Page 51 of Full Moon
"Thank you." I stand up on my tiptoes and plant a kiss on his lips.
"For what?" His eyes search my face. I share that feeling with him through the bond, watching his eyes widen and tears bubble up, threatening to break free.
"Everything." My word hangs in the air between us, and he presses his lips to my forehead, sealing our bond with a silent promise. I close my eyes, feeling him shoving his love down the bond at me. The intensity of his feelings washes over me, leaving me breathless. Sometimes, I know he doesn't feel worthy compared to the others in the family. Torben is so much more than he gives himself credit for. No, he isn't rich. Heisn't immortal. He doesn't possess an immortal life. He's not venomous, nor does he have fire.
What he does have over the others is that he won me with his kindness. He is my safe place. The rock in the storm that I cling to when everything seems to rage out of control. Even now, after discovering that I am a rebirth of an extinct species of wolf with the power over ice and winter—Torben doesn't look at me any differently than he did the first day we met. His unwavering gaze reassures me, grounding me in the chaos of my newfound identity.
I pull away and turn to speak to Khal and Easton, only to find them gone. A laugh escapes my lips as I turn to look up at Torben. "You would think those two are cats with how silently they move."
A barking laugh escapes his lips as he hugs me tightly again. "They do tend to pop up out of nowhere." His smile makes the corners of his eyes crinkle.
"Let's go see what mate number four found while you recovered." Torben offers me his hand.
I take it, feeling the steady strength that lies beneath his gentle touch. He leads me down into the main part of the house. Diaval sits at the kitchen table, journals spread all over. He and Easton are poring over the information, trying to decipher it all.
Easton places the bucket with that ominous black mass on the table next to Diaval. "Those bastards..." Diaval mutters through clenched teeth, almost violently turning the page.
"What did I miss?"
His head snaps up, and before I know it, he launches himself out of the chair, enveloping me in a fierce embrace. "My eternal," he breathes, drawing in a deep breath of my scent as he buries his nose in my hair.
"I'm okay. Honestly," I murmur, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Did you find anything?" My arms tighten around him before he reluctantly passes me off to Khal.
"Hey, Precious," Khal greets me, his voice unusually soft. He holds me gently, as if afraid I might shatter in his arms.
"How's my spicy danger noodle?" I beam up at him, trying to coax a smile out of him.
But his eyes avoid mine, the weight of guilt evident. "Khal, look at me, please." I reach up, cupping his cheeks between my hands, and gently turn his face to meet my gaze. "I don't blame you for what was done to me. It was either my parents, Fi's parents, or a friend of the family that dosed me." I search his eyes, willing him to see the truth in my words.
"We'll figure out who it was and make them pay." Khal's voice hisses—a telltale sign his shift is speaking through him.
"Me being alive and happy is enough punishment for whoever did this," I say, trying to muster a conviction I don't entirely feel. There's a part of me that wants to believe those words. But if there's anything the past year has taught me, it's that my guys won't let this go so easily.
"Little wolf, you may be able to forgive and move past it," Torben interjects, his voice soft but firm. "Our protective instincts will not allow us to. We are your mates, and it's our job, our honor, to keep you safe." I can feel the weight of their protectiveness like a heavy, comforting blanket. It's both a blessing and a burden.I know they mean well, but the thought of more violence, more vengeance, twists my stomach into knots.
As I look into their eyes, I see the same unwavering resolve mirrored in each of them. They won't rest until justice is served. Until the threat to our family is eliminated. And in that moment, I realize that this isn't just about me.
It's about all of us.
It's about the family we've built together, the bonds that tie us, the future we're fighting for.
Whatever comes next, we face it together.
