The thought struck me like a clenched fist, sharp enough to force a hiss from my lips. I had to let go of the past. Not only for Leonardo’s sake but for my own. A lifetime seemed endless to humans, yet now, to me, it felt like a fast-running clock.
I ran my tongue over my lips, watching Leonardo. I needed to forgive him, to open myself to him and to the brief time we had left together, to make the most of it before the inevitable arrived.
“Don’t, kitten,” he murmured, shaking his head as his lips curved down. “Don’t rush. You don’t know what’ll happen.”
“You won’t live forever,” I whispered, swallowing against the tightness in my throat, my eyes stinging with unfallen tears.
Leonardo’s gaze softened, his teeth catching his lower lip as I traced the arc of his canines, noticing just how ethereal he looked in that moment-more beautiful than I’d ever realized. Despite the ache in my chest, I wondered if I was strong enough to rise above it.
“I want you to accept me when you’re ready, when it’s what you truly want,” he said, his voice as strained as the emotion in his eyes. “Not just because I don’t have forever. Don’t rush anything, Isabella. Let me earn your forgiveness while I still can.”
The thought of losing him, of him leaving this world without me by his side, was a torment I could hardly bear. It felt like my soul itself wailed into the night. Some might live on without their mate, but true-mates like us, as Emiliano explained, were different. I already knew I couldn’t survive Leonardo’s death. My body might endure, but my soul would follow his-home.
I could hear the raw need in his words. As much as he wanted me, he needed to prove himself worthy of my love, just as much as he needed anything else.
The pain remained, even as Leonardo veered into other topics. He asked about my time in Carlo’s pack, about my training as a warrior. I sensed his quiet animosity toward Carlo, but he kept his jibes subtle. I told him about the friends I’d made and the tournaments I’d fought in. He listened with absolute focus, his attention unwavering. He smiled when I spoke of my stubborn determination to defeat Carlo, and he grimaced when I mentioned all the times I ended up flat on my back.
Eventually, my own questions bubbled to the surface. I’d wanted answers since I’d spotted Francesca, her belly noticeably round with child. Oddly, I felt certain the baby wasn’t Leonardo’s. Some deep sense told me that he would never abandon the mother of his child, no matter who she was.
“Out with it, kitten,” he chuckled, one eyebrow lifting as a grin tugged at his lips. “Your face is an open book. If you’ve got a question, just ask.”
His hair had dried by now, shifting from its pale gray back to its dark, rich hue. My own hair was still damp, clinging to my back, though the fire’s warmth shielded me from the chill. He’d been right when he said it took a lot to make him feel cold; he hadn’t so much as shivered since sitting beside me.
“I didn’t know if you’d want to discuss it,” I began, hesitating. “But I saw Francesca last week, and-well, she was pregnant.”
Leonardo gave a slow nod, raising an eyebrow in question. “You think it’s mine?”
His face gave away nothing-no hint of affection or disdain. He hid his emotions skillfully, a mask that only made my own uncertainty worse.
“Actually, no, I don’t,” I admitted, shaking my head. “I just wondered what happened between you two. You were all so close, yet now it seems like you only speak to Dante. I know it’s personal, so if you’d rather not talk about it, I understand.”
“It is personal, but you’re my true-mate,” he said softly. “If there’s anything you want to know, I’ll tell you.” A gentle smile appeared, but an edge lingered in it. Despite his apparent indifference toward Francesca now, something in the story unsettled him. “Besides, it’s no secret.”
“This would be more sincere if you weren’t, well, naked,” I said, feeling a flush of satisfaction as he laughed, the tension fading from his gaze.
“If anything, I’d say my current state makes this even more heartfelt,” he teased, giving me a devilish smile that sent a warmth through me. I nearly sighed when his fingers brushed my cheeks. “You’re a trained warrior, but still so innocent.”
“You’re dodging the question.” I rolled my eyes, batting his hand away.
He laughed, his voice rippling over the still water, but his tone grew serious again.
“I grew up with the four of them,” he began. “We were closer than friends-more like family. Francesca’s family held a high place in the pack, and everyone assumed she’d be my mate. They told us as much, and we started to believe it ourselves. We began dating young-that was our first mistake,” he admitted, pain flickering in his gaze. “She was always more attached than I was, even before I knew about you. After you left, everything changed. She wanted more than I could give her. It worked, for a while. Francesca’s always been spoiled. Her parents tried for years to have her, and she never forgot she was their miracle. When I couldn’t give her what she wanted, she found someone who could. She wanted to make me jealous, but it only drove us further apart. It wasn’t just her who tore us apart. Fabio played a part, too.”
The pieces fit together, and my eyes widened in sudden understanding.
“Fabio’s the father,” I murmured, speaking more to myself than to him. “Sofia’s mate is the father of Francesca’s child.”
My words echoed softly over the lake, and Leonardo’s silence was all the confirmation I needed.