“You could have died,” Orion said, and his voice was tight. “Actually died, not just almost.”
“I know,” I said. “But I also knew my alpha healing would probably keep me alive long enough for her to figure it out. And even if it didn’t, even if I was wrong, at least she would have had the chance to try.”
Orion stared at me for a long moment. “You really love her.”
“More than anything,” I said simply.
He nodded slowly, then reached out and pulled me into another hug, this one longer than the first. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For loving my sister enough to die for her. For believing in her when she couldn’t believe in herself.”
“She’d do the same for me,” I said, and I knew it was true.
When he pulled back, there were tears in his eyes. “She’s lucky to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one,” I told him, and I meant it.
“Yes you are” he said making us laugh.
“You know what?” he said. “After everything she’s been through, after all the fear and pain and uncertainty, she deserves something good. Something to remind her that her life isn’t just about surviving anymore, that she has people who love her and are proud of her.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked, curious.
“A surprise,” he said. “Nothing big or crazy, just something to show her how much we all care about her, how proud we are of what she accomplished today.”
I felt a smile spreading across my face. “I like it. What did you have in mind?”
We spent the next hour planning, our voices low so we wouldn’t wake Athena upstairs. Sarah joined us after a while, and then Derek too, and we all passed ideas back and forth until we had something that felt right.
It wasn’t complicated or expensive because it didn’t need to be. It just needed to be real and from the heart, needed to show Athena that she wasn’t alone and never would be again.
By the time we finished planning, the sun had set outside, I felt good, felt excited about tomorrow and what it would bring.
I went back upstairs to check on Athena and found her exactly where I’d left her, curled up on her side with her hand stretched out like she was reaching for me in her sleep.
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15:01 Wed, Jan 14 …
Chapter 226
I changed out of my blood–stained shirt and climbed into bed next to her, taking her hand in mine.
(94)
She stirred slightly and mumbled something I couldn’t make out, but she didn’t wake up. Her fingers tightened around mine and she
settled back into sleep.
I lay there in the dark and thought about everything that had happened. About how I’d been willing to die to give her this chance, about how she’d not only saved me but healed me completely, about how proud I was of her for facing her fears and coming out the other
side stronger.
Tomorrow we’d celebrate. Tomorrow we’d show her what she meant to all of us. Tomorrow we’d start figuring out what came next and how to help her master this incredible gift she’d been given.
But tonight, I just held her hand and breathed and thanked whatever forces in the universe had brought us both through this alive.
Because that’s what this was, a second chance at life, at love, at everything. And I wasn’t going to waste a single moment of it.
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I wonder if she will try and heal Orion’s son
7 days ago
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
