Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

SAGE

I n the dim light of Nyko's bedroom, shadows stretch long and deep across the walls. They're carved from dark wood to resemble a dense, shadowy forest. It's beautiful but slightly terrifying. Above, the ceiling is painted to depict a dense canopy of leaves with glimpses of the pinkish sky peeking through. The smell of medicinal herbs fills the space.

I've been sitting beside his king-size bed for several hours this morning, watching over him, caring for him. My entire body's shaking as he still hasn't woken up.

I did this to him!

I might have finally stopped crying from the guilt eating me up, yet I feel like shit on the inside. Fear crowds in my chest, breaths coming so fast, that I destroyed something inside him. Combine that with the possibility that Nyko's also my true mate, and my life's becoming an utter mess.

I somehow managed not to lose my mind and have been focusing on Nyko, gripping the small bowl of salve in my lap.

"Well, I need to paste you now. Doctor's orders," I whisper into the stillness of his room, my words a terrible attempt at lightness. The medicine is meant to somehow help regain his energy while he's sleeping.

I cringe on the inside every time I remember the doctor's words– you almost drained him to death.

So now, Nyko lies motionless, his skin ghostly but thankfully less death-like than yesterday when he passed out.

Perspiration beads on his forehead, and each shallow breath he takes seems like an effort. The blame I'm feeling keeps churning in my gut. Because my life wasn't becoming brutal enough, now, of all the monster abilities, I had to get one that could kill my true mates. I sigh.

Staring at him, I follow the perfect lines of his cheekbones, the strong jawline, his thick eyebrows, and long lashes. My attention dips to his pale lips. He's perfect in every way, kindling awake the need I have for him deep inside of me.

Even lying in bed sick, his muscles are impossible to miss. My gaze traces the thin line of light brown hair running down the middle of his stomach, vanishing under the blanket around his waist. I'm teasing myself, torn between the guilt and an attraction I can't ignore.

Gently, I scoop some of the clear salve that's cool against my fingers and apply it to his chest, smelling slightly like freshly cut grass, and the cream is sucked up by his skin almost instantly.

Apply it every hour to his chest, the doctor had said, so I've done just that. His skin is warm under my touch, though it leaves me wondering why he's always in his human form. I struggle to believe he'd be so hideous that he avoids transforming.

As I finish rubbing in the salve, I pull back and go wash my hands in the bathroom. The room feels colder now, or maybe it's just the chill seeping from the walls into my bones.

Sitting next to him again, I fold my hands in my lap, the silence of the room punctuated only by his labored breathing and the distant rumblings that darken the sky. A storm's brewing. I twist in my seat to glance outside at the black clouds heading our way, when a soft knock at the door grabs my attention.

"Come in," I say, just as it opens.

Wolfe strolls inside, his presence commanding yet gentle. He's wearing a white V-neck shirt that hangs loosely around his waist, yet it's impossible to miss the muscles pressing against the fabric and those powerfully broad shoulders. He's in his human form, and still, he's so tall and strong.

"How's Nyko doing?"

Wolfe stands on the other side of the bed, staring down at him, and despite everything, butterflies are beating their wings wildly in my stomach in his presence. Then he lifts his head in my direction.

"I know you're upset, Sage, and you have every right to be, but I think it's important we talk." The ache behind his gaze wells in the pit of my stomach.

I breathe heavily, hands curled in my lap, and he watches me with a devastating expression.

"Start, then. Explain why you all kept me in the dark. I want to know your real intentions for me being here."

Wolfe exhales and pulls up a chair across the bed from me, making himself comfortable.

"It wasn't meant to be this way, Sage," he begins, leaning back in his seat while my mind's spiraling. "Our Shadowfen have grown exhausted from living on this constricting vessel, our resources dwindling, and everyone's demanding a solution to reclaim our kingdom. I don't blame them. I've spent my life trying to do just that."

"Have you attempted to speak to my f— him —to see if he'll compromise?"

He nods, the corners of his mouth creasing. "We endured three battles with his army, and in each, we lost good Shadowfen. Your father's a fucking asshole who'd rather see us all dead before he gives an inch."

I swallow the thickness in my throat, detesting my father more than I thought possible. And I have yet to meet him.

"Then we discovered he's been trying to find a way to summon a portal to Earth to find his daughter. That's when we decided if we could collect you, we'd have an advantage over him. Especially since he doesn't know the magic to open a portal, unlike me. I taught it to Killian and Nyko only, just like my father had taught me." He pauses, watching me intently, as if he's judging my expression.

I gasp, imagining the discussions they would have had about me being just something they could use. That ache digs deep down inside me because, like most in the village, that's how I'm seen—as someone they can use.

"Wh-why would he care who I am?"

Wolfe shifts in his seat. "Your father is a ruthless bastard. I learned from an insider that he wanted to discover your shadow power. Many in his bloodline are known to have unusual abilities, and he hoped you'd be an asset in his battle to secure his reign over the stolen kingdom. To use against us."

The more I listen, the more anger flares inside me. Now, I'm beginning to understand why my mother told me nothing about him.

"So, you decided to get me first, and what? Sell me to him? Use my ability against him?" My heart's hammering, waiting for his response, needing to understand exactly who my true mates are.

He leans closer against the bed between us, exhaling loudly, and for a moment, I stare down at Nyko. He's still passed out, and I wonder what he'd say if he was awake.

Lifting my attention, Wolfe's flaming eyes appear tamer today, which surprises me, considering I'm shaking so hard.

"Sage, you need to understand. Our intention had been to use you in our plan, so I'm not going to hide that from you. A decision born of desperation. But never in a million years would we have guessed you'd be our true mate. This changes everything because we will never hurt you!"

My hands curl tighter, fingernails digging into my palm, stinging.

"But you ripped me out of my life, made me leave my mother behind. You were going to give me to my father, even if he could have harmed me."

Lips thin, he nods, and something dangerous swirls inside me, something angry, vengeful.

"You had no right!" My voice rises, and I'm on my feet, pacing, unable to hold back the anger. My insides are torn between the truth and knowing I can't exactly ask them to take me back home now. Not with how much I'm changing, with how I won't fit back in the village. If I was an outcast before, how much would I be after word spreads that a monster returned me?

I'm looking out at the storm, my eyes stinging, a sickening pain deep in my chest.

"Sage," his voice grows tender, coming right behind me.

I twist and find him there, staring down at me, his brow furrowed, while a flare of violence swirls through me.

He reaches for me, but I step away.

"I can't, Wolfe. You lied to me. You were about to barter me off to a brutal man for land? Or was the whole plan to use me as a distraction while you attacked him? Was I your entry into the kingdom he banned you from?" I gasp and blink away the tears, hating that I want to cry instead of being strong.

But the frown on his face, the way he swallows hard tells me that was exactly his plan. I was their way to reach my father. Nothing more than a key. Assholes!

"And what about now?" I state. "What's your new plan?" I'm shaking, arms tight at my sides, and I want to throw something at him. I'm not a violent person, but right now, I'm trembling with anger.

They brought me here, not because Killian picked me as his bride. I was their way in to get to my father.

"I'm so sorry, Sage." His words are barely a whisper, wavering and carrying on a long exhale. "The blame is on me, my sights so deeply set on giving my Shadowfen a permanent home, on getting revenge on that fucking bastard, that it clouded my judgment."

"No, it didn't," I snap. "You knew exactly what you were doing." I hold his gaze, and there's a flare in his jaw.

My whole life, I took all the insults, the pain of being invisible, and that coldness courses through me once more. The past surfaces like a reminder that nothing will ever change for me. It thumps my insides, and I'm close to screaming, to crying at always being the one others toss aside. I'm crumbling on the inside.

Silence pulses inside my chest while Wolfe stares out at the oncoming storm, shadows falling over his expression.

"I was thirteen when the Great Desolation destroyed our kingdom," he murmurs, drawing my attention. "It was on this day that many Shadowfen perished, that my home came crumbling down. It happened so fucking fast I had no idea that would be the last day of the world I once knew." He stares out at the lightning show across the ocean in the distance, his posture stiff, hands balled tightly at his sides. "I was running for my life to escape the crumbling castle when I saw them… Bren, your father, arguing with mine." He pauses, taking sharp inhales.

"What happened?" I ask, caught up in his story.

His top lip curls. "While the world was breaking apart, Bren plunged a blade into my father's chest."

I gasp loudly, hugging myself.

"And I still dream of Bren's last words… Ruined… Kingdom… Change is coming. I will rule. "

"Shit!" The shred of bravery I'd been holding on to falls away as I stare at a man who's lost everything.

My head hurts.

My heart burns.

He twists to face me, and the slightest touch of his hand on mine leaves me breathless.

"We didn't expect you to mean anything to us, and I fucking loathe even saying that. I don't blame you for hating us for it, but I can't regret the decisions I made. If Killian hadn't found you and brought you back, we would never have discovered you as our true mate. I would never have experienced the racing pulse of my heart every time I walk into the room with you, the longing that tears me apart, the hunger to have you in my arms, to see you smile."

"You have no right to say those things while we're arguing." I glare up at him, tears rushing down my cheeks. Especially when I'm wondering what they would have done if we weren't true mates. Then I think of our strong attraction from the beginning, even before the Veil Ritual.

I shake away the thoughts.

Wolfe wears a thin grin, but his eyes are drowning.

I suck in a strangled breath, my inhales coming too fast, yet I'm melting on the inside at his words.

He steps closer, and I pull away, shuddering in my shoes.

"I watched your father kill many Shadowfen in cold blood when he forced those who followed the old kingdom off the land. Families, loved ones, friends, and neighbors. For them, I'd risk throwing myself into a pit of flames if it brought back a fraction of what they lost. If I could remove all their grief, I would." He pauses, breathing quickly now. "I never said I was a good guy, Sage, but I'm a fighter for those who need it. Then you came into my life like a damn earthquake, ripping us apart. Your presence turned everything we'd planned on its head."

I blink at him, feeling helpless, angry at everyone, sorrowful for all the wrongs… all because of my father.

"I feel things for you, Sage, things I never expected to. I'm broken, but I won't put you in danger, and I'd die before I let your father have you. So I'll work on a new plan to find another home for us all, no matter how long it takes."

My heart's splintering, the pain swallowing me, teetering between fury and grief. The atrocities these Shadowfen faced, living with those memories, make it hard for me to blame Wolfe for his decision.

"I don't know what to say. I'm still torn, but I'm starting to understand why you did what you did." I'd do anything for my mother, so am I any different? Maybe I should just go to my father's side, bring the Shadowfen some relief, discover a way to overpower him… but just as quickly, I stiffen, shoving aside the pity at myself, the absurd thoughts.

Instead, a new anger rampages through me, one that is white flames aimed at my father.

"I wish I could take away your pain," Wolfe coos.

Everything he said feels like a blur in my head. The sharpness in my chest comes from how strongly I'm drawn to him, and I guess that's why it hurts so much.

"I think the part that tears me apart the most is that you kept it from me. And I'll be honest, it stings knowing that I came here to be sold off."

He stares at me like a man barely holding it together, deflated, with no response, while my insides are a mess.

Wolfe grabs my arm, holding me firmly.

"What do you want me to say to make it better?" He drops to his knees in front of me. "I'm not ashamed to beg for forgiveness. I can't sleep, worrying myself sick with how I'm going to sort out his fucking mess. You're pure of heart, and it's destroying me that we drew you into our chaos."

I stare at him, unblinking, unsure how to answer, but I'm crying.

"I can't bear to lose you," he says, his fingers still grasping my arm, and I feel the tremble in his touch. "You know that, right? You are mine, Sage. And I'll prove that like I should have from the moment you arrived."

"I'd like to not feel like I can't trust you." Shaking, I find myself drowning in his gaze, the invisible connection between us pulsing stronger. His rise of desire for me is so much more than just physical attraction. He wouldn't hurt otherwise, wouldn't have glassy eyes when he looks into mine, wouldn't shake as he holds me like this might be the last time.

His hands fall to my waist as he climbs to his feet, his gaze on my lips, and before I can get any words out, he's cupping my face with two hands, his thumbs wiping away my tears.

"I don't want you to cry. You're ours now, and we might have fucked up how we first found one another, but going forward, that changes. As my true mate, I will bring the world to your feet and show you that you are my goddess."

We're staring at each other, our bodies pressed close, and I'm buzzing with a need for him.

"You don't say those things, but I like them."

"I'm hoping you can forgive us," he whispers, not letting me go.

If I thought I was angry at him, my body had other ideas because he makes me weak, and I lack control. I push myself up on my tippy-toes, and mouth and mouth clash instantly.

We kiss ravenously, starved, his hand sliding to the back of my head, curling my hair around his hand, keeping me pinned to him, his other hand sliding down to my ass, squeezing. He grinds against me while kissing me so wickedly, making me whimper.

Fisting his shirt, I hold on, knowing exactly what I crave, blinded by emotions that consume me. The rest of the world fades, leaving behind a raw, intoxicating carnal desire that drives me to insanity.

In seconds, he has my dress up to my waist, his hand between my legs, and I'm moaning at the perfect way his fingers rub my clit. I groan at his assertiveness, my nipples hard, the buzz building deep in my stomach. I'm drenched so fast it's not fair how my body betrays me.

"Maybe we shouldn't." I glance at Nyko across the room, still unmoving in bed, but Wolfe's not backing off.

He holds me close as he moves out onto the balcony, where he takes a seat on one of the seats and drags me down to sit on his lap. The wind's blowing, tugging against my clothes, but I barely feel it's cold when I'm burning up.

We're kissing again like we can't stay away from each other.

I draw his tongue into my mouth, and I'm floating on the beautiful way he growls. He's fiddling with his belt, and I reach down between us, pulling at his pants. Breaking our kiss, I glance down to his cock popping out. It's thick and hard, and there's only one in his human form, but I swear it's as thick as his two monster ones put together.

"Are all monsters so huge?" I ask.

He smirks at me with a knowing look that tells me they are.

"Tell me how much you want me inside you, stretching that pretty little cunt."

I swallow, but instead of shying away, I whisper, "I'm dripping wet, hungry for you to fuck me." My thoughts are clouded, funneled in one thing… Wolfe inside me.

His fingers are on my chin, raising my attention to him, and we're kissing, his tongue pressing into my mouth, claiming me. Then, just as fast, he releases me and turns me on his lap, so I'm facing away from him. He draws me back against him, his fingers digging into my skin as he lowers me onto that huge cock.

I feel slightly dirty, being outside, exposed, though he doesn't seem to care.

I straddle his lap, and he spreads his legs, in turn yanking mine wider. I'm drenched from the things he does to me. It never crossed my mind to be fucked on the chance that Nyko might see or hear us, but it undoes me. The heat between my legs is an inferno, pooling into liquid lava.

He growls as his strong hands lift my skirt, then he rubs me with his dick, guiding it into me, and plunges in with a merciful thrust. Clutching the chair's handle, I cry out from the assault as he goes deeper, stretching. Barely able to breathe, I gasp for air, whimpering.

"You're doing so well, Sage."

I groan with him fully nestled inside me. "I can't seem to ever say no to you."

"Do you want to?" His lips are on my shoulder as he reaches across my front, tugging down on my dress, freeing my breasts. He grasps them as his hips grind into me. I moan, the exhilaration of being fucked in public, being exposed, more thrilling than I expected.

"I want you screaming." Gripping my hips once more, he starts to thrust, lifting me up and down on his dick, and I'm rocking myself, moving with the motion of how quickly he's fucking me.

Our breaths escalate, and he's moving so quickly now, my body shaking, my breasts bouncing crazily as I hold on. The friction between us is a blaze, and I can barely see straight from how fast and hard he claims me.

He dives into me, over and over, the monster who had me brought here as a sacrifice. Who fell to his knees for me, who promised me the world, but am I ready to trust him?

He unleashes a feral snarl. Sharp teeth bite into my neck as he fucks me wildly. I scream, the pain and the carnal pleasure destroying me.

The buildup rushes through me, ripping me up. I'm thrashing, crying out from the orgasm that keeps coming and coming.

Floating… that's how it feels.

The delicious ache inside me.

That's when I know deep inside that not only am I his, but he belongs to me, too. The ache in my heart turns into an unbridled lust, his brutality, his obsession. A desperation to never leave him.

I know what's happening to me…

I'm falling hard for him, the kind of falling where my heart will shatter into hundreds of pieces if he ever lets me go.

It terrifies me.

But I'm shaking, breathless, my body throbbing.

He's relentless and only fucks me harder. Looping an arm across my stomach, he's on his feet, taking me with him.

"Hold on to the railing," he commands as he lowers me, and my feet find purchase on the balcony.

"Don't you dare stop," I warn him.

He laughs, squeezing my ass. "I wouldn't dare."

My fingers curl around the cold metal, and he presses against my back, pushing me forward, while he steps back, taking me with him, essentially forcing me to bend over.

There's no pause, just him hammering into me, our bodies slamming together. I moan each time he thrusts, shuddering.

"Wolfe!" I cry out as sparks of lust soar through me again so quickly after the last climax.

That achy need in my body owns me, and despite my sore limbs, I grip the railing. I feel the power of his strength as he rams into me, those lustful sparks lighting up behind my eyelids.

It crashes through me so dramatically that my vision is blinking in and out. With it comes Wolfe's thunderous growl as he slams into me, then comes to an abrupt stop, roaring his own orgasm.

Each breath is heavy, and I can't speak, my body barely holding me up. If it weren't for Wolfe, I'd be on my hands and knees, already collapsed.

Warmth coats my inside as he pumps into me, and I cry out the second orgasm I'm riding, squeezing him, unsure how long it takes to float back down. When I do, he collects me into his arms, raising me off my feet. I'm dripping, I feel it between my thighs, but he only grins at me cradled in his arms.

"I will never let your father take you from us. But now you need to rest."

With those words, a newfound fear trickles across my chest… a reality that hasn't surged through me until now. The pure danger that if my father discovers I'm here, wouldn't he do anything in his power to take me?