26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Eden's tea had gone cold. Fussing with it was just a way to bide her time before she answered Nero. He'd laid it all on the line, patiently explaining every option available and giving her the choice.

An unforeseeable future. A very certain human death. An opportunity for life.

"And that intent would be to change me from wolf to vampire?" She swallowed another mouthful of cold tea. "Do you think it would succeed?"

The Raeth nodded warily. "If Nina's blood is powerful enough, you'd rise as a vampire instead of wolf. But we've never attempted to forestall a werewolf transition before, and we have no idea if it would be painful." He grimaced. "Or successful."

"I need time, Nero." Though she knew she had little. "I can't just make a quick decision on this."

"I know."

Eden gave pause at the sorrow in his voice, the tragic way he regarded her. Everything about this was eating away at him. His hands gripped the counter, knuckles bleached to white. The bond between them pulsed with potent remorse.

If anyone was at fault, it was her. She'd deliberately taken advantage of his goodwill, hiding the truth from him. If she had, they might've avoided this last-minute rush to save her life.

"Don't."

Her eyes snapped to his. "Don't what?"

"Don't feel guilty." Nero stepped around the counter and gently trailed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "You did nothing wrong. This isn't your fault; it never was."

"And if I had told you I was sick earlier?" she argued. "If I had revealed the nature of my illness, we could've avoided this altogether."

Nero gently enfolded her in his arms, his sea salt aroma making her breathe deeply as the other presence within her preened. The wolf she hadn't yet connected with had no idea her hours were numbered, one way or the other.

"But we'd still be facing the same problem, Eden. Nothing could have changed it."

Huffing, she dragged in another lungful of his scent. "You smell delicious."

A surprised chuckle escaped him. "Do I?"

"The she-wolf under my skin is most pleased." Rearing back to eye him, Eden's lips curved. "I believe she is desperate for another taste."

"Is she? Perhaps I should give her what she wants."

"Perhaps." Then, morbidly, she added, "Seeing as how we'll be killing her and all."

The Raeth's arms locked around her, forming a solid cocoon of support. Eden's wolf, barely formed, was like a second beating heart within her—a separate presence, but still part of her. She knew instinctively that Nero and his panther understood her grief.

"Eden." The word was a prayer on his lips. "I'd never thought of it that way. Please forgive me; I should've been more forthcoming. Should have thought about how it'd affect you." Her mate let go of her and began pacing, his long strides eating up the kitchen floor. "I can't even imagine losing my panther. Your wolf—"

A sound of utter dread rumbled in his throat, and Eden leapt off her chair to intercept him. "None of that, Nero."

Circling her hands around him, she halted his movement and felt him relax as she held him.

In a voice so soft she struggled to hear, he whispered, "I'll do anything I can to help you and make you comfortable. If you desire to do nothing, I'll support you. If you want to try to become vampire, I'll do everything in my power to aid you. And if you want to try fighting for your wolf, I'll be howling beside you."

"I know, Nero." And she did, truly. "You're my dream boat, Coffee Shop. My tall, dark, and handsome. The Ken to my Barbie."

"Let's not go that far, professor," he warned. "I'm no Ken. Maybe Dashing Bad Boy Darian or Handsome Next-Door Neighbor Nate."

"Or Coffee Shop Cutie."

"Yes, exactly."

The familiar chuckle stopped abruptly. Within seconds, the familiar tingle of electricity raced up her spine, making the wolf within her bristle.

"My wards have been breached. There's a Raeth on the outskirts of clan lands—one I don't know," Nero hissed as Zia teleported beside them. "Zia, don't leave her side."

Zia nodded.

Nero pressed a chaste kiss into Eden's temple. "Stay with Zia."

"Go," Eden said. "Be safe."

Her mate teleported away. With his absence, she suddenly felt exhausted, like the weight on her shoulders had seeped her of all strength.

She couldn't even muster a reassuring smile for the Raeth lieutenant. Though Zia's attention seemed split with keeping tabs on Nero, Eden didn't doubt her safety for a moment.

Now, in the silence of his home, she would make the decision that would define the rest of her life—whether that was a mere forty-eight hours … or forever.