Chapter 247 A WARRIOR’S HEART
Edeline
His words only fueled my wolf’s anger. I felt the truth of what I was saying as I locked eyes with him. "I can do it. I know I can. I just need to train more. All day, every day, with no breaks. I want to do this." The sudden surge of desire from my wolf made me realize I needed this—it was our shared dream. What better way to bring my fur and skin sides together than through this?
He stared at me, eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost. "Okay then... We will start after tomorrow."
My heart raced, and I raised an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across my lips.
"You’re something else, Edeline," he said, his voice low and rough, but filled with admiration. It was a compliment that made my cheeks heat up.
With a sense of accomplishment blooming within me, I felt clarity for the first time. I knew what I wanted to do with my life after this. My muscles relaxed, and the tension eased.
I wouldn't let this mate mark define who I was. I could be myself, even without my partner. I didn’t need a guy to protect me. Tatiana had always kept me safe, but I wouldn’t rely on that.
The irony of Conor being so sure that women should train but keeping me away from it wasn’t lost on me. It felt hypocritical, almost sexist. I understood his reasons; he was protective, after all.
Then, I remembered why I had sought Conor out tonight. He was watching me in silence, and I could see the wolf within him. I was curious about what mine was thinking.
Staying on my knees, I shifted to face his lying body. It was time to discuss something important. He had no idea what I was about to say.
Biting my lip in worry, I asked, "Would you be interested in hearing how Tatiana is doing?"
His expression shifted to a sudden frown, brows furrowing. "What?"
I felt a flash of anger. "It’s just... you and I never talk about it, and I wanted to know if you’d like to hear about her..."
I hoped he might say something—anything—that would allow me to move forward.
When he sat up, muscles shifting under his shirt, he said, "What, Edeline? Spit it out." His tone was firm but not authoritative.
Taking a deep breath, I let the words tumble out, so quickly they melded into one: "Mirabelle is pregnant with Nixx’s pup." His expression turned blank, while my eyes widened.
"What?"
Heavy sighing escaped me. "Mirabelle is pregnant with Nixx’s pup. Tatiana wears his skin-side mark as well... I know we haven't talked about her, but—"
His features hardened instantly. "I don’t want to talk about it."
But I could see the hurt behind his eyes, the pain my words had caused. He did care. He wanted to talk about it. It was my turn to play Dr. Phil.
"Conor," I said, tilting my head to the side, trying to soften the moment.
His gaze turned cold, and he snapped, "I said no, Edeline."
The tension in the air thickened, but I wasn’t about to back down. I had to break through.
As I clutched the blanket, a surge of strength coursed through me. I clenched my jaw, pressing my teeth together. "You always make me talk. Now it's your turn, Conor. Alexa told me how you treated Tatiana—as if she could do no wrong. Yet you left her, abandoned her once you realized she wasn’t yours. You slaughtered her real father, so let’s talk about it! I know you want to! You’ve helped me so much... let me help you. You keep her picture by your bed! I know you still care, so what’s the problem? You felt pain and concern when I just told you that!"
He got out of bed and stood over me, fists clenched. "I said no!"
Undeterred, I rose to my knees on the mattress, refusing to back down. "Talk to me! Stop doing that!"
For a moment, he didn’t look at me. We were frozen in time until he let out a heavy sigh of defeat. His head fell for a moment, and when his tortured midnight eyes met mine, I saw the face of a man who had been unhappy all his life. "I... I just don’t know how to feel."
I tugged at his hand, urging him to sit back down on the bed. He glanced at the pictures of Tatiana and Cilla, a storm of emotions brewing in his eyes.
"Conor, tell me how you feel. It’s just us. No need to keep this mask up. You’re someone else besides being an Alpha. You’re still a wolf."
He sighed, sinking back onto the bed, his hands covering his face as he rubbed his temples. "I love her, Tatiana. I think I always will." He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes filled with sadness, wandering in thought. "That day in William's office... when I found out she wasn’t my own... I was hurt. It wouldn’t have been too terrible, but I discovered she had known this whole time—since her shift—that Anita knew. That my own Beta was the father... I just... I lost it."
I remembered that day vividly.
Licking my lips, I thought carefully about my next question. "Would you have reacted differently if she hadn’t known?"
When he turned his head to look at me, his eyes were cloudy with emotion. "I think so. Yes. I wouldn’t have done what I did."
I hesitated, recalling our previous conversations. "You once said... while Nixx’s mom and William were talking after my dad and William fought, that since you discovered Nixx was the firstborn, you’d stake your claim on Tatiana again. But you said she didn’t want anything to do with you anymore. You wanted to see her before we left that night..."
"Yes," he replied, his voice heavy. "I felt... guilty. I raised her her whole life. I loved her as my own. I spoiled her, treated her the way I never got to treat Cilla. Tatiana is a part of her, and I thought she was a part of me." He chewed his lip, lost in distant memories. "I wanted to make up for all the wrong I did to Cilla through Tatiana..."