Chapter 36
Chapter 36
HARLEY
The world still spun, leaving me clutching my chest as if it would keep the memory of her close. My mother’s face was fading from my mind, but her words echoed clearly. “Shane will protect you. Trust him.”
A gentle creak brought me back to the present. The door opened, and the old woman slipped inside, her eyes kind and full of something that felt like understanding. She took one look at my tear-streaked face, her expression softening.
“Are you alright, child?” she asked, her voice warm and laced with concern.
I wanted to say something, anything, but words failed me. My chest felt heavy, my thoughts tangled between grief and gratitude. I just shook my head, a fresh tear escaping down my cheek. The old woman gave a small nod, understanding all that I couldn’t say.
“Stay here,” she murmured gently, and without another word, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Moments later, I heard her voice again, only this time directed at someone else. “Shane, she needs you. Go to her.”
My heart gave a small, startled jump at his name, but I barely had time to collect myself before he stepped into the room, his tall frame filling the doorway. He looked at me with an intensity I couldn’t quite place, his dark eyes softened, though a hint of worry lingered in them. It was almost surreal seeing him here, knowing he was… somehow mine.
“Harley?” His voice was soft, cautious, as he took a few steps closer. “Are you alright? Did you… did you see her?”
I looked up, and the first word that slipped out felt truer than anything I’d ever said before. “Thank you.”
He blinked, clearly taken aback. For a moment, he just stared, the disbelief in his eyes mingling with something else, something deeper. Then, his expression softened completely, and he moved closer, dropping to his knees beside me so we were eye level.
“Anything for my mate,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a murmur, but it resonated within me, solid and certain.
My pulse quickened, his words settling over me like a balm. I felt a strange warmth at his words, like a string tying us together, something invisible yet unbreakable. Shane was no longer just the stranger who had burst into my life with a cryptic claim. He was… someone bound to me, tied to me in ways I was just beginning to understand.
“Is it true?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. “Are you really a werewolf? And… am I truly your mate?”
He held my gaze, unwavering. “Yes, Harley. It’s true. Every word of it. I am a werewolf. And you…” His voice softened, a touch of awe breaking through. “You are my mate. The one chosen for me.”
The realization settled over me, strange and comforting all at once. I had always felt different, had always known that something in my life was missing, some puzzle piece that never quite fit. And now, sitting here with Shane, it was like everything clicked into place.
A surge of confidence, fueled by my mother’s words, overtook me. “Then… claim me.”
Shane’s eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, but he didn’t hesitate. Without a word…