Page 22 of For Her, He Falls

"I learned from my friends, Iris," she replies pointedly.

Viktor is gone. He trained an abundance of fear into me; he taught me such shame and self-loathing. But I have learned so much more now. I can decide which lessons I hold on to and which ones I let go of.

"I need to go find Tristan," I say, more to myself than to Lucy.

Because change is all around us, shaped by the choices we make, and if there is one thing I chose to hold on to... just one thing... I chose him.

Chapter Fourteen

"Hey, have you seen Tristan?"

Vanessa sits up from where she'd been resting on a chaise lounge by the fire in the castle library. She rubs her eyes as I close the door behind me and walk into the room.

"Sorry, sweetheart, he's not here," she says groggily.

"Were you sleeping? I didn't mean to wake you," I tell her, heading back for the door so she can get back to sleep.

"No, no, it's okay. It's a good thing you woke me. It's funny... when Viktor had me locked away, days and nights would often blend into each other, so you'd think I'd be used to such an erratic sleep schedule."

Between the wolves that sleep during the night and nightwalkers that sleep during the day, no one in the keep is getting the proper rest as we all try to work together. Until the wolves return to their territories and both species can get back to their normal hours, everyone is struggling with a sort of supernatural jet lag.

"It hasn't even been a week since the battle, and everyone is working non-stop on regrouping and rebuilding. So much has happened in the past few days... I think we've all earned a few naps."

She laughs at my words, patting the cushion beside her.

"Come sit with me. I think one of the Rovers mentioned that Tristan was helping out on the bridge. I'm sure he'll be back up soon, but perhaps in the meantime, you and I can talk a bit."

I sit on the chaise beside her, and she scoffs at the distance between us, wrapping her arm around me and pulling me in close until I'm curled up beside her, resting my head on her shoulder. Marco has been getting better at hugs, but in less than three days, Vanessa has gotten perfectly comfortable cuddling and embracing everyone around the castle.

"He's very handsome, that Rogue Alpha of yours. He seems strong enough to pull the moon itself down from the heavens and offer it to you, and from the way he looks at you, I bet he'd be willing to do it if you just asked."

I feel a flush rise to my cheeks, and I turn my face away from her so she won't see. "I'm sure Selene would love that," I mumble sarcastically. As if the Moon Goddess needed further incentive to punish me.

"I'm sorry," Vanessa says softly, the playfulness fading from her voice. "I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for the two of you to have found one another and not be able to be together. If there was anything I could do, Iris, if I could take the curse myself and spare you..."

"Don't say that. Even if it were possible, I wouldn't want you to do that. No one deserves to be cursed for who they love. Besides, it doesn't work that way. Gods don't make trade-offs."

I don't know what I'm going to do about the curse exactly. I just know that whatever comes next, I want to face it with Tristan. Whatever this choice is, it isn't one I want to make alone.

"I'm sorry about you too," I tell my mother sadly. "Not just everything Viktor did. I'm sorry about you and Marco."

She shifts beside me to look at my face with a furrowed brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you might not be cursed, but you can't exactly mate with the man you love either. So I guess neither one of us gets our happily ever after."

Misery truly loves company.

"What are you talking about? Iris, it breaks my heart to see you face the consequences of the love between your father and me," my mother says, shaking her head in disbelief. "It breaks my heart because it's not fair, and the only reason I'm not living 'happily ever after,' as you say, is because my daughter is suffering a prejudiced punishment at the hands of the Goddess. But I have my mate. I am only sorry you cannot be with yours."

I frown, looking up at my mom with a hesitant sense of curiosity.

"But a nightwalker's bite would be poisonous to a wolf."

"Sweetheart, do you think mating is defined by whether on not a male can mark the female?" she asks.

"No... it's just... I didn't know you thought of Marco as your mate."

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