AN:
As promised here is the chapterrrrrr. Please leave some comments along the way, especially silent readers. You have no idea how much your comments mean to me and make me feel like I'm doing something right if you're enjoying!💘

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His comforting scent swarmed me long before his voice did. I could feel him in the market. Right behind me but he couldn't see me. Murmuring out my voice until I'm pushing myself through the customers and visitors, I have to get away. I have to.

I can't take the sheer embarrassment.

Why does he want to talk to me? He said what he said for a reason.

I will never be good enough. Never.

When I loop around a building, I use my leg muscles to get away as quickly as I can. Spotting a bright green field ahead of me, if I move fast enough I'll be able to get away without him tracing me.

It's what we both need. Even though it's not what I want. I know it's for the best. I won't keep disappointing people if I stay away and isolate myself like I should have from the start. Like everyone has told me throughout my entire life.

I'm good for nothing. Pathetic. Useless.

I can still sense his scent but it's everywhere, it's the first time I've experienced it in weeks and my wolf is almost on its knees. But I pull myself away, this could end badly and I don't need the second heartbreak. I really could do without it right now.

When I proceed to the field, my heart thumping in my chest aggressively.

That's when I hear his voice again, loud and clear. "REIGN!"

I know a word can't tell a story but this one did. A story of hurt, of anger, of devastation. My feet stop against the dirt, too afraid to turn around but I can't run from him now. He's right here, right behind me.

My fingers grip onto one another and I pull at the knuckles. I can't turn around not just yet, I can hear his heavy breathing behind me but he's still a few metres away. No one else to be seen, it's just us. Alone.

With a shaky breath I turn around slowly, my eyes finding his from across the path. He looks tired but still so devastatingly breathtaking. Dark circles and tousled hair. His eyes take one look at me, my face, my body. Like he's checking to make sure that I'm okay and I'm not hurt.

The gesture sparks a fire in my body. The first time I've felt warmth in a while. Ever since I left, everything has been cold and lonely. But it was my choice to leave and I have to deal with the consequences, despite how depressed it made me feel.

He heaves out a shuddering breath. Neither of us say anything for a moment, instead we just take each other in. This moment hurts, it hurts so fucking much and this is what I wanted to avoid.

Tears are already building in the back of my eyes but I refuse to let them fall, my wolf cries and purrs knowing that we're close with our mate again. Begging me to move closer to touch him so it soothes her but I don't want to do that.

Not when my heart is crumbling in my chest when I repeat everything he said in my mind.

"Why did you leave, Reign?" His voice is gravelly and uneven. "I know I upset you but for you to leave without a single word?"

I purse my lips and glance away. My chest constricts and I hate that the bond has this hold over me, even Everett's voice. It's too much and now I'm going to have to start building up my confidence all over again.

He takes a tiny step closer, eyes pleading with betrayal and pain. "Did I not mean anything to you?"

My teeth grit down into my jaw, turning my eyes back to his with a new blazing fury.

"You meant everything to me."

Everett blinks at my tone. I can feel the ground shake beneath me from the hatred of everything inside. He has no idea how I felt. How I still feel knowing what he thinks of me.

Never good enough. Never good enough. Never good enough.

When he doesn't say anything right away, I open my mouth to continue. "That's the problem. I am in love with you, Ev." The words slip from my lips before I have a chance to take them back but there's no point. I want him to know how much this has scarred me. "But you were never in love with me. You couldn't love someone like me."

Everett's eyes glass over with a new found emotion. "Says who?!" He takes another step, voice booming across the alley. "Who said I don't love you?"

My heart rattles at his intensity. Never have I seen him like this. Stripped back, showing me every part of him with only a couple of words. "It was obvious," I scoff and pray my tears don't fall. "The things you said about me. If you loved me, you wouldn't have been wishing I was different."

His eyes flutter shut in defeat, a hand pressing to his forehead. "What I said was wrong, I was being childish, naive and downright fucking stupid!" He's still shouting but not because he's angry at me, because he's angry at himself. His hand drops from his head and he stares me directly in the eyes. "But I love you, Reign. I have always loved you. I've loved you since the second you brought down your wall and you let me see the real you. The soft, gentle, fucking amazing side. Not this side you paint yourself as."

My lips begin to tremble painfully. I can't breathe. No. I can't breathe.

Everett looks distraught, broken. Blue eyes shattering into pieces. Chest trying to take control but it's too much for both of us. The air is so tense that we're both about to suffocate from the pain that we've been through.

He takes another step, finally lowering his voice. "Don't you dare doubt my love for you, Reign. You have no idea what I've gone through this past month without you."

My cheeks are coated with my tears, no longer able to hold them in. I hate crying. Everett has only seen me cry a couple of times. It makes me feel weak. But I'm not sure if I can convince myself I'm strong anymore, not in a situation like this.

Not when I feel like my heart has been cut open and my blood is coating the floor.

Everett's eyes dart to my tears and I quickly push them away, even though fresh ones are made seconds later. He moves even closer, now he's at arms length and he smells like home. My home.

His fingers twitch beside him, he's desperate to touch me and a part of me wants him to. Maybe it'll stop the fire that is destroying my heart or the thoughts that are destroying my mind. I don't even know what to think anymore.

"You can't run when things get tough, that isn't fair," he whispers.

I lower my head, his gaze becoming too much for me. "I felt worthless."

"You are not worthless," he says instantly. My hand raises to wipe away my tears before I can look at him again through glassy eyes.

"I thought you'd be better off without me. I'm prone to ruining people's lives."

Everett's eyes crumble, even his shoulders slump at my words. His brows pinch together like he's in pain and it makes me confused. "That is not true," he shakes his head vigorously. "That is something other people have convinced you of."

Have they? I frown. It's definitely me. It's always been me.

My lips purse and I glance down, wetness covering my cheeks and dripping off the edge of the jaw. Everett takes a step closer, closing the gap between us until his hand touches my cheek. I shiver under his touch. Still not being able to glance up.

"Reign," he whispers.

I shake my head. I can't do this. I can't.
He feels so good. Too good. I remember telling myself I shouldn't get used to that feeling and now I'm here, I'm back and I'm addicted. His touch is so intoxicating, I want it all the time but something like this could happen again.

He'll realise that this has all been a mistake and he shouldn't have come looking for me.

"Angel," he tries again. My eyes squeeze shut at the nickname. "Look at me. Please."

I continue to stare down. Silently sobbing as his other hand closes on my opposite cheek. "Reign," he murmurs gently. "I just want you to look at me."

My throat clenches and after a few seconds I flick my eyes up to meet his, his body standing over mine and holding my face between his warm palms. He moves his gaze from one eye to the other. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry for being a fucking dick and saying things I did not remotely mean. I'm sorry for not being patient enough with you. I'm sorry for not trying to understand you better."

He lowers his forehead to mine and closes his eyes shut. "I'm sorry that you never thought I loved you."

I open my lips and exhale a breath that I was tightly holding. Everett opens his eyes to hold my stare once again, the warmth of his body and his arms making me want to wrap myself up in them.
"Come home, Reign," he says sincerely. "Come home and let me take care of you. Let me make up for everything I've said."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" I find my voice.

Everett blinks in shock at my question. Then he nods his head, flicking his thumb across my cheekbone to brush away my tears. "That's the only thing I want." His voice is hoarse, desperate. "I don't want to sleep another night alone without you, angel. Please just come home. We can talk everything through when you've had a good meal, washed and changed your clothes."

I stare back into his pleading eyes. My wolf can feel his emotions. So fucking raw and painful. It hurts to accept, it hurts to look at him. So I close my eyes and rest my forehead into his with a small amount of pressure. "I'm scared," I whisper truthfully.

"Of what, angel?"

My heart clenches and I'm sure my body stops functioning.

"Tell me what you're scared of. Let me fix this. Please."

"I don't want you to make a mistake," I whisper so quietly I can barely hear my own voice.

Everett pulls his forehead from mine and tilts my chin instead, my eyes open to look at him. "You will never be a mistake, Reign. Never. Living without you will be the biggest mistake I could ever make. I get that you might not trust what I say after what you heard but I love you for you. Nothing is going to destroy our relationship, nothing."

I chew on my lip and then release a soft sigh. "I was trying. I was trying so hard."

He crumbles at my words. "I know, angel. I know."

My eyes close again. Everything inside me is about to burst and there will be nothing left of my body. "Let me take you home," he tries again. "Let me feed you and wash you. Then you can shout, scream, cry at me. Anything you need to get out your anger. And I'll tell you how much I fucking love you, how much I need you in my life. Without you I am nothing, I am a mess and I can't do another day without you by my side."

I've never heard the word love so much in my life before. It sends shivers down my spine and goosebumps across my arms. "Okay," I whisper. "I'll come home."

Everett's expression changes when I glance at him, one of relief. He wraps his arms around me, cradling the back of my head into his chest. I inhale deeply, placing my hands against his back tightly.

My eyes water because he smells so good. He feels so good. Better than good, everything is divine. But inside I'm still cautious, weary. "I got you," he murmurs into my hair. "And I'm going to spend however long it takes making it up to you. I will earn your trust."

I relax into his arms once more. He kisses the top of my head until I calm down my breathing and my wolf purrs inside me. She's happy. She's content.

Maybe it's my turn next. Things might be different this time.

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Read the rest of the book and bonus chapters on Patreon! You can also read the first 33 chapters of Milo's book.

www.patreon.com/dreammcatcher
Link is also in bio!

Author's Note

WHO IS SOBBING WHO IS SCREAMING🥺😭🥺😭

What did you guys think?👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼

I personally think this is the apology of the century. Everett admitting how wrong he is, how ignorant he was being to her feelings. He truly means every word and is so deeply in love with Reign❤️

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