She's the True HeirUpdated at Feb 20, 2026, 17:28
“We’re not losing her,” he says quietly.
“No,” I agree, and the word feels like a vow settling into place. “We’re not.”
The argument inside the house softens into strained silence, punctuated by hurried footsteps and the zip of bags, and when Bella’s scent moves closer to the front door, my heart starts pounding so hard it’s almost painful. I don’t know where she thinks she’s going, but I know one thing with absolute certainty.
Wherever it is, we’re not letting her go alone.
“She ran because she thought it didn’t matter,” Atticus says, watching the house like it might blink and disappear. “Like last night was just a mistake.”
I snort softly. “Yeah,” I say. “And she can keep telling herself that all she wants.”
The front door opens, spilling light across the porch, and Bella steps out with a bag slung over her shoulder, her jaw set and her eyes bright with unshed emotion, and for one brief second she looks straight into the dark where we’re standing, like some part of her knows she’s not as alone as she thinks.
The door closes behind her with a finality that makes my chest ache, and as she heads down the steps, my grip tightens on the promise already carved into my bones.
We’re not crazy. We’re not wrong.
And I swear, to the moon and the blood and the bond pulling tight with every breath, that no matter how far she runs or how fast the world tries to rip her away, Atticus and I are not going to lose our mate.