Chapter 291
Dominic pov
I wake slowly, my body is still aching with a dull, constant throb. I feel warmth around me, a steady, comforting heat. Blinking my eyes open, I see Constantine’s arms wrapped around me, his chest rising and falling steadily as he watches me wake.
His eyes are soft, but there’s a fierceness there too, a kind of protective glow that makes my heart ache for everything I’ve missed because of my selfish behavior.
“Hey,” he says quietly, his voice low and soothing. “You’re awake.” He adds and carefully places his large hand on my cheek, cupping it with so much gentleness, it makes my heart hurt more than it should.
I try to sit up, but the weakness pulls me down. I feel like I’ve been drained of everything, like I’m just a shell of who I used to be. Still, being here with Constantine, it feels like a piece of me is starting to return.
“You shouldn’t move too much,” Constantine adds, his arm tightening around me just a little. “You need rest. You’ve been through enough as it is, love, no need to add more strain.”
I can’t hold it in anymore. The words tumble out, rushed and shaky. “Constantine, I need to tell you something. Everything. I can’t… I can’t keep it inside anymore.”
He nods, his gaze never leaving mine. “I’m listening.”
I take a deep breath, the weight of it all pressing on my chest with so much force, I fear it might explode any damn moment. “The hunters - they used me. They’ve been taking my blood, using it to create hybrids. They want a war, a war they’ve been building in secret. I was just a tool to them. They didn’t need me for my abilities and skills, they were always after the blood”
Constantine’s eyes darken and his jaw tightens. I can see the anger building in him, but he stays quiet, letting me speak.
“I joined them because I was lost,” I continue, my voice breaking. “After - after the rejection, I didn’t know where to go, what to do. I was desperate. I blamed everyone else for what happened. I thought if I could be stronger, if I could be something they needed, it would fill the void.”
I feel tears welling up, but I push on. “But it didn’t. It just made everything worse. I hated myself more every day, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t know how. I couldn’t find the light at the end of the tunnel, even though I forced myself to believe the delusions that there was one. I tried, fuck, I tried so damn hard to find that forsaken light but it never came.”
Constantine pulls me closer, his hand resting on the back of my head. “You don’t have to hate yourself anymore,” he whispers. “You’re here now. We can fix this. Together.”
“I still love you,” I admit, the words fall from my lips before I can stop them. “Even with the bond broken, I can’t stop. I’ve tried, but it’s impossible. I love you, Constantine. I love you so much it hurts.”
He doesn’t hesitate. “I love you too, Dominic. And the bond, it’s not broken. Knox, my bear, he never accepted the rejection. That’s why it’s still there, why you still feel it. I feel it too.”
I blink at him, stunned. “But how?”
“Knox refused to let you go,” Constantine explains, his voice firm. “He knew, even when I tried to fight it, that you were always meant to be mine. Ours. That we were meant to be together.”
I let out a shaky breath, the tightness in my chest easing just a bit. It’s like a dam has broken, and all the pain, the guilt, the fear - it’s starting to wash away.
Constantine cups my face again, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “I promise to protect you, Dominic. With my life. You’re not alone in this. We’ll get through it. Together.”
I nod, the weight of his words slowly sinking in. For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel hope. Real, solid hope. Almost like there’s a chance that at the end of this, after all this pain and suffering, we will really come out of it stronger, more solid, more in love, together - just like he claims.
“We have to leave,” Constantine says, his tone shifting slightly. “Ash is in danger. There are too many enemies after her. We need to move, get to a safer place. The others are already packing up the camp, making it look like no one has been here for years.”
I frown, as worry starts twisting in my gut. “What about you? You’re always putting others first. What about you?”
Constantine smiles softly. “I’ll be fine. As long as you’re safe, as long as Ash is safe, that’s all that matters.”
He starts to rise, gently helping me lie back down. “Rest,” he says firmly. “You need your strength.”
This is such a Constantine thing to do. First, he will always take care of others and only after, he will consider thinking about himself the tiniest bit. Instead of packing his own things, he’s sitting aside, making sure I’ll be fine while he deals with whatever he still has to do.
No matter how much I could try to push him to change, I know he won’t. The same as his bear, Constantine is led by extreme instinct to protect those in need. If it weren’t for my stupidity, I wouldn’t be needing all this care, but the man doesn’t care about that.
The only thing that matters is that he ensures I’m safe and lack nothing. If this isn’t love...
As he turns to leave, he pauses and glances back at me with a wink. “Don’t worry, princess. You won’t have to walk while you’re this weak. I’ll carry you to the end of the world if need be. Always and forever.”
I watch him go, a warmth spreading through me that I thought I’d never feel again. Constantine is my anchor, my safe place. No matter what, I can’t risk losing him again. I just can’t...