Chapter 306
Clementine:
I wasn’t sure what came over me or what made me call him that name, but the moment I did, it felt like a small shock ran through him.
As if my voice had triggered something inside him.
That’s when I knew it was him. My mate.
“Ian, watch out!” I screamed as the ogre charged from behind him.
Ian broke away from me and swung his massive claw, grabbing the ogre by the neck.
He slammed it to the ground, tearing the earth open beneath it.
I panicked even more watching him. He didn’t look like a wolf anymore, more like a mix of a wolf and a jaguar.
The way he moved, the way he tore the ogres apart, limb by limb, was terrifying.
He was too strong, so strong that the entire building started to shake and crumble around us.
I closed my eyes and let him finish.
He was more violent than all of us combined when we fought the monsters.
Then silence hit.
Before I could open my eyes, I felt arms, thick, furry arms, wrapping around me.
I gasped and opened my eyes to see Ian holding me close.
The debris from the collapsing roof was falling on him instead of me.
He kept me safe, shielding me completely as he carried me through the ruins and out of the school.
Once we were outside, he kept running until we were far away.
I could feel his heartbeat slowing, his body shifting back.
When he finally stopped, he set me down and dropped to his knees.
His wolf form began to fade, his human side breaking through.
He coughed hard as his body changed, until the crawling beast turned into a crawling man, wearing nothing but black shorts.
“Ian,” I breathed, not even giving him a moment to rest before throwing myself at him.
He turned to me, bracing himself with one hand on the ground.
With the other, he pulled me close.
I held him so tightly he fell onto his back, laughing under his breath.
“I guess you missed me,” Ian said. His voice was calm and gentle.
I pulled away from the hug and looked at him.
I was still lying on top of him while he rested on his elbows, keeping his upper body lifted from the ground.
He was looking at me with those beautiful eyes of his.
“So similar, yet so different,” I murmured, gently running my finger along his cheek, touching his face as if to make sure he was really there.
“From the beginning, I knew you’d be the one to notice when I am replaced,” he replied, his tone serious but full of emotion.
I cupped his face in my hands and leaned in to kiss him softly.
I felt his body freeze for a second. When I pulled back, I saw the shock in his eyes.
I had never touched someone and seen that kind of look before, a mix of happiness and disbelief, like he’d finally gotten something he’d wanted for a long time.
Seeing that look made me feel special again, after being treated like nothing for days.
“Wow. If I knew you’d kiss me, I would’ve given myself up to my brother a long time ago,” he joked.
As soon as he said that, I frowned.
“No. You’re never handing yourself over to anyone again. I won’t allow it,” I said firmly.
He smiled and placed his hand over my elbow, sliding it down to hold my wrist.
I opened my hand, and he took the pendant from it.
“This is my mother’s pendant,” I said, still lying on top of him.
He didn’t seem to want me to move, either.
He lifted the pendant into the air, then lay back with his arms spread out.
I sat on his stomach, my legs apart, hands resting on him, just watching.
I hadn’t realized having him back would feel this good.
He lay there like a giant beast for a few seconds before sitting up.
His sharp features made me blush and climb off him.
He turned around and crawled on all fours toward a nearby tree where his uniform was lying.
He sat beside it, searching through the pockets until he pulled something out.
I tilted my head, confused.
The world seemed to stop when he turned around and crawled back to me, stopping right in front of me.
His abs looked incredible, but it was the thing in his hand that caught my attention.
“What’s this?” I asked as he held out an album.
I snatched it from his hands and opened it quickly, flipping through the pages as tears filled my eyes.
“How did you get these?” I whispered, crying as I looked at photo after photo of my mother and little brother.
“I got them for you,” he explained softly. “They’re from different times, one from the hospital when your mother gave birth, and others from events throughout her life. It turns out everyone lied to you. Every pack member who had ever crossed paths with your mother, or attended an event where she was present, had her in the background of their photos. I just had them enhanced, and here you go. I’m sorry for tearing up the pictures of your family p>
My body froze. My hands started to tremble, and he reached out to steady them.
“That’s why you didn’t give me a chance,” he said quietly. “I tore and ruined a few of your family’s photos, and now I’ve brought you a whole album. Will you forgive me p>
I looked up at him, then set the pendant and the album aside.
“All is forgiven, Ian. I forgave you the day I found out your brother had taken you from me,” I said.
My lips trembled as I saw the shock on his face.
I hadn’t believed him when he said he wouldn’t chase after me.
What he had done was something even the others hadn’t done.
They thought a simple apology would be enough for me to accept them back into my life and give them another chance.
But Ian had actually redeemed himself and proved he was the only one who deserved a chance.
I threw my arms around him again, hugging him tightly.
I held him so hard I thought one of us might break.
He hugged me back just as tightly, then rolled us over and pressed his lips against mine.