Chapter 176
Nora's POV
Julian's voice brought me back to the present. "That night, I realized my wolf wasn't a monster. It was a guardian. And the person who needed guarding was you."
My head spun. His words triggered something—fragments of memory I'd buried or forgotten.
The forest had been endless and dark.
I'd run away after a fight with my parents. Stupid. So stupid. I'd gotten lost almost immediately.
By the time night fell, I was starving and feverish. I'd huddled under a tree, crying, certain I was going to die out there.
Then... something had appeared. Something huge with silver fur and glowing eyes.
I'd been terrified at first. But it hadn't hurt me. It had been... gentle. Warm.
It led me out. Let me ride on its back when I couldn't walk anymore.
After that night, I'd been sick for two weeks straight. High fever, delirium. When I finally recovered, the memory had become foggy, dreamlike. I wasn't even sure if the wolf had been real or just a fever hallucination.
The recognition hit me like a physical blow.
That inexplicable sense of safety I'd felt when Julian first shifted in front of me. The familiarity.
It had been him. Even then, it had been him.
"I've carried you with me since that night," Julian continued, his hand still cradling my face. "I didn't know your name. Didn't know if you were safe. But I remembered those eyes—scared, crying, but not hopeless."
His voice roughened. "For years, I wondered where that little girl was. If she'd found happiness. If someone was protecting her." Pain flickered across his face. "When I got assigned up north, I'd almost given up hope."
"Until I came to Blackwood District, until that night Victoria threatened you." His eyes locked onto mine with crushing intensity. "I felt the pull. My wolf was screaming 'It's her. We found her. Finally.'"
My breath came in short gasps. Twelve years. He'd been carrying this for twelve years.
"I didn't need to verify anything," he said. "Every cell in my body knew. That terrified little girl had grown into someone who stands up to power. Who faces threats without backing down."
His thumb traced my cheekbone. "The Moon Goddess bound us from the start. That's reason enough." His voice dropped lower. "But if you want specifics—I love your integrity. How you look when you're working. Your strength when everything falls apart. I love that you speak for people who can't speak for themselves, that you refuse to bow to power."
He listed them like prayers. "I love your vulnerability when you cry and your brightness when you smile. I love that high, pure soul that shines through everything you do."
His eyes burned. "I love every single piece of you."
My throat closed completely.
"As for that 'fiancée'—I barely know her." Something cold entered his expression. "A political transaction between families. We met maybe five times, always with elders present. She's a stranger who happened to share some awkward dinners. Nothing more."
His forehead pressed against mine. "The soul I love has only ever lived in your body. From that first night to now."
"I'm sorry, Nora." His voice cracked slightly. "I should have told you sooner. Should never have let you doubt your place. Should never have let you question whether you're enough."
His hands framed my face. "From now on, everyone will know—you're not 'clinging to me.' You're not 'beneath me.' Meeting you twelve years ago and finding you again is the greatest fortune of my life."
The certainty in his voice felt like unbreakable armor wrapping around me.
"You don't need to become anyone else. Just be Nora Grey—brave, kind, strong." His voice turned fierce. "And I'll protect you. Just like I did that night. Just like I should have been doing all along."
The seed that had been choking my heart withered under the weight of his words.
"I love you," I whispered, broken and whole at the same time.
"I know." He kissed my forehead, my wet cheeks, the bridge of my nose. "And I'm never letting you forget it."
Julian reached for a warm, damp towel and gently wiped my face. His movements were careful, almost reverent, as he cleaned away the tear tracks from my cheeks. The heat from the cloth felt soothing against my swollen eyes.
"Are you hungry?" His voice was soft. "We could go to the restaurant, or I can call room service."
I nodded, suddenly aware of the hollow feeling in my stomach. I'd barely eaten all day. As I shifted to climb down from the counter, a familiar sensation made me freeze—a warm, heavy pull low in my abdomen.
Oh no.
The realization hit me with perfect clarity. That telltale wetness. The dull ache spreading through my lower back.
My period. A week early.
Heat flooded my face as I pressed my hand against Julian's chest, stopping him from lifting me down. "Wait... I, um..." My voice came out strangled with embarrassment. "I just got my period."
Julian went still for half a second, processing. Then he straightened, his expression shifting to something practical and determined. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
He was out the door before I could respond.
Mortification burned through me. Of all the times for this to happen. After that emotional breakdown, after finally resolving everything between us, my body decided now was the perfect moment to add another layer of awkwardness.
The minutes crawled by. I counted the tiles on the floor, studied the grain of the wooden cabinet doors, anything to distract myself.
When Julian returned, he was carrying several packages—different brands, different types of products, all still in their pharmacy wrapping.
He held them out to me, and for the first time since I'd known him, there was genuine uncertainty in his expression. "The front desk wasn't sure which kind you'd prefer, so I..." He gestured at the collection in his hands. "I got one of each."
Warmth flooded through me at his thoughtfulness, though I also found it amusing that he was out of his depth with this. I picked out a brand I usually used. "This one's fine."