Chapter192:Carry You Home

|| Lilac’s POV || Alaric didn’t speak as he lifted me into his arms, his grip firm yet reverent, as if I were something fragile and sacred all at once. The moment his chest pressed against mine, the dam inside me cracked. Tears I’d held back for weeks spilled over, soaking into the fabric of his torn shirt. He smelled of pine and blood and exhaustion, but beneath it all— home. His arms tightened around me as he carried me through the silent halls, his heartbeat a steady drum against my ear. The packhouse faded behind us, the night air cool against my heated skin. "You’re shaking," he murmured into my hair. I curled my fingers into his collar. "I thought you would never come back." His steps faltered. A ragged breath escaped him, his voice rough as gravel. "I will always come back to you." The door to our house creaked open, the scent of lavender and old books wrapping around us. Alaric didn’t set me down. Not when he kicked the door shut behind us. Not when he crossed the living room.