Chapter 156 – Possibilities
–AARON’S POV–
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I sat beside her, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathed, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.
Her hand was clasped with mine, and the relief I felt when she’d woken up was beyond measure.
Sheila was my entire life. I had nothing except her. She was my mate. My everything.
And I’d almost lost her.
Every time I closed my eyes, I’d imagine the whole scene again. I’d imagine how it could have gone differently. For better or
worse.
I wished I was there to protect her. I wished I never left the school. I wished I’d taken that bullet instead of her.
But there was nothing I could change now.
I wondered what would have happened if Blake shot her a few more times than once. If Zane didn’t tell us in time, and Ajax and I reached them too late. I wondered what I’d do if The Order had gotten to them, taken them away before we could.
It didn’t happen, and yet the fear lingered.
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She groaned softly, pulling me out of my thoughts. Her dark lashes fluttered before she opened her eyes, instantly searching
for me.
“I’m right here,” I said, placing my free hand on her forehead.
She met my gaze, her body deflating. “Hey.”
“How do you feel?” I asked.
Emerald and Kaya had gotten the bullets out. They’d removed the poison. But it would take some time for Warner and Sheila to recover completely.
“I’m fine, my hero,” she replied, smiling at me. “Don’t worry.”
My heart clenched. “I’m no hero, Sheila.”
She reached out and cupped my face, groaning as the movement probably hurt.
“Hey,” I scolded, leaning closer to her. “Don’t move.”
Sheila smiled again, her gaze gentle. “You’ll always be my hero, Aaron. I love you. And what happened was not your fault.” Her thumb traced my cheek, making me close my eyes and lean into her touch.
“I should’ve been with you.”
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Chapter 156 – Possibilities
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“You were protecting your pack. And it’s not like you left me in trouble. You didn’t know this was gonna happen, Aaron. Don’t blame yourself.”
She was always like that. Always understanding. Loving. Warm.
I didn’t know what I did to deserve her.
“For a moment there, Sheila, I thought I lost you.”
She snorted. “That easily?”
I smiled, shaking my head at her. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now go get me something to drink. My throat feels like sandpaper.”
“On it.”
–BLAKE’S POV–
I woke up in my home, in my bedroom, on the floor.
Lia was gone.
My place was trashed.
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Chapter 156 – Possibilities
The handcuff I’d put on her was broken.
Zane took her. But it didn’t matter that he did.
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She was mine now. She had my mark on her neck whether she or Zane liked it or not.
It was done.
She’d be bound to me forever, and there couldn’t be two marks. There was only one vacant spot for it, and I’d taken it before he could. Just like he’d taken the spot in her heart before I could.
I hadn’t done anything wrong.
And yet, somehow, I didn’t feel like I had won.
An uneasiness lingered in my chest, like the burden was still there.
And thinking about it, thinking about how I’d marked her—it didn’t fill me with happiness and excitement.
My heart tightened in my chest. Like… like I’d hurt her.
I had.
She hadn’t wanted it. And I’d given it to her anyway.
But I couldn’t dwell on the guilt. It was completely normal for
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Chapter 156 – Possibilities
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werewolves to mark their human mates by force. It simply strengthened the bond and allowed them to see past their fear. Besides, what else were we supposed to do? It was the Goddess’s fault, not ours.
I did what I had to do. If Zane had marked her, it would be over for me.
I simply did it before he could.
Yes.
I didn’t do anything wrong.
I pushed off the floor, standing up.
The beast inside me definitely felt a lot calmer. Like it had relaxed. Calmed.
Maybe because it knew that she was finally ours. It didn’t have to fear anymore.
Footsteps echoed outside, and I straightened. My claws grew, and my eyes went black. It wasn’t one of my pack members. I could hear them all outside. Groaning, wounded. Wimps. There were so many of them, and Zane was all alone. They still didn’t manage to defeat him.
When the footsteps got closer, I recognised the scent.
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Chapter 156 – Possibilities
Caitlyn. The girl from The Order.
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A low growl left my lips as she stepped inside, dressed in all black. Just seeing her again made my heart race. I remembered how easily she’d managed to fool me that day, acting like a poor damsel in distress, when she was actually a little fox.
She smiled, tilting her head.
“You did it, didn’t you?” she asked, looking around the room. “You marked her. The handcuff is a nice touch. Must have been fun.”
“Get out,” I warned, annoyed. She was making my wolf uncomfortable. Restless.
“Oh, I will. I just came here to make sure you got her. Where is she now?”
“With Zane,” I stated.
Now she froze, staring at me. “What?” she snapped. “Why is she with Zane?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I replied. “She’s gonna come crawling to me herself. She has my mark now. I did what you wanted.”
“We wanted you to keep her away from Zane!”
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“And she will be,” I replied. “She can never be his now. She has my mark.”
“What if he marks her too? Are you an idiot?” Caitlyn asked, marching up to me.
I grabbed her throat, and electricity shot through my hand.
I sucked in a breath, stepping away from her, my eyes wide.
She froze too, staring at me, her heartbeat ringing in my ears.
I waited a moment. Maybe she’d explain. Maybe she was wearing something for protection.
But she looked as surprised as me.
“What… what the hell was that?” she whispered, studying me carefully.
No.
No, it couldn’t be.
It wasn’t possible.
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