Chapter 374 Scared together

Chapter 374: Chapter 374 Scared together

Talia’s POV

Kaelen held me, and he did not let go.

I did not know how long we stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, and I did not care.

The tears had slowed, but they had not stopped, and I could feel them drying on my cheeks. The training yard was silent, and the only sound was the soft whisper of the wind through the trees. The moon was still high, and the stars were still bright, and the world was still quiet.

The quiet was heavy, and it pressed against my ears like a living thing. I could hear the distant sound of a wolf howling somewhere in the mountains, and I could hear the soft rustle of leaves in the wind. The world was very peaceful, but I was not.

"Kaelen," I said, and my voice was barely above a whisper. "I am sorry."

Kaelen pulled back, and he looked at me. His gray eyes were soft, and I could see the confusion in them. "Sorry for what, Talia?"

I shook my head, and I felt the shame rising in my chest. "I am sorry for falling apart, for not being strong enough, and for making you worry about me when you have so much else to worry about."

Kaelen looked at me, and I saw the love in his gray eyes. He reached up, and he cupped my face in his large, but soft hands.

His palms were warm against my skin, and I could feel the calluses on his fingers from years of training, and fighting wars. His touch was gentle, but I could feel the strength in his hands.

His thumbs brushed against my cheeks, wiping away the last of my tears on my cheeks.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Talia," Kaelen said, and his voice was firm. "You are the strongest person I have ever known."

I shook my head against his hands. "I do not feel strong, Kaelen. I feel like I am breaking apart, and fast too."

Kaelen looked at me, and I saw the understanding in his eyes. "Then let yourself break. I will be here to catch you."

I felt the tears burning in my eyes again. "Kaelen..."

He pressed his thumb to my lips, silencing me. "Talia, listen to me."

I looked at him, and I waited.

The silence stretched between us, and I could see him struggling. I could see the war raging behind his eyes, the battle between what he wanted to say and what he was afraid to admit. I had never seen him like this before.

The moonlight fell across his face, and I could see the love in his eyes, and the fear, and something else. Something that looked like understanding.

Kaelen took a breath, and I watched him gather his strength. He looked at me, and I saw the vulnerability in his gray eyes. It was something I had never seen before. Or at least, not like this.

He looked younger somehow in the moonlight, like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders for just a moment. He looked like the man behind the Alpha, and the man who had fears and doubts and weaknesses just like everyone else.

"I am scared too, Talia," Kaelen said finally, and his voice was barely a whisper.

I stared at him, and I felt my heart stop. "What?"

He nodded, and I saw the tears in his eyes. "I am scared of losing you, I am scared of failing my pack, and I am scared of what Malachai will do to us all."

I watched his face as he spoke, and I saw the honesty in his eyes. I knew that he was not saying this to make me feel better, and he was not saying this to be kind. He was saying this because it was true.

I felt the tears streaming down my face. "Kaelen, you never told me."

He shook his head, and I saw the pain in his eyes. "Because I did not know how. I have always been the strong one since my father died too. I have been the Alpha, and the one everyone looks to for guidance. So I did not know how to admit that I was afraid."

I reached up, and I touched his face. His skin was warm beneath my fingers, and I felt the slight tremble in his jaw. "You do not have to be strong all the time, Kaelen. Not with me."

Kaelen looked at me, and I saw the love in his gray eyes. He pulled me closer, and I felt his warmth against me.

I melted into him, and I felt the tension leaving my body. His arms were strong and steady, and I felt like nothing could hurt me as long as I was holding him.

His arms wrapped around me, and I felt safe.

"But we are scared together," Kaelen said. "And that makes all the difference."