STARLIGHT PROMISE:"Bound to the Lycan"

Chapter 31

ZALE's POV;
                        The evening air was cool, a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves of the garden as the sun dipped below the horizon. I stood at the edge of the garden, hidden within the shadows, watching Amora from a distance. The way the last rays of sunlight played across her face made her look almost otherworldly, like a figure crafted by nature itself to exist in this moment of quiet beauty. For a split second, I allowed myself to forget everything—the rogue attack, the chaos, the unanswered questions that swirled around my mind like a storm. All I could think about was her. My mate. Amora.

"Take Amora to the gardens, Wilder, and keep an eye on her. I will be back soon," I ordered through the mindlink, my voice tinged with frustration and urgency. Wilder acknowledged my command with a simple nod, but my thoughts were far from calm. I was supposed to be the one by her side, guiding her through this unfamiliar world, showing her the things that would soon become part of her new reality. But instead, the damned rogue incident had thrown everything into chaos.

How did they know Amora was with me? The question twisted through my mind like a knife, its blade sharp with suspicion and doubt. Someone must have let it slip—there's no other way they could have known. And not only did they know she was with me, but they also knew she was human. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into the palms of my hands. It was a vulnerability I hadn't prepared for, one that put her in more danger than she realized.

Amora was unaware of the darkness creeping closer to her, completely oblivious to the threats lurking just outside the boundaries of this safe haven I had built. She was human, fragile, and so blissfully ignorant of the dangers that our world held. I needed to tell her, to make her understand the reality of what we were dealing with. But how? How do you tell someone that their entire life is about to change, that nothing is what it seems? That their very existence is now tied to a world they never believed in?

I took a deep breath, focusing on her as she stood in the garden, her head tilted slightly as she examined the flowers around her. She was so calm, so peaceful. She didn't know the chaos she had been thrust into, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She deserved better than this—better than the secrets, the lies, the constant danger.

And then, there was the rogue. The damned rogue who had taken his own life right in front of me rather than spill any information. The image of him, eyes filled with defiance, choosing death over betrayal—it made my blood boil. Whoever sent him was willing to go to extreme lengths to keep their secrets hidden, and that meant only one thing: they feared me. But more than that, they feared what Amora could mean to me.

I needed to protect her. Not just from the threats outside but also from the truth that would inevitably come crashing down around us. I knew that once she found out who I truly was—once she knew that the silver wolf was me—everything could change between us. No matter how much it pained me to think of her fear, I couldn't keep her in the dark any longer. She had to know.

As I watched her, something within me shifted. The beast that I always struggled to control, my wolf, Lace, stirred restlessly inside me. "Amora," I whispered her name under my breath, feeling the weight of it on my tongue. She was everything I never thought I needed but couldn't live without. My wolf's instincts were thrumming through me, urging me to get closer to her, to let her feel my presence.

I stepped out from the shadows, still in my wolf form, my eyes locked onto her. I had intended to stay hidden, to observe her from a distance, but my control slipped. My need to be near her overpowered my caution, and before I knew it, I was standing in the open, fully visible to her. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, my world stopped. I had expected fear, panic, the kind of terror that makes your blood run cold, but none of that was there.

She didn't scream or run; she didn't look at me like I was some monster from her nightmares. Instead, her expression was soft, curious even, like she was trying to understand me. It was as if she could see past the fur and fangs, straight to the man hidden beneath the beast. I felt something in my chest tighten—a mix of relief and awe that I couldn't quite put into words.

Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground in a gesture of submission, lying down at her feet. I wanted to show her that I meant no harm, that even in my most primal form, she was safe with me. She hesitated, her hand hovering just above my fur, trembling slightly. I could see the internal battle she was fighting—the fear of the unknown versus the trust she wanted to place in me.

"Tell mate to touch. I won't hurt..." Lace's voice echoed in my mind, his excitement almost childlike, filled with a joy that I hadn't heard in his tone before. He was practically begging for her touch, desperate for the connection we both craved. When her hand finally made contact with my fur, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. That simple touch, so gentle and hesitant, sent shockwaves through my entire being.

The sparks—oh, the sparks—were nothing like what I felt in my human form. This was raw, untamed, electric. It was as if every nerve in my body was on fire, and the flames were fueled by her presence alone. Lace was chanting in my mind, "Mate isn't afraid. Mate isn't afraid," his voice overflowing with unrestrained happiness. I let him take full control, knowing he wouldn't harm her, but also warning him silently not to shift into our human form.

The moment I let go, Lace rushed into her arms, nuzzling into her with all the affection he had been holding back. Amora didn't pull away; she didn't even flinch. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him, her fingers digging into his fur, holding on like he was her lifeline. And then, she spoke, her voice so soft, so filled with gratitude that it nearly broke me.

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered, and those words struck me like a physical blow. I never thought a simple sentence could hold so much power, but there it was. In those words was a trust so pure, so untainted by fear, that it made my heart ache. She believed in me—in us. And for the first time, I felt like I wasn't just a beast or a monster. I was her protector, her guardian.

We stayed like that for hours, just lying there, soaking in each other's presence. The warmth of the sun bathed us, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of flowers and earth. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so at peace, so connected to someone. As the sun dipped below the horizon and twilight turned into night, I felt her head slowly droop against me, her breathing evening out as she drifted into sleep.

How could she sleep beside a creature like me? The question haunted me as I gently transformed back into my human form. How could she trust me so completely when I had done nothing to earn it? How could she not see the darkness that lived within me? But there she was, resting so peacefully, her face soft and relaxed. I lifted her into my arms, cradling her against my chest as I carried her back to her room.

Her head lolled softly against my shoulder, her hair brushing against my skin. She was so light, so delicate, and yet she had more strength than anyone I'd ever known. How could she see past the monster and find the man beneath? How could she not be afraid of what I might become?

When I laid her down on the bed, tucking her in, I stood there for a moment, just watching her sleep. She looked so innocent, so unguarded, and it struck me that I would do anything to protect this. To protect her. I mindlinked Wilder again, my voice softer now, almost vulnerable.

"Wilder," I said quietly, "Amora is resting. Let me know when she wakes up. I want to have dinner with her."

I turned and walked away, each step feeling heavier than the last. As I made my way back to my office, I couldn't shake the thought of her touch, the way she looked at me with such trust. She didn't know yet—didn't know that the silver wolf who held her in his arms was the same man standing in front of her now. But soon, very soon, she would find out.

And when she did, I could only hope that she would still look at me with the same trust in her eyes. Because the truth is, I'm not just a wolf. I'm her mate, her protector, her everything. And I will fight against the world itself if it means keeping her safe.