Chapter 57
Chapter 57
*Nathaniel*
I woke to the quiet sound of her breathing.
Steady. Even. Peaceful.
For the first time in days, Jiselle was sleeping without trembling, without crying out, without her body burning itself from the inside. Her hand was still curled in mine, small and warm, and I hadn’t let go all night. I didn’t plan to.
The chair beneath me creaked as I shifted slightly. My back ached from sleeping hunched over, but I welcomed the discomfort–it was a reminder that I was still here. Still breathing. Still holding onto the girl who, just yesterday, I thought I might lose forever.
Moon above, she looked different.
Not fragile or weak, though she had every right to be after what she’d survived. No–she looked radiant. Her skin no longer flushed with fever but calm and glowing. Her wolf had settled. I could feel it in the mate bond, humming low and steady now, like a thread newly stitched but strong.
We were bonded.
Fully.
I traced my thumb gently along her knuckles, watching the way her fingers twitched every now and then in her sleep. I wondered if she was dreaming. If she knew I was here. If the calm she felt now matched the calm that had finally begun to unfurl inside my own chest.
A soft knock at the door broke the stillness.
1 looked up just as the nurse slipped in, holding a clipboard against her chest.
“I’m sorry to disturb you,” she whispered, glancing between us. “But the Alpha Council has summoned you..”
My stomach tightened. “Now?”
She nodded. “They said it was urgent. And… it’s not exactly a request.”
Of course not.
The Alpha Council didn’t summon people out of courtesy. They were an arm of the International Werewolf Council, which operated this school. It was the only other organization as big as ATA on this godforsaken island. They basically headed the school. I knew better than to dismiss their summon. Especially not when I knew it involved Jiselle.
I gently laid her hand back on the bed, my fingers lingering for just a moment longer than necessary. Then I stood and pressed a kiss to her temple, careful not to wake her.
“I’ll be back before you even miss me,” I murmured, though the words felt heavier than I wanted them to.
She didn’t stir. Just breathed.
And I let myself believe, for a second, that maybe everything really would be okay.
Then I left
I was on my way to the meeting room when I realized I was being intercepted.
instructor Bastain was waiting when I stepped out into the courtyard, arms folded, eyes scanning the horizon like he was tracking ghosts in the sky. The wind tugged at his dark coat, and for once, the man looked tired. Not the usual sharp, colled precision he carried. But worn. As if something big loomed just beyond his grasp.
Beside him stood Miss Carrow–her ever–sleek braid draped over one shoulder, her eyes sharp behind narrow glasses. She looked like a woman who’d never once missed a detail. And right now, her gaze was squarely on me.
“You kept them warting long enough” Bastain muttered. “Now we’ll have to be brief.”
“She nearly died” I shot back “Forgive me for not sprinting out of the infirmary the second she stopped seizing”
He didn’t flinch at my tone if anything, his mouth twitched like he respected it
Miss Carrow nodded in quiet agreement “She’s awake?”
i nodded once “Sleeping now Peacefully
Something passed through her expression Relief, maybe. Or regret I couldn’t tell
“Let go somewhere more private to talk before you go into the meeting” Bastain said.
“Are you two a part of the council?” I asked with a raised brow
“Yes, but there are matters to discuss before we head inside. Now hurry” Bastein snapped.
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Right. Still the scary–as–hell combat instructor.
We walked in silence across the stone courtyard, the trees rustling softly around us. The scent of morning dew clung to everything, grounding me in the present. Reminding me of what I almost lost. As soon as we arrived at a secluded part of the academy, close to the forest, they turned to me.
“She’ll need to be monitored closely,” Miss Carrow said. “The mark rejection may be resolved, but there’s no telling what kind of strain it left on her wolf. Especially with the Solstice so near.”
I frowned. “What does the Solstice have to do with anything?”
Bastain gave her a look, and she gave him a nod–like he needed her permission to speak. Then he turned to me.
“The Solstice is four weeks away,” he said. “You remember what that means?”
“First–year manifestation,” I answered. “When wolves start showing their gifts.”
“Correct. Every year, the moon’s power is at its strongest on that night. Most of the time, the gifts come in predictable tiers. You know the different gifts. The ones most common and the ones rare that the council usually looks for. But occasionally …very occasionally… there’s something else.”
“Do you know something about Jiselle?” I demanded, not caring who the hell he was as long as he started speaking now. Bastain’s eyes met mine, steady and unreadable. “I’m saying that this year’s Solstice will be… unique.”
My pulse quickened. “You think Jiselle’s gift will manifest as a unique one.” It wasn’t a question.
“I know it will,” Miss Carrow said, stepping forward. “And it won’t be small.”
I looked between them, my heart starting to pound again–but for very different reasons than before. “What are you saying?” Bastain let out a breath, long and measured. “We believe Jiselle may be touched by something rare. Something directly tied to the Moon Goddess herself. A blessing–or a curse, depending on who you ask.”
I blinked. “You think she’s Veilborn like me?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Miss Carrow did.
“We don’t know for certain,” she said carefully. “She’s not my student, but according to Instructor Bastain, he’s seen some signs.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Because I didn’t think you had a right to know. Up until a few days ago, no one knew you were mated,” Bastain said grimly. I hated that he had a point.
Wait. Did Laker know?
“What did you notice?” I demanded. “What level will her gift be?”
Bastain didn’t reply. But if she was veilborn too, that would equal three in the academy–in our generation. That was extremely rare and slightly terrifying.
“I’m telling you this now because I need you to know she must be protected. Hadelyn and others might see power as a threat. I’ve been doing what I can to keep her off their radar. But after solstice, there won’t be much I can do.”
“Do you understand what we are saying?” Miss Carrow added with a hint in her tone. “You might have to be prepared to do anything to ensure another waste of a millennial is repeated”
Waste of a wha-
Wait, were they implying that I might have to… break Jiselle out of the academy?
My hands clenched at my sides. “So what now? You want me to protect her?” I asked, just to be sure
Bastain gave me a long, heavy look. “No. I want you to guard her with everything you have. Especially on Solstice night.”
i nanowed my eyes. “Why?”
“Because” he said, voice low and quiet, “if her gift manifests et full power, and it’s what we suspect she might not only just be humed”
Miss Carrow’s voice cut in “She’ll be claimed Controlled Weaponized. ”
My entomacb tumed
disete My hoolis A weapon?
Not while 1 breathed
“Then I’ll stay with her i said, steel creeping into my voice 7 watch her ever ha
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Chapter 57
anyone who tries to come near her.”
Bastain studied me, then nodded.
“I believe you,” he said. “And that’s why I’m trusting you with this. But know this, Nathaniel–if the council decides she’s a threat, I may not be able to protect her. Not even I can defy the moon’s chosen hierarchy. Not forever.”
I took a step forward, staring straight into his eyes. “Then you won’t have to. Because I won’t let them get that far.” There was a beat of silence.
Then Miss Carrow said softly, “Just make sure she lives long enough to find out what she really is.”
They left after that–no formal dismissal, no council to meet. Just a warning. A message.
A truth I didn’t want to face.
The Solstice was coming.
And Jiselle wasn’t just a student anymore.
She was something else.
Something powerful.
Soon everyone would know.
I turned back toward the infirmary, the bond pulling me like a beacon, and I realized-
Protecting her heart had never been enough.
Now I had to protect her soul.
And I’d die before I let anyone take her from me again.
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Chapter 58
