Shadows Of The Pack (Aria and Knox)

Chapter Ninety Six: Whispers in the Void

JB had settled into a quiet vigil by his mother's bedside, the room filled with the soft murmur of his

thoughts and the gentle rise and fall of her chest. But then, as if a whisper from a dream, he heard a

voice—the voice he had longed to hear more than anything in the world.

"A frown has never been a good look on your handsome face."

JB's eyes widened, his heart leaping within his chest as he turned to look at his mother. There, lying in

the bed, her eyes half-lidded but filled with warmth, was Lilian. A small smile graced her lips, and for a

moment, all the air seemed to have been sucked from the room.

"M-Mom?" JB stammered, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. His voice trembled as he

whispered, "Is it really you?"

Lilian's smile widened as much as the pain would allow. "It's me, JB," she replied, her voice raspy but

filled with love. "I missed you too."

Tears welled up in JB's eyes as he lunged off his chair, not caring about the tears streaming down his

face. He wrapped his arms around his mother, pulling her into a tight, heartfelt embrace. "I can't believe

you're back," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I was so scared, so lost without you."

Lilian hugged her son as tightly as her weakened state allowed, a soft groan escaping her lips due to

the pain she still felt from the loss of her mate. "I'm so sorry, JB," she murmured, her voice trembling. "I

never wanted to leave you alone like that. But I couldn't fight it any longer."

JB pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers with a mixture of relief and anguish. "What happened, Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Mom? What kept you asleep for so long?"

Lilian's gaze turned distant as she recounted her experience, her words laced with sadness. "It was like

I was trapped in a never-ending dream, JB. I saw him, your father, and he was calling out to me. I

wanted to go to him, but something held me back. It was as if our bond was shattered, and I couldn't

reach him."

JB's brow furrowed with concern as he listened to his mother's words. "Is Dad...?"

Lilian nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I felt his presence fading away, like a distant echo. It

was agony, JB, to lose him like that. But I knew I had to hold on, for you."

JB wiped away his own tears, his heart aching for his parents and the pain they had endured. "I’m

really sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to make him stay. Strong enough to keep him alive."

Lilian tightened her hands around him as a single tear escaped her eyes, “Don’t you ever blame

yourself for what happened. You tried my love. We all did.”

“I know but I’m still so sorry that he is gone.”

Lilian's smile held a glimmer of hope as she squeezed her son's hand. "I know we, JB.But we are still

here and we have love. Love has a way of bridging even the greatest of divides. We will be fine, I

promise you."

*****************

Aria paced the room, her thoughts a swirling tempest of emotions. The past month had been a

tumultuous journey, filled with moments of despair and hope. The miraculous healing of Ryder had left

her in awe, the unseen power of their unborn pup a testament to the strength of their bond. But now, as

the celestial eclipse loomed on the horizon, a cloud of uncertainty hung over her.

Knox approached her from behind. His presence alone calmed the restless stirrings of her wolf. His

hand found its place on her waist, pulling her gently into his embrace. She leaned into him, her eyes

closing as his lips brushed the nape of her neck. The sensation sent a shiver down her spine, and she

let out a contented sigh.

"What's on your mind, my love?" Knox's voice was a soothing rumble against her ear.

Aria turned in his arms, gazing into his eyes with a mixture of affection and trepidation. "It's the pup,"

she confessed in a hushed tone. "With everything that's happening—the celestial eclipse, the dangers

we face—I can't help but worry."

Knox's expression softened as he cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away the worry etched on her

face. "You don't have to carry this burden alone, Aria. We're in this together, and I promise you, I won't

let anything happen to any of you."

Aria's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she leaned into his touch, a profound gratitude filling her

heart. "I know you will, Knox. Your love and protection mean the world to me."

He kissed her forehead gently, his arms wrapping around her in a protective embrace. "And I'll protect

our pup, too. With my last breath, if need be."

Aria's fingers traced gentle patterns on Knox's chest as she nestled into his embrace, her worry slowly

dissipating in the warmth of his presence. "You shouldn't say things like that," she murmured, her voice

soft but earnest. "I don't want anyone to die, Knox. We've already been through so much with Ryder."

Knox met her gaze with a reassuring smile. "I don't want anyone to die either, Aria. But I need you to

know that I'm here to protect and to fight for our family, no matter what comes our way. I won't let

anything happen to you or our pup."

Aria sighed, her heart heavy with the weight of their responsibilities. "I know, Knox, and I'm grateful for

your strength and your love. I just wish we didn't have to face these challenges."

Knox nodded, his expression reflecting the gravity of their situation. "I wish that too, Aria. But we can't

change the path we're on. All we can do is face it together, with courage and determination."

A small, wistful smile tugged at Aria's lips. "You always know the right things to say, don't you?"

He chuckled, the sound rumbling against her ear. "Only when I'm talking to you."

They continued to hold each other in silence for a moment, finding solace in the quiet intimacy of their

bond. Aria's fingers idly played with the strands of his hair, and Knox pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

Then, Aria spoke, her voice filled with a touch of uncertainty. "You know, we still haven't decided on a

name for our pup. With all the chaos going on, it feels like we've put it off for too long."

Knox smiled, his eyes dancing with affection. "You're right. We should give our pup a name, something

meaningful."

Aria's brows furrowed in thought. "I want it to be a name that reflects the strength and love of our

family, a name that reminds our pup of the incredible bond they were born into."

Knox's fingers gently tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Then let's think about it together,

my love. We'll find the perfect name, one that embodies everything we stand for."

**************

In the void where Malachi roamed, there was no concept of space or time, no tangible ground beneath

his feet or sky overhead. It was a desolate and ever-shifting expanse of nothingness. A realm of eternal

solitude and emptiness that matched the abyss within him.

He drifted, a lost soul adrift in a sea of shadows. Time held no meaning here, for it passed without

measure. The darkness was absolute, and Malachi was its lone inhabitant.

But then, in the midst of this barren desolation, something stirred within him. It was a distant sensation,

like a flicker of a long-forgotten memory. He blinked, his senses sharpening as he tried to grasp this

ephemeral connection.

In an instant, he found himself standing in a forest, bathed in the soft glow of a twilight sky. Tall, ancient

trees cast long shadows, and the air was filled with the gentle rustling of leaves. It was a place of

ethereal beauty, a stark contrast to the void he had known.

Malachi's heart raced as he felt an inexplicable connection to another realm, a connection that pulsed

with life and energy. He reached out, trying to seize this newfound lifeline, but it slipped through his

grasp like smoke.

His frustration mounted, but then, as if in response to his yearning, the connection surged to life once

more. The sky above him rumbled with a deep, resonating power, and he could feel it coursing through

him.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he sensed his wolf's presence, a flicker of hope in the

boundless darkness.

With his eyes closed and his face upturned to the heavens, Malachi whispered to the unseen force.

"We will be free soon."