Chapter 23

GREY’S POVThat night, the hallway was quiet—too quiet. It was late—well past midnight—and I was exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that had nothing to do with physical labor and everything to do with what had been missing from my life.Nova.I ran a hand through my hair as I neared the guest room. The door creaked as I pushed it open, but I stopped just at the entrance. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t sleep in that damn room again. It was cold. Empty. Foreign. It wasn’t my room. Our room.My wolf whined in my chest, pacing restlessly like he had been doing for days. He missed his mate. He craved her. He’d had enough. And so had I.I turned around without another thought and headed for our bedroom—her bedroom now, I supposed. There was a lump in my throat I didn’t want to acknowledge, but it was there all the same.I reached the door, hesitant for a second. My hand hovered over the knob.What if she turns me away?What if she doesn’t?God, you’re an Alpha, Grey. Why are you so scared of a woman?This wasn’t just any woman though. This was Nova. My mate.I twisted the handle and stepped inside.The room was dark except for the light that came from the moon slipping through the curtains. And there she was—sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs curled underneath her and her arms wrapped around her knees. She looked up.Our eyes met.She blinked, startled, and then her expression shifted into something soft, almost disbelieving.“You came,” she whispered.I didn’t say anything at first. I just looked at her. Really looked at her. Her hair was messier than usual. Her eyes were red like she’d been crying again. She was in one of my old shirts—something about that nearly undid me.“I shouldn’t have stayed away this long,” I finally said.She was already halfway off the bed before I finished the sentence.We met in the middle.Her arms wrapped around me like a drowning woman clutching at a lifeline, and I held her tighter than I ever had. Her scent wrapped around me, and for the first time in days, my wolf let out a low, content growl.This. This was home.“I missed you so much,” she sobbed into my chest. “I’m so sorry.”I pressed a kiss into her hair, closing my eyes. “No, baby. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should’ve never let it get this far. I—God, I’ve missed you too. Every damn night.”Her grip tightened. “I didn’t mean to push you. I just… I didn’t know how to help you. And I hated feeling so far away from you.”“You didn’t push me,” I said, resting my forehead against hers. “I just got lost. In the pressure, in my head. And I took it out on the one person I shouldn’t have.”We were still holding each other like we were afraid the other might vanish.“You’re allowed to feel what you feel, Grey,” she said, voice shaking. “I just wish you’d let me feel it with you.”“I know,” I breathed. “I know. I’ve been scared, Nova. Not just of the pack, not just of failing—of losing you. You’re everything to me. And I just… I shut down because I didn’t know how to handle that kind of fear.”“You won’t lose me,” she whispered. I noticed the tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’m here. I’m right here.”We sat down on the bed together, still holding hands like we were both afraid to let go. Her fingers threaded between mine.“I love you,” I said. “I don’t say it enough, but I love you, Nova. You’re not just my Luna. You’re my heart.”She gasped softly, and her eyes shimmered with new tears. “And you’re mine. Always.”We leaned in and kissed passionately. The kiss was slow at first, but deep and passionate. My hand cupped her jaw as I leaned in. It wasn’t rushed. It was reverent. Like an apology. A promise.Her fingers slid up my neck, burying into my hair as her lips parted for me. I groaned softly, sinking into her mouth like it was the only place I’d ever belonged. There was heat, but also something more sacred. Like we were remembering each other.She climbed onto my lap without breaking the kiss, her knees on either side of my hips. My arms wrapped around her waist tightly. Her forehead pressed to mine.“I’ve been sleeping in your shirt,” she murmured against my lips. “It smells like you. It makes me feel safe.”I choked out a breathless laugh. “I’ve been sleeping with your pillow. So… I guess we’re both pathetic.”“You’re not pathetic,” she whispered, kissing me again. “You’re mine.”We kissed again, and this time, it was deeper. Hungrier. Her hands roamed my back, and I pulled her closer until there wasn’t even an inch between us. Her warmth, her heartbeat—everything about her filled in the hollow places inside me.The room was dark, but I saw her clearer now than I ever had.Our hands stayed intertwined even as we shifted back onto the bed, laying side by side. We talked for a while longer—soft murmurs in the darkness. She listened as I confessed my fears, and I listened as she told me hers. There was no fixing everything in a single night, but for the first time in a long time, we were together in it.And as her head rested against my chest, her fingers still tangled with mine, I knew this was where I was meant to be.Right here.With her.Always.