Chapter 52 Eldridge

Chapter 52 Eldridge
Nova and Rune returned home after the unsuccessful interrogation. It was her first time witnessing firsthand the horror supernaturals endured. That man's eyes had been hollow, like a dead man walking. It was heartbreaking, to say the least.

She now understood why supernaturals were so cautious. And why her reckless decision had put their world in danger. She had disappointed them all as Luna.

Rune didn't speak to her on the drive home. She still wore his jacket wrapped around her, but neither of them mentioned what had happened at the hotel.

They got home and Rune walked straight to his study. She quickly followed behind him.

"I'm really sorry," Nova said when they reached his door. "I didn't mean to put your pack in danger. That was the last thing I wanted."

Rune paused.

"I know," he admitted. Nova let out a breath of relief. "Why didn’t you take the bus home?" he asked. "You could have gone to see your family, your friends. But you didn't. Why?"

"I don't know."

Rune hummed and nodded. "I hope you find out soon enough." He held her gaze. "From now on, you're free to do whatever you want within the pack. You don't need my permission to attend meetings or events."

Nova's eyes lit up. "Why?"

"I'd hate for you to see my pack as a prison."

"I don't see it as a prison, Rune. Not anymore." She shook her head. "That's why I came back." She paused. "Look, things aren't as they seem."

"You think I don't know that?" Rune's voice was quiet. "There was nothing ordinary about what just happened."

"I'm not talking about the rogue." Nova hesitated, then decided not to mention the vision. Instead, she asked, "You have a painting of Veronica. Can I see it?"

Rune's brow furrowed. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I think she's an integral part of this."

"She died years ago, Nova. What could she possibly have to do with this? This is the work of modern humans who want to destroy us."

"Can you just show me?"

"Fine," Rune said, leading her deeper into the house, into parts she had never explored before.

They descended a dark staircase and ended up in the basement. He opened a door to reveal a room that looked like it hadn't been visited in a long time. Dust clung to every surface. Boxes and old furniture were stacked in uneven piles.

Nova stepped inside. The first thing she saw was a framed photograph of a man and a woman with a young boy between them. Rune's parents.

She picked it up carefully.

"My parents," Rune said from beside her.

"You look exactly like your father." She studied the older man with red eyes in the frame. He was like an older version of Rune.

"Thanks." Rune moved deeper into the room. "When they died, I took over the house and brought all their things down here. I couldn't bear to look at any of it without wanting to break something."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's not your fault."

"But I defended the people who did this to you."

Rune paused. "You didn't know."

He pulled a cloth off a large frame, revealing a portrait of a family. A blonde woman stood next to a dark-haired man with red eyes. The woman was Veronica. And the man—

Nova's breath caught. He bore a striking resemblance to Rune.

"Who is that?" she asked, pointing.

"George Eldridge. Her mate. The Alpha Lord of his time."

"He looks…"

"Like me?" Rune finished with a scoff. "That's because I'm his descendant. His younger brother's, to be exact. After the war, his brother escaped into hiding. He continued the Eldridge name, but it was tainted, everyone linked it to Veronica." His voice was flat. "So he dropped it. He answered to Valcrest instead."

Nova's eyes widened. From her vision, she remembered that Veronica had been living under the order of Lord Eldridge, which at that time would have been George's father. Perhaps her vision wasn’t an hallucination after all.

"That means you're practically werewolf royalty." She blinked. "No wonder they want you on the council."

"Yeah." Rune rubbed the back of his neck. He sighed. "I wish I wasn't, though. I wouldn't have minded a normal life."

Nova glanced at him, and in that moment, a flash of their intense encounter at the hotel surged through her mind. The way his hands had gripped her. The way his mouth had claimed hers. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away quickly.

"Is that why you didn't tell me about Veronica?" she asked, steering her thoughts back on track. "Because you're related to George Eldridge... and I might be related to Veronica, given our resemblance?" She paused. "One would say we're reincarnations of that doomed couple."

Nova couldn’t tear her eyes from the portrait. The resemblance was too much of a coincidence not to mean something. She wasn’t superstitious in any means, but this… it was hard not to believe what was in front of them.

"At first, that's what I thought. You don’t know how I scared I was.” Rune's voice was low. "I thought maybe we were fated to bring down the world a second time. I thought that maybe if I gave you enough space, the moon goddess would change her mind, and bestow me with someone else. I thought that maybe if I hid you away long enough, no one would know the truth, except for me.”

He sighed. “But I was wrong. I was wrong to hide things from you. I was wrong for forcing you to stay. I was wrong for hiding you away. And I was wrong for lying. I’m sorry.”

Nova’s eyes softened. She had been waiting to hear that for a long time.

“Thank you.”

He stepped closer. "I don’t think we are doomed. We are our own people. And we know better than to let history repeat itself.” His gaze held hers. "And on that note, I no longer have a reason to push you away. Or deny my obvious attraction to you."

Nova's breath caught. "What?"

"I'm saying let's start over." His voice dropped. "Like proper mates this time."

Her mouth went dry. A bunch of mixed emotions surged through her — nervousness, shock, relief, and most especially, joy.

For the first time in a while, her heart was settled. Fighting the mate bond was useless. She was mature enough to know what she felt. And all she felt at this moment was… love. She loved Rune. She loved the werewolf Alpha.

“What do you say?” Rune searched her eyes.

She swallowed before nodding.

“Use your words.”

“We can be proper mates.”

Rune smiled before his hands found her waist, pulling her against him. This kiss was different from the one at the hotel. It was slower, more deliberate, as if he was savoring every second. His fingers threaded through her hair, tilting her head back as his mouth trailed down the column of her throat.

Nova gasped, her hands fisting in his shirt. "Rune—"

"Shh." His lips brushed her collarbone. "I've waited long enough."

He lifted her onto a dusty table, sweeping aside old books and forgotten trinkets without a second glance. His hands roamed her body like he was memorizing every curve, every dip, every place that made her shiver. When his fingers found the hem of his jacket, still wrapped around her, he tugged it off slowly, revealing the torn blouse beneath.

His jaw tightened at the sight. "I did that." He said, as if forgetting his earlier barbaric actions.

"Yes," she breathed.

His thumb traced the edge of the ripped fabric, grazing her skin. "I'm not sorry."

She snickered. Of course he wasn’t.

His eyes snapped to her and his mouth was on hers again, hotter this time, hungrier. His hands worked quickly, shedding layers of the clothes until there was nothing between them but heat and want. 

She was naked in front of him. Bare.

His eyes trailed down her body with intensity. He looked seconds away from gobbling her up.

“You’re so perfect.” He groaned.

His fingers finally found the warmth between her thighs and Nova arched against him, a soft moan escaping her lips as he slipped into her.

"You have no idea," he murmured against her ear, his voice rough, "how long I've wanted this."

She pulled him closer, her answer swallowed by another kiss.

He took his fingers out and his hands gripped her hips, lifting her effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he laid her back against the table, his body pressing into hers. The dust of decades rose around them, stirred by their movement, but neither noticed. Neither cared.

He started stripping. He took off his shirt first before moving to remove his pants. Soon he was standing in front of her in his full glory. His veiny cock looked ready to burst. He was angry for her.

Nova swallowed. She’d never seen a man that big and doubted she ever would. The thought of him burying himself inside her sent delighted shivers down her body. She wanted him so much she was willing to beg.

“Are you ready? It might hurt.” He asked.

His dark voice almost made her moan. “You can be rough if you want. It’s not my first time.”

She admitted. Her and Adrian had done it several times before. Sex was the best outlet for stress, and she was always stressed. It was nothing new.

Rune didn’t seem to enjoy her words though, because he growled and plunged so deep inside her that her eyes almost bulged out and she had to grip the dusty table for support.

“Ah!”

A cry of pleasure and release escaping her lips. Rune buried his face in her neck, his breath ragged, his hands clutching her body like she might disappear.

He was about to thrust deeper when her hand shifted on the table, brushing against the portrait of Veronica and George.

Suddenly, the world tilted.