Nate remained with Aire in the dungeon long gone into the night. He sat on the floor beside Aire. Or rather, beneath her.

She leaned against him now without realizing how much of her weight she had surrendered into his body. Her shoulder rested against his chest while his arm remained wrapped carefully around her. He secretly feared she might disappear or even, go back to rejecting him if he loosened his hold even slightly.

The silver restraints lay discarded several feet away where he had thrown them earlier.

Nate’s back rested against the stone wall behind them while Aire sat curled slightly toward him beneath the blanket he had taken from the narrow wooden bench and wrapped around her himself.

Her eyes remained lowered to the floor. The fury was still there beneath the surface, but her body no longer had the strength to keep carrying it at full force.

Nate’s fingers moved slowly through her hair again. Every touch carried hesitation behind it, as though he still expected her to recoil from him at any second.

Aire noticed his hesitation.

The warmth of him surrounded her completely down here. His chest rose steadily beneath her cheek while his hand remained against the back of her head protectively.

Nate lowered his head slightly toward hers after a long silence. "Are you cold?"

Aire shook her head at the question. The entire dungeon was freezing, but strangely, not where he touched her.

Wolves were naturally hot all the time.

"I’m fine," she whispered.

Nate frowned faintly anyway.

His arm tightened around her slightly before loosening again carefully. He was constantly aware of how fragile she felt right now.

Gods, the guilt inside him refused to stop tearing through him. Every time he looked at her wrists, his wolf reacted violently again.

The red marks remained visible beneath the dim torchlight.

Nate’s jaw tightened.

Aire noticed the direction of his gaze and slowly pulled the blanket further over her wrists instinctively.

Nate looked away immediately afterwards. His wolf had stated calm since he held Aire. This was the calmest gis wolf had ever been since he was a child.

Above them somewhere, distant footsteps echoed faintly through the upper corridors of the castle.

The kingdom still moved while Aire sat imprisoned beneath it.

The thought sickened him.

Aire shifted slightly against him after a while. "You should go."

Nate didn’t even pause before answering. "No." He replied, without wasting a breath.

Aire frowned faintly. "They’ll notice you’re gone."

"I do not care."

"You should." She refused.

Nate’s hand slowed briefly in her hair before continuing again. "They can speak about me however they wish tonight," he said quietly. "I’m staying here."

Aire looked up at him slightly then. She saw he meant it. She let his eyes, and saw then raw and for the first time ever, she could read him.

She saw devotion deep in his gaze.

The realization unsettled her again.

Aire lowered her gaze quickly.

His thumb brushed slowly against her shoulder through the blanket. "I know you do not trust me right now."

Aire let out a soft humorless breath. "That might be the smartest thing I’ve done in days."

Nate almost smiled faintly. However, the expression died quickly beneath the weight inside him.

"I never wanted you to be my mate," he said quietly instead.

Aire stiffened faintly at the words he said. She doesn’t know ow if to call them confesions, as she already knew it.

Nate’s eyes remained ahead now, fixed somewhere beyond the dungeon bars.

"I thought I deserved someone more worthy, without realizing you’ll be the most worthy to ever grace my vision."

Aire swallowed once. Where was he going with this?

Nate’s voice roughened slightly. "And I... I am not deserving of your foot prints."

The shame beneath his words settled heavily between them.

Aire stayed silent.

Nate closed his eyes briefly. He drew in a slow exhale, tired. "If I could carve the memory of how I have treated you out of my memory and tear it apart myself, I would."

Aire’s throat tightened unexpectedly.

She hated hearing sincerity from him now because it weakened her anger in ways she did not want.

And she needed that anger.

Without it, the hurt became too unbearable. She needed to hate him more forneverything to make sense.

Nate lowered his head slightly toward hers again. "You should hate me." He said, almost like a plea as he tried to give himself a purpose to go on living.

Her hate would be enough reason because he’d live the remaining days of his life, in a quest to earn her forgiveness. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Aire stared down at the stone floor. "I do."

Nate nodded once. He accepted the sentence fully. "I can’t leave you here alone." He said quietly.

Aire shut her eyes briefly.

Gods.

Why now? Why did he choose now to become gentle? Where was this version of him when she stood shaking before him days ago I’m complete shock trying to understand what was going on?

The unfairness of it almost made tears gather in her eyes again.

Nate body tensed immediately beside her when he heard her tears. "Aire..."

"I’m tired," she whispered quickly before the tears could fall.

Nate relaxed slightly after a second. "Then rest."

Aire laughed mirthlessly under her breath. "In a dungeon?"

"If I must stay here all night to make you sleep," Nate said quietly, "then I will. Because I must."

Aire looked at him again. His face remained serious. He wasn’t joking.

Nate would genuinely sit in this dungeon until sunrise beside her if necessary.

Before she could answer, footsteps echoed from the staircase above.

Nate’s entire posture changed instantly.

Protective instinct surged through him so sharply his wolf nearly surfaced. He could tell who it was from the scent, but he couldn’t keep his wolf away.

The warmth around Aire shoulders shifted into alertness.

Nate stood smoothly from the floor while keeping one arm behind her protectively until the figure appeared fully below.

A different guard from the ones previously before the dungeon gate descended carefully carrying folded blankets and a tray of food.

He nearly froze when he saw Nate inside the cell itself. When Nate had spoke to him in his mind with High Danish, he had thought Nate gave the orders from his chambers. "My Alpha..."

Nate extended a hand immediately.

The guard hurried forward and passed him everything without another word.

Nate took the blankets first before returning toward Aire. She watched silently as he crouched beside her again.

Without asking permission, he unfolded the thicker blanket carefully and wrapped it around her shoulders.

His movement was slow and tender.

His fingers brushed lightly against her neck accidentally while adjusting the fabric, and he felt the spark again.

Aire’s breath caught faintly at the feeling of the spark with Nate.

His eyes lifted to hers for one brief second before lowering again carefully.

He reached for the tray next. "There’s soup." He alerted.

Aire stared at him. She genuinely couldn’t comprehend what was happening anymore. She felt so cheated that he was making it this difficult for him to hate her.

Nate glanced up faintly. "You haven’t eaten."

"I’m not hungry."

"You need food. You’re exhausted."

Aire opened her mouth to argue.

Nate interrupted quietly. "Please."

That stopped her. Please? From Nate? Who possessed him?

Nate handed her the cup carefully.

Their fingers brushed briefly. The mate bond reacted instantly beneath both their skin again.

Aire stiffened.

Nate’s jaw flexed sharply. Neither mentioned it and Aire took the soup reluctantly.

Nate remained crouched beside her while she drank a little in silence.

Only when he saw color returning faintly to her face did some of the unbearable tightness in his chest ease.

The guard still lingered uncertainly outside the bars.

Nate looked toward him finally. "What is happening above?"

The guard hesitated carefully. "The council has been gathered again." He replied.

Nate’s eyes darkened immediately.

"Aire is still the main discussion."