Aiden discovered the garden by accident.
At least, that was what he told himself.
After spending most of the morning being told where he could and could not go, Aiden had decided that he needed somewhere the temple rules couldn't possibly bother him.
The eastern gardens seemed like a good place to start.
He walked beneath the white stone archway, sword left behind in his room, and followed the narrow path between the flowers.
The garden was quiet.
Not empty.
There were birds singing somewhere beyond the trees, the soft sound of water running through a small stream, and the occasional rustle of leaves whenever the summer breeze moved through the branches.
But there were no servants.
No guards.
Not Ronan.
No Luna.
No Theron.
Perfect.
Aiden breathed out slowly.
For the first time that day, he felt like he could actually think.
His black wolf ears appeared without him noticing.
They twitched at every unfamiliar sound.
His tail moved lazily behind him as he walked.
He passed rows of flowers he didn't recognize.
White roses.
Silver lilies.
Small blue flowers that seemed to sparkle beneath the sunlight.
Then he noticed something further ahead.
The path curved around a small stone wall.
Beyond it—
Aiden stopped.
Moonflowers.
Hundreds of them.
They covered the entire garden.
Their petals were pale white, almost silver, and each flower seemed to glow softly beneath the sunlight.
Aiden's eyes widened.
"Oh."
He stepped through the opening.
The air smelled different here.
Cooler.
Sweeter.
Familiar.
He crouched beside one of the flowers.
His fingers hovered over the petals before gently touching them.
The flower responded.
Its petals slowly opened wider.
Aiden blinked.
"You like that?"
The flower obviously didn't respond.
Still, Aiden smiled.
He moved further into the garden.
The moonflowers grew around him in thick patches, winding around small stone pillars and climbing up wooden arches.
And suddenly Aiden understood.
The flowers.
The ones around the temple.
The ones growing beside the paths.
The flowers placed in Theron's chambers.
The flowers woven into Luna's hair.
They all looked similar.
But these—
These were where they came from.
Aiden carefully touched another flower.
"So this is where they grow."
He looked around.
The garden was enormous.
There were sections where the flowers had been planted in neat rows, and others where they grew naturally.
Some were tiny.
Others were almost as large as his hand.
Aiden walked deeper.
He found a small wooden bench beneath a flowering tree.
He sat down.
For several moments, he simply watched.
It reminded him of home.
Not the den itself.
Something quieter.
Aiden remembered sitting outside with the pups while Theron worked nearby.
Kael would chase anything that moved.
Ryn would follow him.
Lior would inevitably wander off in the opposite direction.
And Theron—
Theron would pretend he wasn't watching them.
Aiden smiled.
"He always watched."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
His smile faded.
The garden suddenly felt too quiet.
Aiden lowered his head.
He missed them.
Every single day.
He missed Kael's laugh.
Ryn's little hands.
Lior crawling into his lap whenever he was tired.
He missed the weight of their bodies against him.
He missed waking up and hearing little feet running across the floor.
He missed Theron.
More than he wanted to admit.
His fingers tightened around the edge of the bench.
I wonder if you're okay.
Aiden looked toward the sky.
"I wonder if you remember me."
He knew the answer.
This Theron didn't.
Not yet.
But somewhere in another life, another version of him was waiting.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Aiden swallowed.
Then something moved beyond the garden.
Aiden's ears twitched.
He turned.
Nothing.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Hello?"
Silence.
He stood.
His wolf instincts immediately became alert.
But there was no threat.
No unfamiliar scent.
Just—
Theron.
Aiden froze.
He didn't know how long the Moon God had been standing there.
Theron was beneath one of the stone arches at the edge of the garden.
He wasn't alone.
Two servants stood several steps behind him, but Theron had clearly told them to remain behind.
His golden eyes were fixed on Aiden.
Watching.
Aiden's tail stiffened.
"How long have you been there?"
Theron didn't respond immediately.
"Long enough."
Aiden frowned.
"That isn't an answer."
Theron's mouth curved slightly.
"You ask many questions."
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"Someone else said that today."
"Ronan?"
"Yes."
Theron stepped into the garden.
The moonflowers seemed to react to him.
Several opened wider.
Aiden noticed.
"So they like you."
"They were planted for the temple."
That wasn't what I said.
Theron looked at him.
Aiden crossed his arms.
"You've been watching me."
"Yes."
At least he was honest.
"Why?"
Theron didn't immediately respond.
His gauze moved across the garden.
Then back to Aiden.
"You looked happy."
Aiden blinked.
"What?"
"When you found the flowers."
Aiden didn't know what to say to that.
Theron walked closer.
He stopped several feet away.
"I have seen many offerings arrive at this temple."
Aiden's expression hardened slightly.
Theron noticed.
"But none of them looked at the garden like that."
Aiden looked away.
"Maybe they weren't interested."
"Perhaps."
Theron's eyes returned to him.
"You were."
Aiden shrugged.
"I like flowers."
"Why?"
Do I need a reason?
Theron considered that.
"Node."
Aiden glanced at him.
For some reason, that answer surprised him.
Theron looked around the garden again.
"These flowers grow throughout the temple."
"I noticed."
"The gardeners collect the seeds here."
"So this is where they come from."
"Yes."
Aiden looked at the moonflowers again.
"They're beautiful."
Theron was quiet.
Aiden turned toward him.
"What?"
"You said that without hesitation."
"Because they're beautiful."
"Most people ask whether something is useful before deciding if it is beautiful."
Aiden frowned.
"That's stupid."
Theron's eyebrows rose.
"Why?"
"Because not everything needs to be useful."
He gestured toward the flowers.
"They don't need to protect anyone. They don't need to fight. They don't need to feed anyone."
His expression softened.
"They just exist."
Theron watched him.
Aiden didn't notice the subtle change in his expression.
He was too busy looking at the flowers.
One of the moonflowers had fallen from its stem.
Aiden crouched and carefully picked it up.
He held it between his fingers.
Then, without thinking, he tucked it behind one of his wolf ears.
Theron's eyes lingered on him.
Aiden noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're staring."
"I am."
Aiden frowned.
"You're strange."
"So I've been told."
Aiden almost smiled.
Almost.
Theron turned his attention back to the garden.
But he didn't leave.
He stayed.
Quietly.
Watching Aiden wander among the moonflowers.
Watching his ears twitch whenever a bird landed nearby.
Watching him crouch beside each flower as if every single one deserved his attention.
And for reasons Theron couldn't explain—
He didn't want to look away.
Aiden eventually sat beneath the tree again.
The moonflower remained tucked behind his ear.
Theron stood several steps away.
Neither spoke.
The garden remained quiet around them.
For the first time since Aiden had arrived at the temple, the silence between them didn't feel uncomfortable.
It simply existed.
Like the flowers.
Like the moon.
Like something that didn't need a reason to be there.
And Theron found himself wondering—
why did watching Aiden feel so peaceful?
He didn't have an answer.
Not yet.