Chapter 300
Chapter 300:
Dallas leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. “I could never be disgusted by you. You are my mate. Your pain is my pain. And your survival…” He paused, his lips brushing mine as he spoke. “Your survival is my greatest victory p>
I closed my eyes and leaned into him, letting his conviction seep into my bones. The guilt didn’t vanish entirely, but it transformed — becoming a reminder of the bond that tethered us, a bond that was messy, raw, and unbreakable.
“Braydon…” I whispered, the name slipping out before I could stop it. The ghost of my past still lingered at the edges of this sanctuary.
Dallas stiffened slightly, but his hold on me didn’t waver. “Braydon is a ghost, Adella. A shadow fleeing from the light. He has no power here. Let him run. He knows better than to cross me again p>
I wanted to believe him. Wrapped in Dallas’s scent, with the morning sun warming my back, it felt possible.
I didn’t know then that ghosts don’t need permission to cross thresholds. I didn’t know that while we were healing in the light, the shadows were already lengthening, sharpening their claws for the next strike.
But in that moment, I chose to believe. I traced the bite mark on his arm one last time, accepting it not as a sin but as a seal.
“Okay,” I breathed, finally relaxing against him. “I’m here p>
“You’re here,” Dallas echoed, pulling the blanket up around us and shutting out the world for just a little longer. “And you are never leaving p>
𝗖𝗁𝗂𝗇e𝘀е 𝗻о𝘃𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝘁𝗋а𝗻𝘴𝗅𝖺t𝗲𝘥 𝘰𝘯.с𝗼𝗆
The sanctuary of the cabin had been a dream — a suspended reality where time moved to the rhythm of Dallas’s heartbeat and the crackle of the fireplace. But dreams, no matter how beautiful, eventually end.
Two days later, the bubble burst.
We were packing the last of our things when Dallas froze. His golden eyes glazed over, the tell-tale sign of a mind-link. The air around him shifted, growing heavier, charged with the static of command.
“Understood,” he said aloud, his voice stripped of the softness he reserved only for me. “Initiate the final phase, Duncan p>
The link severed, and his focus snapped back to me. “It’s time, Adella p>
A shiver that had nothing to do with the morning chill raced down my spine. “Time for what p>
“To rewrite the story p>
The ride back to the city in the black armored SUV felt like a descent from heaven into a war zone. The sprawling pine forests gave way to grey concrete and steel, the city skyline looming like a jagged row of teeth.
“Duncan has released the files,” Dallas said, breaking the tense silence. His hand rested on my knee — a warm, heavy weight grounding me. “Every piece of evidence regarding the Hyde Pack’s corruption, the embezzlement, and the circumstances of your parents’ deaths. It’s all public record now. The Council of Alphas has officially stripped the Hyde name of its rank p>
My breath hitched. “Everyone knows p>