Chapter 12
Rylan’s POV
Icollapse beside her, pulling her into my arms, my cock still twitching inside her. She’s glistening, her skin slick with sweat, her breath coming in slow, soft, uneven.
And for the first time in years, I feel whole.
I rise from the bed, take her in my arms bridal style and open the door to our bathroom. I gently place her in the tub and start running her bath water.
For long moments, we lie tangled together, breathing hard. I can feel her confusion through the bond, not at what we’ve done, but what I’m doing now. I catch her expression and murmur, “Aftercare.”
The large tub fills quickly with steaming water and the scent of mint. When it’s ready, I join her, positioning her between my legs with her back against my chest.
Understanding dawns in her expression, followed by something deeper, gratitude, affection, the beginning of something I’m afraid to name.
“How do you feel?” I ask, gently washing her with a soft cloth.
“Complete,” she answers simply. “For the first time, I feel... right.”
I press a kiss to her temple, allowing myself to savor this moment of peace. The water laps around us, soothing tired muscles and washing away the evidence of our joining. I’m careful with her, attentive to every wince or sigh.
The water settles around us, warm and steady, but the tension hasn’t fully left her body.
Selena leans back against my chest, quieter now, but not at peace. My hand moves slowly along her arm, grounding her, feeling the subtle tremor still beneath her skin.
Her body relaxes against mine… but her mind doesn’t. I feel it.
“You’ve been quiet,” I murmur against her temple. “What’s on your mind?”
A pause. Then she asks, “What happened… after I died?”
“My wolf and I felt it the second it happened. The spark of a mate bond. We were holding you in your last moments until your body went rigid and the light left your eyes.” I exhale slowly. “That’s when we realized… you were our second chance mate.”
My chest tightens, dragging me right back to that moment. I close my eyes, take a slow breath, then look at her. “You died in my arms.” She stills.
“That’s when everything changed. I stopped fighting my wolf and let him take over. I felt it too. The pain… then nothing.”
The air stills between us.
“And when I opened my eyes again,” I continue, voice low and steady, “I saw you take down two warriors with precision.”
She turns her head slightly, looking at me now.
“We weren’t brought back for revenge. We were brought back because what happened to us wasn’t supposed to happen. But that doesn’t mean we get to make the same mistakes. If we follow the same path… we die again.”
Silence settles deeper.
“You were there,” she says quietly. “The whole time.”
“You weren’t fighting alone. You just didn’t see me.”
Her gaze shifts, something clicking into place. “And the pack?”
My jaw tightens. “They let it happen. My family. The elders. All of them.” The water stills around us. “If this pack stands the same way it did before, I’ll tear it down myself.”
She turns fully in my arms. “You won’t.”
I go still. “Don’t tell me what I…”
“You won’t,” she repeats, softer now. “Because I’ll stop you before it gets that far. Not for them… for you.” Her hand rests over mine. “That pack… the Silver Moon Pack… it’s still yours. Your wolves. Your blood. You love them.”
The tension lingers.
“And that’s exactly what got us killed.”
Her breath catches.
“I let it go. I trusted them. I didn’t act when I should have.” My gaze locks onto hers. “I’m not doing that again.”
My hand comes up, steady against her jaw. “I’m not holding back this time.”
A pause.
“If it comes down to you… or them…” I don’t hesitate.
“I choose you. Every time.”
It’s not uncertainty.
It’s alignment.
When the water begins to cool, I help her out, wrapping her in a thick towel before drying myself. We return to the bedroom where I change the sheets one-handed, unwilling to let go of her completely.
Once we’re settled in bed, her body curved against mine, I feel her tension return slightly.
She shifts to look up at me, and my breath catches. Her eyes flare silver in the dim light, her wolf close to the surface, awakened fully by our bond.
“What happens now?” she asks, her voice small in the darkness.
“Now we rest,” I answer, stroking her hair. “Tomorrow will come soon enough. There is much to discuss.”
“There’s something you’re not telling me,” she says softly.
Of course there is. I hold her gaze for a beat.
“Tomorrow,” I say. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
A pause. She studies me… then nods. “Okay.”
I brush her hair back, my thumb lingering at her temple. “Sleep.”
This time, she lets herself rest. I stay beside her until her breathing evens out… until her body finally gives in. Only then do I move.
TELL HER.
My wolf’s voice cuts through the silence. “I will.”
NOW.
My jaw tightens. “Not like this.” A beat. “She deserves one night without the drama.”
Silence.
Then… SHE DESERVES THE TRUTH.
I exhale slowly, dragging a hand through my hair. “I know.” My gaze shifts back to the bed. To her. Peaceful. Unaware.
“For the first time,” I murmur, “she’s not in pain. She has peace.”
A pause.
Then quieter…
“And tomorrow I tell her who took away those she loved most.” My wolf stills.
MARK HER. PROTECT HER.
My chest tightens. “Tomorrow,” I repeat. Because when she knows…
Ronan and Candice didn’t just betray her, frame her, and kill her in our previous lives.
They killed her parents.
I pull her closer, silently vowing to be worthy of her choice, to protect her from whatever storms tomorrow brings.