Chapter 96: Heat Returns (I)
Rosalie:
He reached for both my hands, guiding them into position before moving around me to correct the angle of my shoulders. His fingers rested lightly against my upper arms as he adjusted my stance.
"Good," he murmured. "Now breathe."
I obeyed, taking a slow breath exactly as he had taught me. My wolf immediately stirred beneath my skin, stronger than ever before. Heat spread through my chest. At first I thought it was simply exertion from the intense training. But within seconds the warmth deepened, flowing through my entire body in one sudden wave that stole my breath. My heartbeat doubled. My knees nearly gave way beneath me. The world seemed to sharpen all at once - the scent of the forest, the rustling leaves, even Eiden’s breathing became startlingly vivid.
Before I could understand what was happening, I felt Eiden stiffening behind me. His hands froze where they rested on my arms and then he was moving to stand in front of me. Then I watched as his beautiful blue eyes widened in unmistakable shock as they searched my face.
I wanted to ask him what was happening, but the warmth flooding my body intensified so suddenly that my knees nearly gave out beneath me.
One moment I was standing in the middle of the clearing, still trying to understand why every breath felt hotter than the last, and the next I saw Eiden’s expression change completely. The calm confidence that usually never left his face vanished, replaced by unmistakable alarm. His eyes searched mine as though confirming something he had hoped he was wrong about.
Then under his breath, I heard him mutter a curse so quietly that I almost thought I had imagined it. That alone frightened me more than the strange sensation spreading through my body. Eiden never swore. He never panicked. If even he looked shaken, then whatever was happening couldn’t possibly be good.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but the words never reached my lips. My wolf surged instead, her presence filling every corner of my mind until her voice echoed clearly inside my head.
Closer...
She whispered, her tone filled with urgency unlike anything I had ever felt from her before.
Go to our mate.
I didn’t even realize I had taken a step toward Eiden until he caught both of my wrists with surprising gentleness.
My breathing had become uneven, my heartbeat thundered in my ears, and every instinct screamed at me to remain close to him. The space separating us suddenly felt unbearable. My wolf continued urging me forward, flooding me with emotions that didn’t entirely feel like my own. Confusion mixed with relief the closer I stood to him, only for frustration to spike whenever he carefully kept just enough distance between us to stop me from leaning fully against him.
"Rosa," he said firmly, though his voice remained remarkably gentle. "Stay with me."
I tried. Moon Goddess, I truly tried. But my thoughts felt scattered, as though they were slipping through my fingers every time I reached for them. All I knew was that my mate was right in front of me and my wolf desperately wanted to stay near him.
The next thing I knew, Eiden had lifted me into his arms. One arm supported my back while the other steadied my legs, and before I could even protest, he was already running through the forest with incredible speed. The world blurred around us as towering trees rushed past in streaks of green and gold.
I instinctively curled closer against him, seeking the reassuring steadiness of his heartbeat. Every now and then I caught him taking slow, measured breaths, as though he was deliberately forcing himself to remain calm despite the urgency in his movements.
"It’s alright," he murmured more than once, though I couldn’t tell whether he was trying to reassure me or himself. My wolf quieted slightly whenever I heard his voice, only to become restless again the moment I shifted even a little farther away from him.
By the time the familiar outline of his house appeared through the trees, my thoughts had become a haze of warmth, exhaustion, and instinct.
I vaguely recognized the porch, the hallway, and the staircase as he carried me inside without slowing down and then climbed the stairs. He pushed open a bedroom door before carefully setting me down on the edge of the bed. I blinked several times, trying to clear my vision, and watched him move quickly toward a nearby cabinet. My eyes followed every motion until I noticed him preparing a syringe with practiced efficiency.
Something deep inside me recoiled.
"No..." The word escaped before I consciously decided to speak.
He paused for only the briefest moment before continuing, "It’s only to help you through this," he said softly.
I stared at the syringe, and recognition flickered through my clouded thoughts. I had seen it before. I had been here before.
Before he could step closer, I reached out with both hands and caught his wrist. His movement stopped instantly, and for several long seconds neither of us spoke.
I slowly lifted my gaze until it met his. The warmth inside me still raged, but beneath it another emotion surfaced - hurt, raw and confused.
My voice sounded strange even to my own ears when I finally spoke. It was low, quiet, and almost unfamiliar.
"Why..."
The single word hung heavily between us. My fingers tightened ever so slightly around his wrist.
"Why do you keep suppressing what I feel?"
Eiden’s expression softened immediately. But before he could answer, I continued, unable to stop the question that had suddenly become the only thing my heart wanted to know.
"Is it..." I swallowed against the tightness in my throat. "...because you don’t want me?"
Silence filled the room.
Eiden remained perfectly still, his blue eyes fixed on mine, the syringe forgotten in his unmoving hand as though my question had struck him far more deeply than I realized.
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