Chapter 118

Chapter 118
Rhys P.O.V
Rejecting her was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Even now, hours later, her face still haunted me—the disbelief in her eyes, the way her body went rigid like I’d physically struck her. I could hear the way her voice cracked when she whispered “You’re lying”—and it shattered something inside me.
But I thought I was doing the right thing.
I thought I was protecting her.
From me.
Because I’m not the guy she thinks I am. I’m not the mysterious stranger with a soft touch and smoldering eyes. I’m not the boy in her fantasies who’d catch her in his arms and vow to never let go. I’m the nightmare under the bed. The weapon forged by hatred and war. The boy raised by wolves who wanted revenge, who was revenge.
And I knew—knew—that once she saw the truth… she’d run.
She should run.
So I pushed her first. I said the cruelest things I could think of, even though they tasted like poison on my tongue. I watched the light go out in her eyes and told myself it was necessary.
Only it wasn’t.
Because no matter how hard I tried to shut it down, to silence the voice in my head and the pulse in my blood, she was there. She was everywhere. In my bones. In my breath. In the rhythm of my heart.
She’s your mate, my wolf had growled that morning, furious with me. You knew it long before she did.
And I had.
I’d known for weeks. Months, maybe. The first time I saw her—really saw her—my wolf went still inside me. Not quiet. Not weak. Still, like a storm holding its breath.
And now?
Now, all I could think about was how it felt when I walked away. How wrong it felt. Like I’d torn something sacred out of myself and left it behind.
So why did I do it?
Because I’m afraid.
Not of loving her. That part already happened.
I’m afraid of what I’ll do to her. What loving me will cost her. I’m afraid of the monster she’ll discover beneath this skin—what I’ve done, what I’m still capable of.
But mostly… I’m afraid she’ll leave when she finds out who I really am.
And I couldn’t survive that.
Still, I couldn’t stay away either. Not anymore.
I spent hours pacing like a caged beast, heart pounding with indecision. And then finally, when the sun dipped low and the shadows stretched long across the town, I made my choice.
For once, I wouldn’t listen to fear.
For once, I’d follow my heart.
I’d face her. Not just with apologies—but the truth.
I grabbed my jacket and bolted out of the house, heart thudding louder with every step I took toward hers.
When I reached the front porch of the sprawling estate she called home, I paused in front of the door. The lights were on inside. I could hear the faint sound of music, someone moving around upstairs. Her scent was everywhere—lavender and sunlight, sharp and sweet and hers.
I pressed the doorbell before I could lose my nerve.
It opened seconds later, and I found myself staring into the fierce eyes of her mother.
Rosie.
She was beautiful, like Riley, but older—wiser. There was strength in her stance and caution in her gaze.
“I’m here to see Riley, ma,” I said politely, trying not to look as nervous as I felt.
She squinted slightly. “Hello, young man. You look familiar… have we met before?”
My heart skipped. “I don’t think so, ma’am. We haven’t met.”
Her eyes lingered on me for a beat too long, but then she nodded. “Anyway, come in. Don’t just stand there.”
She stepped aside and let me in, closing the door behind me as I stood awkwardly in the foyer.
“Riley!” she called. “You’ve got a friend here!”
I heard the sound of footsteps upstairs, fast and eager.
For a second, I felt hope. Maybe she hadn’t given up on me yet.
But when she appeared at the top of the stairs and her eyes locked with mine, the hope burned away.
She froze.
“Tell me what you’re doing here, Rhys,” she demanded, her voice sharp with hurt and fury.
Rosie turned to her, eyebrows raised. “You do not talk to someone like that, Riley. Is that how I taught you?”
Riley didn’t answer. Her eyes were locked on me, arms crossed tightly.
“Anyway, I’ll leave you two to talk,” Rosie added with a sigh before walking away down the hall.
We were alone.
But it didn’t feel peaceful. It felt like standing in the eye of a hurricane.
I took a step closer.
She didn’t move.
My voice was quiet, almost reverent. “Riley…”
“No,” she said, taking a step back. “You don’t get to say my name like that. Not after what you did. Not after that.”
I closed my eyes for a second, then stepped forward again. “You have no idea how hard that was for me. Rejecting you—it nearly killed me.”
“Then why did you do it?” she shouted, voice breaking. “Why hurt me like that?”
“Because I’m afraid you’ll leave me once you see the bad side of me”.
My hands itched to hold her. But I didn’t dare—not yet.
“I thought I was protecting you,” I said softly. “But I was just being a coward. Because even though I’ve known you were my mate for a long time, I didn’t believe I deserved you.”
She took a shaky breath.
And I stepped closer, breathing her in. My face was near her neck now, and Goddess, she smelled like everything I’d ever wanted. “Oh, Riley… I can’t get enough of you. You smell like heaven. You feel like home.”
Her breath hitched.
Her thighs pressed together slightly, and I caught the shiver that ran down her spine.
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle me, Riley,” I whispered, my lips inches from her skin.
She didn’t pull away.
Instead, she moved closer. Her hands rose slowly, wrapping around my shoulders.
“I don’t care what you’re afraid of,” she whispered. “Whatever you are… I accept you, Rhys. I promise I’II never leave you.”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I crushed her to me, arms wrapping tight around her waist as she melted into my chest. Our hearts pounded together, faster and harder with each breath.
I pressed my face into her hair, closing my eyes against the burn of emotion.
“I accept you as my mate, Riley,” I said. “Now and forever.”
And for the first time in a long time, the darkness inside me didn’t feel so heavy.
Because I wasn’t facing it alone anymore.