Chapter 124

Killian:

“I told you to stay with Natasha.” I said, not turning to face my mate as she entered my office.

The last thing that I wanted was for her to see me in this state.

“She fell asleep, I figured to come…”

“Then go and stay with Katerina,” I said, stopping her. She didn’t say a word for a few seconds, but I could hear her taking a few steps forward before she stood behind me. She put her hand on my back, running her finger over it gently.

“Don’t push me away, Killian,” she said, her voice softer than it ever was. Her heartbeat was calm despite my demeanor, but I knew myself all too well to know that I wasn’t kind when I was angry, and knowing her pain and trauma, I didn’t want to end up taking any of them out on her. I didn’t want to be the person who hurt her like others have. “I am your wife, I am supposed to be by your side…”

“I don’t want you to be right now.” I said, stopping her. “What is hard for you to understand in that? Why is it difficult for you to just respect what I want.”

“Because I am your wife and not the maid that entered this Estate being afraid of your anger.” Her words took me off guard, and I couldn’t help but turn around to face her. Her eyes met mine and I saw her pain in them. “You can show me your weak side, Killian. You can get angry, and I can be here to mend your scars just as you’ve done to me. Our marriage is two people, both have gone through more than others have. And I understand that you can be in pain, you can be scared, and you can be lost in so much…”

“I am going to have to deal with forty years worth of betrayal, Eleanor.” I said, stopping her. I hated to admit it, but I didn’t know how much Liana and Luca had done to sink us as low as they intended to. I didn’t know who I could trust and who was betraying us, but I knew for fact that we were going to have to deal with that. “I am going to have to deal with more hell than we have ever been through, and I am going to have to shut off all my humanity senses to be able to do so. I am going to have to look at them, man, woman, elderly, every one of them, as enemies, and it is going to kill me inside to LOOK at those who I considered as family as potential traitors.”

“I don’t know the amount of damage that they all did, and I don’t know who they managed to bring into the pack. What they know, and what they stole. I don’t know the information that they got from us, and I don’t even know what they’ve done with it, but I doubt that they just watched a movie while listening to our stories.” I said, towering over my mate’s body for a second. “So, do you still want to know what the fuck I’ve got on my mind or have you gotten an enough dose of my anger?” 

She didn’t say a word for a few seconds before taking a step back to the bar. She grabbed a glass and I watched as she opened a bottle of whiskey, pouring a glass before walking toward me. Her eyes met mine as she extended the cup to me and I frowned in confusion before she pointed at the couch behind her.

“I think that you might need a lot more time, and our feet are going to hurt us if we end up standing through it all. And while I can’t drink as I have a baby to breastfeed, I am more than open to sit by your side and listen to what you have to tell me.” She said, taking me by surprise. My eyes widened and I wrapped my hand around the glass as I looked at her taking a step back to sit on the couch. She didn’t say a word, but I could tell that she was waiting for me to take a seat. And though I did as told, I had to admit that I was more than a little surprised by her action.

I put the glass on the coffee table that I had in front of the couch and turned to look at Eleanor, watching as her eyes studied my expression for a second too long before she extended her hand to take mine. I looked down at our joined hands for a second, and I watched as she intertwined our fingers, avoiding my eyes as she looked down at our hands.

“When I married you, I vowed to love you through everything, Killian. And when I accepted you as my mate, I vowed to protect our mating bond with everything that I could. You have no idea how much pain I was in when Elton used to bite my neck to poison our blood. And the fear that I went through when you found me, the fear that you would resent me because another wolf touched me was one that I couldn’t think of describing.” She said, keeping her eyes on our hands. “But you didn’t leave. You cradled me through everything and you valued me more than ever. The respect that you showed me and were sure that I got, and the courage that you built in that broken girl that entered your pack is not one that I will ever forget.”

“I entered your pack fearing my shadow and I was able to stand and face the man that broke more in me than anyone ever has. And it all happened because I met you. You taught me to be who I was when I was at my weakest of points. And while I understand that your pain is new, and the betrayal that you are feeling is one that I wouldn’t want for an enemy; I want you to know that I am going to be there for you, by your side, whether or not you like it, through it all.” She said, making my heart skip a beat as she looked up at me. “Starting today and until we take our last breath, I am yours and you are mine. Whatever happens, we deal with it together, but the second that we walk out of the door, we are the couple that are invincible. Within these walls, we are the husband and wife that are allowed to weaken when they need to, and without boundaries or walls. No judgment allowed, and no pain to be thrown in the face of the other. It is the two of us against the world, and that is something that YOU are going to start keeping in mind.”

Her eyes met mine and she cupped my cheeks before leaning in to kiss me. “You are no longer alone, my love. And I never want you to forget that…”