Chapter 110
“Elliot,” I said softly, reaching for him.
He flinched, just slightly, and it cracked something in my chest.
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“I didn’t want to tell you,” he whispered, his voice small, raw. “Didn’t want them to know. Didn’t want you to look at me differently… to not…” His voice cracked, “…to not love me
anymore.”
My heart ached. I took his face in both hands and tilted it up so he’d have to meet my eyes. “Elliot, there is nothing, nothing you could ever do to make me stop loving you. Do you understand me?”
He blinked, his lashes wet, and I pulled him into my arms. He didn’t fight it this time. He melted against me like he’d been holding himself stiff for far too long.
“You’re my family,” I murmured into his hair. “You always will be.”
One by one, my mates came closer, Haiden first, his big hand cupping the back of Elliot’s head, pressing a kiss to his crown. Then Xavier, silent but steady, rested a palm between his shoulder blades. Levi crouched to his other side, murmuring something too soft for me to hear. Noah brushed his knuckles against Elliot’s cheek before ruffling his hair.
“Nothing changes,” Haiden said firmly. “You’re still our kid.”
Elliot gave a shaky laugh at that, glancing between us all. “You… you don’t think I’m a
monster?”
“Not even close,” Xavier said, voice like steel. “You’re ours. That’s all that matters.”
Haiden leaned back a little, tilting his head. “So… what are you, then?”
Elliot’s gaze dropped again, but this time it wasn’t shame, just weariness. “I’m not a wolf,” he said quietly. “Not like you. I’m… a soul eater.”
The words landed with weight, but no one flinched.
“That’s why I was so important to the spell,” he continued. “Marcus… he used to feed me souls. Not all at once, just enough to keep me alive in stasis. The souls gave me strength
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Chapter 110
so I could survive until the spell was ready.”
A shudder went through me at the thought, but I tightened my arms around him, grounding him. “And now?”
“And now,” he said, looking up at me, “I’m free. But it’s still who I am..” His voice dipped, uncertain. “You’re not afraid of that?”
- “Afraid?” I shook my head. “Elliot, you just saved us all from a man who’s haunted my nightmares for years. You didn’t take something innocent. You ended something evil.” I cupped his cheek again, my thumb brushing away the tear track there. “You are not the
monster in this story.”
Haiden gave him a crooked grin. “You’re the hero. Glitter bombs and all.”
That finally earned us a real smile. Small, but real. We didn’t stay down there a second longer than we had to. Dad ordered the guards to deal with Marcus’s body, and the heavy clang of the cell door locking behind us sounded final. The torches along the passage hissed faintly as we started back up, but each step toward the surface felt lighter, like we were leaving something poisonous behind. Elliot kept close to my side, his hand clutching mine so tightly I could feel the tremor in his fingers. Haiden walked on his other side, not touching, but there, his presence steady as stone. The rest of the quads flanked us, a silent wall of protection as we climbed. The damp, metallic air gave way to fresher currents as we neared the upper levels. Sunlight spilled in weak and golden through the open archway at the top of the stairs, and Elliot’s steps faltered for just a heartbeat before he kept going. When we stepped outside, the morning air hit us, cool and clean, carrying the scent of pine and hearthfire from the packhouse kitchens. The sound of birdsong drifted over the fields. Elliot stopped in the middle of the courtyard and tipped his head back, closing his eyes like he was letting it soak in. His grip on my hand eased.
“It feels… different,” he murmured.
“Because it is,” I said softly.
He opened his eyes, glancing up at me. “Marcus isn’t here anymore.”
“No,” I agreed. “And he never will be again.”
Haiden crouched in front of him, resting his forearms on his knees, his voice steady but gentle. “This is it, kid. You get to choose what comes next.”
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Chapter 110
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The words hung in the air for a moment, carried on the cool breeze drifting through the
courtyard. Elliot didn’t answer right away. He stared down at the sun–warmed stone
beneath his bare feet, his small shoulders lifting and falling with a long, thoughtful
breath. The tension in his frame, the shadows that had clung to him since the dungeon,
seemed to loosen by degrees. Then, slowly, his mouth curved, not into the mischievous grin I was used to, but into something softer. It reached his eyes, sparking that light I’d
missed so much.
“I… want to play with Macey,” he said at last, voice a little shy but sure enough to make my heart ache.
A laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it, breaking the tight coil in my chest. Haiden’s answering grin was bright and unguarded. “Now that’s a plan.”
Levi stepped forward, ruffling Elliot’s hair. We started through the packhouse together, the stone warm underfoot, sunlight spilling over us like a blessing. Ahead, Xavier reached the door first and held it open, his gaze sweeping briefly over the courtyard like he was silently marking the moment. For the first time in far too long, there was no shadow at our backs. Elliot had stood in the heart of his darkness and walked out the other side. And
now, he was not just surviving but choosing how to live.
“I’m going to head over to Tolaris for a bit,” I told the guys once we were inside. “I think Zion and the pack deserve to know Marcus is no longer alive.”
“I’ll take Elliot over to the orphanage to play with the kids,” Noah said, resting a hand on
Elliot’s shoulder.
“I’m with Tommy today,” Xavier added, straightening. “We’ve got to check out the border and make some changes to security measures.”
“We’ll come with you,” Haiden said, glancing at Levi, who gave an easy nod. Just like that, the rhythm of pack life slid back into place, everyone knowing where they needed to be, what needed doing.
I crouched down to Elliot’s level, brushing a hand through his hair before pulling him into
my arms. I kissed the top of his head, holding him just a little tighter than usual, committing the warmth of him to memory. “Make sure you say hi to all the kids for me,
okay?”
“I will, Mum,” he promised, his small smile blooming as he waved goodbye and slid his
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Chapter 110
hand into Noah’s.
I watched them go, his hair catching the light. He wasn’t just walking toward the orphanage; he was walking toward the future he’d fought for, and I was so proud of my
son.
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