Chapter 610
When Amelie finally returned to the chamber with her parents, Gabriel didn’t wait for her to cross the distance between them. He lunged forward, gathering her into an embrace that nearly lifted her off the floor. “Amelie!” he breathed, his hand resting possessively against the back of her head as if anchoring her to him.
When he finally pulled back, he didn’t let go. His hands cupped her face, his thumbs tracing her cheekbones with frantic care. “Are you in pain? Do you feel any discomfort at all? That attack was quite strong,” he said with the remnants of his fear.
Amelie shook her head, offering him a small, reassuring smile. “I don’t feel any pain, Gabriel. I managed to bring the sword up just in time; I think the blade absorbed the dark energy Ophelia intended for me,” she explained. “And you caught me. I felt you right behind me, like a shield, before everything went dark p>
“Now, it is time for both of you to rest,” Mabel intervened, stepping into the room with Raidan. They had returned now that Dominick was stable, leaving Casaio and Zilia to keep watch at the hospital.
“Yes. Thank you, everyone, for tonight,” Gabriel pronounced, turning to address the family gathered in the chamber with a formal nod of gratitude.
Once the room cleared and Gabriel had gently insisted that Ashna go get some sleep as well, the heavy doors finally closed. At last, they were alone. Amelie went straight to the crib, her heart easing as she saw Noah sleeping peacefully. She rocked the cradle gently before turning back to Gabriel.
He didn’t give her a chance to speak. He moved like a shadow, pulling her into a fierce, deep kiss. His arms wrapped around her lower back, drawing her so flush against him that not even a breath of air could pass between them. Amelie’s hands flew to his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she returned the kiss with equal fervor. The taste of victory was sweet, but the taste of being alive and together was even better.
Eventually, they slowed, their foreheads resting against one another as their breathing hitched. Amelie’s hand moved to his cheek, her thumb brushing over his skin. “We are together. Finally,” she whispered.
“Yes,” he rumbled. Without warning, he swept her up into his arms, making her gasp in surprise, and carried her to the bed. He laid her down on the soft mattress with tenderness, kneeling to remove her slip-ons and socks before discarding his own boots and heavy coat.
He slid beneath the warm duvet, pulling her into the curve of his body.
“You did an incredible job tonight,” Amelie murmured, her eyes shimmering with admiration as she looked at him. “Carlos told me the plan almost fractured, but you didn’t let her escape. You struck exactly when you needed to and saved everyone. You’re our hero, Gabriel p>
“Well, we all did this job, not just me,” Gabriel said, kissing her forehead again.
Zilia kept her forehead rested against Casaio’s shoulder. They were huddled together on the small couch in the wardroom, just a few feet away from where Dominick lay under quiet observation.
“It’s finally over, right?” Zilia asked in a whisper.
“Yeah. She perished,” Casaio answered, his hand coming up to rest on her arm. “There’s nothing left of her p>
“I saw Gabriel catching Amelie… It was almost magical,” Zilia murmured, a faraway look in her eyes. “I don’t know where he found that kind of strength. I suppose when your mate is in that much danger, you and your wolf become something else entirely p>
“Yeah. By the way, I saw someone, too,” Casaio said, his tone turning thoughtful and slightly unsettled.
Zilia tilted her head back, looking at him in confusion. “Who p>
“I don’t know. It was right near Gabriel,” he murmured. “Something white… It couldn’t have been a ghost. They don’t exist, right? It happened the exact moment he shoved the blade into Ophelia’s heart. There was a figure right beside him. But then… I think I might have just been hallucinating from the exhaustion p>
“What if it was the Moon Goddess herself?” Zilia remarked with awe. “Gabriel and Amelie have suffered so much. They say the Goddess appears to pairs like them, those who have been through the hell and stayed true p>
“Well, if that’s true, then I’m at peace with it,” Casaio answered, a sense of relief washing over him. He looked down at her, seeing the dark circles under her eyes. “Why don’t you sleep for a while? Dominick is stable now. Just take a nap, Zilia p>
“What about you? Aren’t you going to sleep?” she inquired, her eyes fluttering with exhaustion.
“I will, right after I speak with the doctor one last time p>
Casaio stood up and reached for a thin but warm duvet, draped it carefully over Zilia as she curled up on the wide couch. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before stepping out into the quiet hallway.
When he finally returned a while later, the room was silent. Only the heart monitor was beeping. Zilia was in a deep slumber. Casaio didn’t go back to the couch; instead, he pulled a chair close to the hospital bed and sat down.
The constant beep… beep… beep… of the machines felt like a ticking clock. He stared at Dominick’s pale face. He had almost lost him. The memory of his own helplessness against Ophelia’s black magic burned in his mind. He felt like he had failed his brother; his own strength had meant nothing in the face of the witch’s malice.
The guilt gnawed at his chest. Reaching out with a trembling hand, Casaio took Dominick’s limp hand in his, offering gentle, repetitive caresses, as if he could anchor his brother to the world through touch alone.
“Nick, you took the attack for me. Thank you. I wish you wouldn’t have,” he murmured as his eyes brimmed with tears finally. He couldn’t show his vulnerable side to anyone. He had been feeling low all this time. But he couldn’t even speak about it because it would have worried others too.