The hallway was quiet.
A rare kind of quiet—the aftermath kind, not peace. The kind where blood had already been spilled, and everyone left was holding their breath to see what came next.
My boots echoed on the marble as I walked, not rushed, but not quite slow either. Deliberate. Like if I kept a steady pace, I could keep Kade's words from catching up to me.
"You looked like him."
I hadn't even argued. Because deep down, I knew there was truth in it. I'd felt it—not just satisfaction, but control. A dark, heady power that had coiled in my chest when I gave that first kill order and watched the crowd obey.
It wasn't shame I felt now. That was the part that scared me.
Nyx stirred in my chest, tail lashing in quiet agitation.
He doesn't understand. They had to die.
Her voice was all certainty. Absolute.
They touched our mate.
I didn't disagree. Not really.
But Kade's voice still echoed alongside hers.
What if they weren't the last ones?
The thought lingered like smoke even as I reached the doors to Nine's chambers. Two guards stood outside, but they didn't meet my gaze. They simply opened the doors for me without a word.
Inside, the lighting was soft. Dim lamps flickered gently against stone and velvet. The air smelled faintly of soap, fresh sheets, and something warmer underneath—him.
My heart slowed when I saw him.
Nine was sitting up in bed, barely. His silver-white hair was tangled from sleep, one side of his face still creased from the pillow. He looked small like that. Blinking blearily at me like he'd only just woken up and wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming.
Then he smiled. Just a little. Barely there.
And the sharp edges inside me dulled in an instant.
"Hi," I said softly, closing the door behind me.
He didn't speak at first, but his bond reached for me. A sleepy, golden warmth pressing like a blanket against my spine. I stepped closer, and his eyes followed me, violet and wide and soft. His hair slipped into his face, and he didn't move to fix it.
I knelt beside the bed.
"You slept long," I murmured, brushing the strands from his eyes. "You needed it."
He leaned toward my hand like he couldn't help it. Like instinct was stronger than thought.
You smell calm, he murmured through the bond. But you're not.
"No," I admitted. "I'm not."
He tilted his head, sleepy confusion flickering through the link.
I rested my forehead against his, voice barely a whisper. "I did something today. Something I had to do. But someone I trust thinks it made me a little more like the man who hurt you."
Nine blinked at me.
You're nothing like him.
I pulled back slightly, enough to see his face. "You sure?"
He nodded, eyes earnest despite the sleep still clinging to his lashes.
You make me feel safe. He never did.
Nyx rumbled in agreement.
He knows. The mate always knows.
I reached out, guiding Nine gently so he could curl against me. He went without hesitation, tucking himself against my chest, his face pressing into the place where my mating gland pulsed beneath my skin. His breath warmed my collarbone.
"I'm still me," I said aloud. "Even if I'm a little sharper now."
His arms wrapped loosely around my waist.
You don't scare me, he whispered into the bond. You never did.
My heart twisted.
And then I kissed his hair. Just once. "Good. Because I'm not planning on changing. Not again."
He made a small, content sound. His eyes had already begun to close.
I stayed like that with him.
Silent.
Still.
Just Rhea and Nine and the ghost of Kade's warning drifting somewhere behind us.
But not enough to reach me now.
Not when my mate—my soft, sleepy, safe mate—was finally in my arms.