Any anger I’d felt toward my mom had faded long ago. She had made the best decisions she could for me, always placing my well-being above all else. Even though the pain had left its mark, I had managed to find my way to the other side.
“It’s alright. What’s done is done,” I said, nodding in agreement with Emiliano.
But Leonardo couldn’t hide from me-not entirely. I could feel the guilt clawing at him, burrowing deep beneath his cool facade. His expression might have been perfectly schooled into neutrality, but through our bond, the pain was as vivid as if it were my own.
You understand what this means, don’t you? I spoke softly through the bond, willing him to believe my words. It wasn’t your fault that you rejected me. Even if our start was messy, this gives us a chance at a happy ending.
I didn’t voice the heavier truths lingering between us-how we’d save the fae realm and what it might cost. Those thoughts were constant companions, casting shadows we hadn’t yet dared to confront.
Leonardo’s arm slipped around my shoulders, pulling me closer until I fit perfectly against him. The familiar scent of fresh water and masculine musk wrapped around me, and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat became my anchor.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Enrico’s gaze drifting toward us before darting to the far wall. Carlo, however, made no attempt to hide his disapproval. His grimace was directed more at Leonardo than at me as he turned his attention to Laura.
I didn’t know what Enrico felt, and Carlo’s emotions were even murkier. I lacked the experience to fully understand the depth of a typical werewolf bond. Leonardo and I had been thrust so quickly into our true-mate connection that I couldn’t compare it to what others experienced.
But I did know one thing: werewolf mates were bound by compatibility, their souls designed to complement each other. True-mates, however, were something else entirely-two halves of the same whole. It explained why rejections among true-mates simply didn’t happen.
“Now that everyone’s here… tell us, what did we miss?” I asked before Leonardo could snarl or turn the room into an icebox.
Leaning casually against the wall, Emiliano looked impossibly fae even in flannel pajamas. His amber eyes flicked to the fireplace, where charred logs sat cold and lifeless.
“Show me how much control you’ve gained,” he said, nodding toward the hearth. “Light a fire for us.”
I glanced at Leonardo, who returned the look with equal uncertainty. We both knew the risks, but at least now I knew how to manage them.
Focusing on the fireplace, I closed my eyes and reached for the sun’s warmth. Even at night, its energy lingered, faint but present. A soft heat spread across my skin, neither scorching nor harsh. I opened my eyes as threads of crimson and scarlet magic shimmered into view, visible only to me. The strands twisted and wove themselves together, surging toward the hearth in a burst of energy.
Flames roared to life, devouring the charred logs and sending embers spiraling into the air. The rush of power wasn’t as strong as it would have been under the sun’s full light, but it was enough. The fire crackled and danced before settling into a steady glow.
“Well, now I’m hot,” Francesca muttered, waving away the embers that drifted too close.
“I can freeze you if you’d like,” Leonardo offered politely, earning a rare grin from Enrico.
“Or we could just catch everyone up so we can all get some sleep,” I suggested, failing to mask my amusement as I glanced around the room. My gaze lingered on Laura and Francesca. “You all look like you haven’t slept in weeks.”
“Try two months,” Sofia groaned, letting her head fall back against the couch.
Leonardo’s expression hardened as his attention zeroed in on Francesca. “How is it that an ex-member of my pack is here at four in the morning?”
Francesca’s eyes narrowed as she shot back with venom that didn’t quite match his intensity. “Believe me, I’d rather be in my bed, safe and warm, but everything went to hell the moment you two stepped into the fae realm.”
Carlo cut in before Francesca could say more, his tone clipped. “Her fae friend came about two weeks after you left for Glacial Blu. When we didn’t hear from you, your Beta took over.”
It was clear Francesca’s presence grated on everyone in the room. While they seemed resigned to it, none of them looked happy about her involvement.
Dante rubbed a hand over his face, exhaustion etched into every line of his features. “We tried to hold things together. At first, it wasn’t so bad. But exactly a month after you left, the first rogue attack hit.”
His voice grew heavier as he spoke, and his fingers grazed the stubble on his jaw. “It wasn’t like normal rogue attacks-disorganized and feral. They came at us from the North and South, targeting the children and the elderly. They weren’t just attacking… they were trying to wipe us out.”