Chapter Nineteen: Love’s Resurrection
NICOLE
I didn’t believe in second chances.
What was done was done, and life rarely offered do–overs. That belief was carved into my soul the moment Gerald squeezed my heart, squeezing life itself out of me. Pain exploded through my chest, sharp and unforgiving, and then came the flood of memories. They hit me all at once- relentless and vivid.
The first three sentences Nathan ever said
to me.
The cold, detached moments that followed.
The first time I saw him laugh, and the way it softened the edges of his harsh
demeanor.
The shattering coldness when he broke my heart because of her.
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Chapter Nineteen: Love’s Resurrection
My father’s death.
Daniel’s birth.
And then: I love you, Nicole Myers.
Those words were louder than the others, cutting through the pain like a knife. They overwhelmed me, coming with such intensity that I gasped, my eyes flying open as my lungs dragged in air like I was surfacing from deep waters. My body scrambled, my hands clutching at the fabric beneath me until I realized…
I was in a bed.
And I was alive.
The shock had barely registered when the healers explained everything. How Nathan had sacrificed himself for me, even in death. How he endured unspeakable
torment to purge the silver from his system after his men brought us our bodies to his
territory.
How the silver had done more damage this
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Chapter Nineteen: Love’s Resurrection
time and they feared he would never wake again.
My survival came at a steep cost. I had spent weeks filtering out traitors in both my pack and his, banishing those loyal to Gerald and Nadia to prevent another uprising. I ensured Daniel‘ s safety above all else, even as grief hollowed me out. Gerald was dead, but Nadia remained–so I had not rested, hunting her down till she was found.
Which brought me here, standing in front
of her cell.
I stared at her, chained to the wall, her body slack from the relentless silver poisoning I’d ordered. When her eyes. finally met mine, she let out a tired scoff.
“Have you come here to gloat?”
For a moment, I said nothing, letting the silence stretch like a taut wire. Then I
spoke, my voice calm but deadly. “Darien Cross gave the order that killed your pack, and you let that hatred consume you. I
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Chapter Nineteen: Love’s Resurrection
know what it’s like to lose my parents. My family. I know the rage, the grief, the
endless void it leaves behind. But instead of confronting him, you killed him.
“You could have stopped there, but you didn’t. You came after me. You framed me, tore Nathan and me apart, destroyed what little happiness I’d found. And maybe—maybe—I could have found it in me to forgive you for that. Because I understand pain better than most.” My voice hardened. “But then you went after my child.
“You almost killed my son. You almost killed me. Twice. And now Nathan… Nathan might never wake up because of you.”
I stepped closer, watching her flinch, her exhaustion slipping just long enough to reveal a flicker of fear. “You’re going to learn the true meaning of suffering, Nadia. Death would be mercy, and mercy is something you’ll never get from me.”
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Chapter Nineteen: Love’s Resurrection
Her mask cracked, and I smiled coldly.
“You will spend the rest of your days here rotting in this cell, counting every day by the pain I will make you feel.”
With that, I turned to leave, my boots echoing against the stone floor. Behind me, her voice rose in a desperate scream, hurling curses and threats that barely registered because her power over me was gone.
As I reached the surface, the icy relief of finally ending this chapter began to settle in my chest. But it stilled when I saw the healer waiting for me. She bowed her head, her expression grave.
“Is he-” I couldn’t finish the question.
The healer’s lips curved into a soft smile.
“The Alpha is awake.”
The words barely registered before I was running. My feet flew across the polished floors of Nathan’s mansion, my pulse racing with a mix of disbelief and hope. I
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didn’t slow until I reached his door, and without hesitation, I threw it open.
My breath caught.
Nathan was standing, his shirt half- buttoned, his movements slow and
unsteady but alive. His amber eyes lifted to meet mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.
What was it I’d said about second
chances?
Before I could think, I was moving. His lips parted, and I think he said my name, but I didn’t wait to hear the rest. I crossed the space between us in an instant, throwing myself into his arms and smashing my lips
to his.
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