“I want to not feel like I’m breaking apart,” I say quietly. “I want to not smell him everywhere. I want to not hurt every timeI think about the look on his face when I said—” I stop. Can’t finish.
“You want him,” Ember says simply. “The heat is gone, and you still want him. That’s a mate bond, Nadia. That’s real.”
“I’m terrified.”
“I know.” She squeezes my hand. “But maybe being terrified is better than spending the rest of your life wondering ‘what if.’”
She stands. Crosses to the door. Stops before opening it.
“For what it’s worth,” she says, “I think Chance would want you to be happy. Even if that means moving on. Even if that means choosing someone unexpected.”
Then she’s gone. Door closing softly behind her.
I sit in the silence. My wolf is quieter now. Still insistent but patient. Like she knows Ember’s words are working through my defenses.
The heat cycle is over. Completely over. The biology that drove me to him is gone.
The want isn’t.
The pull isn’t.
The ache when I think about him isn’t.
That’s not heat. That’s a bond.
My wolf shows me the truth I’ve been denying. Not words. Just certainty. Just recognition that goes deeper than thought or logic or fear.
Mate.
I close my eyes. Let the truth settle.
I pushed him away because I’m terrified. Because I don’t know how to want him without betraying Chance. Because I don’t know how to risk my heart again when losing it the first time nearly destroyed me.
But maybe Ember’s right. Maybe being terrified is better than wonderingwhat if.
Maybe it’s not too late to fix what I broke.
Maybe.
My wolf settles completely. Satisfied that I’m finally listening. Finally acknowledging what she’s known all along.
I don’t know what happens next. Don’t know how to bridge the gap I created. Don’t know if Jericho even wants me to try.
But I know I can’t keep lying. Can’t keep denying what this is.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll figure out what to do.
Tonight, I just sit in the dark and try to accept that my wolf chose the one person I never thought I could forgive.
And maybe that’s exactly the point.
Chapter 24
Jericho
The war room is clearly Viktor’s domain. Maps covering the walls, displays showing Aurora’s operational range, real-time data feeds from outposts around the world. Professional setup built for strategy and command.
Six people sit around the central table. Viktor at the head. Caleb and Dorian Craven to his right. Vanya across from them. Kael near the end. Tabitha Rourke—one of Viktor’s senior advisors—beside her.
