Chapter 37
1088 Words
Home
Hailey
The bedroom is beautiful.
The bed is enormous.
The view is breathtaking.
And somehow, despite all of that, the first thing I want is a shower.
A long one.
A very long one.
"I need ten minutes."
Zane looks up from the food platter he has already claimed as his personal property.
"You've said that before."
I narrow my eyes.
"That's because you've known me for five minutes."
"Feels longer."
Rider throws a cushion at him.
Zane catches it without looking.
Unfortunately.
"I'll be back."
Without waiting for another comment, I disappear into the bathroom and close the door behind me.
Silence immediately settles around me.
Real silence.
Not the strange silence that comes from being surrounded by people.
The kind that allows me to think.
To breathe.
To process.
The bathroom itself is almost as large as my room back at Ironclaw had been. Pale stone surrounds a massive shower built into the wall, while silver lanterns cast a warm glow across polished surfaces.
For several moments I simply stand there staring.
Then I step beneath the hot water.
The first touch of heat against my skin nearly makes me groan with relief.
Gods.
I didn't realize how exhausted I was.
Water runs through my hair and down my shoulders as I close my eyes and lean back beneath the spray.
Slowly, the tension begins to loosen.
The attack.
The awakening.
The prophecy.
Ironclaw.
Alpha Darius.
The witches.
Everything.
For the first time in days, I allow myself to stop carrying the weight of it all.
The water washes away dirt and blood and fear.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough that my body finally begins to remember what it feels like to relax.
My thoughts drift inevitably toward the brothers.
Toward the four men waiting outside.
The bond hums softly beneath my skin.
Even separated by walls, I can feel them.
Not their thoughts.
Not yet.
Just their presence.
Warm.
Steady.
Comforting.
The connection still amazes me.
Sometimes it feels like standing beside a fire on a cold night.
Always there.
Always present.
Part of me wonders what it will feel like when the bond fully matures.
Will I hear them?
Will I know what they're thinking?
Will they know every embarrassing thought that enters my head?
The possibility is horrifying.
Particularly where Zane is concerned.
The water continues falling around me.
My thoughts drift further.
Toward Kael's quiet strength.
Toward Rider's endless protectiveness.
Toward Asher's calm intelligence.
Toward Zane's ability to make me laugh when I least expect it.
A strange warmth spreads through my chest.
Not from the shower.
From them.
For so long I believed I would spend my life alone.
Not because I wanted to.
Because I thought I had no other choice.
Now everything has changed.
The realization still feels impossible.
When I finally turn off the water, the room feels lighter somehow.
Or perhaps I do.
Wrapped in one of the oversized robes waiting nearby, I make my way back toward the bedroom.
The moment I open the door, I pause.
Something about the scene waiting for me makes my chest ache unexpectedly.
Kael sits beside the fireplace reading an old leather-bound book.
Asher stands near the enormous windows overlooking the valley below, his hands clasped behind his back as he studies the forests stretching toward the horizon.
Rider occupies one of the armchairs near the fire.
And Zane-
Zane is eating.
Again.
Honestly, at this point I am beginning to suspect his wolf is secretly a bear.
Nobody notices me immediately.
They are comfortable.
Relaxed.
At home.
The realization settles softly inside my chest.
Then Rider looks up.
Everything changes instantly.
The bond lights up.
Warmth.
Relief.
Awareness.
Four pairs of eyes settle on me.
For a brief second, nobody speaks.
Then Zane grins.
"There she is."
The simple words do something unexpected to me.
Because they sound like they were waiting.
Waiting for me.
The feeling is ridiculous.
And dangerous.
And entirely too nice.
I move further into the room.
"How much food have you eaten?"
"A reasonable amount."
"He has eaten enough for three wolves," Asher says.
Traitor.
Zane points accusingly.
"You mind-linked that information."
Asher shrugs.
"Evidence existed."
To my surprise, laughter escapes me.
Real laughter.
Not forced.
Not polite.
The sound fills the room.
Immediately the atmosphere changes.
Kael smiles.
Rider relaxes.
Even Asher's expression softens.
The bond floods with warmth.
Gods.
They were worried about me.
Not because of the prophecy.
Not because of destiny.
Because I was sad.
The realization nearly breaks my heart.
In the best possible way.
Without really thinking about it, I cross the room toward the huge bed.
The mattress sinks slightly beneath my weight as I sit.
Moonlight spills through the enormous windows, bathing the room in silver light.
Outside, Bloodmoon stretches across the valley below.
Beautiful.
Ancient.
Safe.
For the first time since arriving, the room feels less intimidating.
More welcoming.
More mine.
Slowly, the others join me.
Not crowding.
Not overwhelming.
Just... close.
Rider sits beside me.
Kael settles near the headboard.
Asher takes the chair closest to the bed.
Even Zane eventually abandons the buffet.
A miracle.
For several long moments, nobody speaks.
The silence isn't awkward.
It's peaceful.
The kind of silence that exists between people who don't need to fill every moment with conversation.
My gaze drifts toward the mountains outside.
"They're coming."
The words leave quietly.
Nobody asks who.
The witches.
The Veil.
The danger waiting beyond the borders.
The reality we have all been avoiding for the past hour.
"Yes," Kael says softly.
Fear flickers briefly through me.
Immediately the bond reacts.
Warmth surrounds me from every direction.
Not overwhelming.
Reassuring.
A promise.
We are here.
We aren't leaving.
My throat tightens unexpectedly.
"I don't know what I'm doing."
The admission feels strangely vulnerable.
"I don't know how to be the Silvermoon heir."
Nobody answers immediately.
Then Rider reaches over and gently squeezes my hand.
"You don't have to figure it out tonight."
The simplicity of the statement steals my breath.
Not tomorrow.
Not next week.
Tonight.
For tonight, I am allowed to simply exist.
No expectations.
No responsibilities.
No prophecies.
Just rest.
Just home.
As the moon rises higher above the valley and the fortress slowly settles into sleep around us, I find myself leaning slightly toward the warmth beside me.
Not because of the bond.
Because I want to.
And for the first time in a very long time, sleep doesn't feel like surrender.
It feels like peace.
- Writer
