hapter 124
Chapter 124
Chapter 124 A Vow
“We will travel back to the council headquarters early tomorrow morning. I’ve already spoken to most of the members about this. They’ll ensure your safety from the moment we reach there,” Cade tells me, walking ahead of me.
I follow him from the back, keeping up, catching to his steps. I didn’t agree to go to the council, but somehow, over the week, he has managed to convince me.
At first, I was hesitant about going and staying here, but Cade had a lot to talk about, and the longer we spent time together, the more comfortable it began to feel.
It feel like we’ve always known each other like we have been together for a very long time, not just a few days. And that feeling is enough to tell me that what we are isn’t just a mere bond.
He really is my mate, and I am his.
Even if I don’t want to accept it, my wolf has to. She sees him as my mate, our mate. I’ve caught her whining inside of me multiple times to go close to him.
“Would they approve of me staying there?” I ask.
He glances back at me. His hair is ruffled a little, and he’s wearing a black coat that reaches his thighs, with a scarf wrapped around his neck.
“They will” He nods and waits right there until I catch up.
A heavy, cold breath escapes my throat.
“What if someone tells Aron that I’m there?” I ask.
“No one would dare to. No one knows about it. No one will speak a word about you.”
The air feels too thin here, the sky is grey, a constant blanket of clouds above. It’s nothing like back home in the southern lands. But somehow, this is better. It feels better like there’s no threat of him being here. I don’t have to think about the way he might hurt me.
Cade reaches out again, his hand nearly touching me, and for the first time in over a week, I let him. He wraps his fingers. around my wrist, gentle, so gentle.
“Are you sure?” I ask him, looking up, straight into his eyes. “I’m perfectly fine here and safe–well, at least until now.”
“You don’t belong here, Rhea.”
I narrow my eyes and sigh. “I know…”
“There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m here with you. And I’ll be right by your side if anything must happen, which it won’t,” he promises.
He’s been saying that for the past three days now, trying to convince me to leave with him. To go to the council headquarters, to be safe, and I’ve refused every time.
Until today.
Because I can feel something in my chest that’s warm and comforting. Something that tells me he’s not lying. He’s not
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Chapter 124
saying it to get what he wants,
He only wants me to be safe. That’s the only thing that matters to him right now.
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He doesn’t look at me as a possession or an object to claim. I’m not just another girl to him. Another wolf. I can tell that from the way his gaze is always fixed on my face.
“Alright,” I look back at him. “I’ll head to the barn and start packing what little I brought here.” My heart races when I say that
“You won’t regret this,” he says and turns to me, placing his other hand on my arm, then slowly sliding down to grab my other hand. “You’ll be safe with me. I vow to protect you.”
1 stare back, not sure how to answer that.
A moment later, he breaks the silence and continues.
“Go home, pack, and have something to eat before resting. I’ll come there early in the morning, and we’ll leave with my wolves. The route is long, and we might need to make a stop, but we will reach the council within the next twenty–four hours,” he explains to me, then asks, “Okay?”
“Okay.” I nod and step away from him, letting go of his grip, but when I do that, my wolf claws at my chest. I can feel her wanting to be near him. “I’ll see you in the morning, Cade.”
“You too,” he gives me a smile before we start heading in opposite directions.
I walk across the street before reaching the barn that’s behind Ayla and Jacob’s home, where they’ve still let me stay. I haven’t told them about my departure from here, but I intend to share it tonight during dinner. It’s only fair that I tell them.
I go in and gather my bag and my stuff, all the while, my wolf keeps growling within me. She doesn’t want to stay away from Cade.
It takes me an hour or more to get done, and when I step out of the barn again, the sun has already gone down and it’s pitch black. Only a single streetlight in the distance provides a little bit of light.
I move toward the house, and when I reach it, the door is already open.
“That was quick,” Ayla comments. “I was just going to call you for dinner.”
“I was coming anyway,” I say as I place my bag near the door, right against the wall. I don’t intend on taking much: most of my clothes and my phone that doesn’t work here anymore. That’s it.
“Well, sit down. We’re just getting started,” Ayla says and gestures at the empty seat.
I sit down and place my napkin on my lap while waiting for her and Jacob to take a seat as well.
“Thank you,” I tell them. They have been so kind and gentle to me, even when I’m nothing but a stranger.
They’re good people. Better people. And I have a lot of gratitude toward them for letting me stay here for this long.
“I actually wanted to tell you something,” I say, looking down for a second. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“You are?” Jacob raises an eyebrow and asks, curiosity and a bit of shock in his voice.
“Yes. I’m leaving with the council wolves that came here. They’ll take me back to the council headquarters in the south and keep me there,” I explain briefly. I don’t want them to know that Cade and I are true mates.
It’s a big thing to reveal, even for me.
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“Are you sure that’s safe?” Ayla asks, out of concern. “I thought the whole idea was that no one knows you are here?”
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“They won’t tell a word about me while I’m there. It’s safe,” I assure them. “If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have decided to go.” I look between both of them.
They nod but remain quiet.
“Thank you for taking me in, for helping me and letting me stay. You didn’t have to do that. I wouldn’t have made it if you hadn’t. I’m forever thankful to both of you,” I tell them, not wanting to leave without expressing it. I don’t want them to think that I take them or their hospitality for granted.
“We’re glad we could help you,” Ayla says, shaking her head with a small smile on her lips.
“Now, now, go on, cat up. You need as much energy as you can get,” Jacob says and begins to dig into his own plate. Ayla does the same afterwards.
And so do I. It’s my last dinner with them. After this, I have no clue how many people will know where I am or what might happen once I reach the council.
All that matters right now is that Cade promised I’ll be safe, and I will do what he has asked me to–for now, at least.
