Chapter 214 BOND’S LAST LEGS
Edeline
I felt completely lost as a sharp pang of pain shot through my body. I could feel my muscles tensing up with a groan.
What’s the deal with the bond dying if Percival gets hurt? It seemed a bit extreme, don’t you think? “What do you mean?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
He glanced down as I opened my eyes, his expression one of defeat. “Percival is on his last legs.”
My eyes widened in shock. My wolf let out a painful howl and then suddenly collapsed in my mind. My heart felt empty and shattered.
Feeling a bit under the weather? How can I help you? Before Conor could be held accountable for Darius’s death, he would need to go through a series of trials. It seemed like someone was causing him pain...
Just when I least expected it, a sudden surge of intense pain jolted through me, reaching every nerve in my body. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It felt like having a heart attack. My whole right side felt numb.
I was enveloped in darkness. It felt like I was being consumed by a bottomless void, unable to find my voice and overwhelmed by the unbearable agony.
...
I suddenly woke up, sitting up in bed as if startled from a nightmare. I frantically looked around, trying to find the source of the pain that had engulfed me like a raging fire before I blacked out.
But it was gone.
I looked around the room and noticed the sun streaming through the windows. It was daytime. I must have slept all night. As I took in the room, it dawned on me that I wasn’t in my bed. My eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in the deep red and black hues, the fragrance of ash mint, and a hint of Moroccan cologne that filled the air.
I was taken aback when I realized that I was in Conor's room. Last night’s events were still vivid in my memory, each detail sharp and unsettling. I tossed the covers aside and scrambled out of bed. The packets of herbs that had been scattered across me tumbled to the floor, creating a mess. My legs got tangled in the sheets, and I lost my balance. I let out a loud yelp as I crashed onto the hard wooden floor.
Sitting up quickly, my heart was racing. I could not escape the haunting memories of the previous night. A deep, aching pain settled in my chest. It was all too real.
“Hey, Percival… Is he dead? Am I to blame?”
“Hey, Darius… He’s gone, and I blame myself…”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to make sense of it all. I was supposed to dislike Percival for what he had done, yet I couldn’t deny the love I still felt for him. He was my mate, after all. I did not want him to die, even though he had hurt me. My feelings were tangled in confusion—I did not like him, but I loved him all the same.
I paced the room, unable to catch my breath. A lump formed in my throat, and tears streamed down my cheeks, burning with their intensity. I gripped the fabric of my clothes tightly against my chest, my nails digging into my skin. My wolf was unusually quiet. Did that mean…
Conor walked in, holding a glass of sweet tea and some pain relievers. He looked at me, and I stared back, silently pleading for him to tell me it wasn’t true. My gaze was full of desperation.
He maintained his usual stoic expression, betraying nothing of his thoughts.
“Hey, grab these.” He handed me the pills and the glass. My hands trembled as I took them, my eyes locked on his.
He sighed, his voice calm and reassuring. “He didn’t kick the bucket. He came close, but he managed to pull through. You would have sensed it otherwise. It would have stuck with you for weeks.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, his presence a solid, comforting weight.
“Still kicking, huh?” I thought, trying to find solace in the news.
Taking a calming breath, I popped two capsules into my mouth and washed them down with the sweet tea. Gradually, I began to relax. I sat down next to Conor, feeling a bit nervous as I fidgeted with my fingers, keeping my eyes focused on them.
“Thanks for everything. I know this wasn’t what you expected, but—”
“No worries. I totally understand what it’s like to lose a partner,” he said, his intense gaze fixed on me. He was much bigger than me, a comforting presence beside me.
“Here.” He pulled a sleek black cellphone from his pocket and handed it to me. “Call your friend. I can tell you want to know what’s going on. Go ahead. I’ll be in my office across the hall,” he said, passing me the phone. I just stared at it, unsure.
Did I really want to know? I probably should not disturb my wolf—she was already on the edge of madness.
Conor’s chest rumbled with a sigh. “Just take it,” he said casually, his tone gentle yet firm.
I was caught off guard by the unexpected gesture from Conor, quickly grabbing the phone and murmuring my thanks. As I looked at him, his serious expression softened slightly, and I noticed a faint hint of a smile on his lips.
Once he left and closed the door behind him, I was alone with my thoughts. I considered how my wolf perceived Conor as the top dog. She gave him a rare nod of approval, a gesture she reserved for those she truly respected. William, despite his Alpha status, never really impressed her, but Conor was a different story. My wolf definitely understood that.
After my tears had finally dried, I turned on the phone, feeling a bit uncertain about how to use it. It seemed similar to Mirabelle’s phone, though I had always relied on hand-me-downs for emergencies and never had a need for one myself.