Nate didn’t respond to her after those words.

Aire still sat against the cold stone wall with chains around her wrists while Nate stood outside the bars looking.

He was being torn apart from inside, and neither of them moved.

The guards remained several feet away, pretending not to hear any of it.

Nate’s eyes stayed fixed on the restraints around her wrists. The iron had already reddened her skin.

His wolf reacted so violently to the sight. Claws of his wolf were beginning to drag beneath his ribs.

Aire looked away from him again.

Nate swallowed harshly. Without another word, he turned sharply toward the guards. "Give me the keys." He ordered.

The nearest guard with the keys froze immediately. "My Alpha..."

Nate’s eyes flicked toward him.

The guard immediately stopped speaking.

The second guard stepped forward uncertainly. "King Elijah ordered that she remain restrained." He tried to reason with Nate.

Nate held out his hand. "I said," he repeated quietly, "give me the keys."

No one moved for a second. Then slowly and reluctantly, the first guard reached toward his belt.

The sound of metal shifting echoed faintly through the dungeon.

Aire finally looked up again.

Nate took the keys without breaking eye contact with the guard.

"Leave us."

The guards hesitated.

Nate’s jaw tightened. "Now." He said, almost snapping out of patience.

That time, they obeyed immediately.

The dungeon door above opened moments later, then closed again, and silence returned in the dungeon.

Only the sound of dripping water remained.

Nate stood there for a moment with the keys clenched tightly in his hand.

Then finally, he stepped toward the cell. The lock shifted loudly as he opened the lock.

Aire’s entire body tensed instantly.

The gate creaked open and the moment Nate stepped fully inside the cell, Aire moved backward instinctively.

She feared he might hurt her.

Nate stopped moving immediately. His chest tightened so violently when she stepped back he almost couldn’t breathe.

Aire pressed herself further against the wall.

Her eyes stayed on him carefully now. She looked so guarded and at the same time, frightened.

Nate stared at her for a long moment before lowering his gaze. "Aire..." he began, then stopped.

His voice sounded rough and unsteady. He took another careful step toward her.

She flinched again.

Nate stopped immediately. The pain that crossed his face that time was impossible to hide.

"I’m not going to hurt you."

Aire took another step back. "You already did."

Nate closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they got darker. "I know. I want to make things right."

Aire stared at him silently.

Nate exhaled slowly through his nose before looking at her properly again.

"The sight of you here..." He stopped speaking for a second as though the words physically refused to come out cleanly. "It tears my heart apart."

Aire’s expression flickered faintly.

Nate looked at the chains again. "And your tears..." his voice lowered further. "I cannot bear them."

Aire’s throat tightened. What the hell was he speaking about? Has he ever had a heart?

Nate moved closer slowly this time.

Aire didn’t move away again, but her body remained tense.

Nate reached toward the restraints around her wrists slowly. His fingers brushed the iron first. His jaw flexed sharply at how cold the irons were.

He unlocked the first restraint.

The iron loosened immediately.

Aire inhaled softly at the sudden freedom.

Nate unlocked the second one next. The chains fell away heavily. For a second, neither of them moved.

Aire slowly lowered her wrists toward herself. The red marks around her wrist stood out painfully against her skin.

Nate stared at them.

His wolf reacted again, violently towards him.

Aire rubbed one wrist carefully before looking back up at him.

Nate stood directly in front of her now, close enough that she could see every detail in his face.

She saw exhaustion beneath his eyes, followed by regret and guilt.

Aire looked at him for another long second. Then suddenly, to his greatest surprise, she slapped him hard.

The sound cracked sharply through the dungeon.

Nate’s head turned slightly from the force, but he did not move away.

Aire’s breathing shook. "You turned me into this." She said through gritted teeth, as she held her wrist to herself. "You sent me down here."

She gave him another slap.

The back of her palm collided with his face this time. "You let them call me a monster."

The next slap landed even harder.

Nate took every single one without resistance, without lifting a hand, and without stepping away.

Aire’s eyes were filled with tears the more She slapped him.

Her hands trembled violently now after the sixth slap. "You almost killed me!" she cried, sniffing violently, as she held his gaze, furious.

She gave him another slap.

Nate shut his eyes briefly. The slaps didn’t hurt, but the pain from her hurt.

"You had your claws around my throat!" she screamed at him, and slapped him harder.

The next hit landed weaker, and she gave him another, and another.

Aire kept striking him until her breathing turned ragged, until her hands started shaking too hard, and until the skin across her knuckles reddened.

Nate stayed there through all of it. He took every ounce of her anger believing he deserved worse.

Aire finally hit him one last time before her strength gave out completely.

Her knees weakened beneath her, and Nate caught her instantly as she dropped to the floor.

His arms wrapped around her before she even fully slipped.

Aire whimpered, and let him hold her.

Nate lowered them both carefully toward the floor. He held her properly, with one arm wrapped securely around her waist while the other cradled the back of her head gently against his chest.

Aire froze for one brief second as the warmth of him surrounded her. His hold felt so solid, protective, and careful.

Nate’s hand moved slowly through her hair, tenderly. He was genuinely terrified she might reject his touch.

For the first time, he felt the spark between them, but had no time to acknowledge it, as this wasn’t a moment for tender affections. He had wronged her.

"You caused all of this," Aire whispered. Her voice cracked halfway through the sentence.

The fight had left her all at once. Now only exhaustion remained.

Nate lowered his head slightly toward hers. "I’m sorry, Aire."

Aire’s fingers curled weakly against his shirt. "You caused all of this," she repeated again, softer this time.

Nate closed his eyes. "I’m sorry." He apologized again without hesitation. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Aire trembled against him.

Nate held her tighter carefully, not enough to trap her but just enough to keep her together.

"I’ll make things right before you," he whispered against her hair. "I swear it."

Aire cried quietly then. The tears simply slipped out of her silently. She no longer had strength left to stop them.

Nate’s chest tightened painfully at every single one.

He rubbed slow circles against the back of her neck, gentle, and patient.

"I never wanted this for you."

Aire let out a weak laugh against his chest. "The least you could have done was tell me what the mark meant before you attacked me."

Nate had no defense against that. His fingers moved slowly through her hair again.

"I was afraid."

Aire frowned faintly against him.

Nate rested his cheek lightly against the top of her head. "I was afraid of losing control of what I felt for you knowing you’re a prophecy."

Aire’s breathing stilled slightly.

Nate continued quietly. "The mark terrified me because it made everything real."

His arm tightened around her gently.

"And instead of protecting you..." his voice roughened. "I became the first person to wound you."

Aire said nothing. But she also did not pull away.

Nate took that small mercy silently.

The dungeon remained cold around them, but inside his arms, Aire felt warm for the first time in days.

That realization hurt her more than she expected. She did not want comfort from him, not after everything.

And yet her exhausted body leaned into his warmth anyway.

Nate’s eyes closed briefly.

His wolf reacted instantly in relief.

Aire’s voice came out quietly after a while. "Am I going to die?"

Nate’s hand paused in her hair, then continued. "Before the gods and before you, I swear this. I will fix everything wrong." He carefully took her hand in his, and intertwined their fingers together. "No hand shall rise against you while I still draw breath. By crown, blood, and destiny, I promise you this."

Aire breath hitched in shock. She raised her face, to meet his eyes. She let out a shaky laugh, as if to appear untouched but his promise.

"That sounds very noble now."

Nate lowered his gaze, and held hers. "You’re allowed to hate me."

Aire stayed silent.

Nate exhaled slowly. "I would hate me too."

Aire’s fingers tightened faintly against his shirt. "I might have died if Alaric had never arrived."

Nate shut his eyes.

The memory sickened him now. "Aire..."

"No," she whispered. "You looked at me like you could fix the realm if you had killed me there."

Nate forced himself to answer honestly. "Aire..." he began, then exhaled deeply. "You are someone I could lose everything to."

Aire frowned faintly.

Nate stared down at her. "And that frightened me more than the prophecy ever did. I would never hurt you. From this moment forward."

Aire’s breathing slowed slightly.

The sincerity in his voice felt too real and too raw for her to handle.

Nate brushed a strand of hair carefully away from her face. His touch was impossibly gentle.

Aire hated that her body no longer flinched from it.

"I do not know how to fix this yet," Nate admitted quietly. "But I swear to you..." His voice hardened slightly beneath the softness. "I will not let them destroy you."

Aire looked up at him slowly then. For the first time since everything collapsed, she saw no regret in his eyes.

Aire looked away first. "You should have believed me."

Nate nodded once.

She went on, now staring at the cold floor. "I told you I didn’t understand what was happening."

Nate lowered his head.

Aire swallowed hard.

He gently lifted one of her hands. Her knuckles were red from hitting him. His thumb brushed over them carefully.

Aire watched the movement silently.

"You hurt yourself." he noticed. The tenderness in his voice almost made her angry again.

Nate’s mouth almost curved faintly. "You should hit me more."

Aire finally looked at him properly again. "You’re infuriating."

Nate stared at her quietly. "I was cruel." he said softly.