Chapter 134

ELIZA’S POV Every day since we had left the capital, Ryan had been healing. I saw it in the way he ran now—faster, lighter, with more confidence. His wolf was growing stronger, and the constant fear that once clouded his bright eyes was beginning to fade. He still woke from nightmares sometimes, clutching the blanket. But they were less frequent now. His appetite had returned, his coloring was better, and he was starting to smile more—real, open smiles that made my chest ache in the best and worst ways. We had our own little routine now. Mornings began with smiles from him as I cooked breakfast—eggs, pancakes, sometimes warm porridge with honey. Ryan always sat at the counter, kicking his feet and watching me. After we ate, we played. Sometimes it was coloring, sometimes building things with wooden blocks or chasing each other across the lawn. In the evenings, we walked through the woods together, hand in hand. That was peace. That was home. And yet… something still ached inside me. Al