Chapter 182
Then, after a moment, he lifted his uninjured arm and gently pulled me into a loose embrace.
I stiffened at first, caught off guard, but his touch was tender, almost hesitant, as though he wasn’t sure if I’d welcome the gesture.
Slowly, I relaxed, leaning into him.
“You’re too stubborn for your own good,” he muttered, his voice laced with a mix of exasperation and affection.
“I let out a soft laugh, though my tears hadn’t entirely stopped. “And you’re too reckless for yours.”
He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he rested his chin lightly on top of my head, the steady rise and fall of his chest grounding me.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“For what?” I asked, pulling back slightly to look at him.
For scaring you,” he said, his gaze dropping. “For making you worry.”
I shook my head. “You don’t need to apologize for that. Just… don’t do it again, okay?”
A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I’ll try.”
The room fell into a comfortable silence, the storm outside beginning to wane.
For the first time in what felt like days, my heart felt lighter.
Lirian was awake, and though he was far from fully recovered, his presence alone was enough to chase away the lingering fear.
Γ
I stayed by his side for the rest of the night, refusing to leave.
Even as he drifted back into a light sleep, his breathing steady and calm, I held onto his hand,
ilently promising myself that I would always be there–just as he had always been there for me.
The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated the room as I lay beside Lirian on the hospital bed, whispering words of comfort and care.
Tchapter 182
His away.
Sually stoic features seemed to soften under my gaze, his usual mask of authority melting
For the first time in what felt like forever, I saw the walls he had built around his heart begin to
crumble.
“You don’t have to worry anymore,” I murmured, my fingers brushing against his. “Ryan is in the
past. You’re my present, my future.”
His eyes flickered with emotion, a blend of relief and something deeper–trust. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
“L… I’ve been afraid you’d leave, that he would take you away.”
Heaned closer, the warmth of my breath mingling with his. “That’s never going to happen,” I said firmly. “I’m here for you, Lirian. Always.”
A rare smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and for a moment, the weight of the world seemed to lift. from his shoulders.
He hesitated, as though grappling with something within, before finally saying, “There’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve been keeping to myself.”
His voice was laced with tension, and I could sense the gravity of whatever he was about to reveal
But as he opened his mouth to speak, my eyelids betrayed me, growing heavy from exhaustion.
Sleep claimed me before I could hear his secret.
“Sophia?
He tried to call me but didn’t get a response so he leaned forward and adjusted the quilt on me..
When I woke sometime later, the scene before me was markedly different. Eric had arrived, standing awkwardly by the door while Lirian sat in a chair beside my bed, watching over me.
Eric’s expression was priceless–half annoyance, half disbelief–as though silently questioning who the actual patient was in this room.
He cleared his throat to announce his presence but refrained from voicing his inner thoughts.
“Alpha,” he greeted formally, his voice low so as not to wake me.
Lirian turned his head toward him, his expression calm yet commanding. “Yes?”
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Eric visibly tensed under the weight of Lirian’s gaze. “It’s good to see you awake,” he said, stumbling over his words. “Luna has been worried sick these past two days. She hasn’t left your side.”
Lirian’s eyes softened briefly as they flicked toward me. “I know,” he said simply.
Eric hesitated before continuing, glancing nervously toward the door.
“I, uh, hate to bring this up now, but there’s an issue we need to address. Croatia… she got injured because of you. Her father has been… insistent that you marry her.”
Lirian’s expression darkened instantly, his tone icy. “I’ve already refused. Croatia herself told me she only acted out of gratitude for what I did for her family years ago. She has no romantic feelings for
me.”
“But her father-” Eric began, only for Lirian to cut him off.
“My Luna can only be Sophia,” Lirian said with finality, his voice resolute. “Let them give up that idea.”
Eric let out a breath, muttering under his breath, “I thought so too. The problem now is they’re not taking no for an answer.”
Lirian noticed me moving in my quilt so he leaned forward to see me. His expression softening once
ore. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice gentle.
