Arella’s POV
Zane looked like I’d just slapped him, the information making his brain melt. He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor’s reflection as if it replayed the past. His hands were clutching his knees as though they were the only things holding him together. His anguish filled the space between us, thick and suffocating, and my heart ached at the sight of him unraveling. When he finally looked up, the pain in his eyes was raw, almost unbearable.
“No,” he started, his voice barely above a whisper, as he shook his head. “It’s my fault. I should have---”
“I know you think that,” I interrupted gently, leaning forward. “It’s called survivor’s guilt, Zane, and it’s a bitch to deal with. But in the end, it’s all in your head.”
“How can you say that?” He snapped, his brow furrowed and confusion flickering across his face. “Hel
Arella’s POVOnce Zane had left, the silence in the room felt suffocating. I walked to the window, staring out into the moonlight garden, but couldn’t appreciate the beauty. Biting back tears, my fingers twisted around the towel that was wrapped around my body. My body feeling cold despite the warm shower…Werewolves have predestined mates!Zane’s words kept echoing in my mind, over and over again. I felt like Alice as she fell into the rabbit hole, as everything was spinning and I couldn’t keep up...And I’d already met mine?!Why didn’t you tell me? I asked my wolf, my voice trembling with pain as my thoughts swirled, each one heavier than the last. Why didn’t you tell me that I had a mate before I fell in love with Za
Zane’s POVI sat beside the woman I loved, feeling an unfamiliar weight on my chest. I wetted my lips for the umpteenth time and swallowed thickly, trying to find the right words. Although they still eluded me, I couldn’t let my mate worry about me for no reason...“Arella,” I said hoarsely, feeling unfamiliar nerves clawing at my stomach. “We need to talk.”“Started no good conversation ever,” she replied, and a worried frown marred her beautiful face. Arella sat on the edge of her bed, her usual curly and unruly hair cascading over her shoulders, still damp from the shower. She looked at me with expectant eyes, her expression a mix of curiosity and wariness.I huffed a nervous laugh, running a hand through my hair. She had a point, but it was too late to turn back now…“There’s--- there’s something I haven’t told you,” I began, my words faltering
Zane’s POVThe road back was mostly done in silence. My bodyguards were pissy that I’d left them behind and rushed into danger, but they didn’t argue when I explained the situation.I picked up Eva, while Cain rode on Noah’s wolf, his slightly darker fur blending into the night. The children still didn’t understand why their Aunt Selena and Uncle Bali did what they did. And telling them in a way they understood was hard. But with some help from Arella, we got the message of jealousy and bitterness across, letting them know they hadn’t done anything wrong.That it wasn’t their fault…Silence fell then--- well, at least until Cain decided to strike up a conversation with Noah and Marcus, telling them all about how he’d saved his Mom from Bali and Selena. Which Eva most definitely didn’t like, claiming some of the victory for herself.Despite the situation, I couldn’t
Zane's POVArelle’s eyes met mine and I felt her wolf panicking. She tried to mind link me, reassuring me that she didn’t intend for it to happen, and she hadn’t encouraged them to call her that and she wasn’t trying to---I honestly stopped listening!Because for the life of me, I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my lips. My wolf puffed out his chest, happier than the cat that got the crème. I already knew she considered the pups to be hers and she and her wolf were extremely protective of them. But knowing my children felt the same way about her, was the biggest gift I could ever have received.Why are you grinning like that? Arella’s voice came through to my thoughts again, her voice suspicious--- and with just the slightest bit of hope.I love you, I replied, still smiling and grinning like a fucking idiot. I reached over and caressed Eva’s dar
Zane’s POV“Daddy!”Cain’s voice rang out in the night, and my head immediately snapped in their direction. Before I could even shift back, their small arms flung around my wolf’s neck, holding on tight. Relief coursed through me, so powerful that I felt my legs almost give out.My wolf happily wagged his tail and I let him have a short moment with his pups, knowing he’d been just as mad with worry as I’d been. It had been a fucking long day and an even longer night.I was so fucking happy it was over with!After a few seconds, I shifted back, and I didn’t hesitate to pull them into my arms. Their amazing scent of wood, lavender, and moss filled my lungs, soothing the fatherly part of my heart. Feeling their warmth and heat against my skin, eased my trembling body and the aching pain that had been eating away at my heart all day...“Cain! Eva! What are you doing out here?
Zane’s POVThe air didn’t move and for a split second, I was back. Back that day when everything had changed. When my life had been shattered into a million pieces…My mind went back to that day. Time had slowed as I felt her pain through our mate bond. I’d spun to find her--- my heart dropping at the sight that awaited me.The black wolf…His jaws around her throat. And just as his eyes locked with mine – an evil smirk forming on his wolf’s features – he closed it. Crimson blood stained the air. Her gasp shattered me, and then her eyes dulled, the light of my world extinguished.The mate bond snapped like a taut string cut by a sharp blade. The pain was more excruciating than anything I’d ever known. It was like losing half of my soul. Like having my still-beating heart ripped out of my chest. Hollowing out into a void of anguish and guilt in its stead...I sc