18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

The front door closed on quiet hinges. Eden had watched Nero leave and hadn't said a single word. She couldn't. Now she stood alone in a house that wasn't hers, on the cusp of living a life that could never happen.

It was so quiet she could hear her heartbeat. The silence left her alone with her thoughts, and even though she'd told him she'd needed time to think, she couldn't bear to.

A mating bond. With Nero .

Everything she'd ever dared to dream was suddenly a possibility, but her circumstances hadn't changed. Her death was still marching toward her. Regardless of the werewolf blood running through her veins, the ticking time bomb in her brain would never heal. Not even Luna could help her.

It wouldn't matter if she was on two legs or four paws: Eden wouldn't live to see Christmas.

She stared at the list of phone numbers Nero had scribbled just before he'd left. Luna was the first, followed by Key, Zia and Jeremiah. The last phone number on the page was Nero's, smaller than the others, written like a footnote.

She picked up her phone and thumbed out a text.

Hi Luna, it's Eden. A question for you: if Nero and I were to fulfill the mating bond, and I died during the first shift, what would happen to him?

It took only moments for the three dots to blink and a reply to be sent.

Hello Eden. Typically, when one part of the mated pair dies, the second half of the mated pair follows them into the Light.

There were no apologies, no half-truths. Luna had given her the answer she'd needed, even if it meant her hopes were dashed. Eden's fingers trembled slightly as she typed out the next text.

Has there ever been any exception to that? What about if the bond isn't fulfilled?

There was a minute between texts, as if Luna was doing her own research. I'm unsure what the results on an unfulfilled bond would be, and I'm unaware of any exceptions to the rule. A pause. I'm sorry, Eden. I wish it were better news.

Thank you, Luna.

Eden's hand trembled slightly as she clicked off the phone. Banishing the thoughts until she could properly dwell on them, she walked over to the living room where she collapsed on the couch. Tugging a pillow into her chest, she let her emotions run over.

How had everything gone so wrong? What had started out as temporarily going into hiding to escape potential stalkers had ended in a life-or-death mating bond with a man who wasn't even human. The happiness of the past few days had dissolved into stark emptiness.

She'd been an avid learner all her life. She had attended a respected university, studied for her Ph.D., and dedicated her life to enlightening others. Every book was an opportunity, and everyone she met had something to teach her. Despite all this, she still hadn't learned how to save herself. Now, Nero's life was on the line.

He was the forbidden fruit. No matter how sweet it tasted, its aftertaste was bitter. A bond that was meant to be beautiful would instead become Nero's death sentence. Eden's only hope now was to resist it in every way possible—if only to give him a fighting chance after she passed.

Her soul twisted in pain. The bond that pulsed weakly was the purest thing she'd ever experienced in her life. Being intrinsically tied to Nero showed her just how very much he cared for her.

A hollow noise behind her caught her attention. Jumping to her feet, she was startled to see something familiar on the counter.

Her favorite mug, the gourmet hot chocolate from her apartment, and the book that'd been on her nightstand appeared on the kitchen island. Nero had remembered what she'd said in one of their earliest conversations about finding peace—and he'd retrieved her creature comforts from her apartment.

She turned her back to the kitchen, unable to look at them any longer. Even when he wasn't here, Nero's only thought was to her wellbeing.

Hugging the pillow to her chest, she let the tears stream down her cheeks. Marianne, who'd been hiding since day one in Oahu, had sensed something was wrong. The feline uncharacteristically jumped into her lap, settling into a tight ball almost instantly.

"Hey baby," Eden sniffed.

The vibration of her purr unexpectedly reminded Eden of Nero's panther, even if Marianne's long coat was a poor substitute for the big cat.

Alone save for the housecat on her lap, Eden used the time to recenter herself. She could lock away the thoughts troubling her and fall back into the routine that'd kept her focusing and thriving even after her diagnosis.

Ten minutes later, she retrieved a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and a purring cat. She inhaled the rich fragrance of cocoa, but it did nothing to alter her mood. The peace she sought proven elusive—on multiple fronts.

A knock at the door made her startle.

Torn between answering it or simply pretending she didn't hear it, Eden was surprised when a woman with white-blonde hair and eerie pale amber eyes let herself in a moment later.

"Key. I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Hello, Eden."

The woman took a moment to scratch Marianne beneath her chin before seating herself on the opposite couch. With a smile, Key grabbed another blanket and pointed at Eden's book.

"Any good?"

Eden looked at the cover and shrugged. "It's your standard variety villain meets girl, falls in love, they live happily ever after. Nothing to write home about."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Frowning at her, Eden asked, "Not that I don't appreciate you stopping by to check on me, but may I ask why you're here?"

Key was growing more serious by the moment. "You seem to be … struggling."

Perhaps the combo of tear-stained face, gigantic cup of hot chocolate, and steamy romance novel gave it away.

"A lot has happened in the last week," she admitted.

"There's truth in that," Key said. "But I think a lot of it was something you wished for—even if you didn't quite realize it."

"You think I wanted to be bitten by a rabid werewolf?"

"No, I think you wanted to be swept off your feet. I think you wanted to feel loved, to be cherished. To know kindness and passion and desire. And you have wanted magic to be real your entire life."

A part of Eden resented that. "Everyone does."

"Of course they do," Key amiably agreed. "Are you resentful that Nero brought you into this life?"

"No— no." The more Eden thought about it, the more solidified the opinion became. "He brought me here to protect me. Why would I ever resent that?"

"You realize that Nero adores you. Sometimes, those protective instincts get the better of him. But trust me, everything he does, he does with your wellbeing in mind."

"I know," she whispered.

"Nero doesn't know I'm here. As we speak, he's arranging for you to see a werewolf alpha. You need to go with him—he'll offer to have someone else take you, but you must go with him. "

"How do you know all of this, Key?" Eden's hands fisted in her blanket. "Luna is a healer. Zia can fly. Nero can shift. What are your abilities?"

A sly smile was her only answer. There was something in Key's words that had sparked suspicion in her.

"Go with Nero, Eden."

And then the Raeth walked out.

***

Nero's home was lifeless without him. Eden had thought it so vibrant and colorful before, now everything seemed woefully dull. Sitting in the dark kitchen the next morning, she couldn't help but shiver.

She spent half the night tossing and turning in Nero's bed, and the other half worrying feverishly about the full moon ahead. Key's words continued to echo in her mind.

Eden had blueberry pie for breakfast. The sugar seemed to help with her anxiety. Or perhaps it was the fact that Nero had made it that comforted her. The second slice seemed to solidify it.

When she pulled out her phone, her thumb hovered over Nero's number for far too long. Taking Key's advice could result in one of two outcomes. Either the Raeth's intentions were self-serving, and she'd told Eden to see him again to benefit her sovereign, or there was something deeper at work.

Either way, if Nero was making an alpha meeting possible for her, Eden couldn't miss the opportunity. The werewolf blood in her veins wouldn't stop the transition purely because now was an inconvenient time.

Picking up her phone, she texted the person she hadn't been able to stop thinking about since yesterday.

Key said you were arranging for me to meet a werewolf.

She didn't wait long for a response.

I am. There's no pressure either way, I just thought I'd set it up in case you wanted to speak with someone who can give you guidance.

Eden stared at the words, trying to figure out how to respond.

Then, he typed another text. I'm sorry about Key. I had no idea she approached you. I know you wanted time to think, and I apologize she broke your boundaries. I know it's not a relief in any way, but she does that to everyone.

Thank you, I appreciate that. She hesitated. What time?

Any time you're available.

Eden didn't have to think too hard about timing. Now?

Of course. I'll have Zia come over and take you.

Something twisted within her. In light of what had happened yesterday, part of her wanted to hide from Nero. It would be easier than explaining why she'd suddenly had a change of heart. But Key's words, and the building otherness within her was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing him again.

Can you take me?

Absolutely. I'll be over in five minutes.

Eden paced the length of the house for the entirety of those five minutes. The nervous energy drumming within her made her antsy, and wouldn't let her sit down.

Before the knock ever sounded, her treacherous heart thumped, and that alien sensation in her chest thrummed with a happy purr.

Nero was here.

The smile he gave her when she opened the door was forced; it was impossible to cover the pain that pinged through their ghosting mating bond.

"Good morning, Eden. I brought you a cappuccino."

He held it out to her, those searing dark eyes searching hers. While she tried to formulate a polite response, she drew a blank. When she didn't speak, Nero's smile fell. Eden glanced at the weighty bag in his left hand, the paper handles precariously dangling from his grip.

"And a bagel. I didn't know which one you liked, so I got you one of each."

"That entire bag is for me?"

"Yeah." A humorless laugh. "I think there's a dozen or so in there. Overboard, I know. Maybe you can give the rest of them to your cat."

His shoulders were filled with tension. Eden almost hated saying, "I already ate this morning."

"Oh."

The sense of abject failure that drummed through their link was impossible to miss, and Nero's shoulders slumped. In the next second, the bag in his hand was gone, and his fingers tightened into a fist.

"Where did they go?"

"The canteen of the nearby homeless shelter." His features pinched. "I meant what I said, Eden—if you'd prefer Zia or Key to take you, I completely understand."

"I don't want to go with anyone else, Nero," came the honest truth. "Tell me who we're meeting."

The barest spark of hope flickered behind his eyes. "Aidan, the werewolf alpha. I wanted to give you the option of meeting one of your kind. The full moon is only days away, and he could tell you things I can't."

"Where would we meet him?"

"Aidan lives in Iowa."

"Same as Jeremiah?"

Nero nodded, rubbing the back of his neck in a move that had the thick muscle in his bicep taunting her. "Yes, they live in the same city: Paracel. It's the home base of the Elementals."

"And a werewolf lives there?"

She felt like she was behind the eight ball. She shifted uneasily on her feet, once more moving Marianne away from the doorway to ensure she didn't escape. Everything about this conversation was awkward and stilted. After what'd happened between them, it made her feel off-kilter.

"Yes. Aidan's mate, Lucy, is an Elemental," he explained. "They met a few years ago after she became immortal."

"So they didn't mate while she was human. I'm beginning to think our situation is extremely rare."

"Aidan rescued her from the Citizens ." Nero frowned as he explained. "I believe they finalized their bond after her Elemental abilities awakened, but I don't know the exact details."

As the wheels in her mind turned, Eden breathed, "Nothing about this makes sense. From the moment we met, my life has done a complete one-eighty. I'm struggling to figure out how everyone else has mated with another immortal, but you've developed a bond with me , a mortal." A spark of anger surfaced, not at him, but at herself. "Seriously, how could this have happened?"

The man simply stood there in silent shock, still holding the cappuccino she hadn't yet taken it from him. She hadn't meant it as an accusation, but it certainly had come across as one.

Nero looked away, but he wasn't able to hide the churning emotions through their mating bond. Despondent and hurt, he managed to say, "I'm sorry, Eden. It was never my intention to hurt you. If you'd prefer, I can teleport you to meet with Aidan and leave."

A stab of hurt echoed through their bond.

The otherness Eden had sensed earlier was suddenly snarling. Where it had been mostly docile before, the thought of Nero in pain had awakened her. It was so sudden and all-consuming that Eden jolted half out of her skin.

Something wanted out.