Chapter 247 Explanation

Chapter 247 Explanation
>>Riona
I don’t know how long I sat there in his lap, breathing in the warmth of his skin, the calm, steady beat of his heart under my cheek. It had grounded me, pulled me back from the edge. But even now, the memory of that horrible moment gnawed at my thoughts.
I lifted my head slowly, resting my hands on his chest. He looked down at me with that same unreadable calm in his eyes—like the world could be crashing around us and he’d still stand tall. But I needed to know.
"How?" I whispered, my voice still rough from everything. "How are you even alive?"
He tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I saw it," I said, a little louder now, the image flashing in my mind like lightning. "I saw the bullet go through your head. You hit the ground. You weren’t moving. You were just—gone. Demos, I saw you die."
His expression softened, and his hand slid up to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I didn’t die, Riona."
I stared at him like he was insane. "What?"
He let out a small sigh. "Normal bullets can’t kill us," he said simply, like he was talking about the weather. "We're werewolves. Our bodies heal fast. Unless it’s a silver bullet, it won’t be fatal. It hurts like hell, and it takes a few minutes to recover if it hits something important, but it’s not the end."
"You’re serious…" I whispered, trying to wrap my head around it.
He nodded. "Yeah. That shot hit me hard—it knocked me out and slowed me down. But I was conscious again not long after. I followed your scent the moment I could move. You’d already shifted by then… I was worried I’d be too late."
I pressed a hand to my mouth. The relief that washed through me made my chest ache. I remembered how it felt, the second his body collapsed. The gunshot. The stillness. That pool of blood under his head.
"I thought I lost you," I murmured, tears stinging the back of my eyes.
"Hey," Demos whispered, brushing a thumb beneath my eye as if he could feel them before they fell. "You didn’t. I came back. I’ll always come back for you."
AH
His words made my heart skip a beat.
I tried to smile at that, but it didn’t quite reach my lips. The next words tumbled out before I could stop them. "When I saw you fall… I felt like my whole world cracked. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think. I panicked. I didn’t even feel that strongly when my parents died."
The truth hit harder than I expected, even coming out of my own mouth. I blinked at him, startled by what I’d just admitted.
"I just remember this… sharp pain in my chest," I continued, my voice trembling. "Like something inside me snapped. It was this primal thing.."
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me more tightly, one hand holding the back of my head as he pulled me close again.
"I know," he murmured into my hair. "I felt the same way when I found out you were gone."
I clung to him like I’d disappear if I let go. Something between us had shifted the moment our bond awakened—no, revealed itself. It made sense now. The overwhelming heat, the need, the panic at the thought of losing him—it wasn’t just human grief or instinct. It was something more.
I exhaled shakily. "So silver bullets are the only way to kill us?"
"Pretty much," he said. "You’ll heal from most things otherwise. It takes time and energy, depending on how bad the wound is, but we don’t die easily."
"And what about me?" I asked. "Do I… have to worry about silver now too?"
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes, something protective flashing through his gaze. "Not unless you’re in a war zone. Most people don’t even know werewolves are real, let alone how to kill one. You’re safe with me. I’ll teach you everything."
I nodded, though it was still a lot to process. I was one of them now. I had claws, heightened senses, freakish strength… and a mate.
I glanced down at his chest, where my hand still rested. His heart thudded steadily beneath my palm.
"You really came back for me," I whispered.
His lips curved into a soft smile. "Always."
His promise to keep me safe flashed before my mind and I felt a cozy warmth spread all over my body, through my veins and into my heart.

“This sure is weird,” I looked down for a moment, “I had no idea these feelings could be so strong.”
"That’s just how strong the mate bond is," Demos said gently, his thumb brushing against my hand as I sat nestled in his lap. His voice was soft, like he was trying not to overwhelm me any more than I already was.
I looked up at him, the words echoing in my head.
Mate bond.
The way I panicked when I thought he died… the heat, the ache, the desperate pull I felt towards him—it all made a terrifying kind of sense now.
"Is that… what triggered it?" I asked quietly. "My wolf… she just… came out of nowhere. Was it the mate bond?"
Demos nodded, his eyes watching mine closely. "Yeah. I think the trauma of it all shattered whatever was keeping her buried. You’ve been repressing your wolf for a long time, Riona. It’s not uncommon—especially when you weren’t raised around others like us. But trauma… life or death, grief, overwhelming emotion... those things can break down barriers in an instant."
That… made sense. Horrifying, but it made sense.
He added, "But I don’t think it came out of nowhere either. The way you reacted to my wolf form that first time... when you found comfort in me. That was her. Your wolf. She already recognized mine."
I felt my face burn instantly. My throat tightened.
I remembered that night. I hadn’t even known what he was, and still… when I’d looked into his wolf eyes, something deep inside me had quieted. Something warm and inexplicable had made me trust him. I didn’t tell him that it had always been like that—he had always made me feel like that.
I looked away quickly. "I… I guess that makes sense."
He chuckled softly, but didn’t push me. I was grateful for that.
But then, like a rotten smell wafting back into a clean room, a single name crossed my mind and shattered everything.
"Niall…" I whispered, my stomach turning.
Demos stilled underneath me. I looked back at him, my chest tightening again. "I still can’t believe it. He—he killed my parents. He planned everything. I never even suspected him."
Demos’s expression darkened, his jaw clenching. The air around us shifted.
"I knew something was off about him, but I didn’t expect this," he muttered, his voice laced with restrained rage. "He’s been coming to the casino for months. Slipping in under our radar, playing the role of an unassuming guest. We never thought he was an undercover cop—he was too good at hiding it."
He exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. "It’s impressive, honestly. The level of planning, the psychological manipulation. Smart enough to build this web around you and patient enough to wait for it to snap."
His hands were trembling now, and I realized he was holding back—barely.
"I guess he didn’t account for you stepping into my life out of nowhere,” I thought about it. This final attack from his side was rash. Like he made a slip. “I just wish I had some sort of clue about what he really was.” I looked at my mate.
His gaze met mine, and for a moment, I saw something terrifying flicker in his eyes. Fury. Fury unlike anything I’d ever seen from him.
"I’m going to kill him," he said simply, his voice low and deadly. "Not because of what he did to me—but for what he did to you. For what he took from you. Your parents. Your peace. Your life."
My heart trembled as I recalled Niall.

We had left the scene when Riker came into view. Demos handed everything over to Riker and brought me home.

I leaned back slightly, still curled up in Demos’s lap as I tried to process everything. My thoughts were still a whirlwind of images—claws, blood, Niall’s twisted face, the heat that had surged through me—but the moment I remembered the black wolf that saved me, something clicked.
"Wait… how did Riker even know to come? He just showed up out of nowhere."
Demos exhaled, his fingers brushing along my spine slowly. "That’s how packs work. We’re connected—mentally, emotionally, instinctively. Close pack members can sense danger. When one of us is in distress, especially if it's strong enough, it can trigger a kind of mental alarm. It's called a mind-link."
"Mind-link?" I repeated, intrigued.
"Yeah," he said, nodding. "It’s like a direct communication path. It only works between pack members who are bonded, or wolves who are really close—like brothers. Riker felt the distress coming from me and came running. He didn’t even think twice."
I blinked. That was… kind of amazing. Terrifying, but also kind of beautiful.
But then something else clicked, and I blurted, "Wait… wasn’t Riker on a date with Ava when this happened? Did he just… run off from that?"
Demos laughed softly, shaking his head. "Yeah, he did. He bolted the second he felt something was wrong. Guess we’re gonna have to explain a lot to Ava. Probably to Anna too."
I frowned. "They’re never going to believe this. Like—werewolves? Mate bonds? Pack links? None of it sounds real."
Demos’s smirk turned knowing. "They won’t have a choice."
"What do you mean?"
"Because Riker and Nick aren’t going to back away from their mates."
My eyes widened. "What?"
Demos arched a brow, amused at my reaction. "Yeah. Ava’s Riker’s mate. Anna’s Nick’s."
"Wait, what?!" I sat upright, almost knocking over the mug on the side table. "Ava and Anna?! Are you serious?!"
"As serious as the bond itself." Demos chuckled. "Riker’s been trying to keep it together around Ava, but it’s driving him crazy. And Nick—well, he’s been a mess ever since he laid eyes on Anna."
I just stared at him, dumbfounded.
MY GOD~~