Bianca Winters kept her eyes on the worn path as she walked, counting her steps like prayers. Twenty-seven to the ancient oak where they’d first thrown rocks at her. Fifty-three to the corner where they gathered to snarl threats. One hundred and twelve to the iron gates that never opened.
The chorus of growls rose around her right on schedule. “Winter’s how dare she show her face. Go home, traitor. ”
Something sailed past her ear.
Garbage, probably. They’d graduated to stones last week. Bianca didn’t flinch. Their hatred had become a familiar rhythm, and part of her believed she deserved it.
Her pack had helped destroy these people. Under the influence of dark magic, they had been puppets in Silas’s war. His spell had made them all trust him, admire him, and wage war for him. The spell was broken now, Silas was dead, and Bianca wore her shame like a second skin.
She kept coming up the hill anyway. Someone here needed her help, whether he wanted it or not. For two weeks, she had arrived at Theo Blackthorne’s manor. For two weeks, the beta, Paige, had turned her away.
“Alpha Theo will not see you today, Lady Winters. ”
No one had seen Theo emerge in months. Rumors whispered that the invasion had left him broken, locked in perpetual darkness. Bianca held the healer’s bag at her side as if it could anchor her to her purpose.
She would return tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Penance wasn’t meant to be easy. At the age of twenty, Bianca had fallen in love with sunshine. That was how she remembered it now.
Golden curls catching light. Soft blue eyes. A smile that seemed to glow. His name had been Silas, and she had loved him with every inch of her young heart.
Her entire pack had loved him. They’d had no choice. Dark, twisted magic had made them all his puppets. He had enchanted them into trusting him, confiding in him, and launching attacks on his behalf.
Now he was dead, and the spell was broken, and Bianca saw through the rose-colored memories to the truth of what he had been. But at night, her dreams twisted like watercolors in the rain. She saw the man she thought she had loved, felt the love she thought had been real. When she woke, gasping, she never knew what was true.
Had anything she felt for Silas been genuine? Or had it all been his magic, woven through her mind? She felt the shame of her own weakness, wondering where his manipulation ended and her own fault began. When her father had expressed a need to offer aid to the northern pack, Bianca had volunteered.
“I’m a healer. I can help. ”
Her sister Kate had protested. “You need time to heal yourself.
”
But Bianca had seen the hope in her father’s eyes. She would atone for her part in the destruction. Now, she stood at the base of Alpha Theo’s manor. The mansion loomed against steel-gray skies, its sealed windows like blind eyes.
Rumors contradicted each other. He was crippled. He was plotting revenge. He was dead and Paige was hiding it.
The only thing anyone knew for certain was that Theo had not been seen in months. Sometimes, in the pre-dawn light, she thought she saw movement in the highest tower, a tall figure pacing behind the curtains. But she could never be sure. The motel room’s rotary phone rang just after sunset.
Only one person would call her this hour. Kate’s voice carried an edge of worry that had developed since Silas’s death. “How is it really going? ”
Bianca thought of the rocks sailing past her head, the sneers, the whispered threats.
“Fine. Everyone’s very welcoming. ”
“Bianca. ”
The warning in Kate’s tone was clear.
Bianca’s voice stayed bright. “I’m okay, Kate. I deserve this. ”
“Have you seen Alpha Theo?
” Kate asked. “No. He won’t see anyone. There’s always a line at his gates.
The beta handles everything. ”
“You don’t think…” Kate’s voice dropped. “The nightshade Silas had our warriors use… you don’t think he’s actually dead? ”
Bianca’s stomach turned.
“I can’t believe we ever agreed to use it. It’s barbaric. ”
“It’s what makes our pack powerful,” Kate said gently. “It’s what attracted Silas,” Bianca whispered before she could stop herself.
Silence stretched between them, heavy with shared memories, until Kate said good night. Hours later, Bianca lay awake, her thoughts circling like vultures. What had happened to the mysterious Alpha? Why wouldn’t he see anyone?
Was he truly injured, or was he plotting revenge? A hand she knew too well trailed down her spine. “Such heavy thoughts for such a weak little omega. ”
Bianca squeezed her eyes shut.
*Shut up. *
“But you know I’m right. You’re not like Kate. You’re the weakest of them all.
”
*Shut up. *
“Oh, but you loved me, didn’t you, Bianca? You really, truly loved me. ”
Bianca bolted upright, her heart thundering.
The room was empty. Silas was dead. But his ghost lingered in her mind, in every shadow that made her doubt herself. She couldn’t sleep.
Tears burned her eyes, and suddenly she was furious with herself. What right did she have to cry? Kate had suffered for years in silence, dismissed as paranoid. Bianca had lived in blissful ignorance, wrapped in the comfort of Silas’s spell.
If Kate were here, she wouldn’t be hiding in a motel room feeling sorry for herself. She’d already be helping the pack. Before she could second-guess herself, Bianca threw on clothes and slipped into the night. The manor loomed against the star-scattered sky, more fortress than home.
At this hour, no crowds gathered. Just shadows and silence. She circled through the woods behind the estate, studying the guard patterns. There was a window she’d noticed before that always stayed open, like the house itself was gasping for air.
When the guard turned, she scaled the wall with trembling fingers, cursing herself for breaking every diplomatic protocol imaginable. But she was desperate, ready to beg the Alpha to let her heal him or his people. If he was as injured as the rumors claimed, she had to try. The house felt different at night, hollow and haunted.
Bianca followed her instincts, remembering where Paige always glanced when people asked after his Alpha. The highest room in the highest tower. She eased the door open and plunged into absolute darkness. Then a whiff of pure Alpha scent hit her—masculine, powerful—and reality crashed in.
She had just broken into a rival Alpha’s private chambers while he was probably sleeping. If he didn’t kill her on sight, it would be a miracle. “Who’s there? ” The voice emerged from the shadows, deep and growling, carrying deadly promise.
Moonlight filtered through heavy curtains, revealing a massive figure seated by the window. Broad shoulders. Sharp jaw. The kind of raw power that should have sent her running.
Instead, something inside her came alive. The pull hit like a physical blow. Magnetic. Inexorable.
Terrifying. Every cell in her body seemed to reach for him, a strange recognition singing through her blood. *Mate. *
The word echoed in her mind, in her bones.
But horror flooded her system. “You love me, don’t you, Bianca? ” Silas’s voice whispered in her memory. “You’d do anything for me.
”
The Alpha rose, stalking toward her with predatory grace. His fingers twitched, reaching into empty air as if testing its substance. Bianca was too trapped in panic to understand why. “Who are you?
” he demanded, towering over her. She met his eyes, desperate to break whatever spell she was under, and froze. Those storm-gray eyes were beautiful, but they stared past her rather than at her. His expression remained carefully neutral, no recognition despite their proximity.
Like she wasn’t even there. Like he couldn’t see her. Because he couldn’t. The realization hit her like ice water.
This man was blind. His hand reached for her face, and Bianca felt both joy and horror. She used to feel this same joy when Silas reached for her, and it had all been a lie. Her shift took her without warning.
One heartbeat human, the next running on four legs, fleeing the overwhelming cocktail of attraction, terror, and shame. Behind her, she heard his sharp intake of breath, but she didn’t stop. She ran until the mate bond’s pull felt less like drowning, until Silas’s ghost faded from her mind. *Just a little further.
Just until I can breathe again. *
The snap of metal was deafening in the night air. Pain exploded through her front leg as the trap’s teeth bit deep. Bianca’s yelp echoed through the trees, high and desperate.
She thrashed, each movement sending fresh agony through her limb, but the trap held firm. No, no, no. They’d find her. They’d take her back there, back to him and that overwhelming pull she couldn’t trust.
Heavy footsteps approached through the underbrush. Multiple sets, getting closer. Bianca yanked harder at her trapped leg, mindless of the pain, of the blood matting her fur. A flashlight beam cut through the darkness, and her heart stopped.
Theo stood frozen by the window, his wolf clawing beneath his skin, desperate to track the intruder. But his dulled senses made tracking impossible. Just another reminder of how far he had fallen. Only two wolves were allowed in this wing of the estate: Paige, his beta, who had left for a week of diplomatic meetings, and Anne, his housekeeper.
But Theo would have recognized Anne’s shuffling gait, her habit of humming under her breath. This had been someone else. Someone who’d slipped past his defenses like they didn’t exist. His fingers traced the windowsill, a habit formed since the winter attack changed everything, since nightshade poison had worked through his system, stealing first his sight, then his enhanced senses.
He’d hidden his condition at first, gathering allies. But weeks had become months, and instead of improving, he had deteriorated. Now his world was reduced to echoes and shadows. His sight was absolute darkness.
Paige insisted their only hope lay in Theo’s arranged mating to Olivia, a beta’s daughter who had agreed to the match before the attack. But would she honor the arrangement once she discovered what he had become? Or would she flee with her pack’s support? His wolf snarled, feral after months of confinement.
Running would mean revealing his vulnerability. Fighting would expose his weakness. So they stayed trapped, wolf and man, in this cage of darkness. His thoughts grew more primitive each day.
Perhaps leaving would never be an option again. Perhaps they’d eventually have to put him down like any other feral wolf. If so, he’d use whatever time he had left to protect his pack. Anne’s footsteps approached his door, their familiar rhythm accompanied by unusual hesitation.
“Alpha,” she said, her tone carrying a warning. “There’s a wolf caught in one of the border traps. ”
Theo frowned. A wolf in the trap.
The intruder from his room, no doubt. “Who is it? ”
“An omega female. I don’t recognize her.
Center markings. Not one of ours. ”
An unknown wolf who had already proven capable of breaching his defenses. If she escaped, would she tell others what she’d seen?
“Is she still trapped? ” he asked. “Yes, but she won’t let anyone near. Snapping, snarling.
”
Theo opened his mouth to tell Anne to fetch Paige, then remembered the beta wasn’t there. He couldn’t risk anyone else. Anyone else might free the intruder. Anyone else might notice what was wrong with him.
“I’ll deal with it. ”
The walk outside was excruciating. Every step could betray his weakness. Anne guided him with subtle coughs and cleared throats, and his pride burned with each correction.
Then cool night air washed over his skin, and for a moment, his wolf quieted, soothed by the breeze carrying whispers of pine and freedom. He couldn’t see the trapped wolf, could barely smell her through the stronger scents of earth and decay. But he heard her pained growls, her desperate shuffling, the song of a cornered animal. Theo moved forward, letting his Alpha presence flood the space between them.
The growls intensified, challenge meeting challenge. “Down,” he growled. The wolf snarled back, metal clanking as she struggled. Theo stalked closer.
“I said, down. ”
A whimper broke through the growls. Only then did he reach out, finding fur that trembled beneath his touch. His hand found her neck, applying firm, steady pressure.
“That’s it,” he murmured, gentling his tone now that she’d acknowledged his authority. “You’re not going anywhere. ”
Instead of fighting, a warm tongue lapped at his fingers. Even as Anne opened the trap, the wolf only continued her gentle licking.
His wolf purred at the complete submission, pleasure coursing through him at this small victory. “Can she walk? ” he asked. “The wound is deep.
She’ll need help,” Anne replied. Without thinking, Theo scooped the wolf into his arms. She weighed nothing, settling against his chest with complete trust, her breath warm against his collar bone. His wolf rumbled with satisfaction at feeling useful for the first time in months.
Let’s get her inside,” he said, already turning back toward the house, following Anne’s footsteps and the wolf’s steady heartbeat against his chest. He should question this. He should worry about the stranger in his arms. But for now, he simply enjoyed the warmth of another living being who didn’t seem to notice or care about his brokenness.
Being carried in an Alpha’s arms should have terrified Bianca. She knew she’d breached his territory, invaded his private chambers, and would face severe consequences once he discovered who she really was. Her racing heart screamed at her to struggle, to flee, to do anything other than lie helplessly in the arms of a potentially hostile Alpha. Instead, her body betrayed her.
She melted into his touch. Heat radiated from his chest, and something primal inside her purred at his proximity. Even her injured leg seemed to hurt less, soothed by his steady grip. They entered what appeared to be a staff living area.
Theo lowered her gently onto the scarred surface of a heavy wooden table, his hands lingering to ensure her injured leg wasn’t pressed against the wood. “Who are you? ” he demanded, his voice deceptively soft. “What are you doing on my territory?
”
Bianca’s ears flattened. She should change back. She should explain about wanting to heal him, about recognizing the symptoms of nightshade poisoning he was experiencing. She’d seen these symptoms before, in Kate.
But every time she reached for her human form, Silas’s voice whispered in her mind. “Yes, Bianca, go on, change back. Tell him about the bond you’re clearly the only one feeling here. Enjoy falling head over heels for a man who doesn’t love you.
”
Terror clawed up her throat. She wanted to obey, wanted to shift. But what would he say when she changed back? What would she do?
“I do hope you don’t intend to pretend you’re just a regular wolf,” the Alpha commented, sounding unimpressed. She wasn’t trying to deceive him. She wanted to change back, but she couldn’t. “Change back right now,” Theo commanded.
Bianca whined, shuffling on the table until her leg screamed in protest. She tried again, desperately reaching for her human form, but Silas’s voice grew louder. “Unless perhaps you still love me, Bianca. Is that it?
Are you ashamed that you still love me? ”
A pathetic whimper escaped her throat. How embarrassing. She’d never had problems with her wolf before.
She was even more pathetic than she’d thought. “Alpha,” Anne’s voice cut through the tension. “The poor thing is terrified. ”
“I can see that,” Theo snapped, then caught himself.
“Well, in a manner of speaking. ”
His hand found her head again, and despite everything, Bianca leaned into his touch. His fingers combed through her fur, steady and certain, and something inside her unclenched. “She’s trembling,” he murmured.
“Perhaps she’s too afraid to shift back? ”
Anne moved closer, her presence grandmotherly and kind. “Maybe if we give her time. Are you suggesting we keep her here?
Surely we can’t release her until we know why she’s here. ”
“I suppose not. ”
His hand froze on Bianca’s head. “Should we send for a healer for her leg?
”
The word *healer* sent ice through Bianca’s veins. She *was* the healer. She had come here to help him. But she couldn’t say that now.
“I’m sure it will heal fine on its own, sir,” Anne replied. They moved to take her to the basement, but Theo suddenly stopped. “I’ll keep her in my quarters,” he said, his voice holding a strange certainty. Anne was shocked.
“But sir, your private chambers…”
“I’ll hear any movement. Better to keep the threat close. ”
Bianca’s heart raced as Theo carried her back up the stairs to his room. She should have been terrified, but she couldn’t help the flicker of hope that rose in her chest.
As he deposited her gently on a chair, he just stood there, one hand still on the doorknob as if he had forgotten what to do with himself. “I don’t even know why I did that,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. He crossed the room and sank into a chair, rubbing his face with both hands. Bianca watched him, struck by how defeated he looked, and moved to pad over and settle beside his chair.
She wanted to show her gratitude for his help, and perhaps a bit of sympathy, because it was her family’s fault he was injured. “You’re going to run the second my eyes close, aren’t you? ” he asked, his voice soft and resigned. Guilt twisted in her chest.
That had been exactly her plan, and somehow he knew it. “I don’t need to see you to know you’re here,” he added, his voice barely above a whisper. Guilt and something else, something warmer, flickered through her. She gently rubbed her head against his, the only form of consolation she could offer in this shape.
For the hundredth time, she tried to shift back to human form, but nothing happened. A pitiful whine escaped her throat. What if she was stuck like this forever? “You’re trembling,” Theo observed.
He stood and made his way to the fireplace, his hands moving uncertainly over the hearth as he tried to arrange the wood. Logs tumbled down with a clatter. “Can’t even keep people warm anymore,” he muttered. Watching him struggle, Bianca made a decision.
She moved closer and carefully nudged his hand toward the stack of wood. Theo went completely still for a moment, and she feared she’d crossed a line. But then he relaxed, allowing her to guide him. Together, they arranged the logs, and she helped him find the lighter on the mantle.
They worked in a comfortable silence, the simple task creating an unexpected connection between them. After the fire was lit, Theo settled on the floor beside her. He didn’t speak again, but the silence felt right. Bianca grew drowsy watching the flames dance, the crackling wood and Theo’s steady breathing creating a soothing rhythm.
When she woke, the fire had burned down to embers and early morning light seeped through the windows. She was disoriented for a moment, then she spotted Theo asleep in his chair and remembered everything. As she shifted position, she realized with a start that she was human again. Completely naked.
A small sound of relief escaped her before she could stop it, and Theo stirred in his chair. Terror froze her in place. She watched him like a deer in headlights, her heart thundering. *Don’t move.
Don’t breathe. Don’t even think too loud. *
After what felt like an eternity, she gathered her courage to move. But at the tiny movement, he groaned.
By the time his eyes fluttered open, Bianca had shifted back into her wolf form, her pulse still racing beneath her fur. “You’re still here,” Theo observed. She was. And for some reason, she knew she wouldn’t be able to change back for a while.
Days blended into each other, marked by a strange rhythm. During daylight hours, Bianca remained in wolf form, unable to shift no matter how hard she tried when Theo was present. Only in the deepest hours of the night, when he slept, did her human form return, giving her moments to heal him with her touch. “Sarah?
” Theo asked one morning, determined to guess her real name. Bianca snorted softly. *No. *
“Margaret?
” A gentle huff of rejection. “Patrice? ” This earned him an outraged growl that made him laugh. “All right, all right.
How about Brunhilda? ”
His suggestions were getting more outlandish by the day, but she could hear the warmth in his voice. She bumped against his leg in protest, and his laugh grew warmer. These moments of playfulness were becoming more frequent, precious gems in their quiet days together.
She guided him through the house with increasing confidence, and he followed with growing trust. He shared stories about his pack, happy memories at first. Summer festivals. The time his sister tried to teach him to dance and they both ended up in the pond.
Bianca listened, memorizing every smile that crossed his face. But one night, as they sat by the fire, his voice grew heavy. “I should have seen it earlier. The kind of person Silas was becoming.
Even as children, he charmed people just to watch them fall apart. He’d pick apart their weaknesses, use their trust against them. And I was blind to it even then. ”
The memories hit Bianca like physical blows.
Silas’s charming smile. The way he’d seemed so understanding at first. How he’d used everything she’d confided in him against her later. Her distress must have shown, because Theo’s hand found her fur and stroked gently.
After that night, she started resting her head in his lap during their evening conversations, finding comfort in the simple contact. Time passed in gentle waves. She coaxed Theo to explore more of the house, watching his confidence grow. His scent began to change, becoming stronger, more wolf-like.
The healing was working. Finally, he agreed to venture outside, but only if she was certain no one would see them. In his wolf form, they explored the estate together. His movements became more sure as his senses slowly returned, and he began to follow her more by instinct than by touch.
These moments felt like freedom, like hope. One evening, as they rested by the fire, Theo buried his nose in her fur, inhaling deeply. His scent wrapped around her, warm and right. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this peaceful.
Then he started speaking about the winters. The betrayal. The poisoning. The hatred that still burned in him for her family.
“They even sent their daughter here to heal me,” he said, a bitter laugh catching in his throat. “As if that could make up for what they did. ”
Later that night, in human form, Bianca’s hands shook as she channeled her healing power into him. Would he see this as another betrayal?
Her deception. Her silent presence in his home. Her gentle touches, all while keeping her true identity hidden. *He would hate me,* she thought, her heart aching.
*He would never forgive this. *
She should leave. She knew she should. But as she looked down at his sleeping face and ran a gentle hand along his cheek, she realized with startling clarity that she couldn’t.
Not anymore. The truth settled in her chest like a physical weight. Somewhere between the quiet conversations and shared silences, between guiding touches and gentle healing, she had lost her heart to him. Theo opened his eyes to vague shapes and colors, and his breath caught in his throat.
This couldn’t be real. He’d been hesitant to hope even as his other senses had gradually returned. But this was different. In the darkness, he could make out the tip of his finger, the dying fire casting a soft orange glow.
It wasn’t absolute darkness. It was natural shadow. A choked gasp escaped him. Then something else captured his attention entirely.
A presence beside him. Warm. Peaceful. Her scent, he knew it as intimately as his own now.
Sweet and fresh, like the first breath of spring. Theo turned to his right, and his heart nearly stopped. There was someone asleep beside him. Through the blur of his returning vision, he saw silk-spun hair spreading across his pillow like liquid gold.
The delicate curve of a bare shoulder. Creamy skin gleaming softly in the firelight. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Even through the haze of his imperfect sight, something deep in his chest ached.
His mysterious companion. His wolf. He’d known that scent anywhere. His fingers itched to touch, to trace the curve of her cheek, to tangle in that golden hair.
He almost did. But he caught himself. She was half-sprawled across his bed, but he’d grown used to touching her wolf form. This was different.
She hadn’t given permission for this. She hadn’t chosen to show herself to him this way. The realization didn’t stop the wanting. His wolf howled inside him, desperate to touch, to hold, to keep.
Careful not to disturb her, he eased himself from the bed and navigated the room with surprising ease. His restored hearing and scent more than made up for what his eyes couldn’t yet fully see. Rapid footsteps in the hallway alerted him to Anne’s approach. Not wanting her to wake his sleeping guest, he hurried to meet her at the door.
Anne started at finding him up, but he quickly silenced her with a finger to his lips. She leaned in close, whispering, “There’s someone at the gate for you. ”
“It can wait until morning,” he murmured. Anne’s grip on his arm tightened.
“I’m afraid it can’t. You need to come now. ”
With one last glance toward his bed, toward her, Theo followed Anne across the estate to the gates. Through the misty shadows, a cloaked figure emerged.
She was small, petite. Her scent was thick with fury and fear, and something else. Theo inhaled sharply as realization hit him. This woman was with child.
And from the way she was growling, she was very, very upset with him indeed. “Alpha Theo,” she snarled, her voice shaking with hardened steel. “Just what the hell have you done to my sister? ”
Bianca woke slowly, drifting through layers of warmth and contentment.
She was cocooned in Theo’s scent, wrapped in sheets that smelled of him, of them together. Her wolf purred with satisfaction. This was right. This was where she belonged.
A soft hum of pure contentment escaped her before she could stop it. The sound of her own human voice snapped her eyes open. She was human. In Theo’s bed.
Alone. The reality hit her in waves. First came the shock of her bare skin against his sheets. Then the growing horror as her mind caught up with what this meant.
Where was Theo? He was never alone before, never once in all these weeks. Something must be wrong. Why would he leave unless—
Her human side recoiled as the implications stacked up.
Did he see her? Is that why he was gone? Had her careful charade crumbled in one careless moment of contentment? *Breathe,* she told herself.
Even if he realized she had shifted back, he couldn’t actually see her, right? He’d never met Bianca Winters. She could explain somehow. She could tell him the truth.
The thought died as quickly as it formed. Theo hated the winters. If he discovered she’d been here all this time deceiving him, healing him without his knowledge, the trust they’d built would shatter. He’d throw her out.
Worse, he’d never want to see her again. She realized with a start that she had shifted back to wolf form in her panic. Now she couldn’t even explain herself. She left the room, searching for him, her wolf whining desperately.
She caught Theo’s voice from downstairs and moved toward it, but Anne suddenly appeared, blocking her path. “Not now, little wolf. The Alpha will see you later. ”
“His fiancée is here,” Anne continued, her enthusiasm devastating.
“She arrived this morning with Paige. Miss Olivia and the Alpha have been engaged for two years. It’s about time they finally become mates. ”
Bianca’s mind fractured between shock and denial.
This was her punishment for not telling him the truth, for deceiving him. She was going to lose him. Without conscious thought, she bolted past Anne and burst into the living room. She found him seated with Paige and a beautiful young woman with flowing red hair and light blue eyes.
Something primal rose in Bianca’s chest, and a snarl ripped from her throat. They all turned to stare. “Who is this? ” the woman asked, startled.
Bianca’s fury ignited. She was Theo’s mate. She belonged here. This woman didn’t.
Her protective instincts consumed her as she launched forward with a growl, only to be caught mid-leap by strong arms that pulled her back against a broad, firm chest. “Is that—” Paige started, eyes wide with recognition. “Yes,” Theo replied, his voice low, pleased. He pulled Bianca closer, his scent and warmth enveloping her, calming the storm inside her.
“That’s it, darling. Be good for me. ”
To Paige and their guest, he commanded, “Leave us. ”
After they left, Theo gently deposited Bianca on the floor and knelt beside her.
She whined softly, torn between conflicting impulses. Then he reached out slowly, his hand steady. “There,” he soothed. “They’re gone now, darling.
It’s just me. ”
He looked at her with his usual fondness, but there was something else now. A sort of wondering awe that made her breath catch. Unable to resist, she let her head settle against his palm.
“I’m sorry for leaving you alone,” Theo murmured. “But I won’t ever leave you alone again, Bianca. ”
She purred happily before his words registered. Then she froze in horror.
“You are Bianca Winters, aren’t you? ” he asked knowingly. She panicked, trying to shrink away, but his hand remained gentle on her fur. “Were you afraid of how I’d react?
” His voice was calm, steady. He didn’t sound angry. “Please look at me,” he asked, his voice so achingly soft it stole her breath. When she finally raised her eyes to his face, her heart stopped.
He was looking at her like she was a miracle. Like she was precious beyond words. And then it hit her. He could see her.
“You healed me,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I wondered what was keeping you here. Why you didn’t try to escape. You could have run many times, yet you stayed.
I thought you were hiding, afraid. But you were healing me. You stayed for me, didn’t you? ”
The reverence in his voice made her heart thunder.
He pulled her close, pressing his lips to the crown of her head, showering her with thanks and praise. Through it all, Bianca realized that healing hadn’t been the true reason she stayed. She stayed because she couldn’t bear to leave him. He pulled back to look at her, cradling her face between his large palms.
“Hi,” he breathed, his eyes bright with unshed tears. Bianca realized she was human again. Fear fluttered in her chest, but Theo’s hands on her skin made her shiver. “I wanted to tell you,” she whispered, watching how he drank in the sound of her voice.
“I didn’t want to stay in wolf form. ”
“But you were afraid,” he said, his expression clouding with concern. She nodded slowly. She had been afraid, still was somewhat.
But being able to speak with him, to have him look at her and truly see her, was worth facing that fear. “Your sister told me what happened,” Theo said gently. “Kate was here. That’s why I left earlier.
She was looking for you. I promised her you’d see her shortly. ”
Relief flooded through her. But then a new fear gripped her.
She met his eyes and placed her small hand over his. “Please. Don’t mate with that girl. ”
Tears welled up.
“You are my mate, Theo. You belong with me. ”
His eyes widened, lips parting in surprise, before spreading into a smile so tender it made her chest ache. “I know,” he murmured, his voice low and possessive.
“I already explained everything to Olivia. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore, my love. I’m yours, and you are mine. Always.
”
He cradled her face between his palms like she was made of precious crystal, and when his lips met hers, it felt like coming home. Healing, it turned out, came in waves. Some days everything felt perfect. Theo’s hand in hers as they walked through the gardens.
His scent wrapping around her like a blanket of safety and love. His eyes following her movements with wonder, as though he couldn’t quite believe she was real. Other days, the shadows crept in. The first time Theo’s kisses grew heated, his hands wandering down her back and pressing her closer, Bianca’s wolf form took over in mere seconds.
Fear clawed at her mind as Silas’s voice whispered, *This isn’t real. He doesn’t love you. He’s tricking you. *
But Theo never pushed.
He simply shifted with her, his wolf form powerful and protective beside her smaller one. Under the canopy of ancient trees, they ran together, free from the weight of past wounds. The pack needed their Alpha’s attention, but Theo always made sure Bianca never felt left out. He included her in meetings, his hand finding hers under the table when discussions grew heated.
He’d catch her eye across the room, a private smile just for her. At night, they started with simple touches. Fingers intertwined as sleep became increasingly elusive, awareness building between them. His scent wrapped around her, rich and intoxicating, making her wolf purr with want.
Soft kisses left them breathless, growing deeper and more urgent. Until one night, she was panting against his lips. “Please, Theo. More.
I need more. ”
“Are you sure? ” he asked, his powerful body pressed against hers, skin to fevered skin. She could feel him trembling with restraint, his control hanging by a thread as his hands ghosted over her curves.
When they were finally one, the pleasure brought tears to her eyes. A completion she hadn’t known she was missing. That first time became many. Their passion seemed endless, and they almost missed Kate going into labor, lost in their world of heated touches and breathless moans.
But nothing could keep Bianca from her sister’s side as new life entered their world. She held Kate’s hand through the pain and watched Ryder’s face transform with joy as he cradled his daughter. Turning to find Theo’s eyes on her, warm with promise, she whispered that night, “I want one. ”
His smile could have lit up the darkest corners of their past.
He marked her the night she told him she was pregnant, their child growing safe within her. As his teeth found her neck, she marked him in return. Though in truth, he had been hers since that first night she found him in the darkness. “I love you,” she told him, watching the sunset paint their world in gold.
Their child kicked beneath her heart, and Theo’s hand covered hers. “I know,” he said, his smile holding all the certainty she once thought lost forever. They healed each other, day by day. He who suffered at Silas’s hand, she who almost lost herself to Silas’s lies.
Together, they built something new from the ashes. Something stronger. Something true. In the end, that was what healing was.
Not the absence of scars, but the presence of hope. Not the forgetting of pain, but the courage to love anyway.
