Chapter 45
“Steven?” I asked softly, my voice trembling as I knelt beside him.
He lay there with his eyes closed, his breathing faint but steady. His body was unscathed,
his skin pale yet smooth, like he was merely sleeping. But he wasn’t. His stillness was
wrong, unnatural, as if something had stolen the very essence of him.
Kai stood nearby, his hands clenched into fists, his face a mask of guilt. “I shouldn’t have
taken him out of the forest,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. He wouldn’t even meet
my eyes.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension there. “Don’t blame yourself,” I said,
though the words felt hollow even to me. “None of us could’ve predicted this. If anything,
the responsibility is mine.”
Kai’s gaze finally lifted, his dark eyes filled with torment. Before he could protest, Ethan’s
voice cut through the thick, suffocating silence.
3
“No,” Ethan said firmly, stepping closer. His presence was commanding, grounding, as
always. “This isn’t on either of you. It’s on Ken and his people–they’re the ones who went too far. You’re just innocent victims in their madness.”
His eyes softened as they met mine, and for a moment, the chaos around us faded. “Claire,”
he said, his tone gentler now, almost intimate. “Let Keith handle things here. Go rest for a
while. You’ve done enough.”
I hesitated, my gaze flickering to Steven’s still form and then to Kai, who looked on the verge of breaking. But Ethan’s words weren’t a suggestion; they were a quiet command wrapped in concern. I nodded reluctantly and turned to Keith, who stepped forward, his.
face set with grim determination.
“Take care of them,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
3
Keith gave a sharp nod. “I will. Go.”
I walked away, my steps heavy, my body aching from the day’s battles. Every muscle
13:47
Forsaken Mate: Alpha’s Second Chance at Love
AL.59%
Chapter 45
screamed in protest, but the pain was nothing compared to the turmoil in my heart. I found a secluded corner in Moon Valley, a place far from the others, where the trees stood tall and
silent, their shadows offering a semblance of privacy.
Collapsing onto the ground, I hugged my knees to my chest. My body shook uncontrollably, tremors rattling my teeth as my hands trembled.
Deep within me, my wolf let out long, mournful howls, the echoes of its pain resonating through my soul.
Anger bubbled up, hot and consuming, threatening to spill over. I clenched my fist, the urge to lash out at the earth beneath me almost overwhelming. My nails dug into my palm as I raised my hand, ready to strike.
But before I could, a larger, stronger hand caught mine mid–air.
I froze, my breath hitching, my gaze fixed on the ground.
“Don’t do this to yourself, Claire,” Ethan’s voice said, impossibly close, low and steady like the hum of a distant storm.
I wanted to pull away, to retreat into my pain, but his grip was firm, unyielding. His warmth seeped into me, a stark contrast to the cold that had wrapped itself around my heart.
in
“I don’t need your pity,” I muttered, though my voice lacked conviction.
Ethan crouched beside me, his presence overwhelming. “It’s not pity,” he said simply. “It’s love. And you need to stop punishing yourself for things you can’t control.”
His words cut deep, slicing through my defenses. I hated how much I needed the comfort he offered, how vulnerable it made me feel. Especially coming from him. Accepting his support felt like admitting I was weak–and I didn’t want him to see me that way.
But today… today had broken me.
Tears slipped down my cheeks, silent and unbidden. My head dipped lower, my hair falling like a curtain to hide my face.
Chapter 45
Ethan didn’t speak for a moment, letting the silence stretch between us. Then I heard the rustle of fabric as he sat down beside me. His proximity was both comforting and infuriating, his steady presence a reminder of everything I couldn’t handle alone.
“I’m sorry,” I said after a long pause, my voice barely above a whisper. “For all the trouble I’ve caused today.”
He exhaled, a soft sound that was more understanding than anything else. “Claire,” he said, his
one gentle but firm. “If anyone’s caused trouble, it’s me. But like I told you, we’re in this together. Whatever happens, we face it together.”
His arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me against him. I resisted at first, stiff and unyielding, but his warmth was impossible to ignore. His scent–cedarwood and something uniquely him–wrapped around me, a balm to my frayed nerves.
“You’re my mate,” he said, his voice rich with sincerity. “I love you, Claire. Always have, always will. And I’ll stand by your side, no matter what.”
His words sent a pang through my chest, a mix of longing and fear. I wanted to believe him, to lose myself in the safety of his arms. But trust wasn’t something I could give freely, not after everything we’d been through.
“Ethan…” I began, but the words caught in my throat.
He reached up with his free hand, gently brushing the stray strands of hair from my face. His touch was tender, almost reverent, and it made my breath hitch.
“I mean it,” he said, his gaze locking with mine. “No more walls, Claire. Not with me.”
Before I could respond, Ethan leaned in, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was both soft and consuming.
The world seemed to tilt, the chaos around us fading into nothingness. His lips were warm, firm yet gentle, and the faint sting from the small cut on my lip only heightened the sensation. My hands found their way to his shoulders, then to his neck, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepened, a collision of fire and ice, searing and restrained all at once. It wasn’t just a kiss–it was an unraveling, a breaking and mending all at once. Invisible threads seemed to weave between us, binding us together in a way that Cal
Chapter 45
Desire surged through me, raw and undeniable. My wolf howled in delight, her joy reverberating through me. It was as if a dam had broken, releasing a flood of emotions I
hadn’t realized I’d been holding back.
Ethan’s hands moved with gentle purpose, one cradling my face, the other resting on my back, grounding me. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe. I felt seen.
But beneath the warmth and the comfort, a question lingered, unspoken but relentless..
Was this it? Had our mate–bond been restored?
My wolf’s gaze turned skyward, searching for the Moon Goddess. But the goddess’s silence was unyielding, her voice absent in the moment I needed her most.
Then, as if carried on the wind, her ethereal voice whispered in my mind. “Have you truly forgiven him?”
The words hit me like a blow, and I pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss. Ethan’s brows furrowed in concern, his hands steadying me.
“Claire?” he asked, his voice soft but questioning.
I stared at him, my emotions a whirlwind. I wanted to believe in him, to trust the bond between us. But forgiveness wasn’t something that came easily.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely audible.
Ethan’s expression didn’t waver. If anything, his grip on me tightened, his determination shining through. “Then we’ll figure it out,” he said. “Together.”
His words were a promise, one that resonated deep within me. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like our love might have a chance.
13:47
