Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Aria’s POV**

The glow of the lamp in my room stretched into the early hours, casting a gentle light over the tired faces of the women who had steadfastly remained by my side. It was only when Lana’s flushed cheeks began to cool and the thermometer finally settled at 99°F that the suffocating tension in the air dissipated, like fog lifting at dawn.

A collective sigh of relief echoed softly through the room, a sound that seemed to lift the weight pressing down on us all. The other women sank wearily onto my bed, their bodies spent from the long night of worry and care.

I stood at the edge of the bed, cradling Lana close to my heart. Her tiny heartbeat thrummed against my chest, rapid yet resilient.

“Thank the Goddess…” I breathed, swaying her gently in my arms. A wave of gratitude washed over me, so profound it felt as if it could shatter my very being.

Without these remarkable women, I would have been utterly lost. They weren’t my pack by blood or bond, yet they rallied around me in my darkest hour, a beacon of support when the actions of my child’s father had nearly snatched her away from me.