Chapter 11
The days that followed felt like waking from a long nightmare.
Each morning, the air was filled with the sounds of breathing—soft, hesitant, real. No chains rattled. No whips cracked. No distant screams echoed through stone halls. Just the wind through trees, the quiet shuffle of feet, and the rebuilding of broken people.
He and I worked side by side. The cabin we claimed became a quiet center for the others. Survivors trickled in from the forest, drawn by the word spreading: Radek is dead. The cages are empty. You are free.
Many arrived scared, confused. Some didn’t believe it until they saw us. Others broke down in tears the moment they realized no one was coming to drag them back.
He stood tall before them all, not as a warrior anymore—but as something stronger.
As hope.
He trained those who wanted to fight, taught them how to defend themselves, how to trust their wolves again. He never forced it. Never pressured. Only offered.
I helped care for the wounded. I cleaned burns, set broken bones, and sat beside those who could barely speak. We didn’t talk much—there weren’t words for the things we’d all seen—but being there was enough. Knowing they weren’t alone anymore was enough.
One night, after everyone had gone to sleep, I found him sitting by the fire outside, staring at the stars.
He didn’t move as I approached.
“You’re thinking again,” I said softly.
“I’m always thinking.”
I sat beside him, letting the fire warm my skin.
“I didn’t know if you’d ever come back,” I admitted. “And even if you did… I wasn’t sure I’d still be here to see it.”
He turned to me. “I never stopped looking for you.”
“Even when I was nothing but a rumor?”
“Especially then.”
We sat in silence for a moment, the flames dancing in the reflection of his eyes.
“You’re different now,” I said.
“So are you.”
I looked at my hands, still marked by scars. “Do you ever think we can go back to who we were before all this?”
He shook his head. “No. But I think we can become something better.”
I smiled faintly. “Like what?”
“Like two people who survived hell… and still found a way to love each other.”
I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. The fire crackled beside us, but for the first time in years, there was no fear in my chest.
Only peace.
Only him.
Only us.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. The world outside our little haven was still dangerous. Packs would need rebuilding. Trust would need mending. But tonight, beneath a sky filled with stars and a fire burning gently at our feet, I let myself believe that everything broken could still be rebuilt.
Even hearts.
Even futures.
And as he whispered my name like a promise, I finally understood—
He left not to run, but to return stronger.
To be worthy of saving me.
And now, standing beside me, he finally was.