Chapter 0178
He denies it with a sharp shake of his head.
“It’s comparable to how long a bitten Lycan has before turning fully Rogue without control.”
“She wasn’t bitten. Yet you still turned.”
“Maybe it’s the binding. I don’t have all the answers. But I recognize the signs. She’s following the same destructive path I once walked.”
“Her anger fuels her. Her hate consumes her.”
I turn away, pressing my palms flat against the cold stone wall. My head drops low.
This wasn’t part of the new beginning I envisioned.
We were supposed to leave the past behind. Not resurrect its ghosts.
“She is your mate, Alexander. Your love for her is undeniable. We all see it. But if we don’t act now, Gabriel will be the least of your concerns.”
I turn back to see his deep frown.
“It’s Athena,” he mutters through a clenched jaw. My words were striking a nerve.
“Theoretically, since she was bound, I’ve been Lycan longer. Trust me, I know what I’m seeing. Brianna pulled me back from the edge long after I’d lost myself.”
Alexander scoffs. “When we first discovered her true nature, do you know what she feared most?”
I shake my head.
“Becoming a monster. Ironic, isn’t it?” He folds his arms tightly across his chest. “You came back from being Rogue. Can you help her?”
“I can try. But honestly, Brianna is her best chance. She’s the one who saved me.”
“Athena doesn’t trust Brianna. That won’t change overnight.”
“Then we must find a way for Athena to accept her.”
His gaze drifts back to Ethan’s unconscious form. “Do you truly believe I’m losing her?”
I nod grimly. “The worst part is, she won’t even realize it until it’s too late.”
When we return to the house, Isabella and Brianna are in the kitchen. Despite everything, they’re laughing and sharing a tub of ice cream.
“Where is Athena?” Alexander asks.
“She went upstairs. She didn’t want to see me.” Brianna sighs heavily. Her desperation to win Athena over was growing more palpable each day. Yet Athena continued to reject every effort.
Alexander nods and leaves, hopefully to have a crucial conversation with his mate.
“Did you talk to him?” Brianna asks around a mouthful of ice cream.
“Yes.”
“What am I missing?” Isabella frowns. “We were having a good time until Zachary showed up. Now you both look like you’re carrying the world’s weight.”
“It’s fine,” I tell Brianna. “Alexander knows. You can tell her.”
Isabella’s eyes go wide as Brianna explains. Her lips part in shock. She was terrible at hiding her feelings, a trait I found oddly endearing.
“Does she know?” Brianna asks.
“Not yet. Alexander forbade anyone from telling her. It’s a messed-up decision, but she is his mate.”
“He wants to protect her,” Isabella sighs. “She fought for survival her whole life. Now she must fight again.”
“This is different.”
“How?” Isabella’s dark eyes lift to meet mine. “Explain how it’s different.”
“That old life was forced upon her. This… this darkness, she’s choosing it. Slowly. She just doesn’t see it yet.”
“Why?” Isabella whispers.
“It makes her feel powerful. It gives her a deep, violent satisfaction.”
“The tragedy is, if she’d been raised as a Lycan, she might never have developed this inner void,” Brianna offers Isabella a sad smile.
“That’s speculation. Neither of us can know what her life should have been,” I snap.
“I can’t lose her too, Zachary.” Isabella’s plea is raw. “I can’t. It would destroy me.”
As she holds my gaze, I feel it. Every emotion she struggles to contain, shimmering just beneath the surface.
Brianna reaches across the table, placing her hand over Isabella’s. “Athena must want the help. It’s the only way this works.”