Chapter 216
Chapter 216
Ellie POV
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The night was blurring together. I’d walked away from Nol, but I couldn’t even tell how long ago. The party was going well into the night and showed no signs of stopping
Laughter, music, the smell of roasted food and wine-it all felt far away now. The world had softened into something dreamlike, golden and slow, as Nolan’s hand found mine and pulled me gently back into the dance.
I hadn’t meant to say yes again.
But then I’d looked at him- really looked and the refusal had dissolved on my tongue.
He didn’t belong in a setting like this. Nolan was all sharp edges and restraint, forged from a lifetime of control and command. Yet here, surrounded by firelight and laughter, he looked almost vulnerable.
The stiff lines of his posture had eased a little. The hand at my waist trembled slightly, betraying nerves I’d never thought he possessed.
And his eyes-gods, his eyes
were fixed entirely on me
The music slowed to something softer. Voices faded into murmurs.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breathing steady. I felt like I was under his spell, the way I had all those years ago when we’d first met.
The mate pull was stronger than it had been in years – alive and insistent, a
magnetic hum beneath my skin. Every shift of his hand, every inhale he took, I felt as if it were happening inside my own body.
It buzzed beneath my skin and made me want to hold him closer, to let it seep into my bones.
It was maddening.
“Ellie,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear it.
My heart skipped. “What p>
“Are you all right? You look… distant p>
I forced a faint smile. “I’m fine. Just tired p>
It wasn’t a lie – but it wasn’t the truth either.
The truth was that my entire body felt like it was betraying me. My pulse thrummed wherever he touched me. The warmth of his hand through the thin fabric of my dress made my skin ache with awareness.
I remembered, vividly, how I’d once begged for moments like this. The memories just kept coming back with startling clarity. It made my heart ache, and my stomach turn to remember how desperately, how pathetically, I’d longed for him.
In the early days of our marriage, I’d been so needy for his attention that I’d trained herself to take crumbs as blessings. A glance, a fleeting smile, a polite touch at a pack gathering – I’d cherished them all, pretending they meant something more.
But Nolan had been untouchable then.
He’d kept me at arm’s length, always polite, always distant Every time I’d tried to bridge the gap between us, he’d pulled away.
And now here he was, holding me like I was something fragile.
11/2
Chapter 216
+25 Bonus
My throat tightened.
This was old news, a familiar anxiety spiral. I’d gone over all of this in my head a thousand times. But I still couldn’t stop.
I felt like I had no idea who I was anymore. Was this the real me? Or was that frightened, desperate rogue the real version? Did that person I was back then even exist anymore?
It didn’t feel like it. That all felt like a different lifetime. How could I be certain that what I was feeling with Nolan now was genuine and that he wouldn’t revert back to the cold, unfeeling man he’d once been?
I couldn’t stop the thoughts from spinning out of control.
I didn’t realize I’d gone still until he spoke again. “Ellie p>
I looked up at him. “I was just remembering something p>
He studied my face carefully, his stormy eyes fixed on mine “Good or bad p>
“Both,” I said softly.
His hand tensed at my waist, but he didn’t speak.
“Do you remember the first time we were invited to the royal gala?” I asked suddenly.
He frowned slightly, nodding. “Of course p>
“I waited all night for you to dance with me,” I said: “You didn’t p>
He blinked. “You never asked p>
“I shouldn’t have had to,” I said quietly. “You were my husband p>
The words hung between us, sharp and delicate.
Nolan’s expression shifted – a flicker of something raw breaking through the composure.
“You’re right,” he said finally. “You shouldn’t have p>
I bit my lip, the memories pressing in from all sides. “I used to watch you from across the room and wonder what I’d done wrong. I thought if I tried harder, if I was better quieter, prettier, anything – you’d see me p>