Chapter 98
Tessa’s POV
I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Kane, finding peace in just being close to him again.
He was grumbling under his breath as he usually would, but this time, it was for good reason.
Pain.
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Every curse word was muttered like it personally offended him, aimed mostly at the buttons of the crisp white shirt he was trying to force
closed over his bandaged ribs and bruised torso.
The shirt clung stubbornly to every contoured plane of muscle- every wound, every scar that hadn’t been there before yesterday.
His movements were stiff. Irritated. Fierce in a way that somehow managed to look a little ridiculous and painfully endearing all at once.
That same chiseled face- raw from stitches and swelling- was set with such stubborn frustration I almost laughed. But I didn’t dare. Not
when I knew how much it cost him to even stand upright today, let alone pretend everything was back to normal.
He caught the corner of the shirt against his bandaged wrist and cursed again, this time loud enough to startle a bird off the window
ledge outside.
“You know,” I said, fighting the urge to smile, “you could wear something less… formal? You were at war yesterday.”
Kane shot me a look- part growl, part grimace- as he finally gave up and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows in one swift motion. He
reached for his watch on the nightstand, sliding the familiar gold band over his wrist with practiced ease.
“Wolves wear their pride,” he muttered. “Even when we’re bleeding.”
I watched him a second longer, heart caught between admiration and concern.
He looked… sort of like himself again. Minus the wounds.
He stood tall. Fierce. A true Alpha.
As if he hadn’t nearly torn the world apart just to get me back and to put a stop to Russias most wanted criminal.
“You’ll stay with me today,” he said at last, voice steady and low, stepping toward me with his hand outstretched to signal he was ready.
I didn’t hesitate.
I slipped my fingers into his palm and rose up to my feet, letting his warmth wrap around mine as he led us out of the room.
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Chapter 98
The hallway was quiet as we moved, our footsteps echoing against the dark wood floors and stone–lined walls of Kion’s pack house. I
knew exactly where he was taking us.
Kion’s office.
It all felt so far away now- like a half–remembered nightmare.
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Seeing the familiar doors approaching, a sudden memory flooded my mind, as I gasped loudly and turned to stop Kane dead in his tracks;
“Wait,” I said, tugging at his hand as we reached the hall just outside the office.
He stopped instantly, turning to face me with narrowed eyes. Concern etched into every line of his face. “What is it?”
I licked my lips, suddenly trying to remember the details perfectly. “I almost forgot to tell you about something that happened the last
time I was in there. In Kion’s office. When you were gone… a call came through and they brought me in to answer it, with you being gone
and all…”
Kane’s brows furrowed. “A call? For you?”
“For me,” I repeated quickly. “Well- technically it was intended for you, but I was the only one here I guess.”
His eyes sharpened at that. “From who?!” He hurried me, as I swallowed hard.
“Someone named Frederick. From the Council. He said you’d know who I meant.”
The effect was immediate.
Kane went still. Not the calm, collected kind of still- but the kind that happens right before a dam breaks. His temper already simmering
beneath the surface.
“What the fuck did that old pervert want with you?” he hissed. “How the hell does he even know you’re here?!”
“Shhh!” I hushed him, glancing down the hallway, though it was empty. “Keep your voice down a little please!”
He all but grumbled, giving me a look that said ‘hurry up and say it‘ which sent me in to another ramble;
“I don’t know how he knew I was here,” I rushed to explain, “but he definitely wasn’t expecting me to answer the call. He sounded
surprised. Angry. He said you were being reckless by coming to Russia. That the Council wasn’t happy about it. That you were stirring up
a war.”
Kane’s jaw clenched so hard I heard the grind of his teeth.
“And then,” I continued, my voice tightening, “he called me… a weak little human girl or something like that anyway. He feared you’d upset the Russians and they’d cause havoc for everyone back home…”
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Chapter 98
Kane’s entire body vibrated with rage by the time I finished. “He said what about you?!”
“I told him you had friends here,” I said quickly. “That the Russian packs respected you. That you were doing the right thing.”
Kane’s eyes darkened as he shook his head in disbelief.
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He stared down at me, nostrils flaring, chest rising and falling like a storm was brewing just under his skin. “Don’t take anymore calls for
–
me in future you don’t need to deal with assholes like Frederick or the council!” Kane states, as I breathe out a huff.
I didn’t exactly know who it was before I answered… but I wasn’t prepared to argue with him, not today.
I steadied my breathing, before my hands found his chest, resting lightly over the spot where I knew his heart still ached from everything he’d been through. “Please don’t storm into that office and be mad? Kion has other things to work through today,” I whispered. “He needs
your help. Frederick can wait, I just wanted to let you know before I forgot.”
His hand rose slowly, cuppin
my cheek with surprising gentleness.
“I don’t give a shit what the
Never.”
Council are worried for,” he growled softly. “But that bastard should never have spoken to you like that.
“I’m fine,” I reminded him, leaning into his touch. “He can’t hurt me with words. Not after everything we’ve survived.”
Kane let out a low breath, clearly still seconds away from kicking down doors and starting another war- but he simply nodded.
“I’ll deal with him when we get back,” he promised. “And believe me, he’ll remember the day he crossed you.”
“I don’t want more fighting,” I admitted.
“Too bad,” he said with a dark smirk. “No one talks down to my mate. Not even a Council elder.”
And just like that, the fire I saw in him was no longer just fury- it was protection. Devotion. It was Kane being exactly who he always
was from the first day I met him.
My wolf.
My protector.
The man who saw something more in me the day we first met, that nobody else ever had before… and I loved him every day for giving me
the chance to get to know him.
As he turned and opened the office door, leading me into whatever conversation was waiting on the other side, I didn’t feel small
anymore.
I felt powerful just being beside him.
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.
