Nyx was pacing again. I could feel her restlessness beneath my skin, a primal energy building up inside me, vibrating through every fiber of my being. She was desperate. She was furious. And I was helpless.
Calm down, I tried to soothe her, but it didn't work. It never did when she was this worked up.
Her frustration bled through, too strong to ignore. She was angry, with the situation, with the helplessness, with the pain. And most of all, she was angry at me for not being able to fix it. We were both trapped, helpless in this place, surrounded by people who didn't give a damn about what was happening to Nine.
I brushed my fingers through his hair again, the same gentle motion I had been repeating for what felt like hours. Nine didn't stir. He didn't even twitch. His breathing was shallow, ragged, like he was holding on to something—a thread, maybe, something tenuous and fragile.
But it wasn't enough. I could feel it. My wolf could feel it.
We can't just sit here, Nyx growled, pacing faster, making the bond vibrate with her agitation. We can't just wait for them to destroy him.
I swallowed hard, biting back the tears that were threatening to spill over. She was right. I couldn't just sit here, unable to do anything. But what was I supposed to do? The whole facility was against us. Every move I made felt like it was watched, measured, calculated. Every second that ticked by, I felt like I was losing him.
I know, I whispered to her. But we have to wait. We have to be patient.
Nyx wasn't listening. She was too far gone, her frustration a tangible thing that I could feel in the depths of my soul. She wanted to fight. She wanted to tear everything down. And with each passing moment, her anger—our anger—became harder to contain.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the rising tide of emotions, but it was impossible. Nyx was a force of nature, and when she was like this, there was no way to rein her in. The bond between us was stretching thin, becoming more volatile with every passing second. And Nine—Nine was still so still, so lifeless, that it felt like he was slipping through my fingers.
I can't stand this anymore, Nyx snarled, her voice vibrating with frustration in my mind. She pressed harder against the bond, demanding a response, as if by sheer force of will, we could break through whatever was holding Nine in place.
I tried to hold her back, to calm her, but it was no use. Nyx's power was too strong, too relentless. She didn't care about anything except getting through to him, breaking through the haze of sedation and whatever else was keeping him trapped in this limbo.
Nyx, I begged, my voice barely more than a whisper. Please. Don't—
But it was too late.
There was a sudden, sharp jolt in the bond. A crack. A break. And then, everything stopped.
I gasped, my chest tightening as a rush of warmth flooded through the bond. For a moment, there was nothing—just empty silence, like the world had gone still. Then, slowly, achingly, I felt it.
Nine stirred.
It wasn't much at first—his eyelids fluttered, his body twitching slightly, as though he was trying to regain control over his movements. His eyes, still blurry and unfocused, shifted toward me. His gaze wasn't clear, not yet, but it was enough.
He wasn't dead. He wasn't lost in some deep coma anymore. He was waking up, bit by bit, his mind struggling to piece together the reality around him.
I couldn't breathe. My hand shook as I reached out, touching his hair again, my fingers trembling on his cool skin. "Nine?" I whispered, my voice breaking, barely audible. "Nine, can you hear me?"
His gaze wavered, as if he was seeing me, but not quite able to fully comprehend. He blinked slowly, his expression distant, unsure. He wasn't responding fully, but the fact that he was even looking at me made my chest tighten with hope.
And then—just as I was about to speak again—his lips parted.
"Rhea…"
The soft rasp of his voice, the faint sound of my name, was enough to stop my heart.
I leaned closer, my breath hitching in my throat. "I'm here, Nine," I whispered, my voice raw with emotion. "I'm here."
He blinked again, and this time, there was something there. A flicker of recognition. A glimmer of understanding. His eyes met mine, and for the first time since I'd found him like this, there was something in them. Something real.
I felt Nyx calm, just for a second. We weren't alone in this anymore. He was still with me.
I could feel his presence in the bond, faint but there, steadying the frantic pulse of my wolf. Nine wasn't gone. He wasn't lost. He was here.
He was back.