Chapter 42: Chapter Forty-two

Chapter 42

Elena's POV

The fire had long since died down in the hearth, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the room. Edgar lay still on the bed, paler than I’d ever seen him, his breath so shallow it barely stirred the linen over his chest. The room smelled of herbs and incense, the kind used by the healers to ward off death, but it hadn’t worked. Not this time. Not yet.

His wolf had gone silent. And when a wolf goes silent, it means the soul is slipping.

I touched his forehead gently, brushing away a strand of hair slick with sweat. "You stubborn, cursed fool," I murmured.

The blood curse was fading, yes, but so was he. The Moon Goddess had given us time, not a cure.

I left the room and closed the door softly, my shoulders heavy with dread. Downstairs, the manor had gone quiet. Most of the pack kept their distance now, mourning in silence, whispering about who might take his place. But I refused to accept that.

Not yet. Not while there was still one person left who might save him.

By midday, I had crossed the boundary of the Ironclad territory, heading into the quiet edges of the forest where Lia had disappeared to. No one had heard from her in months. Some whispered she’d returned to her mother’s homeland; others claimed she’d given up on Duskwood entirely.

But I knew better.

The bond between mates might be frayed, but it didn’t break so easily. Especially not theirs.

The sun had begun to set by the time I reached the small, ivy-covered cottage nestled near the river. A soft glow flickered behind the shutters. She was home.

I knocked. Once. Twice.

No answer.

I didn’t wait.

I opened the door and stepped in.

The scent hit me instantly, lavender, ash, and grief. Lia stood near the fireplace, her amber hair longer now, pulled loosely over one shoulder. Her back was to me.

"I thought I made myself clear," she said. Her voice was quiet but sharp. "I’m done with Duskwood."

I didn’t flinch. “You can lie to yourself, Lia, but don’t lie to me."

She turned slowly, eyes gleaming with fury, and pain.

"He didn’t believe me. Called me a liar. A witch. Said I was trying to break his family apart because I didn’t have one."

I stepped forward. "And now he has no one left. His wolf is gone. His body’s failing. He might not survive the week."

Her breath hitched.

I saw the hesitation.

She turned away again, gripping the edge of the mantle like it was the only thing holding her up.

"He chose her," she said, almost a whisper. "He chose his mother over me."

"He didn’t know what she’d done. Not then. Not fully. But when he found out, he put a blade through her side."

Lia stiffened. Slowly, she turned. "What?"

"Brie cursed him with her last breath. A blood curse. We summoned the Moon Goddess for help, but it only bought him time. The blood curse has been removed but he's still unconscious. He needs you."

Her lips trembled. For a moment, she said nothing.

Then: "Why me? What could I possibly do now?"

"Because he still dreams of you. Even in sleep. Because when his strength left him, your name was the last thing he said."

She looked down, silent. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

I walked to her, placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “Forgive and forget, Lia. I know he hurt you. I know you didn’t deserve it. But he needs you now more than ever."

She blinked back tears. "Do you think I can forget what he said to me?"

"No," I said softly. "But love is sometimes about remembering and staying anyway. Not because you're weak, but because you're stronger than the pain."

Lia turned to me fully then, and I saw it, the fire that had always lived in her eyes. Dimmed, yes. But not extinguished.

"Fine," she whispered. "I’ll go. But this doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him."

"That’s fair," I said.

The journey back to Duskwood was quiet. Lia didn’t speak much, but I could feel the storm behind her silence. We arrived after nightfall. The Ironclad manor loomed like a silent sentinel, shrouded in cold mist.

As we walked inside, whispers followed us. Some stared. Others bowed their heads. But no one dared speak.

The healers stepped aside when they saw her.

She hesitated outside Edgar’s room, her hand hovering over the door handle.

"He’s not the same man you left," I said gently.

"Neither am I," she replied.

Then she pushed open the door.

Lia’s POV

The room was quiet except for the slow, rasping breath coming from the figure on the bed. Edgar looked broken. Not the fierce alpha I once knew. Pale, thin, his frame looked smaller somehow without his wolf.

My heart clenched. I hated that I still loved him. Hated that the moment I saw him like this, everything inside me screamed to reach for him.

I moved toward the bed, slow and unsure.

His lips moved, barely.

I leaned in.

A whisper.

"Lia."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I sat beside him and took his hand. It was cold.

"I’m here. I don’t know if you can hear me. But I’m here."

I heard Elena quietly closing the door behind her, leaving us alone.

I leaned closer. "You hurt me. You broke things I’m not sure I can fix. But I also remember what it was like when you held me. When you believed in me. I remember the man behind the alpha. And if that man is still in there, somewhere, then... fight. Please. Fight."

His breathing faltered for a second.

Then steadied again.

I pressed his hand to my cheek. "I don’t know what comes next. But I won’t let you die alone."

The moonlight filtered through the window, bathing him in silver light. Somewhere deep in my chest, I felt the bond flicker.

Not strong.

But still there.

Still alive.

Just like him.

Outside the door, Elena stood with her hand on her heart, listening. The sounds were muffled, but the magic in the air was real. Faint, yes, but the bond had sparked again.

Hope, as fragile as it was, had returned to Duskwood.

And it came wrapped in amber hair and trembling hands.

Love, it seemed, had not yet surrendered.