Chapter 249 A MOMENT OF CONNECTION
Edeline
I had to swallow hard to push back the pain from my tattoo.
My mind ached now.
I told him word for word what Mirabelle had shared.
When I mentioned Tatiana, the worry in his eyes intensified.
"He did what?" His voice raised, anger radiating off him like heat.
He stood there, his rage thick like mist rising from his pores, filling my bedroom.
He began to pace back and forth, and his eyes shifted colors, revealing the wolf within.
"Conor..."
As I moved closer, he stopped, his hands clenched tightly, ready to hit something—or someone.
Despite the pain coursing through me, I wanted to soothe him. I reached out, lightly touching his arm. His eyes followed my movement.
"Be calm. If you want, we can talk about what to do."
I gently pulled him toward my bed. He finally relented, flopping onto the ground, his head in his hands. His muscles were tense.
"I can’t let her go through that, no matter how badly I messed up with her. I can’t let her or any wolf endure that. Why would someone lock their wolf up like that? Just one more month? It’s been two already! If she hasn’t lost it by now, she will. Her wolf will drain the strength from her human side, or it’ll become weak. That can’t happen to her."
He spoke softly, his voice trembling with concern.
I placed my hands on his shoulders, rubbing the muscles beneath his shirt gently. "Conor, do what you need to do. Go get her if you feel it’s right. William can’t refuse you if you come to claim her as your daughter again. If that’s what you want."
Silence hung between us.
He raised his head, looking at me with glassy eyes. "You wouldn’t be mad?"
I shook my head, a small smile forming on my lips. "Not at all. That was a long time ago. That’s where it will stay. If I can’t forget and forgive, I can’t move on."
I took a deep breath. "Anyway, this is your pack. You’re the leader."
He turned around and stared at me so deeply that I felt like I was charmed. His gaze was intense, filled with emotions that I could almost reach out and touch.
He whispered, “You are so much like her.” The pain in his voice was palpable, a heavy weight that settled in the air between us. “Only you are so much stronger. So much.”
I watched as he made a frowning face, and I cocked my head to the side, confusion swirling inside me. “Who? Cilla?” I asked, hoping for clarity.
He nodded gravely, his lips pursed tightly. “I let her down. Maximus said she was weak, and I let him force her to train because I could not turn him down. I could not mark her until Maximus thought she was healthy enough to be marked.”
He got out of bed, standing tall but looking down at me, his eyes filled with pain that seemed to reach right into my heart. Suddenly, I felt small under his gaze, and I stood up, wanting to comfort him, to bridge the distance that his grief had created between us.
“Hey, friend,” I said softly, hoping to ease the tension.
“I did not want to sleep with other women, but I did,” he admitted, his voice thick with regret. “I did what they told me to do. I was told it would make her better, but it hurt me so much. I ruined her because I paid attention to someone else. Because I did not do what I wanted but what someone else wanted me to do. She cheated on me because of it. It killed her.”
His words hung heavy in the air, each one a stab to my chest. I wanted to reach out and take away his pain, to tell him that it was not his fault, but I stayed silent, letting him continue.
“I could have been stronger and said ‘Forget the title,’ and done what I wanted,” he continued, his voice filled with anguish. “I can blame Marcus all I want.”
He looked down at me with soft eyes that held so much sadness. “And you… you are so soft and calm, like her. You see the good. You are able to think things through. You are… you are amazing.”
I moved closer, looking up at him with caring eyes. The warmth radiated from him, a comfort that pulled me in. When he reached out, wrapping his hands around my waist, I was surprised. He usually stiffened when I hugged him.
His big arms enveloped me, and I could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt. I breathed in his comforting scent, letting it wash over me as I calmed down. I leaned my head against his chest, trying to wrap my arms around him.
In that moment, the difference between us felt like a giant tree. He was in need of someone now, and even though my presence reminded him of his late partner, it seemed to bring him comfort.
He placed his hands on my back, rubbing it slowly, and I felt his face dip into the crook of my neck. I could feel his breath against my skin, and I felt a strange awkwardness wash over me. Why was he sniffing me like that? It felt intimate, like something friends did, but it sent my heart racing.
When he pulled away, his eyes were glassy, filled with unshed tears. He cupped my jaw with his hand, and I could feel a magnetic pull toward him, drawing me into his world. He looked at me with… love? A like? A need. A deep need.
Before I could think it through, he leaned down, his lips brushing against mine.
They were so soft and sweet. I leaned in, surrendering to the moment, letting his surprisingly gentle kiss envelop me. My eyes fluttered shut as I lost myself in the sensation, his hand resting on my jawline while he pressed my lower back against his chest, pulling me deeper into his embrace.
But then my wolf growled inside my head, jerking me back to reality. I gasped and broke away, looking up at him with wide eyes, my heart racing.