Evaline:
The mont the gates began to open, sothing inside shifted.
It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t relief either. It was...
Him.
The bond between us stirred first. It was a warm, sudden flutter deep in my chest that spread outward like wildfire, wrapping around my senses before I even saw him.
Oscar.
My breath caught as I realized who it was, and then... there he was... stepping out through the narrow opening of the gates, his tall fra instantly recognizable even in the dim light.
Snow crunched beneath his boots as he walked straight toward , his gaze already locked onto mine like nothing else in the world existed.
I didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate. I ran.
"Oscar!"
The cold air burned my lungs, but I didn’t slow down... not until I reached him and grabbed onto his arms. My hands were already moving over him instinctively - checking, searching.
"Are you alright? Did anything happen? Are you hurt-"
"Eva-"
I didn’t stop.
My fingers moved over his chest, his shoulders, his arms, my eyes scanning him frantically.
But before he could even finish answering... I let the familiar warmth of my power check on him. It surged quietly beneath my skin, brushing against him, flowing through him... and finding nothing wrong.
There was no injury, not even a scratch. And most importantly, there was no presence of that unsettling dark energy that belonged to the Great Evil.
My breath hitched as relief flooded through so fast it made dizzy.
"You are fine..." I whispered, more to myself than to him.
"I told you." He said, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.
Now that I was no longer worrying about him, I finally noticed the silence that had taken over. The stillness around us.
And I was suddenly aware of the presence of the four warriors.
My cheeks ward slightly as awareness returned, and I took a small step back, intending to put so distance between us.
But I barely made it half a step when Oscar’s hand shot out and wrapped firmly around my waist, and the next second... I was pulled right back against him.
A soft gasp escaped as his arms wrapped around , holding close... too close for public space, too close for watching eyes.
"Oscar-" I started under my breath.
"They are mine," he said simply.
I blinked.
"What?"
"The warriors."
His voice was calm, but there was sothing deeper beneath it. Sothing instinctive.
Possessive.
"They are under my direct command. They are loyal to ."
I glanced over his shoulder, and almost froze as I found all four of the warriors standing with their backs to us.
They were fully turned away, their gazes fixed sowhere deep into the dark woods surrounding the academy as if they had suddenly found the night far more interesting than their Alpha and his student.
Heat rushed to my face instantly.
"Oh."
Oscar’s arms tightened around again, like he had no intention of letting go anyti soon.
And the truth was... I didn’t want him to. Not even a little.
It had only been three days since he marked .
Three days since that bond between us had settled into sothing real... sothing alive.
And right now, it felt like every part of was drawn to him. Like being even a few feet away had been wrong, unnatural.
My fingers curled into his shirt as I leaned into him without thinking, my cheek brushing against his chest.
He exhaled slowly above , then let his chin rest lightly against my head before he murmured, "You should have stayed closer."
A soft huff escaped .
"I wasn’t the one who left."
"I didn’t have a choice."
"Neither did I."
Silence settled between us. Then his hand slid up my back, fingers threading gently into my hair.
"I didn’t like it," he admitted quietly.
The honesty in his voice made my chest tighten, and I whispered, " neither."
His grip tightened again, just slightly, like he was reassuring himself I was really here. That I was okay. That I was his.
And sohow... that feeling went both ways.
I pulled back just enough to look up at him. "How did it go?" I asked softly.
His expression shifted and then he calmly spoke the words - "It worked."
I blinked.
"What?"
"The plan."
My heart skipped. "The Great Evil-"
"Is sealed," he confird. "And poisoned."
For a mont, I just stared at him. The words didn’t register or settle right away, they took their ti.
Then I turned slightly and my gaze landed on Rowan who had already stepped closer.
His expression mirrored mine. He looked just as stunned and in disbelief as I was.
I looked back at Oscar and asked just to make sure I hadn’t misheard. "You are serious?"
A small smile touched his lips. He nodded, "Elder Penn’s plan worked. The witches sealed it... and the poison is already taking effect."
Sothing inside broke free.
A breath I didn’t realize I had been holding for hours... maybe days... finally left my lungs. And I felt overwhelming relief washing over .
My shoulders sagged slightly as the weight lifted. "It’s... done?" I whispered.
"For now," he said gently.
That was enough.
It had to be.
A small smile slowly ford on my lips, my eyes stinging faintly as the reality sank in.
There would be no more new victims, no more souls being taken, no more... at least for now.
Oscar’s thumb brushed lightly against my cheek as he spoke, "You don’t have to worry about that anymore."
I nodded slowly. But before I could say anything else... his expression shifted again. It was subtle, but still serious enough for to notice.
"But there’s still soone you should be worrying about," he said.
"What?" Confusion flickered through as I searched his face. "What do you an?"
He didn’t answer. Instead, he lifted his gaze past and looked toward the gates.
A strange chill ran down my spine.
Slowly, I turned.
The gates were still open.
And just as I looked, another figure stepped through.
My breath caught in shock as I recognized that face... but he shouldn’t be here.
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