I Swear
Chapter Six: “I Swear on His Grave”
Selene’s POV
The trees whispered around us as we walked in silence.
Ronan said nothing, and neither did I.
The forest floor was soft beneath our boots. Sunlight slipped through the leaves above, dancing on our faces as we moved deeper, farther, into the quiet heart of the woods.
I didn’t ask where we were going.
Something in my chest already knew.
We finally stopped at a small clearing.
It was peaceful here.
There were no sharp thorns. No heavy shadows. Just light. Just air.
At the center of the clearing stood a smooth, flat stone covered in moss and wildflowers. Someone—Ronan, maybe—had placed fresh white petals on it. My breath caught when I saw the symbol carved into the stone.
My father’s crest.
My legs suddenly felt heavy.
This… was where he was buried.
Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them.
Ronan stepped back, giving me space. I didn’t look at him. I walked slowly to the stone, knelt down, and touched it with both hands. The coldness sank into my skin.
“Father,” I whispered. My voice cracked. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come.”
The forest around me felt like it was holding its breath.
I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against the stone.
“I should’ve known Kael would betray us. I should’ve seen through Mira’s lies. I was weak. But not anymore.”
The tears came. Quiet, soft. Not loud like before.
But I didn’t hide them this time.
“I don’t care how long it takes,” I said. “I don’t care if it hurts. I don’t care if I bleed. I will take back everything he stole. Your name. Your honor. Your pack.”
I placed my palm on the stone.
“I swear it on your grave.”
I felt a hand touch my shoulder gently.
I turned.
Ronan was behind me now, kneeling beside me.
His eyes were steady. Quiet. But soft.
“He would be proud of you,” he said.
I shook my head. “Not yet. I haven’t done anything.”
“You survived,” he said. “That alone is something Kael never expected.”
I looked at him.
There was dirt on his shirt. Sweat on his skin from training. A little scar near his collarbone that peeked through the fabric. But he didn’t hide it.
He was raw.
Real.
“You didn’t have to help me,” I whispered. “You could’ve stayed hidden.”
He smiled a little, just one corner of his mouth. “Your father once told me… if I ever had the chance to protect what mattered most to him, I should do it without hesitation.”
My heart fluttered.
“And I mattered to him?” I asked, voice small.
“You were his world,” Ronan said softly. Then his eyes lowered to my lips. “And now… you matter to me too.”
I froze.
Not in fear.
Not in pain.
But something else.
Something I hadn’t felt in so long.
His hand slid from my shoulder to my fingers. He didn’t pull me. He didn’t grab. He just held them gently, giving me the choice.
I let him.
The wind shifted gently around us, almost like the forest itself was giving us space.
He leaned closer.
And this time… I didn’t stop him.
His lips brushed mine. Soft. Careful. Like a promise he didn’t want to break.
He pulled back before I could even breathe, eyes watching mine.
“Too fast?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“No,” I whispered. “It’s… it’s exactly what I needed.”
We sat there, side by side, our hands still linked.
“I’m not giving up,” I said again.
He smiled. “Then neither am I.”
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