Rosalie:
I truly had nothing to pack.
That realization should have hurt less by now, but it still left a hollow ache inside my chest as I stood outside Eiden’s villa beneath the cloudy afternoon sky and watched the driver load carton after carton into the black SUV.
The weather had remained gloomy since last night. Dark clouds stretched endlessly above the mountains and forests surrounding the villa while cold wind swept through the trees, carrying the scent of rain and damp earth. Somewhere nearby, wind chimes hanging beneath the porch roof swayed softly, their delicate sound blending with the rustling leaves.
I tightened my hold on the cardigan wrapped around me and stared at the growing pile of bags being carefully arranged inside the vehicle.
There were way too many, and I didn’t even have anything to bring along.
My brows slowly furrowed in confusion. I turned toward Aria, who stood nearby holding a clipboard while supervising the poor driver currently struggling with another large carton. "What exactly is all this?" I asked in genuine shock.
Before Aria could answer, a soft familiar voice spoke from behind me.
"I got them for you."
My heartbeat instantly stumbled. I turned around so quickly that the loose strands of my hair whipped across my cheek with the wind.
Eiden stood only a few steps away. And just seeing him made something inside me react violently. The mate bond stirred awake immediately, wrapping around my chest so tightly that for one dizzy moment I forgot how to breathe properly.
He looked exactly the same as always - calm, composed, breathtakingly beautiful beneath the gray sky. His silver hair moved lightly with the wind while the pale blue robe-like outer layer he wore fluttered softly around him.
And somehow, despite the dark weather surrounding us, he still felt warm. Like safety.
Aria lowered her head respectfully toward him before excusing herself quietly, leaving the two of us standing there alone near the car.
My stupid heart only started beating harder.
Eiden walked closer, stopping beside me as his gaze briefly shifted toward the cartons already filling the vehicle. "There are some daily necessities inside," he explained casually.
I blinked at him before looking back toward the car again. Some? There was enough luggage there to make it seem like I was moving across countries instead of to another house inside the same pack territory.
My throat tightened painfully as I turned back toward him slowly. "Eiden..." My voice came out softer than intended. "I’m already grateful enough for everything you have done for me."
And I meant it.
How could I not be grateful?
He saved my life, healed me, protected me, and gave me shelter when I had nowhere else to go. No one had ever been so nice to me before without expecting something in return.
"No one should do this much for me," I whispered quietly. "I can’t keep accepting more help from you."
Because eventually kindness always became exhausting. Eventually people always realized I wasn’t worth the trouble. And then came disappointment, or abandonment, or betrayal.
Sometimes all three.
The familiar ugly feeling rose inside my chest again. The one that always reminded me what I truly was. A burden.
"I just..." I lowered my eyes briefly. "It makes me feel like a burden."
The words had barely left my mouth when warm fingers suddenly touched my chin, and I completely froze. My breath caught so sharply it almost hurt.
Eiden gently tilted my face upward between his thumb and forefinger until I had no choice but to look directly into his eyes - blue, deep, beautiful, and dangerously soft. For one suspended heartbeat, the entire world disappeared around me. And all I could feel was his touch.
Warmth exploded through the mate bond intensely. My pulse raced wildly while something deep inside me desperately leaned toward him, craving more contact, more closeness, more him. And judging by the way his own breathing seemed to slow for half a second, I wasn’t the only one affected.
Eiden slowly removed his hand. Too slowly. His fingers lingered against my skin for the briefest moment before slipping away entirely, and the sudden loss of contact made something inside me ache immediately.
My body nearly moved after him on instinct, but I caught myself just in time. Though barely.
Then I noticed something dark flash briefly through Eiden’s blue eyes. It didn’t seem like anger or irritation, but something far more dangerous. It appeared only for a second before disappearing completely, leaving me wondering if I had imagined it.
His gaze shifted away from me briefly toward the dirt road leading out of the property, almost as if he needed that tiny moment to collect himself. Then he looked back at me again.
"Stop looking at yourself in such a bad light, Rosalie."
His words were firm, almost strict. But his voice remained soft enough that it wrapped around me gently instead of hurting.
I stared at him silently.
The wind blew strands of silver hair across his forehead as he continued quietly, "You are far stronger than you give yourself credit for."
My chest tightened painfully. Strong? No one had ever called me that before, not even once in my entire life. I had always been seen as someone weak, fragile, pathetic, and a burden.
Those were the words I knew. Not strong. Not fighter. Yet Eiden looked at me as if he genuinely believed what he was saying.
"As for being a burden..." His gaze softened further. "I didn’t feel even an ounce of burden while looking after you."
Something inside me cracked apart at those words. My eyes burned instantly, but I looked away quickly before the tears gathered there could fall. Because he said it so naturally and sincerely. As if caring for me had never been difficult, as if saving me hadn’t ruined his peaceful life, as if I mattered enough to be worth the trouble.
No one had ever looked at me like that before. Not even the men I once believed loved me.
A soft smile curved Eiden’s lips then - that warm signature smile that somehow always made my restless heart quiet down.
"Look for me," he said gently, "If you ever need anything." Then after the slightest pause, he added softly, "... or anyone."
The meaning behind those words settled heavily between us. My heartbeat became unbearably loud. And slowly, I just nodded since I didn’t trust my voice enough to speak.
Right at that moment, Aria returned toward us from the vehicle and announced brightly, "Everything’s ready."
The knot inside my chest tightened instantly as the realization hit me with terrifying clarity - I didn’t want to leave.
This place had become safe to me. Eiden had become safe to me. And the mate bond hated the idea of putting distance between us. It pulled at me desperately, urging me closer toward him instead of toward the waiting car.
But I forced the feelings down harshly. Because this wasn’t my home. And Eiden... he wasn’t mine either.
So I lowered my head politely despite the ache growing inside my chest. "Thank you," I whispered one last time.
Then before my emotions could betray me further, I turned away and walked toward the SUV. I could physically feel Eiden’s gaze following me the entire time.
Aria climbed into the seat beside me while the driver shut the storage compartment and moved toward the front of the vehicle.
The engine started moments later.
I kept my eyes lowered stubbornly as the car began moving down the dirt road leading away from the villa. I refused to turn around because I knew if I looked back at him standing there, I might not want to leave at all.
But then my gaze accidentally lifted toward the rearview mirror. And there he was, standing alone beneath the dark sky, watching the car disappear.
The distance blurred him slightly, yet somehow I still caught the expression in his eyes clearly enough to make my breath falter.
Longing... and pain.
The sight hit me so unexpectedly that my chest physically hurt. Because for the very first time since finding the mate bond, I realized I wasn’t the only one struggling to let go.