CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153 SUN-KISSED GETAWAY

Caroline’s POV

I stretched luxuriously on the beach chair, feeling the warm Caribbean sun kiss my skin. The turquoise waters sparkled before me, and the gentle ocean breeze carried away all my worries. My new green bikini fit me just right,a little treat I grabbed for this much-needed vacation.

Not far away, Liam was playing with some kids he’d made friends with, their little hands teaming up to build an awesome sandcastle. His happy laughter floated over the beach, making my heart melt.

"One virgin piña colada for the mama-to-be,"Elle said, coming over with two bright drinks and sliding me the one without the little paper umbrella.

"You’re a lifesaver," I said,taking a thankful sip of the cold, sweet drink."But honestly, a view this good deserves a real cocktail."

Elle stretched out on the chair beside mine, her toned body shining, rocking that bold red bikini. "Pregnant means no booze," she teased with a grin. "Doctor’s orders."

"You’re right," I sighed dramatically. "But a girl can dream."

Elle reached into her beach bag and pulled out a bottle of suntan oil. "Time to reapply. Can’t have you getting burned."

Just as she was about to squeeze some oil into her palm, two young men approached us. They were clearly college athletes - tall, tan, and ripped. The kind of guys you’d see on campus showing off at the gym.

The blond one, who had seriously broad shoulders, grinned at us.

"You ladies need a hand?"

His friend was a bit shorter but clearly worked out, his arms flexing as he moved. The sea breeze had messed up his brown hair.

Elle’s eyes lit up with mischief. "Sure," she said with a flirty smile, handing the bottle to the blond guy. "You’d probably do a better job than me anyway."

I couldn’t help but laugh internally at Elle’s expert flirting. Poor Nate needed to put a ring on her finger soon, or some handsome stranger might sweep his mate right off her feet.

The brown-haired guy looked over at me with interested eyes. "What about you? Want some help with that?"

Before I could answer, a little sandy tornado ran straight into my legs. "Mommy! Mommy! Look what I built!" Liam shouted, his face lighting up as he pointed at his sandcastle.

The brown-haired guy’s eyes went wide. "Mommy? No way! I totally thought you were in college. Never would have guessed you had a kid."

I smiled, brushing the sand out of Liam’s hair. "That’s sweet of you."

"Well, I’m available," Elle jumped in, leaning forward a little. "And I could definitely use both of you guys to help with this sunscreen."

The guys looked at each other, obviously excited about that idea.

"Liam, sweetie, why don’t you show Mommy your sandcastle?" I suggested, giving the guys a polite smile as I stood up.

After Liam showed off his amazing sandcastle and went back to play with his new friends, I walked back over to Elle, who was by herself again and looking pretty happy about something.

"Youth," she sighed contentedly, taking a sip of her cocktail.

"You’re terrible," I laughed, settling back on my chair.

"So, how are you enjoying our little getaway?"Elle asked, her eyes studying me carefully.

I gestured around us at the beautiful beach."Beautiful scenery, amazing food, attractive men bringing us drinks... I have no complaints. It’s perfect."

"And when we go back to Harbor Bay?" Elle asked, her tone more serious."Our vacation only has a few days left. What then? Will you still leave?"

I took a long sip of my drink, watching Liam play in the sand. "By the time we get back, Ella and Draven’s wedding will probably be all over. So yes, my answer is still yes. I’m leaving Draven behind."

Elle’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "About that attraction you described between you and Alpha Draven... do you think he could be your fated mate?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You know that we wolves have fated mates, usually identified through scent or some kind of connection," Elle explained. "Since you’re scentless, your mate might not be able to recognize you that way. But when you touch or... you know... have sex with your mate, there’s a different feeling. Like you were made for each other. Did you feel that with Draven?"

I hesitated, thinking back to that masquerade night. "To be honest, I’ve only been with three men in my life. I chose Marcus as my mate, but being with him felt... ordinary. Nothing special.Then after he rejected me,I was with Liam’s father at that masquerade ball. That time was... earth-shattering. Different in every way. I always assumed it was just... you know, technique."

Elle frowned."As far as I know, when we’re rejected by a mate, the physical and emotional pain persists. When you meet your second chance, it might prevent you from recognizing them."

My heart skipped a beat. "Are you saying Liam’s father could be my fated mate?"

"I don’t know," Elle said. "Can’t your wolf sense it?"

I closed my eyes, connecting with Rory. She seemed uncertain.

"After Marcus rejected us, I was very weak," Rory admitted within me. "But since being with Draven, there’s been a different pull, a different connection."

I relayed Rory’s words to Elle.

"That’s tricky," Elle sighed. "If you joined Alpha Draven’s pack and formed the pack bond, the connection between your wolves would strengthen. The mind-link would activate, and then you’d know for sure."

I gave a bitter smile. "Maybe this is the curse of being scentless. I can’t be recognized by my fated mate, and I’m never fully accepted in a pack."

"Don’t say that!"Elle protested, reaching for my hand. "But... did you know that on the day Draven planned your pack joining ceremony, he was going to propose to you?"

I nodded slowly. "I had guessed as much."

Elle sighed heavily. "You two could have been so happy together."

The following days were a blur of joy and freedom. We went deep-sea fishing, where Elle caught a magnificent marlin that had the boat crew cheering. I tried surfing for the first time, spending more time wiping out than staying upright, but laughing harder than I had in months.

We took Liam to the local amusement park, where he rode his first roller coaster - a small one, but his face lit up with such excitement that I couldn’t help but take a dozen photos. We ate local cuisine, danced to island music, and allowed ourselves to forget, at least temporarily, the complications waiting for us back home.

Several times, I noticed Elle checking her phone with a worried expression, but whenever I asked, she’d quickly smile and say it was nothing important. I chose not to push,these days were about leaving troubles behind.

On our second-to-last night, as we sat on our balcony watching the sunset with sleeping Liam curled against my chest, I finally felt at peace with my decision. In two days, we would return to Harbor Bay, and I would immediately begin packing and job hunting. I was confident now that I could raise Liam on my own, and this new baby growing inside me would have a happy life too, even without a father.

I placed my hand on my stomach, thinking of the little one growing there. Rory stirred within me, offering comfort and strength.

"We’ll be okay," I whispered. "We’ll always be okay."