Chapter 99 The Silver Allergy Exposed 2

Chapter 99: Chapter 99 The Silver Allergy Exposed 2

Talia’s POV

It was like a wall had come down, not all the way, but enough to see each other, enough to trust, and enough to hope.

I had spent so long building walls around myself, walls to keep people out, and walls to keep myself safe. But Kaelen had climbed over them, and I had let him. I was very glad I did.

"I will not tell anyone," I said. "I already promised."

He nodded. "I know."

We stood in silence for a moment, the weight of his secret settling between us. The fire crackled, and the shadows danced.

I looked at his chest again, and the red mark was gone now, and I knew his wolf had healed him.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Not anymore," he said.

"What does it feel like?" I looked at him.

He was quiet for a moment. "Like fire under my skin, and like something burning me from the inside out."

My stomach turned and I looked down at my feet. "I am sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he said, as he lifted my chin up.

"I cannot help it," I whispered.

My face was a bit calm, but my mind was racing with questions. ’What if I had hurt him worse? What if the necklace had been pressed against his skin longer?’

I pushed the thoughts away. He was fine, and he was standing in front of me, breathing, and speaking.

But the guilt did not leave. It stayed in my chest, heavy and sharp. I had hurt him, even if he said it was not my fault, and even if he said I did not know, I had still hurt him. And that was something I would have to carry, and something I would have to remember, so I would never do it again.

We stood in silence for a moment, as the shadows danced on the walls. But the silence was not uncomfortable.

Then Kaelen stepped back. "We should get some rest. Tomorrow, we train again."

I nodded, and followed beside him, as we walked back to the room together.

The hallway was dark and quiet. Our footsteps echoed on the stone floors, and the torches flickered as we passed.

When we reached the room, Kaelen opened the door and stepped aside, letting me enter first.

I went straight to the wardrobe, picked up my nightwear, stepped into the bathroom, took a quick hot shower, and dressed up in the bathroom.

When I came out, I climbed into bed, and Kaelen went into the bathroom to take a shower.

When he came out, he climbed in beside me, and the mattress dipped under his weight.

The sheets were cool against my skin, and the pillow smelled like pine and cold air, which was his scent. But the cold air was beginning to get warm.

I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, and Kaelen lay beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

I thought about his secret, and about the trust he had placed in me.

He had told me something that he had told almost no one else.

’Why?’ I asked myself. The only thing he had said was because I had trusted him first.

I had told him about my mother, and about the fire. He had also known about my hidden powers, which I am yet to even understand. He had kept my secret, and he had trusted me with his—one that could actually destroy him.

Now, I would keep his own.

The fire burned low, and the room grew dark.

I touched my necklace, and the silver chain was cool against my fingers. I knew that I would have to be careful, because I did not want to hurt him.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but my mind kept wandering to his secret, to his trust, and to the way he had looked at me when he said he trusted me.

Something had shifted between us, and I did not know what it was.

But I knew it was important.

I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and even, which meant he was asleep.

I watched him for a long time, memorizing the lines of his face, the curve of his jaw, and the way his dark hair fell across his forehead.

He was beautiful. Not just on the outside, but on the inside too.

I had never thought about him that way before. He was the Alpha, my mate, and a stranger who shared my room and my bed. But he was also a person who had been hurt, a person who had been afraid, and a person who had trusted me with his deepest secret. And that made him beautiful in a way I had not expected.

He had trusted me, and I would not let him down.

I thought about all the people who had let me down. My father. Vivienne. Celeste. Everyone in Cresswood who looked away when I cried for help. I knew what it felt like to be betrayed. To be abandoned. To be forgotten. And I would never do that to him. Never. I would be the person he could count on. The person who stayed.

I touched my necklace one last time, then closed my eyes.

The silver was cool against my fingers. It was cool for me, and dangerous to Kaelen. I would have to be careful now, and I would have to remember, no more hugging him while wearing the necklace, no more leaning against his chest, and no more letting the chain touch his skin.

I would protect him, the same way he had protected me, because that was what mates did.

Sleep came slowly, but finally it came, and pulled me in.