Chapter 45 45

Chapter 45 45
CHAPTER 45

\[Rhea’s POV\]

Both brothers froze. The atmosphere in the room changing instantly.

"In the forest?" Damian asked. "Rhea, that forest was crawling with hunters and fire. What would a student be doing out there?"

"I don't know," I shook my head. "But I’m sure it was him. I saw his face. I even called out his name but he was just standing there, watching us."

Lucien and Damian exchanged a look.

"Lucas is a stranger who showed up right when Mark started his games," Lucien noted. "He’s a wolf we don't know. And now he’s showing up in the middle of a hunter ambush."

"He saved me from Mark once," I reminded them.

"Or he was just making sure Mark didn't kill you before he had his chance," Damian countered.

I didn't want to believe that Lucas was a bad guy. He had been kind to me. He had given me his coat. But nothing was what it seemed anymore. My best friend was a witch who hated me, and my fiancé was a hunter who wanted me dead.

"We'll look into him," Lucien promised, sensing my distress. "But for now, you need to rest. You lost a lot of blood, and the silver took a toll on your body."

I nodded, leaning back into the pillows, starting to make drowsy again.

"We’re not going back to the university for a while," Lucien added. "We stay here until we figure out Mark’s next move. And until we find out exactly who Lucas really is."

I closed my eyes, soon drifting off to sleep. Feeling safer than I'd ever been.



Some hours later, I woke up.

Damian was sitting beside me at the edge of the bed, and I sat up joining him. He didn't say anything and just reached out, pulling me to his side.

I didn’t resist and curled into him, tucking my head under his chin. His skin was radiating enough heat to stop my shivering. It felt good to be close to him. It felt like I was finally where I was supposed to be.

His hand moved down my arm, his fingers brushing against the bandage. He stopped when he reached the area near my shoulder. He gently pulled back the edge of my sleeve, revealing the long, thin cut I had received in the basement.

"Rhea," he called. "I saw this earlier, but I didn't want to push. How did you get this tear mark? This isn't from a branch or a fall."

I looked away, staring at the flickering flames across the room. My heart felt heavy. "It’s nothing, Damian. It was just an accident. Things were moving fast in the woods."

"Don't lie to me. This is a clean slice. It looks like a knife mark. An accident doesn't look like this."

I took a deep breath. I knew I couldn't keep it inside anymore. I was tired of carrying the weight of what had happened while they were gone. I looked up at him, my eyes stinging with fresh tears.

"It was Isolde," I whispered.

Damian froze. I could feel his muscles go stiff under my touch. "Isolde? Your friend?"

"She isn't my friend," I said. The words felt bitter. "She was the one who knocked me out at the library. She took me to her house and tied me up in her basement. She told me everything, Damian. Her powers. She’s the one who poisoned your arm. She did it to get you away so Mark could have me."

I told him the rest. I told him how she had been watching me, how she had been the presence I felt in the shadows. I told him about the knife and how she tried to kill me because she wanted the both of them for herself. I told him how she claimed she could have them if I was dead, because the bond would be broken.

Damian’s eyes turned a dark, dangerous red. He let out a low growl that vibrated through the room. He looked like he wanted to leave right then and tear the city apart to find her.

"She touched you," he hissed. "She put a blade to your skin."

"It’s over now," I said, reaching up to touch his face. "Please, just forget about them for a minute. Mark and Isolde... they are gone. We are here. We need to focus on staying safe. We can’t let them win by making us stay angry."

Damian didn't look convinced, but he took a slow breath and tried to relax his jaw. He leaned his forehead against mine. "If I ever see her, Rhea, I won't be as kind as you were."

Just then, the door opened and Lucian walked in. He had been checking the security of the house, but he stopped when he saw us sitting so close together. He walked over and took a seat on the other side of the bed. He looked at me with those sharp, silver eyes that always seemed to see right through me.

"You're looking better," he noted. "The color is coming back to your face."

"I feel better."

He leaned back, crossing his arms. "I've been thinking about the forest. Damian and I were miles away. We were deep in the woods, far from any roads or landmarks. Even the hunters had trouble tracking us. How did you find us, Rhea? How did you know exactly where we were?"

I looked at Lucian, then at Damian. "I didn't have a map. I didn't even know where I was going, but the moment the moon turned red, I felt it. It was like a string was tied to my heart, and it was being pulled. It was the mate pull. It was so strong that it was impossible to ignore. My wolf, Nyra... she wouldn't let me stay in the house. She knew you were in trouble. She knew you were calling for her."

Damian nodded slowly. "The Blood Moon. The healer said it makes the beast stronger. It must have amplified the bond."

I nodded. "I couldn't just ignore it. I had to get to my mates."

At that moment, the room went completely silent.

The fire popped in the hearth, but neither of the brothers moved. Lucian’s eyes widened slightly as my words registered. Damian’s grip on my hand tightened. I felt my face get hot, realizing what I had finally said out loud.

"Your mates?" Lucian repeated. His voice was soft, almost like he was afraid to break the moment. "You called us your mates."

"You’ve finally accepted it," Damian joined. He sounded breathless.

I felt a wave of nerves wash over me. I had been fighting this for so long. I had been pushing them away, trying to pretend that I was still the girl who was going to marry Mark and live a normal, human life. But that life was a lie.

"I have," I said, my voice getting stronger. "The truth is... the reason I’ve been holding back was because of Mark. I thought I owed him something. I thought I had to be loyal to him because we had been together for so long. I didn't want to be the person who just threw away a relationship the moment things got hard."

I let out a sad laugh. "But I was being a fool. I wanted to be loyal to him, but I had no idea that he had been cheating on me with my best friend. He was with Isolde while I was trying to protect his feelings. He was lying to me every single day. My loyalty was for nothing."

I looked at Lucien and Damian. They were both watching me with such intensity that I felt like I was the only person in the world.

"I’m done with the lies. I'm done with the human world and its rules. I saw what I am in the forest. I saw Nyra. I felt the power. And I felt the bond with you both. I’m ready to accept it. Fully."

I stood up from the bed. My heart was pounding, but I didn't feel afraid. I felt powerful. I felt like I was finally taking control of my own life.

The brothers started to move, perhaps to say something or to tell me to slow down, but I didn't give them the chance. I reached for the hem of my shirt.

"Rhea, wait," Lucian started to say.

I pulled the shirt over my head and dropped it on the floor. Then, I unfastened the rest of my clothes. I moved quickly, not giving myself a chance to overthink it or let the old, human modesty stop me.

Within seconds, I was standing in front of them, stark naked.