Chapter 237\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t push. I couldn\u2019t. Not when she was clearly struggling to keep her emotions from unraveling completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I shifted my fingers until they brushed hers barely there, just enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her breath hitched, but she didn\u2019t pull away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced myself up a little straighter and put my hand over hers. She took my hand, laced her fingers between mine, and held tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have checked on you,\u201d she said softly. \u201cTwo days ago, I had a vision of you getting hurt. It was different from the dreams and the memories, but I\u2026 I was afraid to talk to you about it. Afraid to reach out to you. If I had, maybe this wouldn\u2019t have happened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie,\u201d I said softly, squeezing her hand. \u201cThis is not your fault. Even if you had warned me that I was in danger, it wouldn\u2019t have changed what happened. I don\u2019t send my people into battle alone and I wouldn\u2019t have hesitated to help Cassian. You know that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at me with an almost desperate, seeking gaze. I could tell that she wanted to argue with what I\u2019d said, but she knew I was telling the truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had always gone into battle with my warriors. If I knew that there would be trouble, I was there. I wasn\u2019t the kind of leader who would send my people to face danger that I wasn\u2019t willing to face myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the decision to protect Cassian was instinctive, immediate. There wasn\u2019t even time to consider it, so knowing that it was coming wouldn\u2019t have stopped me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could explain all of that to her if I had to, but I saw the way her shoulder lowered just a fraction as she gave up the fight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt relieved and guilty to see how quickly the fight left her. I didn\u2019t want to fight with her, but I could see how heavily this was weighing on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want to worry you,\u201d I murmured. \u201cBut when Cassian sent word about the rogues\u2026 I knew it had to be Felicity. Or someone tied to her. I thought if I got there first I could stop it before anyone else was hurt. Keep them as close to the border as possible. Keep everyone safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did.\u201d Her voice was soft, almost reverent. \u201cYou saved Cassian.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave a faint nod, though my eyes didn\u2019t leave her face. \u201cThat\u2019s not who I meant.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air shifted \u2013 charged with something tangible. Her heartbeat picked up, and I could smell the subtle change in her scent, warm and bright and overwhelming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t turning away this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNolan\u2026\u201d she whispered, warning and want tangled together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled faintly, exhaustion pulling at me again. \u201cI\u2019m alive Ellie. You don\u2019t have to look at me like I\u2019m already halfway gone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t help it.\u201d Her voice cracked open, raw and honest. \u201cvery time things start to feel steady, something else happens. I don\u2019t know how many more close calls I can take\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to reach for her, pull her into my arms, tell her she wouldn\u2019t lose me tugged when I tried to lift my hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
not again, not ever\u00a0<\/p>\n
but the IV\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 237\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re stronger than you think,\u201d I murmured. \u201cYou always have been.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She blinked rapidly, her lashes wet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
A thick, quiet moment stretched between us too full of everything we weren\u2019t saying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Ellie took a careful breath. \u201cWhen you\u2019re recovered\u2026 want you to come stay with me and the boys.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a second, I wasn\u2019t sure I\u2019d heard her right. \u201cYou mean-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She nodded, eyes softening. \u201cYou won\u2019t be well enough to make the trip back to Silver Fang for a while and\u2026 I want you to get to know them. Really know them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emotion surged through me so powerfully my throat closed I swallowed hard, blinking against a sting I refused to give in to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie\u2026\u201d My voice cracked. \u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her smile was small but real \u00b7 the kind that hit harder than any blade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust rest for now,\u201d she said gently..\u201dWe\u2019ll talk more when you\u2019re stronger.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to say something else \u2013 anything else \u2013 but exhaustion pulled at me, heavy and irresistible. My eyes drifted shut, the darkness warm and soft this time instead of cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I slipped under, I felt Ellie\u2019s hand settle lightly over mine-steady, warm, grounding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for the first time in longer than I could remember\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sleep didn\u2019t feel like surrender.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt like peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 237 Chapter 237\u00a0 I didn\u2019t push. I couldn\u2019t. Not when she was clearly struggling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23806\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}