Chapter 43: Chapter Forty-three

Chapter 43

Lia’s POV

The air in Duskwood felt colder than I remembered. It pressed against my skin like a warning, like the town itself knew I shouldn't be back.

But I was.

Because of him.

"He needs you, Lia. More than ever."

And I came.

Not because I forgave him.

Not because I forgot the names he called me, the pain he carved into my heart that night under the blood moon.

But because the bond hadn't died.

No matter how much I wanted it to.

The scent of herbs and wolfbane stung my nose as we entered the healer's cottage. The room was dim, warm, the fireplace crackling in defiance of the gloom outside. Shelves lined the walls, packed with bottles, scrolls, and dried leaves.

And in the center, on a low wooden bed, lay Edgar.

My breath hitched.

He was barely recognizable.

The healer placed a gentle hand on my arm. "He can't hear you. Not yet."

"What happened?"

She hesitated. "The curse. The blood magic his mother placed on him, it's eating him from the inside. Slower now, thanks to the moon goddess's intervention. But it's not gone."

"And the antidote?"

"No one knows what it is. Only Brie does. And she won't speak." Her mouth twisted in disgust. "She wants him to give up his title. She gave him an ultimatum."

I closed my eyes. Typical Brie. Always manipulating, always winning.

"He agreed to her deal," Elena added softly.

My eyes snapped open. "What?"

"He told her he would give up the Alpha seat if she lifted the curse. She believed him and removed it. Then he laughed in her face and said he lied."

Despite the ache in my chest, a small part of me almost smiled. Of course he did.

"After that," Elena said, voice trembling, "he collapsed. And he hasn't woken since."

I stepped closer, my fingers brushing the edge of the bed. My hand hovered over his, afraid to touch, afraid I might shatter.

I hated him.

But I loved him more.

"Does he feel pain?"

"We don't know. His wolf is silent. It has been for weeks."

That shook me.

The bond between a wolf and their human side wasn't just sacred. It was essential. Without it, they weren't whole.

He truly was broken.

I sank into the chair beside him, suddenly exhausted. The fire's warmth did little to thaw the cold in my bones.

"I've dreamed of him every night since I left," I confessed. "Some dreams were kind. Others weren't."

Elena sat across from me. "What do you feel now?"

I stared at his face. At the lips that once pressed against my skin, the eyes that once looked at me like I was his whole world.

"I feel unfinished. Like there's a part of me still waiting. Still hoping. Still bleeding."

Neither of us spoke for a long time.

Outside, the wind howled.

Inside, Edgar didn't move.

The days passed in silence.

I stayed.

I bathed his face, held his hand, and whispered words I didn’t have the courage to say out loud when he was awake. Words like:

I miss you.

Why did you hurt me?

Why did it still feel like love?

The healer came and went, always shaking his head. "His body is fighting, but the soul... it's adrift. We can't reach it."

I began reading the old journals again. The ones I'd found in the bookstore. My mother’s handwriting stared back at me like a ghost.

She had been through something similar.

Fought through a bond that almost killed her.

But she had no moon goddess, no tribrid strength, no prophecy wrapped around her child.

Still, she endured.

Maybe I could too.

One night, when the sky was soaked in stars and the moon hung low and red, I fell asleep beside Edgar's bed.

I dreamt of the clearing again.

The one where we first touched.

Only this time, he stood at the edge of the trees, cloaked in shadow.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I never left," he replied. "But you did."

I took a step forward. "You pushed me away."

He reached for me, and though it was only a dream, I felt the heat of his palm against mine. "I thought I was protecting you. But I was only protecting myself."

"I don’t know if I can forgive you."

He looked down. "Then just stay. That’s enough."

I woke with tears drying on my cheeks.

Edgar hadn’t moved.

But his hand was warm in mine.

The next morning, the healer came in with a frown.

"Something's changed," she murmured, pressing a hand to his chest. "His heart... it's steadier."

Elena entered moments later, eyes wide. "The moonstone in the temple began to glow."

I stood. "What does that mean?"

"It means hope."

I looked down at Edgar.

Maybe... just maybe, he was hearing me.

I leaned in close, lips at his ear.

"I’m here. And I’m not leaving again. Not until you wake up. Not until we’ve made this right."

His hand twitched.

Just a flicker.

But it was enough.

Days later, the council arrived.

Tension wrapped the room like chains. The Alpha of the Frostclad remnants had been spotted in the outskirts. War was coming again.

They asked me if I would rule.

If I would step in as Co-Alpha until Edgar returned.

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I turned to the bed.

"You need to wake up now," I whispered. "Because they want me to lead. And I don’t know if I can do it without you."

Another flicker.

Another heartbeat steadier than the last.

I stayed.

Because somewhere deep inside, I knew he was fighting.

And this time, I would fight for him too.