Chapter 97: Excuses
The bedroom door suddenly swung open.
"Killian, Eloise is..." Kaden stopped in the doorway.
His eyes settled on the bed where Yuki, dressed in one of Killian’s shirts, was curled tightly against his chest while Killian held her without realising it.
A bitter feeling twisted inside Kaden’s chest. He couldn’t explain why. He only knew he hated what he was looking at.
Kaden stood frozen in the doorway.
Morning sunlight spilled through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room that felt painfully out of place after the chaos of the storm. His gaze drifted to the bed.
Yuki lay asleep against Killian’s chest.
Her damp golden hair had been dried as best as possible and wrapped in one of Killian’s towels. She had changed into one of his oversized white shirts that reached halfway down her thighs beneath the blanket. Kaden refused to think about how she’d ended up wearing it.
His eyes travelled over her almost absent-mindedly before stopping on the dark bruise blooming around her upper arm.
His fingers tightened around the brass doorknob. The bruise looked fresh. His chest tightened without warning. His wolf stirred uneasily, then his attention shifted to Killian.
His older brother still sat against the headboard with one hand resting gently on Yuki’s forehead. Faint golden threads of healing energy flowed from his palm before disappearing beneath her skin.
Kaden frowned.
Killian rarely used healing magic unless absolutely necessary. Half the time he forgot he even possessed the ability. Yet here he was, quietly feeding his energy to Yuki without hesitation.
Something about the sight unsettled him.
Only then did he realise his wolf ears were still perched atop his head, and his tail hung limply behind him. The adrenaline from everything that had happened had been so overwhelming that he had forgotten to shift back completely.
I can’t feel her wolf, his wolf’s mournful voice echoed inside his head.
She’s hurting.
Kaden’s jaw clenched.
So what if she was hurting? Eloise was fighting for her life because of her. That should have been the only thing occupying his mind.
Killian watched him without speaking. His expression remained calm, but there was caution in his eyes. He was clearly waiting for Kaden to explode.
Instead, Kaden slowly pushed the door shut until only a narrow gap remained. His shoulders sagged.
"You should’ve called one of the healers," he said quietly, his voice carrying more exhaustion than anger. "Or at least one of the doctors."
Killian didn’t argue.
"Her wolf is silent," he replied evenly. "A healer can’t fix that."
Kaden’s throat tightened. He understood exactly what Killian meant. Healing magic could mend flesh. Medicine could reduce a fever. Neither could reach a wolf that had withdrawn into itself. Only a mate with a bond to the wolf could.
His gaze drifted back towards Yuki.
"So..." His voice came out lower this time. "You were the one who changed her clothes?"
Killian didn’t look away.
"They were soaked through." His answer was simple. "Leaving her in them would’ve made the fever worse."
He glanced down at the sleeping girl curled against him before continuing.
"I also didn’t need servants walking in while she was unconscious. After what happened with Eloise, the last thing this house needs is another rumour."
He paused briefly.
"If her wolf keeps weakening..." His eyes darkened. "...she may not survive the rejection."
The room fell quiet.
Every reason Killian gave made perfect sense. That somehow made Kaden even more irritated.
His fingers drummed once against the door.
"So you’re staying with her?"
His voice came out sharper than intended, with clear irritation.
"Kieran’s already with Eloise," Killian answered. "And so are you."
His voice remained steady.
"With Kieran treating her, she doesn’t need three of us standing around the bed."
As if sensing the conversation, Yuki shifted in her sleep. She frowned faintly before unconsciously nestling closer, as though there wasn’t a safer place in the world.
Her forehead brushed against Killian’s chest while one hand tightened around the fabric of his shirt.
Kaden’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His skin tingled at the sight.
His wolf gave another restless whine, and he forced himself to look away.
"Don’t you care about Eloise anymore?" he asked quietly.
It wasn’t an accusation. It was a genuine question.
Killian understood that immediately.
"I know the difference between love and the pull of a mate bond."
His eyes never left Yuki.
"Nothing is happening between us," Killian affirmed.
After a moment, he looked back at Kaden.
"You also know Kieran will be affected."
Kaden frowned.
"If Yuki’s condition keeps getting worse, do you honestly think he’ll be able to focus on treating Eloise?"
Silence answered him.
Killian continued.
"I’m helping Eloise by making sure this one doesn’t collapse."
Another hard point.
His hand brushed another damp strand of hair away from Yuki’s face.
"And let’s not pretend we don’t understand what Eloise was doing."
Kaden’s eyes narrowed.
"She used our feelings against us," Killian said quietly. "She wanted to pressure us into rejecting Yuki."
His lips pressed into a thin line.
"The strange part is..." he added, "...we’d already decided to do it."
Kaden lowered his gaze.
He hated admitting it, but Killian was right. None of them were fools. They had all seen through Eloise’s desperation.
The only difference was that she’d forced the decision into the open.
After a long silence, Kaden finally spoke.
"Regardless..." His voice sounded heavier than before. "We can’t keep delaying it."
The next words caught in his throat.
"We need to reach an agreement," he added.
He couldn’t bring himself to say rejection aloud. The word felt heavier than it had any right to.
Killian nodded once.
"Our priority is making sure they both recover."
He glanced towards the window where sunlight filtered through the curtains.
"After that..." His expression hardened slightly. "We deal with everything else."
"The pack will talk," he continued. "After what happened this morning, rumours are already spreading."
There was a trace of irritation beneath his calm voice, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
Kaden gave a tired nod.
"Alright then."
His eyes wandered back to the bed one last time.
Yuki’s fingers were still curled around Killian’s shirt.
Her face looked peaceful for the first time since she’d arrived at Ravencourt.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, his gaze lingered there longer than it should have.
Finally, he stepped backwards into the hallway.
The bedroom door closed with a dull click.
Kaden remained standing outside for several seconds.
His hand slowly curled into a fist.
Too many emotions churned inside him at once. Concern. Frustration. Guilt. And something else he refused to name.
His feet refused to move even after the door had closed.
It took every ounce of his strength to walk away.