Chapter 232 Finally!!

Chapter 232 Finally!!
>>Riker
The moment that door creaked open, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
It wasn’t just instinct. It was the kind of cold, gut-deep warning that came from years of walking into rooms where people died. The porch light flickered once overhead, casting shadows across the steps, and then I saw it—the glint.
A single shimmer of reflection. Barely noticeable. But I caught it.
My eyes narrowed.
A rifle barrel.
The front end of it peeked out from behind the edge of the door, matte black metal catching the faint light from behind me. It was still—quiet—but I could see the telltale roundness of the muzzle. That was no hunting weapon. That was meant for precision. For kill shots.
And it was pointed at her.
Adrenaline surged.
In a single breath, I moved.
“Ava,” I snapped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her hard behind me.
She let out a surprised gasp as I shoved her back toward the porch railing, using my body to shield hers.
I didn’t think. I reacted.
My other hand shot forward, toward the barrel of the rifle, just as the door creaked a little wider. I lunged, grabbing for the weapon—aiming to jam it up, away from Ava, away from me, before whoever was behind that door could make the mistake of pulling the trigger.
My fingers clamped around cold metal.
For half a second, I locked eyes with the figure in the shadows.
I tugged hard on the rifle, pulling it upward, intending to disarm the person behind the door, to move them out of the shadows and into the light. But as I yanked it, the figure on the other side of the door suddenly staggered forward, revealing not the hardened, prepared enemy I was expecting—but a girl.
I blinked, my grip tightening on the barrel as the girl stumbled out from the dark corner of the porch. She was young—too young to be carrying a weapon like this. Her face, pale and wide-eyed, reflected the shock that hit me all at once. I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.
She tripped, stumbling awkwardly over her own feet, and hit the porch floor with a soft thud. My heart skipped a beat as I yanked the gun fully out of her hands, pulling it away from her grip before she could react, and I froze.
The situation had gone from life-threatening to utterly baffling.
My eyes flicked over the girl’s form as she scrambled to sit up, her face scrunching in pain as she tried to push herself off the ground. It took me a moment to realize that the girl was blind. And here she was, holding a rifle like she was prepared to take down a threat. But this wasn’t a threat. This was a mistake.
I barely registered Ava pushing past me, her hand brushing my arm as she rushed toward the girl.
“Ava—” I started, but she was already kneeling beside the girl, pulling her up as she muttered soothing words under her breath. Her hands, gentle but firm, helped the girl onto her feet as she wiped the dirt from her knees. The rifle was now securely in my hands, but the tension in the air had shifted from high alert to something far more confusing.
“Ava?” My voice was sharp, disbelief threading through it as I watched Ava tenderly check over the younger girl, her eyes scanning her for any signs of injury. That was when I got a good look at her face once again
Ah,
This is her, the third one.
Ava glanced up at me, her face softening as she put a calming hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Riker. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Right. I forgot about them being three sisters.
Ava turned her attention back to the girl—Annamae, I recalled her name from the file I gathered on Riona. Ava said her name so gently. “Annamae, are you alright?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Annamae looked up at her, her eyes still wide and wary, but she nodded, though there was a slight tremor in her voice. “I’m okay… just… just scared.” She glanced back at me, her vision slightly off, her hands trembling as she held her arms close to her chest, suddenly unsure of herself. “I thought… I thought someone was out there, and I heard a man’s voice…” Her voice cracked. “You hadn’t come home yet. I was so scared.”
Annamae’s gaze dropped to the ground, and she bit her lip. “I didn’t know what to do. So, I grabbed the rifle… I just wanted to protect myself,”
I glanced at Ava, who was still kneeling beside Annamae, her hand resting on the girl’s shoulder.
She smiled softly at her little sister, the lines around her eyes softening. “You were scared, Annamae. That’s okay. You don’t ever need to be afraid, though.”
Annamae wiped her eyes quickly, sniffling. “I’m sorry, I just… I didn’t know what else to do.”
Ava shook her head, pressing a hand to her chest. “You didn’t need to do anything. We’re okay, and you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”
I stood frozen for a second, still holding the rifle, feeling like an outsider in a situation that was so far removed from the one I had expected tonight. But as I watched Ava comfort Annamae, something inside me loosened, my earlier anger slowly evaporating.
But damn it, the situation could’ve gone south so quickly.
I wasn’t sure what to think. This whole scene felt like something straight out of a story I hadn’t signed up to be a part of.
Ava finally stood, her hand still on Annamae’s shoulder. She turned to face me, her gaze steady. “Riker, she didn’t mean to scare you. You don’t need to be so tense. Just… let it go.”
I swallowed hard, my grip on the rifle relaxing. I glanced from Ava to Annamae and back to Ava. “She didn’t scare me, Ava. I was only scared that you might get hurt.” My words made Ava smile shyly.
She stepped closer to me, gently taking the rifle from my hands. “Riker,” she said softly, her voice somehow more tender than it had ever been before, “she’s my sister. You don’t have to protect me from her.” Her smile got more coy, “But thank you,”
I glanced at Annamae again, who was looking down at the ground, still embarrassed and shaken.
“No problem,” I said, my voice quieter now, more measured, “I would do anything to keep you safe.”
Ava’s eyes softened, her gaze not meeting mine but she chuckled, “You sure are a charmer,”
Just as the air between us started to calm, as Ava and Annamae stood there together on the porch, trying to steady their nerves, something—someone—shoved me out of the way.
It happened so quickly, I barely had time to react. One second, I was watching Ava and Annamae, and the next… Nick was standing in front of them. Between me and the girls, blocking my view. His frame solid and sure, like a wall I couldn’t push past.
I blinked in surprise, a surge of frustration flaring up in me.
What the hell was he doing?
Nick wasn’t looking at me. No, he was staring down at Annamae, his posture completely different—softer, less guarded than I’d ever seen him. His usual tough exterior was gone, replaced by something I hadn’t expected.
Something… gentle.

?????
“Hey,” he said, his voice smooth and calm as he crouched down a little to her level. “Are you alright?” His tone was so much quieter than usual, so tender. He reached out, a hand hovering near her shoulder, but not touching, as if waiting for her to make the first move. “I know this must’ve been scary. I’m Nick, by the way. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
I stood there, utterly stunned.
Nick?
What the hell!?!?
Of all people, it was Nick—the guy who was always so blunt, so irreverent, so... well, Nick. And yet here he was, bending down in front of Annamae, treating her with more care than I’d ever seen from him. I couldn’t believe it. It was like watching a different person altogether.
Annamae looked at him, still a little nervous but blinking at him in confusion, as if she wasn’t sure how to process what was happening. Her eyes flicked to Ava for reassurance, “Who?” Of course, she didn’t know who was standing in front of her. She couldn’t see
“Don’t worry,” Ava answered, “He’s one of the men who escorted me back.”
“Oh…”
Nick, oblivious to me standing there, leaned in a little closer, his voice lowering. “If you’re scared, you don’t have to be. I can stay here and guard for a while if you’d like. You’re not alone, alright?”
I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Nick wasn’t just being nice. He was being careful, considerate, like he was afraid of doing something wrong. He was watching Annamae closely, gauging her every reaction.
That’s when I saw it.
“O-oh no,” Annamae shook her head, “Now that Ava is back, I’m fine.”
Nick nodded, “Okay, but if you need help you can ask whenever.”
I looked at Nick and saw it—the softness in his eyes, the quiet understanding in his stance. His usual cocky, confident aura was completely gone, replaced by something… something else. A deep, unspoken connection to Annamae.
And then it hit me.
The way his eyes softened when he looked at her, the way he was careful, not rushing, not forcing anything. The way he kept checking her expressions like he was trying to make sure she felt safe.
I could see it clearly now.
Nick wasn’t just being nice. He was enchanted. He was talking to Annamae like she was his entire world, like nothing else mattered except her comfort.
I had to force myself to breathe.
Holy shit.
There was no denying it.
“Do you want some water? Or… maybe a blanket? I can get you anything you need,” Nick continued, his words slow and careful, as if he was afraid he might scare her off. “I can stay with you and your sister if that’s what you want. No one’s going to hurt you, okay?”
Annamae nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I… I don’t want to be alone.”
Nick’s expression softened further. “You won’t be.”
“Ahh~” Ava spoke up, “She said she’s fine that I’m here now,”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to say something.
“Nick,” I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended. “What the hell are you doing?”
Nick looked at me for the first time, his face unreadable. There was a brief flicker of something—surprise, annoyance, maybe even a little amusement—but he didn’t back down. He simply stared at me, then shifted his attention back to Annamae with that soft expression I could barely recognize.
“Nothing,” he said flatly, though the tone was softer than usual. “Just making sure she’s okay.”
And of course, it didn’t take me long to understand what it was

Nick found his mate.

>>Nick

Finally!!
My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the woman in front of me

Finally!! Finally!! Finally!!!

“I’m fine,” Annamae answered, “Ava hadn’t returned for so long so it made me anxious but you don’t need to worry about us.”

My God!
Her voice is so sweet!!!

“Come on!” Riker grabbed the back of my collar, “The girls are going in,” He dragged me back but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Not until both of them went inside and closed the door behind them.