Page 75 of Season of the Wolf

As his gaze stayed trained on mine, as we connected and our souls aligned, I vowed to myself that I would never defy him like I had tonight. His life’s mission had been to protect me and I both loved and respected that about him.

There were no words, and we exchanged no verbal commitment, but I meant it from the bottom of my heart when I made a promise to myself.

To him.

It would never happen again.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Liam

The moon was still high in the sky, meaning we hadn’t staggered our way into her bed that long ago. Exhausted from our tryst on the balcony, sleep came swiftly, but eventhathadn’t been enough to keep my mind off what transpired tonight.

I tossed and turned my way through a nightmare before giving up on sleep altogether. In the dream, Evangeline’s undertaking had a very different outcome. One where she wasn’t so lucky.

One where shedidn’treturn home.

Unnerved and anxious, I laid awake, staring at the ceiling while gentle breaths puffed from her lips across my chest where her head rested. Her soft curls were scattered everywhere like a wild mane—across my arm, beneath my chin. Glancing down at her, I pushed a few locks aside to get a better glimpse of her face.

She was beyond beautiful, she was the embodiment of love.

Mylove.

Which was why the direction my thoughts were headed in terrified me. It was this love for her that made us both ticking timebombs. Each constantly on the verge of detonating for the other’s sake. Only, she’d become even more unstable in recent weeks.

And there was no denying the change was because of me.

I placed a soft kiss on her forehead, being careful not to wake her. She had no idea the lengths I was willing to go for her. For us.

My heart raced and I was grateful she slept. Had she been awake, there would have been no hiding it. She’d sense I was on the cusp of doing something she’d never allow, something I could no longer see any way around.

The deep, burning gashes left behind on my wrists from struggling against the shackles were not what made tonight’s events so hard to move past. Being held captive by chains I could’ve practically bitten through before my dragon was destroyed … it put things into perspective. It showed me, once and for all, that this was the life we would live if I didn’t make a change.

Only, this particular change would first require unmatched sacrifice.

Namely … my life—even if only temporarily.

Or, so I hoped.

It wasn’t lost on me that Elise had already refused to help, pointing out that she couldn’t guarantee my plan would even work, but I was beyond seeking her permission. The only way to force her hand was to take matters into my own. If I failed, it was no one’s fault but my own and she’d have no blood on her hands. As cruel as this choice seemed at the moment, as candidly as it told of my desperation, it was the only hope I had left.

I was suddenly numb, emotionless for the sake of not allowing myself to feel the full weight of this decision. What was once a flimsy idea, was suddenly a plan.

I slipped from beneath Evangeline’s arm, being careful not to disturb her as I then left the bed. Staring down on her, my mate, it was impossible not to sympathize with the predicament she’d been in so many times—fighting to make me understand why she willingly laid on the tracks, ignoring the train that plowed full-steam ahead in her direction.

I got it now.

And tonight, I’d be brave like her, following in her footsteps. I’d make the ultimate sacrifice, too, but this time to set things right once and for all.

It was time and no one could walk this path but me.

***

Evie

At first, when I turned and sunlight penetrated my closed lids, I thought the day before had been a dream. Including the part where Liam came to me, choosing toshowme I had his forgiveness, foregoing the difficult task of finding the right words.

The pillow was cool against my cheek and I stretched, brushing wild curls away from my face as I squinted through the light, feeling the other side of my bed for a warm body.

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