Chapter 130 The secret shared 1

Chapter 130: Chapter 130 The secret shared 1

Talia’s POV

Kaelen pulled me closer, and his arms wrapped around my back. He held me against his chest, and I felt his heartbeat beneath my ear, pounding steady and strong.

The journal was on the bed between us, but neither of us looked at it. He had read it, so he knew the truth now. But he had not walked away.

I had expected him to be angry, to shout, to demand answers, and to look at me like I was a stranger. But he did none of those things. He just held me like nothing had changed, and like everything was the same.

But actually, everything had changed.

I had changed, and he knew it now. Yet he was still here, still holding me, and still choosing to stay.

I closed my eyes and let myself breathe.

Then suddenly he flinched. His body became tense, and he pulled back sharply. His hand went to his chest, and his jaw tightened. Then I saw the pain flash across his face before he tried to hide it.

My heart dropped. "The necklace," I said.

I looked down at the silver chain around my neck. The one my mother had given me, and the one that had kept me safe for fifteen years.

But to him, it was danger.

"I forgot," I said, and my voice was shaking. "I am so sorry. I forgot about your silver allergy."

Kaelen shook his head. His hand was still pressed against his chest, and I could see the tension in his shoulders.

"It is okay," he said.

"It is not okay. I hurt you." I was almost in tears.

"You did not mean to." He waved it off and gave a small smile.

He reached for my hand, but I pulled away. I could not touch him, not when I had just caused him pain.

The guilt was suffocating that I had hurt him again. He was the one person who had never hurt me, and the only person who had protected me since I came to Blackmoor Valley. And I had burned him accidentally, and carelessly, because I forgot time and time again.

I had been so focused on my own secrets, that I forgot about his; about the silver, and about the danger I carried around my neck. I felt so worried at that moment.

"Let me see," I said.

He hesitated, and his gray eyes searched my face, looking for something I could not name.

"Talia..." he called.

"Please." I looked at his eyes.

He held my gaze for a moment longer. Then he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

His chest was bare now. The muscles beneath his skin were tight, and I could see the faint lines of old scars, the same ones I had traced with my fingers in the dark. But there was a new red mark on his skin, right where the silver chain had pressed against him.

I reached out and touched it gently. His skin was warm beneath my fingers, and I could feel the heat of the burn, even though it was already starting to fade.

"I am sorry," I whispered.

"Stop apologizing." His voice was soft.

"I cannot help it," I said.

I moved my hand higher, pressing my palm flat against his chest. His heart was beating fast, almost as fast as mine. I could feel it beneath my fingers, as it kept pounding steady and strong.

The red mark was fading now, and I knew that his wolf was healing the burn. But the guilt still lingered in my chest, heavy and cold.

He took my hand and pressed it over his heart. "I can endure a little pain," he said. "It is worth it."

I looked up at him. His gray eyes were soft in the firelight, and his face was relaxed. There was no anger, no blame, and no fear. Just him, looking at me like I was something precious.

I stared at him like a lost puppy.

His gray eyes were steady and certain, like he had no doubt, and like he would say the same thing a hundred times, or a thousand times. I did not understand how he could be so sure, how he could forgive so easily, or how he could still look at me like I was something good, something worth keeping, and something worth hurting for.

I felt tears burn in my eyes from the thoughts, because I was feeling very grateful to have met him, and I was still not used to his kindness.

At that moment, I did not even know what to say, so I said nothing.

Kaelen pulled me closer again, and was very careful this time. His arm wrapped around my waist, and he positioned me so the necklace would not touch his skin. I leaned against his chest, and his chin rested on top of my head.

We stayed like that for a long time.

The fire crackled in the hearth, and the shadows danced on the walls. The room was warm, and I could hear his heartbeat beneath my ear, slow and steady now.

I thought about the journal, about everything my mother had written, and about the power that lived inside my voice, which he knew now. It gave me relief to know that he knew everything, and he was still here.

"Tell me about the power," he said.

I tilted my head to look at him. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," he replied.

I took a breath, then I began.

I told him about the warmth in my chest, and the way it spread through my veins like fire. I told him about the way my voice changed when the power flowed through me, deeper and stronger, like it belonged to someone else. I told him about how it felt in Alpha Stone’s hall, like something ancient waking up inside me after being asleep for a very long time.

Kaelen listened. He did not interrupt, and he did not look away. His hand traced slow circles on my back, and his gray eyes stayed fixed on my face.