Chapter 78

Eric

I woke up with a start, my entire body tensing as my eyes snapped open. For a disoriented moment, all I could process was the dim light filtering in through the curtains—and burning my eyes.

Sitting upright, I winced as a sharp twinge of pain worked its way through my shoulder—the events of the previous night rushing back. Those damn feral warriors.

Hissing through my teeth, I tenderly moved the bandage covering my arm aside and winced again. It looked like a normal cut, but… I had been bitten.

Suddenly, a knock at the door caused me to nearly jump. I quickly rose and opened it to find my father standing there, his arms folded sternly across his chest.

“Your mother and I need to speak with you.”

I felt my stomach drop, but still, I stepped back and allowed him to enter—swallowing hard around the lump that had formed in my throat.

This was it. Likely they had found out about the little announcement I had made last night that had thrown the camp into chaos, and I was going to be scolded for putting Rowena at risk.

Instead, to my shock, it was pride that was filling my father’s eyes when my mother yanked open the curtains.

“What you did last night was incredibly brave, Eric.” A small, wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “If not a little reckless.”

I blinked, momentarily stunned into silence from the burning sunlight streaming in through my window.

“We’re proud of you for standing up for your sister,” my mother said quietly. “For protecting her after what that… that despicable man attempted to do to our daughter.”

“He’s in custody now,” my father added. “And likely won’t see the light of day for a long, long time.”

“If ever,” my mother said.

I let out a deep sigh of relief. Rowena was safe, and that was all that mattered. All I could do was nod stiffly as my father excused himself, claiming that he needed to make some more calls regarding the matter.

My mother, however, remained. Once my father was gone, she quickly crossed the room and sank down onto the bed beside me, wrapping her fingers around my arm as she spoke.

“Eric,” she began, “there’s… something else I need to ask you about, regarding Rowena.”

My back stiffened automatically, but I remained silent.

“Those rumors,” she continued, “about the two of you being… intimate.” She shifted uncomfortably, struggling to maintain eye contact. “They aren’t… true, are they?”

For an endless moment, the world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Rowena’s beautiful face flashed behind my eyelids—her small frame curled against me, her chest rising and falling gently. It was only yesterday that she had fallen asleep on my chest, and it had been the sweetest, most precious moment of my entire life.

Unconsciously, my arms tightened around my midsection, tensing until my mother’s hand found mine—giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was that simple touch that snapped me out of my reverie.

I had only ever lied to my mother a handful of times in my life. This wouldn’t be another one of those times.

“No,” I finally said, my voice low and rough even to my own ears. “No, those rumors weren’t true. Rowena and I never… had sex.”

The words trailed off, hot shame searing the back of my throat as flashes of the moments that Rowena and I had almost done it seemed to burn themselves into my mind’s eye. My mother was silent beside me, simply watching and waiting.

“But it is… true that I love Rowena,” I admitted with a shaky exhale. “She’s my fated mate. My wolf recognized her on her eighteenth birthday.”

As soon as those words left my lips, I felt both relieved and terrified all at once—relieved to finally tell someone, anyone, but also terror at how my mother might react. I sank back against the headboard, searching for any hint of disgust or revulsion in my mother’s deep blue eyes.

To my surprise, however, I found none. If anything, her expression softened—crinkling at the corners as her lips curved up into a soft smile.

“If that’s truly the case... Well, then it was simply fated to happen this way, from the very beginning. The power that must have been at work to bring the two of you together when you were little…”

I felt my shoulders slump with the most profound relief I had ever experienced in my life. Dipping my head, I passed a hand over my weary face. Thank god she approved, at least. And didn’t see me as a disgusting monster.

“But you can’t tell her,” she murmured, reaching out to squeeze my knee so hard her fingernails dug into my skin. “You have to keep it a secret, even from her. Otherwise—”

“I know,” I interrupted. “Otherwise her identity will be revealed. I’ve already considered this.”

“And what do you plan to do?” she asked.

I felt a chill ripple down my spine. Wordlessly, I rose from the bed and crossed the room, yanking open my top dresser draw. I fumbled inside for a moment beneath the piles of socks and t-shirts before my fingers closed around the small glass vial containing the serum.

Then, I returned and tossed it into my mother’s lap.

“I’ve been taking this,” I said. “To put my wolf to sleep. Temporarily.”

My mother’s eyes widened as she picked up the vial and inspected it, her breath catching at the back of her throat. “Does this mean…”

“Yes. Rowena’s wolf might emerge soon.”

There was a long, tense silence as my mother processed my words. A mixture of relief, joy, worry, and terror flashed through her eyes. Finally, she seemed to settle on worry. And maybe a little disbelief.

“I’ve been picking up her scent here and there,” I said. “Even my wolf thinks that she might shift soon, which would mean that she would be able to recognize me as her mate… And learn about her true heritage.”

My mother swallowed and nodded, standing on shaky legs. “So you’re putting your own wolf to sleep in order to protect her.”

I nodded stiffly, my jaw clenched. My mother let out the deepest of sighs and hurried over to me, throwing her arms around me. “Oh, my boy,” she murmured, holding me tightly. “You’re so selfless. I can’t even begin to describe how—”

“You don’t have to.” I held my mother in return, resting my chin on top of her head. “I love Rowena just as much as the rest of us. And I’m willing to sacrifice for her safety. It’s not even a question.”

My mother let out a shudder before pulling back just enough to look at me, gripping my arms tightly. “I love you, Eric,” she whispered. She reached up with one hand to touch my face. “This will all work out in the end. You just need to hold on for a while longer.”

“I love you too, Mom.” I nodded stiffly. “Just… do me a favor and don’t tell Dad,” I muttered, gritting my teeth. “He’s not as understanding as you are. Not when it comes to me, at least.”

A look of understanding crossed my mother’s features, and she nodded, pressing the vial into my hands before walking over to the door.

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. But Eric…” She paused, her hand on the doorknob. “Your father does love you. He’s only tough on you because he knows you can handle it.”

“I know.”

…

The locker room was filled with steam, the scent of strong men’s body wash and sweat filling the space. I stepped over to my locker, wearing my gym shorts with my towel slung over my shoulder, when a voice suddenly caught my attention.

“If it isn’t the hero.”

I turned to see a black head of hair emerging from the steam. “Adrian,” I said, inclining my chin. “Need something?”

“I heard you got into a bit of a scrap last night,” he said as he approached. “Can I see the damage?”

Frowning, I carefully moved my arm out of the way, using the rest of my body as a sort of shield. “Why?”

Adrian shrugged. “Rumor has it that you were injured. And that the warriors in question were a bit… wrong in the head, if you catch my drift.”

Images of the three attackers from last night flashed through my mind: their wide pupils, their foaming mouths, their erratic movements. Anyone with half a brain could realize that they had Wolf’s Fury.

“Come on, show me,” Adrian insisted, taking a step closer. “Some people are saying you were bitten. I’m just curious.”

“No.” I spat out the word like venom and turned back toward my locker. “I’m not showing you shit.”

“Why not?” Adrian laughed, his voice rising just enough so that everyone in the whole damn locker room could hear him. “Unless…”

He paused, his lips curling up into a smirk.

“Unless you’ve got Wolf’s Fury now and you’re trying to hide it.”