304 The Storm will Stay with Me

304 The Storm will Stay with Me

bDraven/b.

“I screamed loudly until people outside started to hear. And when he realized he couldn’t have his way with

me…”

Her hand lifted unconsciously to her cheek, her fingers brushing the spot where the scar used to be.

“He shed me with his w, right across my face.”

Something inside me snapped.

My vision darkened, the beast in me rising so fast it rattled my bones.

Rhovan snarled inside my head, his fury echoing my own. “iHe /iidared/i. iHe /iidared /iiy /iia /iihand /ion her. He dared to

scar, what is ours? He imust /iipay/i.

I forced my jaw shut before the growl in my throat could escape, my fists tightened on my knees until the

leather of my gloves strained.

Raw, unbridled rage coursed through me like fire, hot and merciless.

And yet, Meredith just sat there, tears clinging to hershes, unaware of the storm building inside me. She

kept going, her words weaving deeper cuts into my chest.

“After that day, every time I looked in the mirror, the scar reminded me of him. Of that nightmare. And it

wouldn’t heal, because I didn’t have a wolf then. The doctor tried, but it was slow and ugly.”

She gave a hollowugh. “I hated it so much that I… I decided not to let it heal anymore. When no one was

watching, I would scrape off the herbs and reopen the wound every few weeks.”

Her lips trembled, but her voice carried a strange pride. “I wanted to keep it as a reminder–as a promise to

myself that one day, I would punish him.”

I could only stare, in shock, fury, grief–every emotion ripped through me, raw and relentless.

All those months, I thought she had been stubborn, vain, refusing help. I had even brought my best physician

from Stormveil to heal her, and she resisted. Now I understood why.

304 The Storm will Stay with Me

My hand trembled against my thigh, the wolf in me wing for release. “Give me his name. I will end him

now.”

Meredith, tipsy and unaware, lifted her head and gave me the faintest smile. “Are you that angry, Draven?

That you want revenge for me?”

The truth slipped out like a vow. “Yes.” My voice was low and growly. “Tell me his name. The wolf who dared

do this to you. Tell me now.”

But she shook her head stubbornly, her eyes ssy but her tone firm. “No. Leave him. I will get my own revenge. Even though the scar is gone, even though my face looks normal now, believe me when I say he is the first wolf I will kill when I get my powers.”

I stared at her, my fury trembling against my ribs, barely contained. She had no idea how close I was to

unleashing hell on the bastard who had dared touch her.

But she wanted this for herself. Her revenge, her closure.

If I took it from her, I would wound her pride in a way that scar never could. So I swallowed the rage and

nodded once, though it burned in my chest like fire.

After a moment, I asked quietly, “Do your family know? About how you got that scar?”

She shook her head, strands of silver hair brushing her cheeks. “No. None of them.”

Her certainty struck me like a de as my gaze sharpened.

No one?

Phovan’s voice rumbled darkly inside me. “It seems the only ones who know are Meredith and the wolf who did

it.”

My fists folded at my sides. The thought of that bastard walking free, smug and unpunished, while she carried the wound alone for years, boiled my blood.

But worse, the truth pressed in on me like a weight I couldn’t shake.

Even if I wanted to get this revenge for her, there would be no way for me to strike him down unless she gave

me his information.

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304 The Storm will Stay with Me

My chest was heavy with the realization.

Regardless, I drew in a long breath, forcing my rage back into its cage. The storm would stay with me for

now.

Shifting my focus back to Meredith, I eased the crumpled tissue from her fingers and set it quietly on the

table.

Then, without hesitation, I reached for her and pulled her against me.

She didn’t resist; instead, she pressed her cheek into my chest, her small frame curling into the space I made

for her. I grasped her steady as my hand began to smooth slowly down her back.

Although the rage within me still burned, I forcibly silenced it. At this moment, my wife needs myfort,

not fury.

Initially, Meredith remained silent, her breathing unsteady. However, after a few moments, she started to

move. Her nose brushed the line of my neck, gentle and warm.

I stiffened. “Meredith-”

She sniffed gently, nuzzling closer, then tilted her head just enough for her lips to brush my skin. Before l

could shift her away, her tongue flicked softly against my neck.

Heat shot through me. My hand froze on her waist.

“What are you doing?” My voice came out rougher than I intended.

Her words slurred against my skin, warm and unfiltered. “You smell nice… maybe you taste nice too.”

My pulse kicked hard in my throat.

Rhovan’s voice surged through me, deep and certain. “It seems that our mate bond needs to be established.”

“No,” I growled inwardly, my teeth gritting as I steadied her in my arms. “Have you forgotten what happened

The memory wed its way back. That night, Meredith was sleeping so peacefully beside me, yet all I could hear was her heart, pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else.

My gums itched, and my teeth ached with a thirst that didn’t belong to me. The wild, gnawing urge to sink

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304 The Storm will Stay with Me

into her neck. To drink. To im.

I swallowed hard, forcing my breathing to steady. “Back ithen/ii, /iiI /iitried /ito ireach /iiyou/i, iRhovan/i. I itried /iito /iask what

was happening to me. But iyou /ididn’t respond. ”

There was a pause. Then, Rhovan’s response was almost disturbingly calm. “I idon’t /iiremember/i.” 1

My grip on Meredith tightened, grounding myself even as her mouth moved against my neck again,

unravelling something feral inside me.

“I can’t irisk /iit,” I bit out inwardly. “iWhat /iiif /iI ihurt /iiher /iiin /iithe /iiprocess /iof imarking /iiher/i? iWhat /iiif /iiI /iilose /icontrol?”

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