“I need you to understand,” I say, my voice quivering now, “that what they did to you doesn’t erase what you did to me. Both things can be true at the same time.”
“I know.” His voice is barely audible. “I know, Anne. And I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m not even asking you to understand. I just—” He stops, swallowing hard. “I just needed you to know the truth. All of it.”
We sit in silence after that. Kain finally eats the breakfast I made, while I sip coffee and try not to cry again.
“What happens now?” he asks after a while.
I look at him—really look at him. At the scars and the exhaustion and the desperate hope in his eyes that he’s trying so hard to hide.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
My heart tightens and my wolf whimpers. I still love him. Even through all of this, I love him so completely, and I probably always will. But he has broken my trust, and I don’t know if love is enough without trust.
“I don’t know what this is yet,” I deflect vaguely.
“That’s fair.” He sets down his fork, the plate still half full. “More than fair.”
“Darius said you’re staying here while they work on taking down the organization.”
“If that’s okay with you. If it’s not, I can—”
“It’s fine,” I say quickly. “The couch is yours for as long as you need it.”
His shoulders sag with relief. “Thank you,” he says again.
I nod and stand, leaving my empty coffee mug and plate on the table. “I’m going to shower. You should get some more rest. You look terrible.”
A ghost of a smile crosses his face. “I feel terrible.”
I turn toward the bathroom, then pause. Without looking back at him, I say, just loud enough for him to hear, “I’m glad you’re alive, Kain. Even with everything that has happened, I’m glad you’re here.”
I don’t wait for his response. Just head to the bathroom and close the door.
Once I’m alone, I let myself cry.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Anne
I’m in the kitchen making coffee, moving on autopilot after another sleepless night, when there’s a knock on the apartment door.
Kain is still on the couch, curled on his side under the blanket. He hasn’t moved since I got up an hour ago.
I open the door to find the Alpha standing there, holding a small medical case.
“Dairus,” I say, surprised.
“Anne.” He looks past me into the living room. “Is he alright?”
“I think so. Come in.”
Darius enters, and I close the door behind him. The sound makes Kain stir on the couch. He sits up slowly, wincing, and I notice how pale he looks. How the shadows under his eyes have deepened overnight.
“Darius.” Kain’s voice is rough, and I notice the way his shoulders stiffen. “What are you doing here?”
“Brought you something.” Darius sets the case on the coffee table and opens it, revealing several syringes filled with clearliquid. “Healers from various packs have been working on this for years. It’s a medical breakthrough; it supercharges a wolf’s healing abilities and completely numbs pain.”
I move closer, curious.
