On the way ho, I leaned against Lewis’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat beneath my ear. His warmth wrapped around , grounding when my thoughts threatened to spiral out of control.
Too much had happened.
My death.
Lena collapsing.
And now Nolan.
One by one, people around were falling apart or disappearing entirely. The only one left was barely holding onto life.
I gripped Lewis’s shirt tightly, my fingers curling into the fabric like it was the only thing keeping from breaking. I couldn’t understand it. Who could be so cruel? What had the Morrigans done to deserve this kind of destruction?
"Lewis," I murmured, my voice tight with frustration. "Have you found anything about the Deans?"
His hand moved slowly over my hair, calming, steady. "I had soone check again," he said softly. "Sa result. There’s no deep grudge between the Deans and the Morrigans."
"What about Faby Dean?" I asked quickly. "The garage owner. Anything on him?"
Nolan’s death had lit a fire in my chest. I needed answers. I needed sothing that made sense.
"He’s not connected to the Deans by blood," Lewis said. "But the garage itself... that place has a past."
I lifted my head and looked at him. "What kind of past?"
"Years ago, that land was a mass burial site," he said quietly. "When the city expanded, old buildings were torn down. Even rural land was swallowed up. But that area never developed properly. No malls. No major projects. So it stayed cheap."
A chill ran through .
"About thirty years ago, soone bought the land and built the garage. It made sense financially."
"Thirty years?" I frowned. "Fabian is only in his thirties."
"Exactly," Lewis said. "The one who bought the land was nad Chester Reed."
The na ant nothing to , yet it made my instincts stir.
"Do they have any connection?" I asked.
"None that we’ve found. It looks like a normal transaction."
"Do you know anything about Chester?" I pressed. "If sothing dark started there, it would’ve been with him."
Lewis shook his head. "Records from that ti are mostly gone. Fabian took over ten years ago. The transfer was handled through an attorney Chester hired. So far, there’s nothing solid."
I leaned back again, thoughts racing.
If Chester bought the land thirty years ago, he had to be older. Old enough to carry resentnt. Old enough to rember things the Morrigans elders might want forgotten.
I clung to one fragile hope.
Grandma.
If only she would talk. If only she would tell what she knew.
Lewis held closer. "Elena," he said gently, "these things were buried a long ti ago. Digging them up won’t be easy."
He paused, his voice turning firm. "And Camilla isn’t your real enemy. She’s just a piece on the board. The ones behind her... they may have been planning this for decades."
His words made my chest tighten.
"There’s sothing else," he continued. "Nolan’s death is a warning. You can’t let anyone find out about your second life. If they do, you’ll be hunted again."
I frowned. "But Julain "
"He won’t say anything," Lewis cut in calmly. "But you can’t trust anyone outside our bond. Do you understand?"
He saw the fear in my eyes.
Lewis cupped my face in his hands, forcing to et his gaze. His touch was firm, protective, unyielding.
"Elena," he said quietly, "the only person in this world who will never hurt you is ."
The words settled deep inside .
Slowly, the tension in my chest eased. For the first ti that night, I felt safe.
When we arrived ho, our conversation stopped.
As we stepped inside, I saw Grant sitting in the living room, smoking. There were scratches across his face, deep and angry, like soone had finally fought back.
Seeing him like that lifted sothing heavy from my heart.
It seed Mom had finally listened to .
She wasn’t hiding anymore. She was resisting.
A piece of paper lay on the floor. Grant bent to pick it up, but I grabbed it first.
A divorce agreent.
I smiled despite myself. "Finally. Mom has co to her senses."
Grant snatched the paper from my hands and tore it apart.
"What’s so great about that?" he snapped. "I’m not signing anything!"
Then he glared at . "You’re already mated. Why do you keep running back here?"
"Because I want to," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "It’s none of your business."
I turned and walked toward my room.
Behind , Grant’s frustration exploded. He looked at Lewis and sneered, "Control your woman."
Lewis’s voice was calm. Cold.
"I mated with her to cherish her," he said. "Not to cage her."
Then he turned away without another word.
And for the first ti in a long while, I knew exactly where I belonged.
If this had happened before, Lewis would have slamd the door and left without a word.
But tonight, he stayed.
He didn’t leave the house. He didn’t disappear into the night. He even slept in the guest room, close enough that I could feel his presence through the walls.
I had seen Nolan die with my own eyes. The cold from that mont clung to my bones, no matter how tightly I wrapped myself up. I soaked in a hot bath for a long ti, letting the steam loosen my muscles, letting the heat chase away the chill buried deep inside .
When I finally stepped out, my body felt warr, steadier.
I took a deep breath and returned to the bedroom.
Lewis was already there, lying on the bed. He lifted his hand and patted the empty space beside him.
"Elena," he said quietly. "Co here."
I froze.
Ever since my identity had been revealed, sothing inside felt off. In the past, I had been Riley young, distant, soone he had never truly known. In this life, I was Elena. I had loved Julain for years. I had lived another story.
And Lewis... Lewis had been soone I once saw as an elder figure. Soone untouchable.
Now, he was my bonded partner.
It had only been one drunken night, but it left a mark on my heart. A deep one. I didn’t know how to face what ca after.
I had never planned to fall for him.
From the beginning, I treated our bond like a deal. Clear rules. Clear purpose. No emotions. But sowhere along the way, his feelings had changed and now, so had mine.
I stood there, awkward and unsure, my thoughts tangled.
Lewis looked at like he could see straight through all of it. His eyes were gentle. Patient.
"That looks nice on you," he said softly.
I glanced down at my pajamas. I had chosen sothing simple and conservative, avoiding anything that might make this harder than it already was.
"Th... thank you."
He smiled faintly. "How long are you planning to stand there?"
Then, more quietly, "I’m tired, Elena. I haven’t slept well these past few nights when you weren’t around. Would you turn off the light and co to bed?"
The exhaustion in his voice made guilt twist in my chest.
I turned off the light quickly and climbed onto the bed, pulling the covers around and curling slightly to one side.
In the darkness, I felt him move.
His arm slid under the blanket, firm and warm, drawing closer until my back rested against his chest. His presence surrounded completely steady, solid, impossible to ignore.
"L-Lewis..." I whispered.
He let out a quiet breath, almost a soft laugh. "Is it because you can’t see my face that you’re not afraid anymore?"
My throat tightened.
"I’m not afraid of you," I said quickly. "I just... need ti. Everything happened so fast. I’ll get used to it."
His hand moved slowly along my back, calming, grounding.
"I know," he said. "This past month hasn’t been kind to you. You lost so much. And then Nolan..."
He paused. "You’re trying to carry everything alone."
He sighed then a deep, low sound that sent a strange warmth through .
I humd softly, waiting.
He took my hand, his fingers rough but careful as they laced with mine. His breath brushed against my ear, warm and close.
"Elena," he said, voice low and steady.
"I love you."
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