The Alpha's Secret Legacy

Chapter 23 - A New Kind of Normal

A week later after Clifford's death

Danielle's Pov

It's been a week since everything happened.

Seven days. Yet it still feels unreal.

Things have slowly gone back to "normal," but honestly... I don't even know what normal is anymore. The house is quieter now, but not in a peaceful way. It feels empty. Like something important is missing and no one is saying it out loud.

I'm a month and one week pregnant now.

Still early. Still scary. Still something I keep touching my stomach about just to remind myself it's real.

Liam has been... Liam. He hasn't stopped thinking about names since the moment he found out. Boy or girl, he doesn't care. He just keeps talking like the baby is already here, like he's trying to hold onto something stable in all this chaos.

The boys have been busy with tours too—Scotland, England, Wales, Belfast, Ireland. Always moving. Always distracted.

But Chrissy...

Chrissy is the one I worry about most.

She barely talks now. Most nights I see her sitting at the back of the house near the pool, on that old bench, staring at the sky like she's waiting for something to answer her back. Sometimes she cries. Sometimes she doesn't move at all.

It's like she's still stuck in that moment.

Like she never really came back.

Tim left a few days ago, saying something about pack duties. Gemma went back to Scotland but mentioned she might move closer again. Greg flew back to America for business.

Everyone is trying to move forward.

Or pretending to.

That night, we were all gathered in the dining hall eating together. It used to feel normal... now it just feels like we're all trying too hard.

Niall suddenly spoke up.

"What's the news?"

Then Chrissy put her fork down.

"I'm leaving."

Everything stopped.

I swear even the air froze.

Liam choked. Harry dropped his spoon. Louis just stared. Niall's face completely dropped.

"What?" I asked slowly.

Chrissy looked calm. Too calm.

"Well," she said, "I met this guy. Basy? No—Basty. Basty McGraw."

Tim immediately spat out his drink.

"Ew," I muttered, wiping my mouth while Harry awkwardly laughed beside me.

Tim looked shocked. "Basty McGraw... that's my son."

The room went silent again.

Niall blinked. "Wait... what?"

Chrissy quickly raised her hands. "Not like that! I met him like an hour ago."

Tim narrowed his eyes. "And he already asked you out?"

She nodded. "Dinner tomorrow."

Another pause.

"And you're going?" Louis asked.

"Yes."

Chrissy added quickly, "And before you panic, I didn't mean I'm leaving-leaving. I just meant I want to try moving on. That's it."

The tension slowly broke.

Niall suddenly shouted, "OH THANK GOD. I thought we were losing you again!"

We all laughed.

Even Chrissy smiled a little.

"You have our permission," I said softly.

"Thanks, Dani," she replied, her eyes finally lighting up a bit.

For the first time in a while... she looked like she was trying again.

That has to count for something.

After dinner, the mood was lighter. Niall was joking again, Harry and Louis were whispering like idiots in love, Liam kept holding my hand under the table like he needed to feel grounded.

And Chrissy actually laughed.

I held onto that sound.

Because it reminded me that maybe... we weren't completely broken yet.

Later, Liam leaned closer to me.

"You okay?" he whispered.

I smiled faintly. "Nothing you should worry about."

He looked at me for a second, then smiled like he didn't fully believe me—but trusted me anyway.

But deep down...

I knew it.

This calm?

It won't last forever.

Something is still coming.