Chapter 453:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

Gemma’s voice softened. “Now you’re here. You’re the Dark Alpha King. Your mate is already our Luna. The bond has been completed. The curse is gone. Do you honestly think these people will simply watch you walk away again?”

Nero looked toward the window. “They don’t need me,” he said quietly.

Gemma laughed without humor. “That’s what your father said without saying it. He thought the Free Lands would survive without him. They did. But surviving isn’t the same as being cared for.”

Nero didn’t answer.

Gemma turned to me. “And you.”

I blinked. “Me?”

“You are already their Luna.”

Parrot immediately puffed up inside me. That’s right.

I almost smiled.

Gemma took my hands. “You trained here. You lived here. You fought beside these people. They watched you grow stronger. They watched you find your mate. They celebrated when that curse finally broke. You aren’t a stranger to them anymore.” Her fingers tightened around mine. “You could stay.”

I swallowed. The thought was tempting, but only for a second. Then I looked at Nero. His face was tired, truly tired, with an exhaustion that reached deeper than his muscles.

N𝘦w 𝘤𝘩𝗮𝗽𝘁𝖾r𝘀 е𝗏er𝗒 𝗐𝗲еk о𝗻 𝘨𝖺𝗅𝘯o𝗏𝘦𝗹𝗌.с𝗼𝗺

He looked at me. “You could stay,” he said.

My heart sank. “Nero… you’re asking me to stay without you?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m asking you to choose what you want. If this is where you want to be, I won’t stop you.” He reached for my hand. “But I’m leaving.”

My chest tightened.

“I have a kingdom waiting for me. Kade has been carrying everything alone. My armies are preparing for war. The Chimera isn’t going to wait because I finally broke a curse.” He squeezed my fingers. “And I am tired of fighting battles in places where I don’t belong.” His eyes moved toward the window again. “I want to go home.”

There was no anger in his voice, only exhaustion.

“I won’t repay my father’s promises by sacrificing my own life,” he continued. “And I won’t force Remi to stay here because he abandoned these people.”

Gemma looked at me.

Nero stood slowly. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”

“Nero…”

He touched my cheek. “I need to rest.” His thumb brushed my skin before he turned toward the stairs. “Don’t take too long,” he murmured. “I’ll be in your room.”

I watched him disappear. The moment his footsteps faded, Gemma sighed. “You understand why I’m asking?”

I nodded. “I do.”

“He’s all these people have left of Draven.” Gemma’s eyes filled with sadness. She sat down, still holding my hands. “I just don’t want to lose you too.”

Something inside me softened. I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her. “You’re not losing me.”

She hugged me tightly. “Promise me you’ll leave tomorrow, and not before.”

I closed my eyes. “Yes.”

She pulled back and looked at me. “Then don’t make tonight another argument.”

I smiled faintly. “What do you want to do?”

She wiped beneath one eye and laughed softly. “Spend our last moments together.”

“I’ll cook.”

Her expression changed immediately. “You?”

I laughed. “What?”

“You haven’t cooked since you’ve been here.”

“Exactly. I haven’t cooked in a while.”

Gemma smiled for the first time. “Then come on.”

.

.

.