Chapter 86: Fragile Pieces
The drive to the safe house was a blur of nerves and dread.
The farther we moved from the packhouse, the heavier the anxiety pressed against my chest, squeezing tighter with every mile. I could feel it like a living thing clawing under my skin — the knowledge that everything was about to change again, and not necessarily for the better.
Liam’s hand never left mine during the drive. His thumb stroked across the back of my knuckles in slow, calming circles, but even his touch couldn’t fully chase away the icy fear pooling in my gut.
Luther drove like a man possessed, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, his jaw locked so tightly I worried he might break his teeth. Every so often, his golden wolf eyes flashed in the mirror, checking that I was still tucked safely against Liam’s side.
When we finally slowed, the SUV turned down a narrow dirt path nearly swallowed by towering trees on both sides. The thick canopy overhead filtered out most of the afternoon sunlight, bathing the world in shifting shadows.
I sat up a little straighter, my heart racing as I took in the surroundings.
The safe house wasn’t visible until we were practically on top of it — a small, sturdy cabin half-sunken into the earth, almost camouflaged by the wild forest. Moss grew thick along the roof, vines crept up the stone sides, and the heavy oak door was reinforced with iron bands.
It looked more like a forgotten hunter’s lodge than a home for an Alpha’s mate.
Perfect for disappearing.
Luther parked close to the front door, tires crunching over the gravel.
“We’re here,” he said gruffly, though he didn’t make a move to get out yet.
Neither did I.
For a moment, we all sat there in silence, the only sounds were our breathing and the soft ticking of the engine cooling.
I didn’t want to move.
Somehow stepping out of the car felt like stepping into another prison — no less terrifying than the one I escaped weeks ago.
Liam squeezed my hand gently, as if sensing my thoughts. “You’ll never be trapped again, my love,” he promised in a low voice. “This is only until we figure things out. You’re free, Charlie. Always.”
His words wrapped around me like a lifeline, giving me the courage to nod and open the door.
The chill of the mountain air rushed in, snapping against my overheated skin. I shivered involuntarily, grateful when Liam immediately threw an arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side as we approached the cabin.
Inside, it was small but clean.
A modest living area with a worn brown couch and a fireplace, a kitchen barely big enough for two people, and two bedrooms tucked away down a short hall. Supplies were already stocked—cans of food, bottled water, medical kits, weapons.
Prepared for siege.
Prepared for war.
The sheer finality of it all slammed into me like a punch to the gut.
I wasn’t naive enough to think we could avoid the battle coming our way. Not anymore.
They were coming for me.
And people would die because of it.
I couldn’t stop the tears burning my eyes as I wandered into the main bedroom and sank onto the edge of the bed. My hands trembled in my lap.
I felt like I was standing on the edge of a crumbling cliff, with no way forward and no way back.
Luther crouched in front of me, his large hand covering mine. His thumb brushed over my wrist, grounding me.
“Talk to us, little mate,” he rumbled, voice soft despite the worry etched into every line of his face. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
I shook my head miserably. “I’m scared,” I whispered, the words ripped from the deepest part of me.
Liam sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my back. “You have every right to be,” he said gently. “But you’re not alone, Charlie. You’ll never be alone again.”
His promises should have comforted me.
But the pressure inside me only grew, until I felt like I might shatter into a thousand sharp pieces.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I choked out, the first crack in my composure breaking free. “I never wanted to be something people would fight and kill for. I just wanted to be... normal.”
Luther rested his forehead against my knees. “You’re not normal, baby,” he said thickly. “You’re extraordinary.”
“But I’m tired of fighting,” I sobbed, my hands balling into fists. “I’m tired of people deciding my life for me. I’m tired of being a prize or a cure or a weapon. I just want to be Charlie.”
A silence fell over the room, heavy with unspoken truths.
“We know,” Liam said finally, his voice breaking. “We see you, Charlie. Not the Luna. Not the miracle. *You*.”
“And we love you for who you are,” Luther added. “Not for what you can do.”
Their words cracked something open inside of me.
The dam broke.
Sobs tore from my chest, raw and ugly, as the weight of everything—the fear, the grief, the guilt—poured out of me.
Liam pulled me into his lap, holding me so tightly I thought he might fuse our bodies together. Luther wrapped around us from behind, his massive arms shielding me from the world.
They didn’t try to hush me.
They didn’t tell me to be strong.
They just held me while I shattered, piece by broken piece.
When the tears finally slowed, I was utterly drained, my body heavy and limp between them.
But lighter, somehow.
As if shedding the pain made room for something else.
Hope.
“We’re going to get through this,” Liam said, kissing the crown of my head. “One step at a time.”
“No matter how bloody it gets,” Luther added grimly. “We fight together.”
A soft knock sounded on the doorframe, and we all turned to find Rowan standing there, his face drawn but determined.
“They’re moving,” he said quietly. “We spotted scouts at the east border. They’ll reach us by nightfall.”
The final battle was coming.
And this time, I wouldn’t run.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks, straightened my spine, and nodded.
“I’ll be ready.”
Because whatever came next, I would meet it head-on.
Not as a prisoner.
Not as a pawn.
But as Charlie.
And I would fight for my life, for my mates, for my future.
Even if it was the last thing I ever did.
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