RAGNAR
That evening, once all the stories have been told, once the shock has worn off just a little, and the house finally starts to settle, Sun’s dad gets a room ready for Summer.
It’s a beautiful, quiet space tucked up in the attic, with its own little balcony and a perfect view of the lake at the edge of the Nolan property. The kind of place made for someone who just needs peace.
I can feel it right away: Summer’s connecting with Sun’s dad somehow. Like his instincts are telling him this is someone he can trust. And I feel the same. I know Summer’s in good hands here.
Still, Sun’s father insists that Summer should get checked out medically. He wants to call his nephew, and Sun agrees that it’s a good idea.
When Summer’s asked if he’s okay with getting examined, he shakes his head. Sun gently says, "Maybe if they could test your blood, they’d figure out what kind of substance they gave you and maybe even find an antidote…" But Summer shakes his head again, clearly more stressed.
Then something unexpected happens.
Snow gets up and walks over to Sun, who’s still hesitating, unsure if he should try to convince Summer to at least do a blood test. Snow puts a hand on Sun’s shoulder and shakes his head as if in a no.
It’s a little strange to me, this silent communication, but I get it. This family has made peace with the fact that Snow is just… different. And they respect that. Sun nods and backs off, and in the end, Summer is left to do whatever he wants.
Admittedly, I have mixed feelings about it, but I have to respect his wishes. He’s had enough people forcing things on him, and he is in a fragile state. But I can feel it, more and more, that this is the right place for him. No one here is going to push him.
Evening brings breaking news: the FBI has captured the man behind the assassination attempt on Blue Lowen: Anzo Ferro.
It’s literally everywhere . Social media is exploding, TV coverage is nonstop, and even major podcasts are jumping in. Of course, plenty of people hate Blue and have the nerve to act almost sympathetic toward Anzo, but I try not to let it get to me.
Especially Dante Moll, who’s practically crying crocodile tears on social media about how Ferro was such a huge supporter of BE and how much he supposedly did for the betas' community.
But Anzo’s already in custody, and the evidence against him is overwhelming. The FBI has recordings of him talking to the strike team, revealing every detail of the plan. There’s no way he’s getting out of this.
For now, Rocco remains in power with Ennio backing him up.
I can ask myself a thousand times which brother leaked the evidence that brought Anzo down, and I still can’t decide. They all had their reasons, especially after what Luca told me during our scuffle.
One more question keeps bugging me. Will Rocco try to retaliate? I don’t know. If he does, it won’t be right away.
Right now, he’s in a pretty privileged position, thirty years old and already a mafia capo.
According to everything I’ve read, he hasn’t been charged with anything and hasn’t been tied to the assassination attempt.
But there’s no denying he’ll need to rebuild the entire structure.
A lot of Anzo’s soldiers were arrested too, which means Rocco’s resources are going to be seriously limited for a long time.
After dinner, Sun’s parents wish us a good night. We’re sleeping in Sun’s room tonight. No one questions it, after all, we’re True Mates. This is basically the same as being married, and it is considered such by the government.
Luckily, Sun has a ridiculously huge bed. He says he used to toss and turn so much that he’d fall out of it at night, so eventually his parents gave in and bought him a wider one. It’s definitely coming in handy now.
After a long shower downstairs, I head back up. Sun’s already changed, he’s wearing a long white T-shirt and sitting at the edge of the bed. His golden hair is down, falling in soft waves halfway down his back. In his hands, he’s holding the collar he wore around his neck for nearly two months.
I walk over slowly and sit beside him on the bed.
He sighs and says, "My dad said I was strong… that I survived. But you know what the worst part was? It wasn’t even the things Anzo did to me.
It was the hopelessness. That feeling that there was no chance for me.
That I was never getting out. That it would take a miracle… and I didn’t believe in miracles."
He lifts his eyes to me and gives a sad smile.
"Come here," I say, climbing onto the bed and patting the sheet beside me.
Sun slowly lies down next to me. It’s the first time we’re in bed together like this, the first time we’ve been this close, lying side by side.
And somehow… it’s a little awkward. Exciting, but still awkward. The truth is, our relationship is evolving in real time. Even though we’re True Mates, there’s still so much that’s new between us, so we’re catching up.
"Your dad’s right. Not many would’ve had the guts to stand up to Anzo. I’ll always respect you for that, for surviving with your dignity intact. Even when you thought you were all alone. Even when I didn’t stand by you like I should’ve."
Sun smiles again, soft but sad.
"Ragnar… If I were you, I would be very careful in such a situation also. I reacted emotionally only because I felt so alone. No one made it their mission to get me out of that fortress the way you did for Summer. But that’s on me.
I made sure no one knew, only Jared. And like you, he had a lot to lose. "
"You were trying to protect people. Your family. It’s admirable. If you’d sent a message to your dad, they might’ve acted too soon… and they’d be dead now. That was a strategic decision. Brave. Smart."
Sun shifts onto his side to face me.
"It was hard, though. When it’s about survival, you flip into a strange mode. You realize you can’t trust anyone. Not when the people pulling the strings are like that."
"And yet… I could trust you," I say, my tone bittersweet, as I brush a golden strand from his bruised cheek. "Even in that survival mode, when anyone else would’ve sold out every piece of their soul, just to stay alive, you didn’t. Sometimes you make me forget you’re only eighteen… and sometimes…"
I trail off, my hand sliding down to his neck, to the glands at his throat.
"…I don’t want to remember. However wrong it sounds."
His skin shows marks of what he’s been through, but I know they’ll fade soon. By tomorrow, they’ll be gone, especially once we enter the Joining. Just thinking about it warms me from the inside out.
Sun shivers a little under my touch.
"You know," he whispers, "I don’t feel eighteen. I feel like a damn old man dreaming about retirement."
There’s a sense of loss in his words—deep and silent, and I feel it too. Like it seeps into my bones. That part of his youth and innocence is in a way forever lost.
"We both deserve retirement. And if we decided we were done with vacations, maybe the next stage would be another retirement-typical activity, like caring for people’s gardens."
We both laugh… our first real, shared laugh as free people.
Sun lies there, looking at me for a while.
His face looks so different from what I’ve grown used to.
Ever since I met him, there’s always been a trace of fear, tension, or desperation in his expression.
But now, it’s all gone. And without it, he seems like a new person, like an entire uncharted world laid out before me, a world Fate has chosen just for me.
I roll over slowly, until my body rests above his. Our chests, our hips pressed tightly together. I support myself on my elbows, and his face is directly beneath mine. It’s the first time we’ve ever lain like this.
Up close, his eyes look even more unguarded.
Waiting. I get the strange sense that Sun hasn’t had sex in this face-to-face position very often, maybe not at all.
There’s a flicker of hesitation in him, like he’s not sure what he’s supposed to do.
Eventually, his hands rise and settle shyly on my shoulders, tentative, like he’s checking if that’s okay.
My nose is full of his enticing scent now.
No anti-Allure deodorant, I'm completely immersed in the sweet aroma of orange blossom. His body wash tried to imitate it before, but it’s nothing compared to the real thing.
Sun’s skin carries the delicate fragrance of freshly opened orange flowers, and it’s flooding my senses.
I wonder if I should say something, a compliment, maybe, or some kind of reassurance, but maybe it’s not necessary. Perhaps I can show him everything I feel in another way.
Deliberately, I skip his lips. I lower my head and press a soft kiss to his cheek. Again, I feel that little pulse of surprise from him. It’s almost bashful.
I still hesitate about saying something, but then I sense it… he’s not asking me for words. I’m no romantic poet. I’m just a soldier, and he accepts me like this.
So I keep going. Another gentle kiss on his cheekbone. One at his temple. Then back down along his jawline to his chin.
I’m getting closer to where I want to be, his neck gland. The skin there is soft, unmarked. No one’s ever bitten him there before. Not even his first boyfriend. I’d love to know why. Maybe they were just too young when it happened. Well, they weren’t legal, not even close.
Maybe his ex hadn’t gone through Musth yet? Most alphas can’t deploy their mating fangs before it, though I know there are exceptions. Either way, it’s a mystery I’ll never solve. All I can do now is enjoy the sight of this untouched skin, waiting for my claim.
My lips graze his gland, light nips, a slow lick. Sun lets out a quiet gasp, almost a sigh.
Only then do I circle back to his sweet, full lips, just for more of the orange flavor.
His arms tighten around my back, the lean body presses up against mine. He spreads his legs, and I feel his calves rest along my hips, a clear invitation.