Chapter 129

Elora’s POV

I woke up to voices. Not the gentle, comforting kind, these were harsh and slicing. For half a second, I actually thought I was still dreaming. Everything felt floaty, unreal, the room’s edges all fuzzy and weird. My mouth felt like it was filled with dust, and my chest hurt.

Then I heard them say my name.

“You think I don’t see through you?” That was Dante. “You can’t help yourself, can you? I had to touch her again. I had to feel her.”

And Dominic, keeping his voice low, said. “If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t even be alive right now. Don’t confuse my restraint for weakness.”

My heart did this weird, panicked flip.

Outside. They were outside again, fighting, of course.

I sat up, slowly, because everything spun when I moved. My body felt heavy and useless. The last thing I remembered was Dante’s mouth on my skin, that burning mark, a burst of light, and then nothing. Just darkness, total blackout.

I grabbed the side of the bed, trying to steady myself. The whole place smelled of those healer herbs. My hands shook as I placed my legs on the cold floor. I could still hear them, voices leaking through the door.

“She’s dying, Dante. Every second we waste fighting, she fades.”

“Don’t you dare pretend you care for her more than I do.” Dante's voice came through stern and steady.

I stood up, clinging to the bedpost. My vision blurred as I felt the world go black for a moment. For a split second, I thought I would hit the floor, but anger kept me standing. I was not going to collapse in front of them. Not today.

I managed to walk to the door, footsteps not making a sound. The second I opened it, both of them turned their attention to me.

Dominic froze, eyes wide. Dante’s face went from furious to guilty in less than a second.

“Elora,” Dominic said, stepping closer, all cautious. “You shouldn’t be walking around.”

I tried to laugh, but it came out unpleasantly. “Yeah, well, seems like there are a lot of things I’m not supposed to do lately.”

And just like that, everything went quiet.

“Sit,” Dante said, his voice turning soft, like he hated himself for even asking. “Please. You shouldn’t be moving.”

I shot him a look and ignored the hell out of that. “You two were at it again.”

Dominic stared at the floor. Dante wouldn’t look at me.

“I heard you,” I said, forcing my voice not to crack, even though I could barely stay upright. “Arguing. About me. Again.”

Dominic started to protest, but I cut him off by raising my hand in a stop motion.

“No. I’m done being the reason you two keep ripping each other apart. I’m not something to fight over.”

Their silence said it all. Didn’t even need words.

I looked at Dante first. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his skin was pale, and there was blood on his knuckles. Of course. Then I glanced at Dominic. Calm as always, but I could see the cracks... he looked at me like he was about to break down.

“You’re destroying each other,” I said, voice quiet. “Do you even hear yourselves? There’s a pack out there hanging by a thread, a curse spreading, and you two...” My throat closed up.

And that’s when the tears just broke through. No warning, just bam.

For a long second, they both just stared at me. Then Dante finally stepped forward, hands shaking like he didn’t even know what to do with them anymore. “Elora, don’t...”

"Don’t what?” I shot back, voice all jagged from too many sleepless nights. “Don’t cry? Don’t speak? Don’t remind me we’re meant to be on the same damn side?”

My legs just… gave out. Pathetic, honestly. Dominic caught me before Dante even twitched, arm steady, but like he was afraid I’d turn to glass if he held too tight.

“Easy,” he said, softly. “Just breathe.”

I looked up, right into those eyes. That same old haunted warmth, like, come on, how can someone look so sad and make me feel it too? It hurt.

Then Dante, from behind, voice sharp enough to cut: “She needs rest.”

No one budged. Not Dominic. Not me.

And because silence always gets to me worse than the fever burning me up, I blurted out the one thing you’re not supposed to say.

“I love both of you,” I said, whisper-thin.

Not a confession. More like waving a white flag.

Dante jerked like I’d slapped him. Dominic’s hand squeezed, then let up.

“I don’t even know how it happened,” I choked out. “And why would the Moon do this to us... tie us together and just watch. I can’t...” My throat just gave up. “I can’t keep watching you two tear everything apart just to prove who deserves me.”

Dante turned away. Shoulders shaking. Dominic couldn’t seem to look at anything but the floor.

We just stood there. No one said anything. Wind whistling through the window.

Eventually, I grabbed Dominic’s hand, then Dante’s too.

Both of them stiffened as neither of them let go.

“If I die,” I whispered, “let it be the Moon’s fault, not because you two can’t stand breathing the same air.”

They squeezed my hands. Hard. Like maybe they’d finally heard me.

And for a second, just a second, something buzzed under my skin. The bond or whatever, clawing its way back, trying to fix what we’d all broken.

Didn’t last. I was too far gone.

Everything started to fade again, their faces melting into the dark. I heard Dante shout my name, Dominic swearing as they caught me.

And right as the darkness swallowed me, I swear, I heard the Moon, all sly:

“Don’t pick with your head, Elora. Pick with your soul.”