Chapter 219
Irina’s POV
Those eyes.
Forest-green. Deep, endless, and blazing with raw life. The golden flecks around his dark irises glowed.
I stopped breathing. The world vanished. The bloody snow, the dark forest, the freezing wind—all of it faded into a blank void. The silent royal guards behind me ceased to exist. Roman and Andrei kneeling in the slush meant nothing. There was only him. There was only Nicholas.
My eyes widened. I stared in pure disbelief.
My mind went blank. A loud ringing filled my ears. This couldn’t be real. I had watched him die just moments ago. I had felt his massive chest stop moving. I had tasted the metallic blood on his cold lips. I had watched the life drain out of his powerful body.
But he was looking right at me.
He wasn’t staring through me like a ghost. He wasn’t a memory. The intense, possessive weight of his gaze pinned me to the wet earth. It was my Alpha. My King. My mate.
His broad chest rose. He inhaled the crisp winter air.
I needed to touch him. I needed physical proof.
My arm felt like solid lead. I forced my hand up. My fingers shook. They trembled so much I could barely control my own muscles. Mud, sweat, and dried blood stained my pale skin. It was a stark contrast to his newly healed, flawless face.
I reached out. Inch by agonizing inch. The air between us felt thick and heavy.
What if my hand went right through him? What if this was a sick hallucination brought on by my shattering grief? What if my brain had finally snapped from the trauma?
My fingertips brushed his cheek.
Warmth.
Solid, burning heat met my cold skin. The shock of it sent a jolt of electricity straight to my heart. I traced the hard, aristocratic line of his jaw. I felt the rough texture of his dark stubble against my sensitive fingertips. The muscles in his face twitched under my tentative touch. The skin was smooth, perfect, and pulsing with hot blood.
He was real. He was breathing. He was alive.
A harsh gasp ripped from my raw throat.
Before I could pull away, a massive hand shot up.
He moved with terrifying, lightning speed. It was the raw, predatory reflex of an apex Alpha. But the moment his rough palm met my skin, the primal aggression vanished.
Nicholas grabbed my hand.
His thick fingers wrapped around my slender wrist. His grip was firm. It was strong enough to crush solid bone, but he held me with devastating care. The burning heat of his broad palm sent shockwaves up my arm. The contact ignited the mate bond. It flared to life, bright and singing in my chest.
He brought my trembling hand closer to his face. He pressed his cheek into my dirty palm. He leaned into my touch like a starving man finding food.
He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. A deep, rattling sigh echoed in his chest.
Then, his eyes locked onto mine again. He stared at me dead-on. The pure intensity in his green eyes stripped me bare. He saw every ounce of my terror. He saw every piece of my broken soul.
He parted his lips.
"Irina," he whispered.
His voice was hoarse. It sounded rough, like gravel and smoke. It cracked on the syllables of my name. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.
I sobbed. The sound was ugly and broken. "Nicholas."
"It’s me," he rasped. His large thumb brushed over my bruised knuckles. "I’m here."
I shook my head. The tears spilled over my eyelashes in thick drops. They tracked down my cold, dirty cheeks. They fell onto our joined hands. "I thought... I thought I lost you. I watched you leave."
"No." He tightened his grip on my hand. His jaw clenched. His gaze darkened with that familiar, overbearing protectiveness. "I’m back."
"You’re real," I choked out. "You’re really here. You’re breathing."
"I’m back, little bird. It’s me."
The last frayed string holding my sanity together snapped.
I couldn’t hold back anymore. I didn’t want to be strong. I didn’t want to be brave.
I threw myself at him.
I collapsed over his bare chest. I crashed into his hard body with reckless abandon. My arms wrapped tight around his thick neck. I buried my face deep into the crook of his shoulder.
The sudden collision knocked a heavy grunt out of him, but he didn’t pull away. He didn’t push me off.
I cried. I let out a loud, gut-wrenching wail. The sound tore through the quiet, frozen forest. It was a massive release of all the terror, the agony, and the suffocating grief of the past hour. The dam broke. A river of tears soaked his skin.
"You came back!" I sobbed into his neck. My tears fell onto his bare, healed shoulder. "I knew it! I knew you would come back!"
My hands gripped the torn, bloody fabric of his tactical vest. I pulled him closer. I needed to merge my tiny body with his massive frame. I needed to feel every single breath he took. I needed the steady, thumping rhythm of his heart against my own chest.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The heartbeat was strong. It was a war drum declaring victory over death.
The unique scent of fresh snow and wild orchids enveloped me. It was potent. It intoxicated my senses. It chased away the sickening smell of death and copper blood that had haunted the clearing. My inner wolf purred. She stretched and rubbed against his soul through our bond.
"I told you," I cried. My voice was muffled against his hot skin. "I told them you wouldn’t leave me! You promised!"
I rambled. I didn’t care. The words spilled out of me in a frantic, desperate rush.
"You promised we would build a home. You promised me a life together. I knew you wouldn’t break your vow. You are the Alpha King. You don’t break promises. I knew you would fight the Moon Goddess herself to get back to me. I knew it. I knew it."
I felt his massive arms move.
They wrapped around my waist like iron bands. He pulled me flush against his hard, muscular body. He shifted his weight, sitting up. He tucked my head securely under his strong chin.
He held me.
The crushing, powerful weight of his embrace was everything. It anchored me to the earth. It pieced my shattered heart back together. I felt safe. The nightmare was over. The monsters were dead, and my mate was alive.
He buried his face in my messy, tangled hair. He inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, taking in my scent.
"Irina," he breathed. The deep rumble of his chest vibrated against mine.
One of his large hands moved up my spine. He tangled his thick fingers in my hair. The other hand rubbed slow, soothing circles on my lower back. He patted me gently. The touch was tender. It contrasted sharply with the brutal violence we had just survived.
The steady rhythm calmed the frantic, bird-like beating of my heart.
"Shh," he murmured into my hair. "I’ve got you. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere."
I clung to him. My nails dug into his skin. "Never do that again. Do you hear me? Never leave me like that again. I can’t survive it."
"I won’t," he promised. His voice was a low, steady rumble of absolute conviction. "I swear on my soul, little bird. I won’t."
He kissed the top of my head. His lips were hot and firm against my scalp.
He pulled back just enough to look at my face. He framed my cheeks with his large hands. His thumbs wiped the fresh tears from my skin.
"You didn’t give up on me," he whispered.
I shook my head. I looked into his mesmerizing green eyes. "Never. I will never give up on you."
His eyes softened. The terrifying, ruthless Alpha King faded away. In his place was just Nicholas. My mate. My equal. A look of pure, unadulterated devotion washed over his handsome face.
He pressed his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingled in the cold air.
"It was you." He closed his eyes. "You brought me back."