Chapter 138: Chapter 22

KAIROS

We all stood there, eyes glued to the small yet powerful figure making her way through the crowd.

Adelie. She was safe. Her dress was a mess, smeared with blood, torn and dirty, but she herself looked vibrant, full of life.

Elias darted past me, rushing to her. She dropped to her knees to embrace him, holding him close. Maeve and Esty followed suit, while I took my time, my legs still not quite believing what my eyes were seeing. Her confident stride was a stark contrast to my hesitant steps.

Tears, laughter, and hugs filled the air as everyone celebrated her return.

“How did you escape?” Maeve asked when I finally reached them.

“My father helped me,” Adelie replied, her voice sounding just like I remembered.

“What happened to them?” Maeve inquired further.

Adelie hesitated before answering, “They’re dead.”

“Are you okay?”

She responded with a simple nod and a small smile.

I waited patiently for her gaze to find mine. It felt as if the world had fallen silent, leaving just the two of us. I moved closer, pulling her into a hug and burying my face in her hair. Her arms wrapped around me in return. We didn’t need words.

I only pulled away when she did, meeting her eyes. I was expecting her to say something profound, something sad or happy, anything. Instead, she asked, “Do I smell like sweat and dirt?”

I stifled a sniffle and nodded. “And blood. It’s awful.” A faint smile appeared on her face before she turned her attention back to Elias, who was once again wrapping his arms around her.

“How have you been?” she asked, gently cupping his face.

“I’m sorry. I told him,” he confessed.

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Told what?”

His eyes flicked to me, but hers didn’t. She already knew what he had revealed.

She reassured him with a nod. “Don’t be sorry, silly.” She stroked his cheek. “It’s all right. Nothing else matters anymore, we are all here. Safe. That’s the most important thing, okay?”

Leonard approached us. “We were about to send Kairos to find you,” he said. I didn’t want to be the one to tell her, but I knew she would have found out anyway.

Elias reached out to hold Adelie’s hand. “Mom,” he said, his cheeks wet with tears. He was an extraordinary kid, mature beyond his years, but he was still just a kid who had just been reunited with his mother. “Is it over now?”

She gave him a tender smile and nodded. “We will soon go home.”

I wasn’t sure if it was really over. It never seemed to be.

“Today?” he asked.

“A little more time to get everything in order and then we will go.”

Maeve stepped forward and lifted Adelie’s arm. I hadn’t noticed before, but the insides of her arms were marked with blue needle pricks. It didn’t look like the work of a regular medical needle.

Adelie simply shrugged. “I am well. My body just needs some time to show it.”

“Does it hurt?” Maeve asked.

Adelie was a healer. Her relationship with pain was different from the rest of us. She healed others and took on their pain. She chose to feel the pain. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of agony she must be in, yet she claimed to be well.

“I’ve had worse,” she joked. “I would like to get settled in. I’m assuming the vampires won’t waste time once they find out I’m back.” She turned to Maeve. “Can you notify them?”

Maeve nodded and walked away, King following her, while Collin watched her leave. Soon enough, Adelie also left, hand in hand with Elias.

Only Collin and I remained. I stopped beside him as we watched the women we loved walk away. “Do you love her?” I asked, knowing the answer but unsure if he did.

“I don’t think it matters. She’s leaving.” His words were heartbreaking. He was a dreamer, someone who believed in the good in life. So, when he gave up, it felt like all hope was lost.

“It should. If you love her, it will matter. Even if you never see her again, it will matter. It’s not about how long the relationship lasts, but the feelings it evokes.”

“You’re going to let her go?” He asked about Adelie.

I shrugged. “I shouldn’t. But I don’t think I need to decide for her. I haven’t been a good mate, husband, or even friend to her. I don’t want to be without her. But…”

“You shouldn’t let her go again. Maybe the timing would be better this time. You both have grown. Matured. Healed.”

I turned to look at him. “And what are you going to do?”

“I am a beta to the strongest alpha there is. An honor my family has held for generations. An honor my heir should inherit. And she is a beta at the Night Walkers Pack. A great one. It is an honor to serve the alpha. I love doing it. And I don’t have anyone to carry on my bloodline. A beta dies beside his alpha. He doesn’t just leave.”

“It’s also an honor to love. To be with the one you love.”

“Just because it feels right doesn’t mean it’s meant to be.”

“So many people lose what is meant to be because they can’t believe it could be true. You can choose to fight love, but in the end, you will be the only one who loses. Is your title more important than her?” I asked, but his expression remained unchanged.

“People can love all they want. But there is always something more important. My family was kind and worked hard. I can’t let their name down. And she has fought for her position. Neither of us will step down.”

Collin’s scent was all over Maeve. The scent was so strong that he must have marked her. The effect doesn’t last if they are not destined mates, not if they separate, but for a while, it remains.

“She will be somewhere, and I will be too. That’s all either of us needs to know.”

ADELIE

Feeling clean water wash over me for the first time in a while was a relief. It was as if I had never truly been clean before. I was still in pain, but when was I not?

I continued to heal others, the pain never really bothered me. I was okay with feeling their pain. It faded with time. And I was used to it. They weren’t.

I still had a meeting with the vampires ahead. I wasn’t sure how that would go. But I was used to negotiating. What could they want? A few ounces of my blood? I was used to that by now.

Before, I didn’t realize how much shame I would feel once Kairos knew Elias was his. But he left. Why should I feel bad?

I let my hair dry in the evening breeze. And I finally got to wear something clean. A simple deep emerald silk nightgown.

I had once promised myself not to be afraid, but to be someone to be feared. This didn’t make me look very fearless. Me, avoiding Kairos.

I picked up my black robe and made my way to Kairos’s room. I knocked gently on his door, not wanting to disturb him if he was already asleep. Part of me hoped he was. “Come in,” he said from the other side.

He was sitting at his table, leaning back with one hand on his chin and the other holding a piece of paper. His expression was nonchalant, as if he had been expecting me.

I took a few steps closer after closing the door, the room lit only by his table lamp. I noticed what he was holding. The letter I had given him before I left, instructing him to open it only if I didn’t return.

~Dear Kairos,~

~We might not have met at the right time or place. When we needed each other the most. It’s quite possible that we met at the worst possible time. Life kept trying to pull us apart. And the last time, you did it yourself.~

~I could have lived with the secret if it was only my heart that you had broken, but you left me with a son, the son you always dreamed of having.~

~Elias was born on a stormy night on the fifth of June, exactly five years ago. A healthy baby boy with nothing extraordinary about him. He didn’t inherit your werewolf gene. But he got your wit and dark hair. Your stubbornness and strong will.~

~He took his first step on his first birthday. He started speaking quite late, at three years, but he had been observing and he knew more than anyone his age. He might not have anything extraordinary, but he is smarter than the rest and I know that there is something magical about him that he might not realize himself.~

~I am not asking you to take care of our son. I am simply letting you know the secret I had been keeping from you, the secret that tore me apart. Elias has people who love him and who will raise him. But no one could keep you away if you decide to be part of his life. The decision is in your hands.~

~Kairos, you’ve caused me more pain than anything else in this world. But you’ve also made me feel loved, cherished, and free.~

~Thank you, Kairos. For making me feel.~

~With love,~

~Adelie~

~

“You were supposed to read this after I was gone,” I murmured.

He tossed the letter onto the table. “So, I would have found out about my son after you passed away? After decades of not seeing you?” he questioned.

I remained silent. Perhaps he would have never known if Elias hadn’t spilled the beans. I wasn’t sure I could have ever told him.

“Esty said you almost died during childbirth. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there to hold our son, to hold your hand, to reassure you. You had to fight alone because I wasn’t there.” His gaze was intense, and I was afraid to look away. His anger was palpable. “You didn’t tell me!” he exclaimed.

“You left,” I whispered, and his voice faded. My breathing was the only sound in the room.

“You didn’t try to find me?” he asked. “Didn’t you want me to know?”

“How could I let you raise a child you didn’t want?” My voice was barely a whisper.

He gave me a sharp look. “I wanted a child…we agreed on it…remember?” His face was flushed, his expression confused.

“How could you want a child with a woman you were ready to abandon!” My anger flared.

He stood up, closing the distance between us. “I will raise my child,” he declared. “Whether you like it or not, I will be there!”

His words took me by surprise. I nodded, despite my shock. “This isn’t about winning or losing Elias. You’re his father and if you want to be there, you have every right. But if you ever hurt him…”

He cut me off. “I would never!”

“You said that once before,” I mumbled, but he heard me.

“And I will never make that mistake again,” he said, stepping closer. I stepped back, and he didn’t press further. “Do you honestly believe I ever intended to hurt you?” he asked.

I let my arms fall to my sides. “I don’t know what to believe anymore, Kairos. Would you have come back if I hadn’t shown up here?” I doubted it. “And what do you want now? To marry me? To live happily ever after, knowing you only stayed because of Elias?”

“Adelie, I left because I was sick…” he said.

He explained how Christopher’s thoughts had tormented him. “You could have told me. You could have come back.”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “If you knew? How long would you have waited? What if I never got better?”

“I would have waited forever. And I would have done it loving you, not hating you.”

He looked down at me, his eyes filled with emotion. “I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to love someone who could love you back. I wanted to protect you from myself.”

I reached for the long belt of my robe and pulled it free. His eyes followed my movements.

I looped it around my neck and took his hands, placing them on the ends of the belt. I tightened it around my neck. “Do you still want to hurt me?” I asked, leaving him stunned. “Think about it. Think about all those thoughts that made you run away.”

He immediately let go and turned away, but I was faster. I ran in front of him. “If you wanted to, you could have done it. There were so many times when you could have, but you didn’t! You’re not him, you’re not Christopher Price. You never were.”

I took his hand again and placed it on the belt around my neck. “I know you’re scared, and I know you feel guilty for thinking those things. But they’re not your thoughts. They were forced on you. It was someone else thinking them. And you don’t deserve to suffer, Kairos.”

He shook his head. “I want to… I want to forget everything, Adelie. I wish I could have lost my memories so I could meet you again and make you fall in love with me. I wouldn’t stop until you loved me again. I would make you mine and love you without fear.”

“You’re better now, Kairos.”

He tilted his head. “I don’t think I ever really got better. I just learned to live with it. I still dream about it, Adelie.”

“We all have nightmares,” I whispered. “I don’t want you to suffer, Kairos.”

“Then be with me,” he said. My voice failed me. My mind went blank.

I didn’t respond. “Do you still love me?” he asked. I nodded.

“Do you want to be with me?” he asked. I did. More than anything.

“I don’t want to fight with you.”

“I do,” he said immediately. “If that’s all we have, I want it. Fight with me for the rest of your life. Fight with me.”

He untied the belt from my neck and wrapped it around his knuckles before pulling it over my head and behind my back.

Kairos looked at me. “I won’t ask you to forgive me, or to understand…” But I did understand. His only mistake was not telling me sooner. I would have left too. How could I live with someone I wanted dead so badly? Even if it was because of a twisted mind.

He stood at a careful distance. “I want you. In my life. And I want you as my family.”

If his crime was not telling me, then mine was the same. I hadn’t told him about our child.

“What if I die?” I asked, seemingly out of the blue. “What if I put myself in danger and die? It’ll hurt you.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Someone needs to take care of Elias.”

“That’s not true,” I said, earning a chuckle from him. He knew Elias was the least of our worries.

“Kairos… I will always be in danger. And I will die fighting whatever higher power there is. With so many after me. I will never be safe. No matter how hard you try to protect me, there will always be something stronger. Smarter than me. And it could be many years from now or it could be tomorrow.”

He nodded. “I’m not okay with that. I will never be okay with losing you. But I might go crazy if I waste another chance with you. I feel like I’ve angered the gods with my decisions to keep running from you. When I didn’t even deserve a second chance. And yet, here you are. As if I do.”

He chuckled. “I think this is just your nymph kindness. Because we both know I don’t deserve you.” He fell silent. We looked at each other. “I would like to use your kindness one last time, and I will follow you to hell if you’ll have me.”

I nodded. “Okay,” I said.

He quickly placed the belt around my waist and pulled me toward him, our bodies colliding. “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. For us, it might be knives and blood.”

“Do you think it’s love?” I asked, looking up into his dark eyes.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s something I can’t control. And maybe you should leave now if you have any self-control left before we hurt each other more.”

But I didn’t move. “Do you want me to go?” I asked.

His hand moved to my cheek. “Never, but you just got back from being tortured. You need to rest. Sleep. Ease your pain. I know you’re hurting. You need to heal.” His voice was soft and soothing.

I nodded. “I do.”

He let go of me, but I pulled him into a kiss. He pulled back. “I’m serious. You need a doctor. He can give you some sedatives.”

I pulled his hands to my waist. “Ease my pain,” I told him.

He cleared his throat. “Maybe we shouldn’t rush things.”

“I want you,” I said, and he swallowed hard. I slid my fingers up to the buttons of his shirt and undid them one by one. He didn’t stop me. Once his skin was exposed, I ran my hands over his torso, his breath hitching. “Kiss me.” I barely got the words out before his lips were on mine, finally giving in.

His hands gripped my sides and mine tangled in his hair. He knew when I wanted to be sweet and gentle and when I craved something quick and passionate.

He seemed unsure, as if he thought I was still hurting, still in pain. But with his body pressed against mine, I felt better than I ever had. I tore his shirt off completely. My robe followed suit, leaving me in nothing but my thin nightgown.

His lips found mine as he guided me to his bed, laying me down gently while hovering above me. His gaze fell to my arms, the needle scars clearly catching his attention. I placed my hands on his face, guiding his eyes back to mine. “You’re overthinking this,” I reassured him.

“I don’t want to hurt you…”

“You won’t,” I cut him off. “Not like this, not in your bed. You couldn’t do anything I wouldn’t enjoy,” I boldly declared.

“Tell me what you want.”

A smirk played on my lips. “Take me.”

His jaw clenched and he lifted himself up. Panic surged through me, thinking he was leaving. But he was only standing to unbuckle his belt and shed his pants.

He didn’t need me to repeat my request. He returned to me, pulling up my nightgown but leaving it on.

A moan escaped my lips as he growled, a sound almost animalistic. Our bodies met in the places we both yearned for the most. This wasn’t gentle. This was the culmination of our long-held desire for each other.

His hands gripped my thighs as he moved us, his thrusts rhythmic. My hand found his hair, pulling slightly, which only seemed to quicken his pace. He buried his face in my neck, peppering it with kisses as my back arched.

“I love you,” Kairos grunted against my skin. I didn’t respond verbally, but my smile said it all. He knew I loved him.

His breath was hot and heavy, matching the pressure building within me. A passion reserved solely for him. “Marry me, Adelie,” he proposed.

He gently bit my shoulder, eliciting another moan. “Marry me,” he repeated when I didn’t respond.

I chuckled, my breath heavy. “I thought you didn’t want to rush things.”

Before he could respond, we both succumbed to our shared ecstasy. We lay still, afraid even to breathe, not wanting to shatter the moment. He collapsed onto my chest, his head resting on me as we slowly came back to reality.

Once our heartbeats had slowed, he lifted his head to look at me. “Will you marry me?” he asked again.

“What will it change?” I questioned.

He propped himself up and reached for his nightstand. He pulled out a ring. My brow furrowed. It was the wedding ring I had shared with Kairos. I thought I had lost it when Kairos left. But he had taken it with him.

He took my hand and slid the ring onto my fourth finger. “You are mine. And even if we both know it, I want the world to know it. That you are mine. Forever.”

I smirked at him. “Forever?”

He kissed my newly ringed hand. “You will get nothing less from me,” he promised. “It’s you and me against the world. Till the end of times. What do you say?”

I answered him with a kiss.

Forever, Adelie and Kairos.