Chapter 104
Valencia’s POV
Joseph’s words lingered in the air like smoke, suffocating in their finality.
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“If I may be so bold,” Joseph began, his tone softer but no less firm. “I would like to tell you, as our future Alpha, not to cause him any more pain. Alpha Raiden has already endured so much. If he truly wishes to be with his mate after all this, would it not be cruel to keep him here?”
The anger that surged in Dante was immediate and powerful. It slammed into me through our bond like a tidal wave, leaving me breathless. But it was Caius who exploded first.
“How is it cruel for us to not want our father to die?” Caius’s voice cracked, his usual composure completely shattered. “We want him here—with us. What about us? Our mother is already dead, and now he wants to leave us too?”
The raw heartbreak in Caius’s voice was gut–wrenching, and I could feel Dante’s emotions amplifying my own. My vision blurred as tears welled up in my eyes.
It hurt.
Joseph sighed deeply, standing from his chair. He bowed slightly to Dante, though his face was lined with an unmistakable weariness. “As you wish, then. I will continue searching for a cure and keep you informed. However, I suggest that this news stays between us. Especially with the engagement at the Wolfe pack tomorrow.”
He began to leave but paused at the door, turning back to Dante. Before you make any decision, Dante, I urge you to think of yourself in your father’s position. What would you do in his place?”
The question hung heavy in the room, and Dante’s eyes widened slightly. He turned to me, his face a mix of pain and
confusion.
The moment our bond carried his anguish to me, I felt like the ground beneath my feet had crumbled. The misery was so profound, so visceral, that it made me want to tear my heart out just to stop it. I had underestimated how vulnerable this connection could make me.
But I couldn’t let him drown in it. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms tightly around him, pressing his head against
chest. He clung to me, his grip like iron, as if letting go would mean losing his tether to reality.
my
I held him, silently, I knew no words could ease the ache he felt. My tear–filled eyes drifted to Caius, who had moved to Raiden’s bedside. He sat there, holding his father’s hand, his head bowed.
Something shifted in me. Maybe it was the unrelenting flood of Dante’s emotions bleeding into my own, but I felt a fierce protectiveness toward Caius. Even though we were the same age he might even be older–he felt younger in that moment. Vulnerable. And I wanted to shield him from this pain, too.
I couldn’t, though. Not while Dante was gripping me like a lifeline, So I did what I could–I stayed.
The room was heavy with silence for a long time, broken only by the steady hum of Raiden’s medical equipment. But then, footsteps echoed down the hall.
The door swung open, and Marcy stepped inside, her face pinched with worry. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed
on Caius.
He didn’t look up.
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Chapter 104
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Marcy hesitated, her uncertainty clear. Her gaze flicked to mine, and I met her eyes, silently pleading with her not to stop or turn away. She frowned slightly but seemed to understand.
With a small, resolute nod, she moved toward Caius. Her hand hovered over his shoulder for a moment, hesitant, before finally resting there.
Caius’s head snapped up, his eyes wild and unfocused for a moment. But then, as though some invisible dam broke, his arms shot out and wrapped around Marcy’s waist. He buried his face against her stomach, his shoulders trembling.
The hesitation in Marcy vanished. She softened, her hands moving to cradle the back of his head as she murmured something too soft for me to hear.
A wave of relief washed over me. Caius had someone to lean on.
Two hours passed before Dante, Caius, and Marcy had to return to their respective duties. Despite their reluctance, they left, and I promised to stay by Raiden’s side.
I knew it wouldn’t accomplish much, but the faint relief in both brothers‘ expressions made me feel useful for once.
In my rush that morning, I had left Castor in his cot, and now I could feel his restlessness. His energy buzzed faintly at the edges of my mind, growing louder and more insistent until it gave me a dull headache.
I headed toward the elevator, intending to grab him and come back. But as I walked through the corridor, something made
me stop.
A massive framed portrait hung on the wall, the edges gilded in ornate gold.
I turned back to it slowly, my breath catching in my throat.
The woman in the painting stared back at me, her eyes strikingly familiar now. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a face so serene and regal it seemed otherworldly.
She looked familiar. Too familiar.
I stepped closer, my heart pounding as memories stirred at the edges of my mind.
I had seen her before.
Not here, not in this life.
I remembered the first time I’d seen her, right before my rebirth
My fingers hovered over the edge of the frame, the realization washing over me like a tidal wave.
This was her.
