Zane’s POV
“You are not to blame for what happened to your mother,” she said firmly. I tried to turn away, but Max cupped my face, refusing to let me escape until our eyes met again.
“Her sacrifice was her choice—every parent’s choice. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same for our children, and neither would you. Blaming yourself dishonors her memory. So, don’t you dare.” Her voice was steel at the end.
“I should’ve been stronger,” I whispered.
“No!” she exclaimed. “You were seven, Zane. It wouldn’t have mattered how skilled you were—you couldn’t have won. You can’t keep punishing yourself for the past. Think of Asher. If he were in your place, would you want him blaming himself and carrying this guilt if I sacrificed myself for him?”
I growled at the thought but she was right. My mother
