Nova's POV

I swallowed hard as I watched Drystan break in front of me. The mighty man that I had always looked up to and relied on is now reduced to a quivering emotional wreck before my eyes.

I tentatively reached out, laying a gentle hand on his trembling shoulder, which was the only way that I could give him comfort as I desperately wished that I could take his pain away.

For so long, Drystan had always been the strong one. He became my rock, my fortress against the storms of life ever since my sister died. He locked all his emotions away in an impenetrable wall, but now that wall had crumbled, exposing the bitter devastation within.

My heart ached at the raw vulnerability that was etched across his features. He is the man I had always looked up to, the man who had always protected me and never once broke his composure.

I never thought that I would see Drystan get broken like this again. To see him so utterly shattered, so profoundly broken, shook me to the core.

Before, it was my sister who broke him into pieces like this. I prayed that he wouldn't get hurt like that again, but now he's hurting worse than the last time I saw him hurt.

"What am I going to do, Nova? What am I going to do?" The anguish in Drystan's voice sliced through my heart. His words, laced with despair, reverberated within me, igniting a deep well of empathy and concern. "What happened, Drystan?" I asked him as I gripped him tightly to comfort him from his tortured sobs.

"Astrid had a miscarriage," Drystan lifted his teary eyes to me as he answered my question.

I gasped in shock. My heart instantly ached for Astrid. We were all so excited to meet her unborn child in person, but that chance was taken away from us.

Drystan looked at me, willing me to say something that could lift his hopes. However, I was left utterly helpless as I faced him.

"I don't know what to do," Drystan choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "Astrid is dying. The Doctor said there's no hope for her to live."

Tears welled in my eyes when I heard his news. Astrid and I have just known each other for months, but I have already grown close to her. The news of her dying also made me crumble.

"Drystan," I murmured in a soothing voice. "I'm here. I'm right here with you,"

The words felt woefully inadequate, but I hoped that they would convey the depth of my concern. Even though I'm also hurting at the news, I willed myself to be strong for Drystan.

"When my mate... when she died, I..." he paused, swallowing hard as the memories threatened to overwhelm me. "I thought I would never recover. The pain was so unbearable, I... I didn't know how I would move on."

I lowered my gaze and pressed my lips together. It was the same with me. My sister was my whole life and soul. She was the one who raised me since my parents died early When she died, it felt like I lost everything.

I know it was the same with Drystan, too. A part of him was taken away when my sister died.

"And now, with Astrid..." Drystan's voice trembled, the fear palpable in his words. "If I lose her too, I... I don't know what will be left of me."

My eyes widened as I lifted my gaze to him. At that moment, I finally saw the truth that Drystan had kept so heavily guarded.

The love, the devotion, and the profound connection he shared with Astrid. It was more than just a cherished friendship - he was secretly in love with her! "Y-you," I stammered. "You like her?" my words came out in an unsure voice.

Drystan didn't answer me, but his next words confirmed my thoughts.

"Astrid... I can't lose her, Nova. I just can't." His voice cracked, the raw emotion leaving him vulnerable and exposed.

My heart constricted as Drystan's

words rang out, the weight sinking in with a profound realization. All this

time I was oblivious to the his

depth of his feelings towards Astrid

No wonder why he was so willing to have his reputation ruined and endanger his pack for her. No wonder why he is so broken right now. To him, this is like experiencing the death of his mate again, reliving all the trauma.

"Drystan," I murmured with a voice laced with empathy. "I'll always be here for you. We'll get through this together.

My words felt hollow even as I spoke them, for I knew that my own heart was divided. I wanted to console him, but deep down, I also yearned to have his love. That's right!

I've been secretly in love with my sister's mate.

I fell in love with him because of the kindness he showed me after my sister died. To him, I would always just be a younger sister in his eyes. He had never seen me as a woman.

I'm just a person he promised to take care of in his wife's stead.

I was a fool to fall in love with him. I'm a crazy fool to allow myself to fall for him.

I am stupid for getting hurt when I replace out that he is secretly in love with Astrid.

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