trembling arms.
" A girl," she said. " Strong lungs."
Yueli stared, tears blurring her vision.
The baby had soft wisps of silver- black hair, and when she opened her eyes, they were a startling shade of gold.
Her heart stopped.
Gold eyes.
Not Yechen's.
Di Yan's.
The child had chosen her second chance.
—
Di Yan returned at sunset, his cloak dusted with ash and his eyes wild.
" I felt it," he said, rushing to her side. " I felt her being born."
Yueli smiled weakly, cradling the baby.
" She waited for you."
He looked down, and for the first time in a very long time, Di Yan's eyes filled with tears.
" She looks like you," he whispered.
" She looks like hope," Yueli said. " Our hope."