CHAPTER 463: THE NIGHT OF HEALING

Evaline:

I wanted to keep Lioren with me tonight.

To feel his warmth, his heartbeat, his tiny breaths against my skin.

But when I glanced at my mates, saw the faint lines around their eyes, the fatigue in their faces, I changed my mind. They had been carrying too much, for too long... me, our son, our home, our grief. They deserved at least one night where they didn’t have to pretend they were fine just to keep me from breaking again.

So when it was time to put Lioren to bed, I took him to the nursery with Vanessa following us.

Lioren gurgled, kicking his little legs as I laid him on the changing table. The smell of lavender oil filled the air as I warmed some between my palms and began massaging his tiny arms and legs, humming softly. His eyelids fluttered halfway, heavy with sleep, but he was fighting it.

"You are such a sweetheart," I murmured with a quiet laugh.

When I finished, I changed him into soft nightclothes, kissed his temple, and fed him slowly, watching the way his small fingers curled around mine. Those few minutes were peace itself. The kind of peace I had been starving for.

When his breathing grew soft and even, I gently laid him in his crib. Vanessa stepped forward, adjusting the blanket over him.

"I’ll take care of him, My Lady," she said softly.

"I know you will," I whispered. "Thank you, Vanessa."

I stood there a while longer, watching my son sleep... his little chest rising and falling steadily.

And then, with one last kiss to his forehead, I turned and left the nursery.

When I came downstairs, the air was quiet - heavy, but not suffocating anymore. The faint golden glow of the chandeliers painted everything in a soft light.

I found Oscar sitting on the couch in the living room, a half-empty cup of coffee on the table beside him. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze was distant... somewhere far away, buried under thoughts he would never speak out loud.

"Where are the others?" I asked quietly as I walked closer.

He looked up, his eyes finding mine. "Kieran stepped out to take a call," he said. "River just went to his room. I think he needed a moment."

I nodded slowly. Of course he did. River never liked showing when things got too heavy - he’d retreat, process, then come back as if nothing happened. But I knew better.

For a moment, I wondered if I should just let them all rest. They deserved that peace. Maybe I should just head to my own room and call it a night.

But then I looked at Oscar again. The curve of his shoulders, the quiet strength in his eyes, the small tremor in his fingers from exhaustion... and I knew I couldn’t just let the night end like this.

So, I stepped closer until I was standing right beside him. I leaned down and whispered something in his ear - words that made his eyes widen slightly before a small smile bloomed on his lips.

He nodded once, standing up almost immediately, that faint spark of warmth lighting his face again. I didn’t need to say anything else, he knew what to do.

While he left to fetch the others, I made my way upstairs to River’s room.

When I knocked, his deep voice came through softly. "Come in."

I opened the door and stepped inside.

He was standing near the tall glass wall that looked out at the vast, moonlit forest stretching beyond the Thorne estate. His posture was tense, one hand in his pocket, the other resting against the glass. The faint reflection of his face looked even more tired under the silver wash of moonlight.

He turned when he heard me, surprise flickering across his face before something softer took over. His expression warmed instantly.

"Evaline," he said quietly, his voice like velvet. "You should be resting."

But instead of answering, I simply crossed the room and wrapped my arms around him.

For a moment, he went still... like he didn’t know what to do. Then, slowly, his arms came up to hold me back, firm and steady. The tension in his body eased, his heartbeat a steady rhythm against my ear.

I pressed my chin lightly against his chest, tilting my head up to look at him. His face was inches from mine, shadowed by moonlight and exhaustion. I reached up, cupping his jaw, my thumb brushing against the light stubble there.

"You are starting to look like an old man," I murmured, trying to sound serious, but the corners of my mouth betrayed me with a small pout. "At this rate, you’ll have gray hair before Lioren learns to walk. That’s... not exactly the image I had in mind for my mate."

It took him a second... but then, a low, heartfelt laugh rumbled from his chest. The kind of sound I hadn’t heard from him in so long. He shook his head, his hands tightening gently at my waist.

"And even if I do turn old and wrinkled," he said, leaning closer, his voice deepening, "I’ll still only be yours. You would better be prepared to love me with all my gray hairs."

I blinked, then laughed. . an actual laugh, not a broken one. "You have no idea how unfairly charming you sound right now."

He smirked lightly. "I know."

I was about to reply when a knock sounded on the door. Before River could move, I called softly, "Come in."

The door opened, and Oscar stepped in, followed closely by Kieran, who looked slightly confused, his brows furrowed as his gaze flicked between us.

"What’s going on?" Kieran asked, his voice wary.

I still had one arm around River’s waist, and with my free arm, I reached out toward them. "Come here."

Kieran didn’t need another word. His steps were quick, and in seconds, he was in my embrace, followed by Oscar, who wrapped his arms around both of us.

The four of us stood there... tangled together in one silent, warm, steady hug.

For a long time, none of us said a word. We just breathed... together.

Their scents surrounded me, making me feel truly at home.

I could feel Kieran’s heartbeat against my shoulder, strong but erratic, like he was holding back everything he didn’t want me to see. Oscar’s breath was shaky against my neck, and River’s fingers tightened slightly at my waist... as if he was silently reminding himself I was real, that I was here.

It hit me then, how deeply they had been hurting. Not just for Draven, but for me too. For the version of me that had shut them out, that had stopped smiling, stopped living.

And yet, they never left.

They stayed.

The tears I’d been holding back since leaving the safe house finally spilled again, but this time, they weren’t born of despair. They were warm... soft... almost healing.

"I’m sorry," I whispered against them. "For everything. For locking you all out. For making you all worry."

Kieran pulled back slightly, his hands cupping my face, his thumb brushing away my tears. "You don’t need to apologize," he said softly. "We just wanted you back."

"You never lost me," I murmured, looking at each of them in turn. "I just... forgot how to breathe without him. But I’ll remember. For you. For Lioren. For Draven."

Oscar’s hand came to rest over my heart. "Then we’ll breathe together," he said, smiling faintly. "Until he comes back."

River bent his head and kissed my temple. "We’ll find a way. We always do."

And in that quiet, moonlit room, surrounded by my mates, for the first time since Draven fell... I believed it.