Love's Fierce, Patient Embrace

he fog of my grief and shock. Before I could react, the powerful Alpha was shrugging off his impeccably tailored suit jacket. The fabric was

a stark contrast to the icy rain that had soaked me to the bone. It was more than just phy

ch up. I was abandoned, heartbroken, and now this strange

my back, a steady, grounding pressure. "You're freezing," he

d polished chrome, the air inside warm and dry. It was a sanctuary from the storm, both outside and within me. He slid int

ugh the glittering, rain-washed streets of Veridia until he pulled into the private underground garage of a sleek, modern skyscraper that pierced the clouds. This was Thorne Tower, the he

reathtaking panorama of the city below, a sea of lights against the dark, stormy sky. The entire place was the polar opposite of the

with a thick cashmere blanket. He draped it over me, his fingers brushing

tea," he said, hi

ncluttered, yet it didn't feel cold. A fire was roaring in a wide, modern fireplace, its flames casting a warm, dancing glow on the polished conc

, his fingers wrapping around mine for a second longer than ne

d, his silver gaze patient. And so, the story came pouring out of me. I told him everything. The anniversary dinner.

ears I'd held back for so long finally stre

very word I spoke. A quiet, simmering rage began to build in his eyes, a dangerous fire directed entirely at Mark. His jaw was

ff into a choked sob, he didn't say,

s a fragile burden to be pitied. He saw me as a treasure that had been discarded. In his silent, protective presence, I felt a cl

blanket, and for the first time in y

h the massive windows. The storm had passed. Julian was standing by the window, a mug in his han

almost imperceptible softening in

s lips felt different

ty of his protection, had settled in my bones. I knew what I had

gled hair out of my face

y family's lawyer, a man I hadn't spoken to in years. My ha

ered on the second ring, his

even to my own ears. "I need you to file for divorce from Alpha Mark. The

on the other end of the li

met Julian's intense silver gaze. He gave me a slow, deliberate nod of approval.

e. The final tie to my old life was cut. I had crossed the point of no return. There was no going back

tilted violently. A blackness crept in at the edges of my vision. The streng

ped, my hand fl

llap

catch me before I hit the floor. He swept me into his arms, holding me tigh

n it ha

ed. A blinding, ethereal light, silver and brilliant, poured from the stone, engulfing us b

ring heat on my skin,

d me, his body tense, his breath hitched. I pushed mys

ern of a crescent moon cradling a radiant star, etched onto my skin in shimmering silver li

e floor, buzzed violently. The screen lit up with an emergen

g in disbelief and dawning horror. He read the

awakened. They know. S