Chapter 56
over of log
I woke slowly–like I was swimming up from the bottom of a deep, warm ocean, each second peeling another layer froth my
y mind. But this time it was different
The heat that had plagued me, the fever that had crawled beneath my skin like fire ants, the weight in my bones. it was
No, not gone.
Changed
Transformed into something powerful.
My wolf stirred gently, no longer curled in agony or silence. She stretched like she was waking up from a long sleep. brushing against the edges of my consciousness with a strength I hadn’t felt in days. Not since the rejection. Not since the. first mark. But now, she was here. Awake. Whole
The connection was undeniable and clear. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt tethered. Not bound like chains, but rooted. Steady. Like I had finally found the place I belonged. Like I was finally home.
I blinked, adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through the infirmary windows. The room smelled of disinfectant and herbs, but beneath that, I caught the faintest scent of steel and ash.
I wasn’t alone
I turned my head slowly–and stilled
Two figures stood by the window, their backs straight, their shoulders squared like soldiers standing guard. Lincoln and Eric.
Max’s brothers.
Eric noticed me first. He turned toward me with a solemn expression that looked out of place on his usually playful face. There was none of his usual smirk, none of the sarcastic gleam in his eyes. Just… weight.
“Hey” he said softly, stepping closer to the bed. “You’re awake”
I set up slowly, blinking the haze from my eyes, my hand instinctively brushing the space just above my collarbone. The mark was there. Nate’s mark.
It pulsed gently–not burning or itching–but soothing, humming like a steady heartbeat beneath my skin.
Eric cleared his throat. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your rest. We just… we needed to come.”
My brows furrowed. “Needed to?”
He nodded. “To apologize.”
I blinked. “You?”
Eric’s eyes didn’t waver.
For what Max did. For what our brother put you through.”
In the corner, Lincoln remained silent, his arms crossed, jaw tight. His expression unreadable, but I could feel the tension radiating off him
“I struggled for words. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Eric said quickly. “We just… we wanted you to know we’re not standing by him. Not this time. What he did was inexcusable. We’ve both been taught since we could crawl that a forced mark is worse than murder. That it breaks the very laws our kind was built on. And Max… he crossed that line.”
I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. “I didn’t press charges.”
know Ene said quietly “And that’s the only reason he’s alive”
My eyes flicked to Lincoln, whose gaze hadn’t left the floor. His silence was louder than anything Eric had said.
Enc followed my glance and added, “Lincoln hasn’t said much. But he’s angry, Jiselle. Angrier than I’ve ever seen him.”
At that Lincoln finally looked up. His dark eyet Successfully unlocked! le mask slipped. I saw the storm behind therm
The fury. The helplessness
En continued, “He told me if anyone had done that to his mate–if someone had dared force a mark on the person he loved he wouldn’t have stopped until there was blood”
Lincoln nodded once, a sharp movement that said everything and nothing at once.
I bit my bottom lip, my voice barely a whisper “Thank you Both of you. I didn’t expect this.”
Enc offered a ghost of a smile. “You didn’t deserve any of what happened. And for what it’s worth. I’m sorry”
With a glance at Lincoln, who gave the smallest nod of acknowledgment, they turned to leave. At the door, Eric hesitated, glancing back
point”
“He’ll never be the same after this, he said softly. “But maybe that’s the p
And then they were gone.
I sat there for a while, the silence settling around me like a thick fog. I wasn’t sure how to feel. Part of me was grateful for their words. Another part felt the weight of what had been taken from me all over again.
But then I felt it
A pull
A thread tightening in my chest
He was close
Nate
The door opened quietly, and there he was–shoulders broad, hair mussed, eyes weary but alert. He froze when he saw me awake, his hand still on the handle
“You’re up,” he said softly.
I nodded, my eyes tracing the healing cut on his brow. “Yeah. Just now.”
He entered slowly, almost like he didn’t want to scare me. He stopped a few feet from the bed, eyes searching mine for something I couldn’t name.
“I saw them leave,” he said. “Eric and Lincoln.”
“They came to apologize.”
“I figured.” His jaw clenched. “At least someone in that family still has a soul.”
“Hey Eva is the sweetest,” I teased, knowing what he meant.
He smiled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“I meant the few with testosterone.”
“Still up for deliberation with Eva.” He chuckled again, and I noted the way it made me a hundred times more alert, and a million times more gushy.
Nate ran a hand through his hair, and I could see the exhaustion in his posture. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Probably hadn’t.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me, he admitted, voice low
I looked at him then. Really looked.
His eyes were tired, but his gaze was steady. His hands fidgeted at his sides, but his stance was open. He wasn’t here to demand anything. He wasn’t here to gloat or stake a claim.
He was just here.
For me.
“I do want to see you,” I said softly.
Relief flickered across his face, and he took a cautious step closer. “How do you feel?”
“Different,” I whispered. “Stronger. Calmer. Like… something’s settled.“,
“That’s the bond,” he said gently. “It’s finally in place. Fully”
It hit me then. We were…. fully mated. We mated back when I was sixteen. The only thing left
there
Though he did it to save my life, we were finally fully mat
I nodded slowly it feels good”
A beat of silence passed between us
Then another
And then I said, “Thank you.”
He blinked “For what?”
mated.
“For saving me. For not pushing me when I wasn’t ready. For everything.”
It was t
the mark and now it was
173
Chapter 540
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and he finally took the last step toward the bed, pulling the chair close and sitting beside me Our knees brushed, and the simple touch sent a ripple of warmth through me.
“I didn’t just mark you to save your life,” he said quietly.
My breath caught
“I mean–I did. That was part of it. You were dying. There wasn’t time. But… I would’ve done it anyway. Even if you were healthy. As long as you wanted me to, I would’ve.”
I stared at him, stunned.
“I’ve wanted to mark you since you found out I was your mate,” he continued. “But I waited after I royally fucked up. I saw my mistake a few years too late so I had to wait and even consider living without you. I tried to respect the time you needed. And I’ll still respect it. If you need space, if you need to figure things out–just say the word.”
I reached for his hand, threading my fingers through his. “I do need space.”
His eyes met mine, hope flickering in them.. “But there’s a chance?”
“I guess,” I whispered. I knew damn well I couldn’t resist this bond forever. “I just need time. Time to heal. Time to figure out what all this means. But it might be nice if you weren’t keeping me at arm’s length.”
He exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for hours. “Okay,” he said. “I can do that.”
We sat in silence, hands intertwined, hearts slowly syncing.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, the world didn’t feel like it was crumbling around me.
“I only have one concern,” I mumbled.
“Name it.”
“How pissed is Ethan?”
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