The ride back to Blackthorn Manor was silent, the night air thick with tension. Julia sat close to Alan in the pack's carriage, wrapped in a heavy cloak, her body still trembling from exhaustion and the remnants of numbness. She pressed her hands against her lap, eyes staring blankly at the window, lost in thought.
Alan sat beside her, his hand resting lightly on her thigh—not commanding, not claiming—but reassuring, letting her know she was not alone. The bond between them, once strained to the breaking point, hummed faintly, like a fragile thread of life still pulsing beneath their shared history.
The manor loomed in the distance, dark and imposing, its windows glowing faintly with lamplight. Blackthorn had always been a place of authority, of control, of fear. And now… it felt different. More like a cage for both of them. Yet Alan's presence made it bearable, or at least tolerable.
Inside the manor, guards bowed quickly as the carriage rolled into the courtyard. Their faces, pale with fear, avoided Julia's gaze. Even after everything, Alan's mate—though broken and numbed—was still untouchable in their eyes.
Alan helped her out of the carriage, supporting her weight gently. She didn't resist, though her body remained rigid, tense. He guided her through the grand halls, the echo of their footsteps bouncing off the stone walls. Silence followed them like a shadow.
When they reached Alan's chambers, he opened the door and gestured for her to rest. "Sit," he said softly. "Rest. You've been through… too much."
Julia nodded faintly, sinking onto the bed. The room smelled faintly of cedar and musk—the scent he always carried. It should have comforted her, but she remained tense, hands folded tightly on her lap, staring at the floor.
Alan knelt beside the bed, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face. "You're safe," he whispered. "I'll stay here as long as you need."
Julia didn't answer. She didn't need to. Alan understood. Her silence spoke volumes.
Before he could say more, a knock at the door interrupted the fragile moment. One of his closest guards stepped inside, urgency in his expression. "Alpha… Doctor Harlan is here. He says it's urgent."
Alan frowned, standing quickly. "What is it?"
The guard hesitated. "Your sister… Mary… she's awake from her coma. She's asking for you. She's… searching for you, Alpha."
Alan's chest tightened. Mary—his little sister, the one who had suffered because of the chaos he had allowed—was awake. Alive. And looking for him.
He glanced at Julia, kneeling beside her bed. Her gaze flicked up briefly, wary but still watchful. Alan pressed his hand gently against her shoulder. "I'll return soon," he said. "Rest. I need to see Mary."
Julia nodded, the smallest flicker of recognition in her eyes. Her hands relaxed just slightly as Alan rose to his feet.
He left the room quickly, the weight of urgency pressing him forward. Every step down the grand halls felt heavier than before, burdened with guilt, fear, and hope. Mary—his sister, his family—was alive after six long months. And she had chosen to wake, to fight, to survive.
The healer, Doctor Harlan, waited in the east wing with a small escort. His expression was grim but hopeful. "Alpha," he said quickly. "She's awake, coherent, and asking for you. She's… stronger than expected. But she needs you. Emotionally. She's frightened, confused."
Alan's jaw tightened. "Where is she?"
Harlan pointed toward a private room near the northern wing. "She's resting for now. But she refuses to speak to anyone but you. She insists on seeing you immediately."
Alan's chest ached with a mixture of guilt and relief. He had allowed Julia and Olivia to overshadow Mary's recovery, had let his anger and obsession blind him. And now… his sister, the one he had vowed to protect, was awake, waiting for him.
He moved swiftly down the corridor, each step filled with tension. His mind raced with worry. What would she say? What would she feel? Could he explain the months he had spent consumed by the chaos surrounding Julia and Olivia?
When he reached Mary's room, he paused outside the door. He could hear her soft breathing, steady but fragile. He took a deep breath, remembering the girl who had once followed him everywhere, laughing, curious, full of life. Now she was different—stronger, wary, and changed by pain and silence.
"Mary," he whispered, voice catching. "It's me… Alan."
The door opened slowly, and Mary turned toward him. Her eyes, though weak from her long coma, immediately recognized him. Relief and joy battled with caution and fear in her gaze.
"Alan…" she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. "You're here. You… you came."
Alan stepped closer, kneeling beside her bed, hands outstretched but not touching until she allowed him. "I promised I would always be here, Mary," he said softly. "I failed you in many ways, but I'm here now. Always."
Tears welled in her eyes, and she grasped his hands. "I… I was so scared. Six months… I thought I'd never see you again. Everything… everything changed while I was asleep."
Alan pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I know. I know. And I will fix what I can. I will protect you. I promise."
Mary rested her head against his shoulder, her small body shaking slightly. "I… I need you, Alan."
He held her tighter, silently vowing to never let his family suffer again. The storm of the past weeks—the betrayals, the grief, the obsession with Julia—still raged in his chest, but for this moment, he focused only on her. His sister. Alive. Breathing. Fighting.
Yet even as he held Mary, a thread of worry tugged at him. Julia… his Luna, his mate… rested in his chambers. Fragile. Numb. Broken. He could not allow anything to happen to her, not now.
He straightened slightly, voice steady, yet low and filled with determination. "Mary… rest for now. I need you to regain your strength. I will stay close, but there are matters I must attend to as well. You've been through enough."
Mary nodded weakly, trusting him. Alan gave her one last comforting squeeze, then released her hands, standing tall. The Alpha, feared by all, was caught between the pieces of his fractured world: a sister awakened from darkness, a mate broken by loss, and the chaos left behind by Olivia's schemes.
He took a deep breath, letting the tension flood through him, and then moved toward the hall leading back to Julia's room. Every step was purposeful. Every heartbeat echoed with one truth: he would protect what remained of his family. He would heal the broken bonds. And he would reclaim his Luna—patiently, fiercely, and without a single misstep this time.
Because he had learned the hard way that losing her… losing Julia… was no longer an option.