Chapter 104: Chapter 104

JONEA

I sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling the warmth of Daran’s chest that had been my resting place moments ago. Now, I’d put a small distance between us. My heart was full of questions, but I didn’t know where to start.

“So all this time, you thought I was afraid of you?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Daran turned toward me, his dark eyes filled with doubt. “Isn’t that true?” he replied. “For humans and other creatures—especially werewolves—my kind is terrifying. That’s why they’re always trying to kill or get rid of lycans like me.”

I shook my head softly, my heart heavy from his words. There was sadness he didn’t show, but I could feel it. His dark eyes carried a loneliness that made me hesitate to touch him, even though I wanted to.

“No,” I said firmly, though my voice wavered slightly. “You’re not scary at all.”

Daran raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Oh? Is that so?”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Actually, you’re… too handsome. It makes it hard to look away from you,” I admitted hesitantly, fearing he’d misunderstand my words. Maybe he’d think I wasn’t afraid because I was bewitched by his appearance. But that wasn’t it at all.

Daran stared at me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he pulled me gently but firmly onto his lap.

I gasped, startled, but I didn’t resist. We were so close I could feel his breath on my face. We locked eyes, the silence between us brimming with unspoken meaning.

“You know, Jonea,” he finally said, “your words… make me want to trust you.”

I smiled faintly, though my chest felt heavy with emotions I couldn’t name. “Daran,” I said softly, “why did you disappear back then? It felt like you were saying goodbye for good. I… I searched everywhere for you….”

His gaze deepened, as if he was debating how much to tell me. Before he could respond, I pressed on. “I even thought you might be in the land of dragons, so I decided to follow you there.”

Daran let out a long sigh, lowering his head for a moment before looking at me again. “I didn’t mean to leave forever, Jonea,” he said gently. “There was something I had to take care of, something I couldn’t just walk away from.”

I frowned. His words sounded sincere, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t telling me everything. “Is that really true?” I asked, my voice tinged with doubt.

He nodded, though his eyes avoided mine. “Believe me, I never intended to leave you for good.”

I stayed silent, trying to process his words. But my heart wasn’t so easily convinced. Deep down, I felt like he had intended to leave me, even if he wouldn’t admit it outright.

I looked at him sharply, my voice barely above a whisper. “Then why does my heart keep telling me otherwise? That you wanted to go far away and never come back….”

*

DARAN

I watched Jonea as she slept in my lap. Her face looked so peaceful, innocent, and beautiful, like an angel finally resting after a long storm. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and lightly touching her cheek. Under the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the window, she looked so fragile yet strong at the same time.

At first, I really had intended to leave her, to walk away from all this for her own good. I wanted to tell her that, but the words stayed locked inside me. Not because I was a coward, but because I knew saying it out loud would destroy us both.

Jonea was human, and I… I was a monster in the form of a lycan. As long as she stayed near me, danger would always follow. Luke Draken, the threat of the blue dragons, and my old enemies, waiting for the right moment to strike. I thought the only way to keep Jonea safe was to stay away from her. I believed that if I left, she could return to her normal life—the life she deserved.

But I was wrong.

It was Owen who made me realize how foolish I’d been. He told me how Jonea had searched for me everywhere, tirelessly, even risking everything to look for me in the land of the blue dragons. When I heard that, it felt like my heart was being crushed. I thought leaving was the right choice, but all I’d done was make her suffer even more.

So I decided to come back.

Running away wasn’t the answer. If I truly wanted to protect Jonea, I had to stay by her side. No matter how great the risks, I would protect her with everything I had.

I looked down at her sleeping face. Her soft hair fell around her cheeks, and her steady breathing made it seem like she’d finally found some peace. I knew she must be exhausted, overwhelmed by all the emotions and fears she’d been carrying.

I whispered softly, my voice barely audible. “Jonea, I want to stop time and spend it all with you.”

My hand moved, brushing a few strands of hair from her forehead. “At first, I wanted you to return to your normal life,” I continued, even though she couldn’t hear me. “That’s why I left without a proper goodbye.”

My chest tightened as I remembered that moment. I turned my back on her, leaving without a word, thinking it was for the best. But now I knew leaving someone you love isn’t love—it’s stupidity.

“But now,” I said more firmly, “I want to be part of your ordinary future.”

I didn’t care if it meant fighting Luke Draken, facing the blue dragons, or challenging fate itself. As long as I could be by Jonea’s side, that was enough for me.

I shifted carefully, not wanting to wake her, and lay down beside her. She murmured softly in her sleep, then unconsciously turned and wrapped her arms around me.

I froze for a moment, surprised by her movement, but then allowed myself to relax into her warmth.

Her embrace was simple, yet it held a power I couldn’t explain. There was something comforting about it, something that made me feel accepted just as I was, even as the monster the world saw me to be.

I closed my eyes, letting myself sink into the moment.

For the first time in centuries, I fell asleep. In Jonea’s arms, I found a peace I hadn’t known I’d been searching for.

When the first rays of sunlight crept into the room, we were still tangled in each other’s embrace, as if the outside world no longer mattered.

A loud knock jolted us awake. My heart raced in panic, afraid someone in the house might find us like this.

“Jonea!” Owen’s voice rang out from the door. “I’m coming in, okay?”