Cronan is angry. Angry that after years of waiting, he's mated to the one wolf he never wanted.
Fen is stuck. Stuck in a state of purgatory that he doesn't know how to escape from.
After learning of his mate's crimes, Cronan never expected to see h...
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"You know we can't stay in this room all day, right?" I said quietly, running my fingers through Fen's dark hair, enjoying the way it felt against my skin.
"We can stay for a bit longer," he murmured, his voice muffled as he pressed his face deeper into the crook of my neck.
I smiled softly but shook my head. "The kids and Ambrose are starting to worry about you. You've barely left in three days."
Fen let out a low groan, the sound laced with reluctance. "I know," he admitted, his arms tightening around me. "I just...don't feel ready to face them yet. I don't want them to see me like this."
"They've been asking about you. Lola and Abel, especially." I felt him tense at the mention of their names. "They're worried, too."
Fen was silent for a moment, his breath warm against my neck. "I don't want to upset them," he whispered. "They've been through enough."
"You're not going to upset them. They care about you, Fen. They look up to you. If anything, seeing you might help put them at ease."
He sighed, his fingers gripping the fabric of my shirt as if grounding himself. "It's just hard, you know? To be around them, knowing I might have to let them go soon."
"I know," I said, my voice gentle. "But they still need you, whether they're staying or leaving. And I think you need them too, even if it's just to remind yourself why you're doing all of this in the first place."
Fen didn't respond right away, his face buried against my shoulder. Then, after what felt like a long pause, he lifted his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine.
"Just a little longer," he whispered, his expression softening. "Then we'll go."
I nodded, pulling him closer. "Okay, a little longer."
Selfishly speaking, I would've wanted to lay in bed with Fen all day, remaining in our own little world but I didn't want to see him in such a broken state anymore and the first step to trying to help him was to get him out of bed.
"Okay," he finally said, his voice steadier. "Let's go see them."
Fen detangled himself from my grasp and got off the bed first. He offered a hand to me, which I easily took, and grabbed another set of clothes that weren't pajamas. His shirt came off first, revealing his toned chest I missed, and then his pants.
I quickly averted my gaze, clearing my throat to focus on something—anything—other than the sight of Fen undressing in front of me. The last thing I needed was to get distracted when I was trying to help him out of his emotional rut. But even as I looked away, I could still feel the heat rising, the memories of us together resurfacing.
Fen, either unaware or purposely ignoring my reaction, continued dressing. Once he was done, he turned toward me, his expression a little lighter.
"Let's get this over with," he said, offering me a small but determined smile.
