Chapter 81
Tristan’s POV
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I could feel Athena’s eyes on me while I ate, studying me like she was trying to save some complicated puzzle. It made me shift uncomfortably in my chair because I had a pretty good idea what was going through her mind.
She was probably thinking about how to fix me. How to make the pain go away and help me heal‘ from losing Jess and our unborn child.
But what she didn’t understand–what nobody seemed to understand–was that this kind of pain doesn’t just disappear. It doesn’t fade with time or get
better with therapy or magically vanish because people care about you.
It stays with you forever. It becomes part of who you are, woven into your bones and your blood until you can’t tell where the grief ends and you begin.
There will never be a day when I don’t think about them, never a moment when their absence doesn’t echo through every decision I make.
I’d already accepted that reality months ago. Some wounds don’t heal–they just each you how to live with the ache.
But I didn’t like seeing Athena worry about me. Hell, I was more worried about her after what happened tonight. The way she’d frozen when she saw Daxon,
how her whole body had gone rigid with fear, that image was burned into my brain like a brand.
I should have seen this coming. Should have recognized the signs earlier.
I was the one who’d informed Orion about Daxon’s presence, but the bastard hadn’t just arrived in town. He’d been lurking around for God knows how long, and I’d been too distracted to notice. Too caught up in my own problems to keep proper watch over the one person I’d sworn to protect.
I’d even helped him weeks ago.
The realization made my jaw clench so hard I thought my teeth might crack.
That evening, when I’d walked into Seraphine’s hospital room – instead of going after Athena – going over the medications that would help her injuries heal
properly.
I’d been explaining the dosage instructions when my phone ringed. Max, my beta calling with what he described as “two pieces of bad news.”
“Give me the less important one first,” I’d told him, stepping away from Seraphines bed so she wouldn’t overhear anything that might upset her further.
‘Seraphine’s mate was found dead,” Max had said immediately. “Pulled him out of the river about two hours ago. Cops are calling it suspicious circumstances, looks like somebody worked him over pretty good before dumping the body.”
My eyebrow had raised slightly at that news, though I kept my expression neutral so Seraphine wouldn’t notice anything was wrong.
In a twisted way, the bastard’s death was probably a relief–one less monster in the world–but I knew it would still devastate her when she found out.
“We’ll figure out how to tell her later, I’d said quietly, walking toward the hallwa “What’s the second thing?”
‘Daxon’s in town. Was spotted around the industrial district few minutes ago.”
The words hit me like ice water in my veins. ‘Why the hell didn’t you lead with it? I’d growled, my voice dropping to the dangerous tone that made most wolves take a step back.
“You said you wanted the less important news first,‘ Max had replied, and I could practically hear him shrugging through the phone.
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Chapter 81
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If he’d been standing in front of me right then, I would have rearranged his face Beta or not, best friend since childhood or not, some mistakes were
unforgivable.
‘How long has he been here?‘ I’d demanded, already moving toward the hospital xit.
“Unknown. Could be days, could be weeks but it’s been a while. You want me to..
I’d hung up on him and immediately reached out through the mind link I shared with Orion.
It was something our fathers had taught us when we were kids, a way to communicate across pack boundaries that most people thought was impossible.
Most people were idiots.
Orion, I’d projected, pushing urgency through the connection. Daxon’s in town. Alena’s alone.
The response had been immediate and furious. Where the fuck are you?
Hospital. On my way to find her now.
I’ll meet you there. And Tristan? His mental voice had carried the kind of cold rage that made me glad we were on the same side. If anything happens to her
because you let her out of your sight…
He hadn’t finished the threat, but he didn’t need to. I felt the same way.
I’d found them at the beach, Orion had said we should check there out first, was ure Athena would be there.
The sight of Daxon standing behind Athena like some kind of predator had nearly driven me over the edge. She’d gone completely still, her shoulders rigid with terror, and every protective instinct I possessed had roared to life.
My first impulse had been to tear his throat out right there, consequences be damned. But I’d forced myself to hold back because I knew Orion needed this. Needed to be the one to handle the bastard who’d hurt his sister.
So instead, I’d gone straight to Athena, positioning myself between her and danger like I should have been doing all along.
Now, sitting across from her at this dinner table, I could still see the fear in her eyes when she thought I wasn’t looking. Still see the way her hands trembled slightly when she reached for her water glass.
She was trying so hard to be strong, to convince everyone, including herself, that she was okay. But I’d been around long enough to recognize the signs of someone barely holding it together.
‘You’re staring,‘ she said suddenly, looking up from her plate with a small smile hat didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Just making sure you’re really okay,” I admitted, setting down my fork. “Tonight Has…”
“Terrifying,” she finished when I trailed off. “But it’s over now. He’s gone, and he never coming back.”
The certainty in her voice made me want to really end Daxon, but I knew he did deserve such an easy death. He deserves whatever I and Orion serves him
this next coming days. Some people didn’t deserve second chances.
‘I should have been there sooner,” I said, the guilt eating at me like acid. “Should have known he was in town before tonight.”
‘Tristan. Her voice was gentle but firm. “This isn’t your fault. You can’t watch my every second of every day.”
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“I want to keep you safe, away from anything that I hurt you.” I say, staring at her eyes. I’ve always loved staring at her eyes, they make me feel like the world was so hard after all.
She laughed, but it was a sad sound. That’s not living, that’s just existing. And I’m tired of just existing. I want to live. I want to love My heart constricted with the thought of her loving someone again that isn’t me.
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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.
