Chapter 12: Decision

Zeus Point of View

The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air. Machines beeped in a quiet rhythm beside the hospital bed. I sat in the corner chair, motionless, watching the rise and fall of her chest.

November.

The woman who once smiled with the sun in her eyes now lay pale and broken. Her skin was clammy, lips still tinged with blue from the near-drowning. But she was alive. I had brought her back from the cliff’s edge—literally and figuratively.

"Her wolf is slipping," my wolf murmured inside me, pacing restlessly. "If we wait too long, she'll be gone for good."

“I know,” I muttered.

Just then, her fingers twitched.

I bolted upright.

"November?" I whispered, stepping toward the bed.

Her eyes fluttered open, slow and confused. Red rimmed irises stared blankly at the ceiling before flicking to me. Her breathing hitched. She tried to sit up but winced, her body weak and trembling.

“W-Where…” Her voice cracked. “Where am I?”

I knelt by her bedside. “You're safe. In the hospital. You… you were drowning. I pulled you out.

Her eyes widened slightly, horror slowly seeping into her expression.

“You…” she whispered, the pieces falling into place. “Zeus.”

The accusation in her voice struck like a slap.

“I remembered,” she continued, her voice growing firmer despite the tears swelling in her eyes. “You convinced Knox to reject me.”

A silence stretched between us like a blade.

I didn't deny it.

"Yes," I said quietly.

“Why?” Her voice cracked. “Why would you do that to me?”

I looked down at my hands. "Because we can’t be together, move on if Knox didn’t do that. It would be easier if he let you go… so you could be with me.”

She blinked as if she remembered something.

“Pathetic, I know,” I muttered.

She turned her head away, the tears spilling freely now. 

“Thank you,” she said, which made.me blink.

I couldn’t breathe under the weight of those words.

“I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you. I thought you were strong enough to handle it.”

“That’s not an excuse,” she calmly said. 

“No,” I said. “It’s not. But I didn’t come here for forgiveness.”

She flinched when I reached for her hand. I pulled back, ashamed.

“I came because your wolf is dying. And if she dies… so do you.”

Her lips trembled. “She’s already gone. I can’t feel her anymore.”

“She’s not gone,” I said. “She’s just fading. But I can help.”

She looked at me warily. 

“Why would you help me now?”

“Because we decided to heal.each other. I said. “And because… my wolf chose you.”

Silence again. This one is heavier.”

“What?” she whispered.

“The moment I met you, I felt it. My wolf wanted you. Not because you were beautiful or strong—though you are—but because something about you called to us. And when I saw Knox treat you like nothing, I lost my mind. I wanted you for myself, even if it meant manipulation. But it was wrong.”

She smiled bitterly. 

“You’re here to claim me now that I’m broken? What good is a she-wolf that is rejected by her mate?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’m here to offer you a choice.”

I stepped closer, letting her see the rawness in my eyes.

“Be my mate, November. Let me fix what is broken. Not because I want to own you. But because I want to save you. If your wolf dies, there’s no bringing her back. But if you accept me—truly accept me—she might survive.”

She looked at me long and hard, eyes red with grief and fury. 

“You want to fix me like I’m some shattered toy.”

“No,” I said. “I want to help you heal. Even if you would never love me.”

She closed her eyes, a sob escaping her lips.

“I hate you,” she whispered. “I hate that you did this. But I don’t want to die. I don’t want to lose her.”

Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket like it was the only thing tethering her to the world.

“I’m not asking you to forgive me,” I said. “I just want to give you the chance to choose. Let me be your anchor. We can go slow. We’ll rebuild—together.”

Her voice came out broken. 

“And if I say yes?”

“Then we begin the healing. I’ll help you reconnect to your wolf. We’ll go somewhere far, away from the pain. No one else. Just us.”

“And if I say no?”

“I’ll walk away,” I said. “And you’ll die.”

She didn’t answer. She just stared at the wall, tears falling freely, until her body shook with silent sobs. I wanted to touch her, to offer warmth, but I stayed still.

After what felt like an eternity, she whispered:

“…Okay.”

My heart stopped.

“I’ll try,” she said. “But not for you. For her. For the part of me that still wants to live.”

That was enough.

For now.