Chapter 78
For a moment, he’s motionless, then he nods once, an almost imperceptible movement. Without a word, he sets his book aside and flicks the lamp off. He then rolls over, turning his back to me again. I nod, knowing that it is the end of the conversation, and wiggle back down under the covers, trying to get comfortable.
My heart hammers in my chest, a sickening echo to the painful knots twisting in my gut. The room sinks into gloomy darkness, the only light a lone sliver from the ensuite seeping through the minute gap under the door. Shadows flicker and dance on the walls as the wind outside sways the leafless branches of an old maple tree. Its long branches scratch against the window, producing a soft, eerie music that adds to the chill creeping into my bones.
Absently, I run my fingers on the cold silk sheets beneath me, their silky coldness in stark contrast with the warmth that Soren’s body emanates behind me. I let my eyes flutter closed, surrendering to the insistent tug of exhaustion.
As we both drift off to sleep, I am restless.
It creeps up slowly at first, then intensifies when I am suddenly awoken by pains in my stomach, feeling the infidelity and knowing that Rhett is with Bianca once again. I just want a night off from this torture. The weight of his infidelity grows heavier within me, causing me to groan in despair and agony.
Carefully, I attempt to climb out of bed without waking Soren,
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Chapter 711
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my movements slow and deliberate as I try to reach the bathroom. Just as I feel the cool air on my legs as I swing my legs out of the bed, an arm wraps tightly around my waist, pulling me back into the warmth of the bed.
“One day, you will give me his name so I can end this,” Soren whispers softly, tugging me back against him until his body lines my entire back.
His hand slips under my top to my stomach, his warm hand holding me to him. At that moment, his Calling slips out, and as the pain intensifies, his Calling becomes even more powerful, his purr vibrating through my entire being.
“Perhaps,” I whisper, my voice heavy with the unwanted knowledge that his words are rooted in truth. He will eventually figure it out. His arm tightens around me, comforting me against Rhett’s betrayal.
His lips touch my shoulder gently. “I just need his name. If he won’t reject you, I will end him and break the bond for you,” he promises. His tone is steady, a controlled anger simmering beneath his words.
“And yet, I fear that day,” I confess softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Why? He causes you pain. He clearly doesn’t care for your bond,” Soren presses, his frustration clear.
I’m silent for a moment, wrestling with my fears and desires. “It’s complicated,” I start, hesitant. “I’m… afraid of losing what I have here.”
He’s quiet, considering my words. “Why would knowing his name make you lose everything here?” His question is direct,
Chapter 78
searching for truths I’m not ready to reveal.
I bite my lip, struggling to articulate the fear that knots my stomach. “You might see me differently,” I admit, my voice a whisper of vulnerability.
“And how do you want me to see you?” he asks, a softness edging his voice that makes my heart flutter with uncertainty.
“I know it sounds stupid, but… my bond is all I have. I gave up everything for him,” I confess, the admission feeling both freeing and terrifying. Mostly, I feel naive; I should have listened to my parents.
Soren shifts, his presence enveloping me as he pulls me closer.
“What if it’s not all you have?” he murmurs against my hair.
“What if you can have Max, have a life here?”
“What are you hiding, Bree? What has you so scared?”
“I’m scared that once you learn the truth, you won’t want me here anymore.”
He’s silent for a moment, his grip loosening a little. Then he pulls me even closer, his breath warming the back of my neck. My heart hammers in my chest, my breaths shallow and shaky.
“Please, just drop it. I… I can’t say,” I confess, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Bree,” he says, his voice low and insistent. “You can trust me.”
The silence stretches out between us as I contemplate his
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Chapter 7
words, pondering the cost of this trust. I trusted Rhett once, too, I remind myself.
“Maybe one day,” I finally respond, hoping it is enough.
For a long moment, he doesn’t speak. His arm around me tightens just a fraction before he sighs softly. His Calling grows stronger, sedating even. As sleep starts to tug at my consciousness again, Soren breaks the silence once more with a soft whisper. “One day is better than never,” he murmurs into my hair.
Chapter 2
Chapter 79
-Aubrey-
