CHAPTER 220: CHAPTER 220: DAWN

Aeron’s POV~

She finally slept.

For the first time since I had known her, Selene’s body was soft in my arms without any complicated expression. Just pureness of our bond. Just... trusting me.

I lay there holding her, feeling her small frame rise and fall against my chest, and something inside me settled in a way I didn’t know was possible. The sky outside the window was starting to pale; morning was approaching. But all I could look at was her.

Her face... gods, her face.

The fear she always carried like a second skin was gone. No tightness around her eyes, no strain in her jaw. Just peace. A soft, gentle peace that made my chest ache. She looked like the girl she should have been all along...untouched by cruelty, unburdened by the world, free of every shadow that haunted her.

I brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. My fingers shook.

I wished time would stop. Right here. Right now.

I wanted to freeze this moment and stay in it forever, with Selene curled against me, trusting me, breathing softly into my skin. I wanted to pretend the world outside didn’t exist, that my brothers weren’t probably tearing the house apart waiting for me, and that dawn wasn’t seconds from breaking open above us.

But reality pressed at the edges of my mind.

I had been gone too long.

They would be worried.

And worse...they would be worried about her.

They didn’t know if something had happened. They didn’t know if she was safe. And the last thing I needed was one of them bursting into her room and waking her from the only peaceful sleep she’s had in... I don’t even know how long.

I sighed quietly.

I didn’t want to leave. Every part of me rebelled against the idea. But I had no time left. Morning was almost here, and once the sun rose, slipping out quietly would be impossible.

My chest tightened with reluctance as I slowly, carefully loosened my arms from around her. She made a soft, sleepy sound and curled into the blanket instead. The sound nearly crushed me.

I tucked the blanket securely around her, making sure she wouldn’t feel the slightest chill. I had already changed her into warm nightclothes and already cleaned up every trace of last night. Her discarded clothes were folded neatly on the side, everything placed back.

where it should be. She deserved to wake up in comfort, not chaos.

For a long moment, I just... watched her.

Her lips parted slightly in sleep. Her lashes were soft against her cheeks. Her breathing was slow and even. She was so beautiful it almost hurt.

I leaned down.

My lips brushed her forehead, the gentlest touch I’ve ever given anyone in my life.

"I love you," I whispered, barely a breath. "Take care."

The words felt too small for the feeling in my chest, but they were all I had time for.

I forced myself to stand. I forced myself to turn away. I forced myself to walk toward the window even though everything inside me screamed to stay.

With one last glance at her... I exhaled, closed my eyes, and pushed off the windowsill.

The cold morning air rushed past me as I disappeared into the approaching dawn.

I didn’t stop until I reached the front door of our pack house. I needed a cold shower and about three days of silence to process the sheer, stunning intensity of what had just happened.

I walked into the main hall and immediately froze.

My return was greeted by silence, which was far worse than any noise. Standing directly in my path, looking like a trio of judgment, were my three brothers: Luka, Kael, and Lucian.

They started sniffing at the air around me like a trio of oversized hounds that had just caught the scent of a forbidden treat. My entire body stiffened, and I knew instantly I was screwed. Selene’s scent was undoubtedly thick on me.

Their eyes, one by one, turned into wide-eyed saucers. The disbelief in their gazes was so profound it was almost comical.

I felt a fiery, mortifying blush creep up my neck and flood my face. I, Aeron, the ice-blooded Alpha who never showed an ounce of emotion, was blushing like a guilty teenager caught stealing cookies. I couldn’t even manage a coherent excuse.

"I...I’m going to my room," I mumbled, trying to sidestep them, but they moved faster than lightning. All three immediately blocked my path to my room.

Kael, the most impulsive one, shuddered dramatically. "Bro, what did you just do? Why are you fucking smelling like her?" He looked completely shocked.

I could only offer a weak, strangled noise. My face felt like it was on fire.

Luka, the usually calm and collected one, was equally speechless. "Brother... why are you blushing?" He seemed genuinely shocked.

He knew I was the cold one, the one who never even noticed the female omegas vying for our attention. It was surprising that the first one of us to get that close to our mate was actually me, the elder brother. It should have been Kael, the playful one, but no.

Kael, meanwhile, felt personally betrayed. He threw his hands up. "Brother, how could you do it alone?! You are absolutely cheating! You only said you were going to drop her off safely, but you clearly did something way over the line!"

Lucian, the quietest and most observant, was just staring, his eyes shining with a knowing look. My lips were twitching in annoyance as I met their collective glare.

I forced my voice into a stiff, Alpha tone, though my face was still tomato-red. "We did not do anything. I was just calming her down."

I didn’t wait for their inevitable response. Before any of them could launch another accusation, I executed a swift move, barging past Kael, and slammed into my room.

I immediately twisted the lock, securing the door shut. I leaned against the wood, breathing heavily, cursing them for being so shameless as to ask me outright.

Kael’s voice immediately boomed from the other side of the door. "Brother! We are not shameless! You are the one who was taking advantage of opportunities!"

I cursed again under my breath. They were right, and that was the worst part. We understood each other too well; even without words, they knew.

Outside the door, the three brothers exploded.

"Gods, the scent!" Luka exclaimed, sounding absolutely overwhelmed.

They realized the full closeness of the Selene scene. My scent...mixed with hers and the heady, lingering scent of her pleasure was so thick that even standing in the hallway, they felt excited. Their inner wolves were howling inside them, desperate to be a part of it, desperate to see her.

Kael couldn’t take it anymore. "I am going to see her!" he announced, turning sharply toward the door.

He didn’t make it two steps before he was suddenly grabbed from behind by both Luka and Lucian.

"Stop it!" Luka growled, holding his arm tight.

"Aeron just came back! Are you going to scare her before even going inside her room?" Lucian added, hauling Kael back by the collar.

The two elder brothers physically dragged the protesting Kael down the hall, away from my door, leaving me alone in my self-imposed isolation. I sighed, running a hand over my still-flushed face.

I decided to ignore all of this brother’s nonsense. They could howl outside my door all they wanted; I had more important things to focus on.

I immediately fell back onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I was almost giddy. I didn’t even want to remove my clothes, which were still soaked through with her scent. I wanted to keep her close for as long as possible, until the beautiful sensations and memories almost faded entirely.

My mind kept replaying her face...her stunned eyes, her blush, the pure release in her scream. I was lost in the memory for a good minute.

Then, the pleasant haze suddenly cleared.

My loving thoughts crashed against a cold, hard truth. I suddenly remembered why she had actually come to us in the first place and all the terrible past she carried.

The look of pure, sweet love in my eyes instantly sharpened into the cold determination of an Alpha.

I remembered the threat hanging over her head. I still hadn’t forgotten the reason she had approached us, and this was the first time our mate had actually asked something of us. I swore to myself that I would never disappoint her.

I immediately sat up straight. This was not the time for lounging; it was time to plan how to deal with the Council.

I knew the Council was incredibly powerful. Even the four of us couldn’t shake them entirely, let alone our mate who was alone in this fight. So, together, we had to devise a plan that could slowly and systematically weaken them.

Most importantly, I knew her true target. She had not wanted to kill the entire Council, but just those four Alphas and their inner circle.

The problem was, those four Alphas were the ones actually leading the entire Council by their nose. Taking them down together, openly, would be impossible.

We would have to slowly work our way inside and lure them out before killing each one brutally. I knew they were the targets she hated most, the reason for the terrible darkness in her past.

My plan was simple: I decided to make all these four bastards surrender at her feet and beg for mercy.

I didn’t know what they had actually done to her to earn so much hatred, aside from the obvious incident of trying to kill her. But whatever it was, it was not my position to ask.

I would never ask until she was willing to tell me everything. But I was more than willing to drag them in front of her so they could atone for their sins.

With this thought, my eyes hardened.

Suddenly, Selene’s calm, peaceful expression, right before she lost herself in pleasure, flashed into my mind once again. A gentle, determined smile appeared on my face. She would have her justice, and I was more than willing to help her.