Falling For The Demon Wolf-Chapter 60: Alive And living

JADE

I turned away from the stream, my arms wrapping tightly around myself as a chill crept up my spine. Not from the cold—but from everything else. From the weight of Rhys’s words, the look in his eyes, the fact that I hadn’t pushed him away when he leaned in. I’d let him close. I’d let myself feel.

And that was dangerous.

My boots crunched over the wet grass as I followed the narrow path back toward the pack house. The night air was thick with tension, even with Gerald gone and Rhys several paces ahead. I could still feel him—like gravity, like something tethered to my ribs and heartstrings all at once.

I swallowed down the knot forming in my throat.

Violet.

That name alone could shake me out of whatever spiral I was slipping into. My sister—my blood—was lying in a bed somewhere inside, recovering from something she never should’ve had to endure. And Zain, the Alpha of this whole dysfunctional, fur-covered circus, had just marked her without even asking.

I didn’t care if it saved her life.

It was still wrong.

And if she didn’t tear his throat out the second she could stand, I might just do it for her.

The edge of the pack house came into view through the trees, its shadow sprawling wide across the clearing. A few pack members were outside now, murmuring low and casting glances toward the upper floors. Lights glowed faintly behind the curtains. The tension in the air was tangible.

Rhys slowed ahead of me, turning just enough to glance back. "You okay?"

No.

"Yes," I said instead, forcing a tight smile.

He didn’t look like he believed me, but he didn’t push it either. Just nodded and headed inside first, holding the door long enough for me to slip through.

The inside of the pack house buzzed like a shaken hive—quiet voices, hushed orders, footsteps echoing against hardwood floors. I caught a glimpse of Maren pacing near the stairs, talking to someone I didn’t recognize. She looked up when she saw me, her expression folding into visible relief.

"She’s awake," she said immediately. "Groggy and out of it, but awake."

My stomach flipped. "Where is she?"

"Third floor. First room on the left."

I didn’t wait.

I shot up the stairs, not caring who I nearly barreled into on the way. I needed to see her with my own eyes, to make sure she was really okay—breathing, alive, not bound to that bastard by force. I reached the landing, heart pounding, and threw the door open without knocking.

The room was dim, bathed in soft moonlight filtering through half-drawn curtains. And there she was.

Violet.

Propped against pillows, hair a tangled mess, a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead—but her eyes were open.

She turned slightly at the sound of the door, her gaze sluggish but focused. "Jade," she croaked, voice raspy.

"Gods, you’re really alive," I breathed, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You idiot."

A weak smile tugged at her lips. "Nice to see you too."

I brushed a damp strand of hair from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a bus. Then dragged behind it."

I snorted, but it was watery. "That sounds about right."

Her eyes searched mine for a beat, then narrowed slightly. "You’ve been crying."

"I haven’t," I lied.

"Liar."

I sighed, leaning back slightly. "You scared the hell out of me. One minute you’re burning up, the next I’m being told Zain marked you."

Her expression dimmed, shadows flickering in her gaze. "I didn’t ask him to."

"I figured."

Silence stretched between us.

"He said it was to save me," she added eventually, almost like she was trying to justify it for her own sake.

"Still doesn’t give him the right," I muttered.

Violet looked down at the blanket covering her. "I didn’t feel it. Not really. Just... this weight. Then heat. Then nothing."

"But now?" I asked quietly. "Do you feel the bond?"

She hesitated. "I feel something. Not him. Not exactly. Just this... presence. Like I’m not alone in here." She tapped her temple.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. "That’s not comforting."

"No," she agreed softly. "It’s not."

We sat like that for a long moment. Just breathing. Just existing in the space where everything had changed and nothing felt solid anymore.

"You know," she said eventually, "Rhys is worried about you."

I blinked. "You know about the bond? He told you that?"

"Yes I do, I guess fate has a thing with us Harwthones. And No. But I know what desperation looks like. And I saw it all over his face when he came in looking for you earlier."

My chest tightened. "He wants to mark me."

Violet didn’t react with surprise. "And you don’t want him to?"

"I don’t know what I want."

"Liar."

I glared at her. "You’re really annoying when you’ve been unconscious for hours."

She smiled faintly, then closed her eyes again. "You’re scared."

"Terrified," I admitted.

"That’s okay," she murmured. "Just... don’t run from it so hard you forget how to feel."

Her breathing slowed, drifting toward sleep again, and I sat there in silence.

Thinking.

Drowning.

Trying not to look at the place on her neck where the bond now lived—irrevocable, unchosen, and burning like a brand.

Would that be me someday?

Or would I find the strength to walk away?

Or worse... to say yes?

I didn’t have the answer yet.

But I knew one thing for sure—

Nothing would ever be the same again.

"How long have you been here?" Violet asked, her voice still hoarse but laced with genuine curiosity.

I paused, my fingers tightening slightly around the blanket near her leg. The real answer sat heavy on my tongue—days, maybe longer, down in that damn dungeon Zain threw me into like I was some kind of threat. For what? Protecting her? Being human? Existing?

But the last thing she needed right now was more weight on her chest. More reasons to lash out or spiral.

So I smiled. Tight. Forced. And I lied.

"Not too long."

Violet didn’t push. She never did when she sensed I wasn’t ready. But her gaze lingered a second longer than I could bear. It was the same look our mother used to give when she knew we were lying about being fine.

Still, she nodded slowly, as if accepting the lie—for now. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I reached for the pitcher on her nightstand and poured her a glass of water. "Here. Drink this before you start worrying about the pack, or Zain, or anyone else."

She chuckled weakly, accepting the glass. "You sound like Mom."

I froze for a split second, then forced a small laugh. "Well, someone has to."

She sipped slowly, then asked, "Where’s Jade?"

I blinked. "I am Jade."

Violet groaned. "I meant Jade the human version. The reckless one who never listened. The one who would’ve thrown a punch the moment she heard I got marked without permission."

I smirked. "Oh, she’s still here. She just figured you needed her to be calm and nurturing... for the next five minutes, at least."

"Good," Violet said, handing the glass back. "Because when I can walk again, I want to know everything. And then we burn this place to the ground."

I laughed, and for a moment, the tension cracked.

But behind the humor, my chest ached.

Because deep down, I knew something was coming—something bigger than marks or mates or magic. Something ancient that had always been circling us, waiting for the moment we’d be too broken to fight it.

And now, I wasn’t sure we’d make it out whole.

Silence passed between us, thick and heavy like the clouds before a storm. Violet stared out the small window near her bed, her fingers absently tracing the rim of the blanket.

I wasn’t planning to ask it. The words just clawed their way out, sharp and unforgiving.

"Do you love him?" I blurted. "Or at least... is there an attraction now? Now that you’re marked?"

Violet’s eyes shifted back to mine slowly, and I hated how carefully she studied me—like she was deciding whether or not to lie. I didn’t want the sugarcoated version. I wanted the truth, even if it burned.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. "I don’t know."

"That’s not a no," I said, my voice low, almost accusing.

"I didn’t say it was," she shot back, not harshly, but with that same quiet edge she always got when cornered. "It’s just... confusing. Everything feels different."

"Because of the mark?" I asked.

She nodded, then sighed. "It’s like... my body doesn’t know the difference between safety and danger anymore. One minute I want to punch him in the face, the next—" She cut herself off, cheeks coloring faintly. "It’s like something in me reacts to him before I even think."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, there is some weird heat thing going on?"

She groaned and flopped back against the pillows. "Yes, okay? I don’t get it, but it’s there. And it’s intense. And it pisses me off."

I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed. "That’s the mate bond."

"Great," she muttered. "It’s like being possessed by a hormone-fueled ghost."

Despite myself, I snorted. "Well, I hope your ghost likes brooding alphas with anger issues."

Violet rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. "He didn’t even ask, Jade. He just... did it. Marked me while I was unconscious."

The humor vanished instantly. "That’s not okay."

"I know."

"But you’re still drawn to him?"

Her expression turned tortured, like she hated the truth of it as much as I did. "Yes. And that scares me more than anything."

I reached across the small space between us and took her hand. "We’ll figure this out. Mate bond or not—you still get a choice. Okay?"

Her fingers tightened around mine. "I hope so."

Because even though she didn’t say it, I saw it—the way her heart was already changing, bending toward someone she used to hate. And if she wasn’t careful, he’d burn his name into her soul before she even had time to breathe.