CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ronan woke to the quiet hum of the morning. Sunlight sifted through thin curtains, painting soft stripes across the floor. His body ached,muscles stiff, ribs bruised,but he was alive.
Clean clothes lay folded neatly on the edge of the bed. A small tray of food sat beside them: bread, fruit, a steaming cup of water. He touched the shirt. Virelle had provided it with faint traces of jasmine clinging to the fabric,but he pushed the thought away.
He ate slowly, each bite grounding him after the endless days of captivity. Yet even as his stomach filled, his mind was elsewhere. He had come back for her. To see if a part of Eira still belonged to him. To prove that after everything, she would still care.
He left the room quietly, letting the crisp morning air fill his lungs. Each step carried him toward her, toward the possibility of a reunion that might heal,or shatter,their hearts.
Eira was alone in the quiet grove, the morning sun soft against her skin. She bent to pick a small wildflower when a familiar scent—warm, steady, impossibly known—brushed past her.
Her heart stilled.
"Eira…"
The voice was soft, breathless, trembling.
She spun.
Ronan stepped into the light. Clean clothes. Freshly washed hair. Bruises gone. But his eyes… they were shattered.
"Ronan?" Her voice trembled, cracking. "No… it can't be. Ron—Ronan?"
He didn't speak. He walked to her and gently pulled her into his arms.
Eira froze. Her hands hovered uncertainly.
His embrace was soft, desperate, trembling, as though he feared letting her go would break him completely.
"I'm here," he whispered into her hair. "Eira… I made it back."
She felt his tears against her neck. Soft, quiet, barely audible,but undeniable.
"Ronan… some space please ."
He did, but his fingers lingered on her arms, afraid that releasing her might tear him open.
"I thought I would die there," he murmured. "But I held onto one thing. One person. You."
Her breath shook.
"Where were you?" she whispered. "Why… why didn't you come back sooner?"
"She kept me," he said gently. "Chains, locked doors, potions… I didn't know if I'd walk again. But I saw you in my mind. Your smile. Your voice. That's what kept me alive."
"I—"
"We can still leave," he interrupted, lowering his forehead to hers. "We can go the way we planned. Just you and me. Start again."
The bond inside her tightened like a fist, pulling at her chest, twisting her tongue.
"Ronan… I didn't forget you. I still—"
The bond snapped, pulling her words into something they weren't meant to be.
"I love Kael."
Ronan's chest froze. He stepped back, breath caught in his throat. His voice, fragile, small:
"…Oh."
Eira clutched herself. "Ronan, I didn't mean… I was going to say—"
The bond constricted again. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"I'm with Kael," she choked out. "We… we belong."
Ronan's lips trembled. A single tear escaped.
"That's not your voice," he whispered. "You sound like someone repeating what the bond wants you to say."
She shook her head, voice barely audible, trembling.
"I… I don't love you like that anymore," she admitted. "I had to keep going."
He didn't move forward. The ache in his chest burned like fire. Wolf and human alike, he was torn—but he restrained himself.
"Then prove me wrong," he whispered, raw hope in his voice.
Eira looked away. "I… I can't."
"I bled for you," he said, voice breaking. "Every bruise, every chain, every night I thought I'd never hear your voice again… it was all for you. And now… you love him?"
Her breath shook. "I didn't choose it. The bond—"
"So the bond matters more than me?" he whispered. "More than everything we went through?"
Her eyes squeezed shut. "I'm sorry. So sorry."
Ronan's chest heaved. He couldn't speak. The world felt hollow.
Footsteps approached.
Kael appeared, small basket in hand. His eyes widened.
"Ronan?" he whispered. "You… how—"
Ronan's fist connected with Kael's chest. Not a blow of rage—but of grief, heartbreak, and the bitter pain of a love he had lost.
Kael's jaw clenched, ready to strike back—but Eira's hand caught his arm. He froze.
Ronan's voice, soft, broken: "I thought as much."
He turned and walked away. Kael and Eira remained, stunned.
"I came back for you," he whispered to the wind. "But the girl I loved… she never kept her promises."
Ronan's steps carried him farther from them, vision blurring with unspilled tears and chest-ache.
He wasn't watching the path.
"Ronan?"
Nahila's voice trembled. Her eyes widened as she ran toward him, launching herself into his arms.
He froze… then gave in, hugging her back with all the fragile weight of his heartbreak.
"Nahila…" His voice broke into her hair.
"I can't… I can't believe it's you!" she whispered, holding him tight. "Everyone thought you were gone… I knew you were alive somewhere!"
He closed his eyes, letting her warmth anchor him. A single tear slipped.
"Ronan… what happened?" she asked, worry etched on her face. "Why do you look like everything's ending?"
He swallowed hard, voice cracked: "I'm… I'm fine."
"Don't lie," she said, cupping his cheek, wiping the tear. "You can tell me."
He shook his head. "I just… need to be alone. Please… don't follow me."
Nahila's chest tightened, eyes searching his. "Be careful, Ronan."
He walked on, each step heavier, leaving her worried, knowing something inside him had broken completely.