89

89

The room had gone silent, save for the low hum of the ceiling fan and their intertwined breaths. After the confessions, after the tears, after the kiss that bound them once again—Jaxon gently pulled the blanket over Elena’s body. She let him. Her heart was still racing, her chest heavy from everything they had both spilled out.

They sat facing each other now under the dim yellow glow of the bedside lamp. Their knees touched, and a soft smile curved both their lips. Neither of them spoke for a moment—they just watched each other. His deep eyes searched hers, not with suspicion anymore, but with something gentler. Something far more intimate.

Then Jaxon tilted his head slightly, breaking the silence.

“Elena,” he began with a lopsided grin, “I’ve been wondering something. Was that your first?”

She blinked at him, caught off guard. “First what?”

“You know…” he rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly awkward. “When we first met. That night in the woods. When we… when we possessed each other. You never told me anything. I didn’t even know your name then. I didn’t know a single thing about you. I didn’t know what school you went to, what your life was like. Nothing.”

Elena hesitated, biting her lip.

She looked down, then up again, a playful glint flashing through her tired eyes. “Should I say no? Or maybe yes?”

Jaxon gave a confused chuckle. “Which is it?”

“Well,” she sighed, curling a strand of her hair behind her ear, “technically I was going to school in my pack. But it wasn’t a normal school. It only opened for a few days a week. Most times, I had private tutors teaching me at home. My father was strict with my training.”

Jaxon whistled softly. “That’s actually kinda cool… but weird.”

Elena frowned playfully. “Weird? Why weird?”

He leaned back on one elbow, still grinning. “Because why would you ask to stay in a boys’ school dorm, even though the school was clearly mixed with boys and girls?”

She burst out laughing, tossing a pillow at him. “Oh come on, it’s not that big a deal!”

“Not a big deal?” he raised a brow, eyes sparkling. “You know how many times Rick or Jack almost walked in on you?”

She laughed louder this time, clutching her stomach. “That’s why it’s funny!”

Jaxon smiled, watching her laugh—the way her head tilted slightly, the way her lashes lowered with each burst of breath. “You’re crazy, Elena.”

“I just… liked it here,” she admitted, her laughter fading into a softer smile. “Even when it was hard. I liked being around you. Around the boys. This school… it became my favorite place. Even with all the lies.”

He nodded, then without warning, pulled her into a tight hug. She didn’t resist. She sank into his arms like it was the only place her body recognized as home.

“You know what?” he mumbled against her hair. “I’m starving.”

She pulled back slightly, puzzled. “What?”

“I’ve not eaten proper food in days,” he said with a boyish grin. “I’ve been eating porridge. Bland, soupy porridge. They keep saying I need it for my healing process or whatever.”

She gasped in mock horror. “Oh no! Poor you.”

“I’m serious!” he chuckled. “We should sneak in ramen noodles tomorrow. Like the old times.”

Elena giggled, ruffling his messy hair. “That actually sounds good. Ramen noodles it is.”

But Jaxon didn’t stop there. His voice grew deeper, more serious.

“Actually, let’s not just sneak ramen. Let’s go on a date.”

Elena’s brows lifted. “A… date?”

“Yeah.” He smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “Let’s find a real restaurant. Let’s dress up, order good food, sit across from each other, and have a proper date. No secrets. No pretending. Just you and me.”

A tear welled up in her eye, but she blinked it away.

“I’m not letting you go anywhere this time,” he continued, voice steadier now. “I want to give you everything I couldn’t give you back then.”

She swallowed hard. “You’re serious.”

He nodded. “Dead serious.”

Another tear slipped from her eye, rolling slowly down her cheek. Jaxon gently caught it with his thumb and whispered, “Don’t cry. Not tonight.”

She smiled through her tears. “Yes,” she said. “Let’s go on a real date.”

His face lit up with a childlike joy, and he added quickly, “Let’s take pictures at some cute café. Let’s do those cheesy couple things. Let’s be real happy for once.”

He leaned closer, his forehead nearly touching hers. “Let’s show our families that it doesn’t take being demon wolves or fighting ancient wars to live a good life.”

Elena’s lip trembled as her heart squeezed. This version of Jaxon—the tender, raw, unapologetically sincere version—was harder to resist than any Alpha dominance or charm. She was already trembling inside.

He let his weight fall gently against her and laid his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat as his arms circled her waist.

His eyes fluttered shut. “It’s so nice to be this close to you again,” he murmured. “To hold you tightly and know you’re not going to disappear this time.”

Elena didn’t respond. She couldn’t.

“Promise me,” he whispered, eyes still closed, breath soft. “Don’t go anywhere tomorrow, okay? Stay with me.”

Her body stiffened slightly. Her hand rested on his back as he drifted off to sleep in her arms.

But her eyes… her eyes filled again. Slowly, painfully.

A single tear trailed down her temple as she stared at the ceiling.

And in her heart, she said the words she couldn’t speak aloud.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“I hope you take this.”

“I’m sorry, Jaxon.”

“I left you once. And I’m sorry I can’t keep that promise again.”

“I’m going to leave you this time. This is the only way for me to survive.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I hope you find a place in your heart to forgive me for this.”