Five days had inched by before I knew it.

Surprisingly, I wasn't as bored as I imagined myself to be, and the credit would have to go to my little support group– Reece, Alma, Beta Conrad, and his mate, Cecilia– who had taken it upon themselves to visit whenever they could with the latest news and bring me meals so I didn't starve to death.

Apart from their familiar faces every day, several pack members, who had not been present when I was convicted, came to greet me and pay their respects which I appreciated tremendously.

At least they had the guts to look me in the face, unlike a certain Alpha.

I glanced at the blanket that was laying in a heap by my feet and exhaled deeply, blowing a strand of hair away from my face.

The morning I found the blanket, it was laying on the floor, and my gut immediately alarmed me that the large gray woolen cloth belonged to Alrik. Reece confirmed my hypothesis when she stared at the blanket in complete disbelief before offering to wrap it around me again.

I had refused and told her, "If he wants me to wear that blanket, he better come put it on me himself."

And that he did.

Every night since then, Alrik waited until I was asleep to come and shield my body once more so the bitter winds of the night wouldn't bother me.

But as much as I appreciated the gesture, I did not want him to avoid me any more, hence why I was wide awake at two in the morning, waiting impatiently for a certain werewolf to turn the corner.

And luckily, I didn't have to wait long at all.

His wolf sprinted around the corner excitedly as if he had been anticipating the moment for a long time. But as soon as his eyes landed on my face, he skidded to a stop and stared at me like a wolf in the headlights.

Someone was clearly expecting me to be knocked out.

I raised an eyebrow as he took a step back hesitantly like he was waiting for me to bark at him for coming. As he scrambled to turn around and run back, I cleared my throat loudly, causing him to freeze with his paw in mid-air.

"You're going to leave without even saying hello?"

It was silent for a brief moment.

I was about to call for him again when he slowly circled around and padded over to me with caution, studying my reaction for any sort of animosity. My facial expression remained neutral because I did not intend to scare him away, and Alrik appeared to take that as a good sign.

He climbed the wooden platform and picked the blanket up with his muzzle before getting on his hind legs to nudge it around my shoulders. His velvety muzzle grazed my skin, and his coarse fur tickled my neck as he sniffed me and let out a soft growl of satisfaction.

"Alrik," I whispered, basking in the warmth he emitted. It was like hugging a teddy bear with thick, rough hair that softened as you dug your fingers into it and cuddled it close.

Suddenly, his body shuddered against me, and before I could understand what was happening, Alrik stood before me stark naked as he shifted back from his wolf form.

My eyes widened as I took in his disheveled appearance– the bloodshot eyes and the dark bags underneath them, the ruffled hair that stuck up in every direction, and the unshaven five o'clock shadow on his face.

My gaze fell to his arms that were resting by his side, and I realized there was a bandage wrapped around the elbow tightly.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Alrik, why is there–"

My question was lost as he raised his callused hands and cupped my face gently. His thumbs stroked my cheeks, and he took my shocked silence as an opportunity to lean forward and press his smooth, cool lips against my forehead.

No words were needed, and the intensity in the kiss itself was enough to knock the air from my lungs and leave me gasping for air.

In the simplest movements, he managed to convey the most complicated messages.

The tremors that racked his frame were the sign that he was barely holding himself together.

He had been grasping everything he knew by the fingertips, with the hopes that the little hold he had would be enough to pull him up back up onto the safety of his ledge. He had been terrified that if he let go of the branches of his beliefs, he would plummet to the pits of insanity, defeat, and isolation.

His fear had blinded him from his surroundings.

He had not noticed that there was a wire holding him up, that his heart kept him suspended even if his mind didn't. The arms of his pack was the safety cushion beneath him, and if he allowed himself to swing across on the whims of his heart, I would be there to catch him on the other side of this canyon.

For the longest time, the question had been how long would it take for him to realize this?

And tonight, he answered with his lips pressed against my forehead.

This kiss was a promise that he was letting go, slowly but surely.

A promise that he would swing across.

And a plea that I would wait a little longer.

My eyes fluttered open, and I arched my neck a little so I could lean my forehead against his. His eyes were squeezed shut, but he tugged my face closer anyway like the close proximity was comforting him like it did me.

And after a few moments, he released me slowly, pecked my forehead once more, and sprinted off into the darkness before I could even say anything.

***

I trudged my way toward the punishing grounds, cursing under my breath as I noticed the dark clouds creeping across the afternoon skies.

The last thing we needed was a thunderstorm while Jaslynn was still hanging on.

That woman had the determination of a thousand minotaurs, and it was scary but admirable. Even though five days had passed, her hope that Alrik would come break her chains hadn't faded one bit.

She believed in him, and if she did, I did too because she clearly saw the potential that I had failed to see for years.

I turned the corner and expected to see her bright smile greet me, but all I saw was Jefferson's body blocking my view as he stood in front of her with his back facing me.

"Jefferson," I called warily, narrowing my eyes as I noticed his tense posture.

He didn't show any sign that he heard my call so I quickened my steps toward them, feeling a sense of unease crawls up my spine. When I was a few steps away from the platform, I called his name again but to no avail.

With a loud growl, I gripped his shoulder and yanked him back with the intention of yelling at him only to realize something was odd.

His canines were out, his eyes were dilated, and he was breathing heavily as if he was holding himself back from shifting.

My head snapped to Jaslynn, and I gasped realization as my eyes traced her limp body and her face that was glistening with sweat and contorted in pain.

Jaslynn was in her heat.