Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Nolan POV
The tingling in my wrist wouldn’t fade, no matter how many times I rubbed at it. It was as if the mate bond itself had burned into my skin, branding me with a reminder of my failures.
Not after the way I had broken it. Not after everything I had done to her.
Some bitter, self-loathing part of me thought this was exactly what I deserved-to feel the mate pull now, sharp and undeniable, when I had spent years convincing myself it wasn’t real.
I had ignored it, rejected it, pretended it didn’t matter. I had told myself it was just instinct, just the goddess’s chains, and I’d been determined never to bow to her will.
And because of that stubborn pride, I had lost everything.
Ellie had run. She had been hurt, vulnerable, grieving, and instead of finding comfort in me, her mate, she’d seen me as someone she had to escape from. That truth gutted me more than I could ever admit out loud.
I’d hurt plenty of people before-sometimes by choice, sometimes by mistake-but this was different.
I had destroyed something rare, something important, with the way I treated her. It could have been incredible between us. It should have been. Instead, I’d shattered it.
Now, with the ghost of her touch still tingling against mine, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. This wasn’t just emotion. This wasn’t desperation clouding my judgment. My wolf was proof enough.
He paced behind my ribs like a caged animal, ears pinned and teeth bared, furious with me and desperate for her. My heart hammered like I was on the edge of battle. Every sense screamed that she was here, alive, real, and mine.
But Ellie… Ellie walked beside me with her shoulders tight, her breathing uneven. She wouldn’t even look at me for more than a flicker of a second.
She was afraid.
After nearly a year of tearing the world apart to find her, I had imagined this moment a hundred times. I thought I’d feel relief, joy, gratitude to the goddess I never prayed
to.
Instead, my chest hollowed out. Relief was there, yes, but it was buried under the crushing weight of her fear.
She wasn’t afraid of whoever had attacked her. She was afraid of me.
And Cassian p>
Cassian, who hovered at her side like a shadow. Cassian, whose hand lingered too close to her shoulder as if guiding her forward. Cassian, whose eyes never strayed too far from her face.
The sight boiled my blood. I had always suspected his feelings for her, but now, seeing the way she leaned slightly toward him, the way she seemed to draw strength from his presence, the suspicion carved deeper.
My wolf growled low, demanding I tear the space between them apart.
But I didn’t. Not yet.
We entered the hospital, the heavy doors shutting out the late-afternoon light. Cassian steered us into a conference room. The air inside was sterile and cool, the hum of the overhead lights grating against my nerves. The instant the door clicked closed behind us, I turned to her, unable to hold back anymore.
1/2
Chapter 92
“You’re coming home with me p>
+25 Bonus
Ellie stiffened, her hands knotting together in front of her. “It’s not that simple,” she said tensely. “I have a life here now. I can’t just up and leave p>
“You can, and you will.” The words snapped out before I could soften them. Her eyes flashed, and I winced at myself. I took a breath, tried again. “What I mean is-l need you to come back p>
Her arms crossed defensively, creating a barrier between us. “You don’t need me at all. You have Felicity to play Luna. You have betas, assistants, a whole pack council. You’ve never needed me, Nolan. Not once p>
“That’s not true.” I stepped forward, my voice rising despite myself. “Ellie, you don’t understand the state Silver Fang is in. Everyone thinks something terrible happened to you. The entire pack is restless. There’s fear in the streets, tension in the council. People don’t even feel safe leaving their homes after dark. If I want to ease that-if I want to restore order-I need you home. I need them to see you alive.” Comments
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