Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 283: Real Love

Chapter 283: Real Love

Eldur’s POV

The soft glow of the bedside lamp spilled over her skin like honey, warm and golden, tracing every curve like it knew her better than I did; and I couldn’t look away.

Nova had drifted off in my arms, curled up against my chest with her head beneath my chin. Her breathing was slow and steady, like even the monsters hiding in the corners of the world had gone quiet for her. Like she believed, deep down, that I could keep her safe. That I was worth trusting.

Me.

The guy with silver eyes and too many ghosts.

The one who used to laugh when others cried. Who made a game out of fear. Who didn’t know the first thing about love—until her.

But now, with her heat seeping into me, with her body pressed gently against mine, I felt something shift. If I so much as breathed wrong, I might shatter. Not from discomfort—but from the terrifying realization that I’d finally found something I didn’t want to ruin.

Something I wanted to protect.

Someone I didn’t want to lose.

I let out a breath, slow and deliberate. The power inside me stirred, curling like smoke in my veins. Aethros hummed deep within, a low, approving rumble.

"She feels like home," he said.

And he was right. She did. Warm, steady, and quietly brave—like maybe the world didn’t have to hurt so much.

But I couldn’t ignore the people I’d left behind. The ones who stood by me even when I was nothing but fury and fear. The ones I’d locked out, ghosted without explanation, because I was too lost to admit I was breaking.

I owed them.

So I tightened the blanket around Nova, tucking her in like she was something precious—because she was—and leaned my head back against the log wall behind me. I closed my eyes.

"Mind link. Group call. Liam, Mai, Ollie."

Silence.

Then—

"ELDUR?!" Mai’s voice exploded into my head like a firework in a cave.

"You absolute moron!" Ollie followed, all sharp edges and concern. "You BLOCKED us? Do you have any idea what we’ve been through? We thought you were dead!"

"He’s not dead," Liam said calmly. "He’s just being dramatic again."

I flinched, half smiling. "Fair."

"Fair?" Mai snapped. "You vanish without a word, cut us off, and now you show up like this is some kind of friendly reunion?"

"Hold up," Ollie cut in, suspicious. "You sound... weird. Like... soft. Is that a smile I hear?"

I didn’t say anything.

They didn’t need me to.

They felt it through the link.

"No freaking way," Mai whispered. "You and Nova?"

"She’s asleep," I said quietly. "In my arms. We talked—really talked. I told her about the bond. She kissed me. I think she’s not going anywhere. Not for a while."

There was a beat of silence. And then—

"OH MY GOD," Mai screeched, loud enough to rattle the inside of my skull.

"I’m buying a cake," Liam said, like it was already a done deal.

"I’m buying fireworks," Ollie declared. "The illegal kind."

"You’re buying bail money," I muttered. "Because one of you is going to get arrested."

They all cracked up. And for the first time in a long time, I laughed too.

It felt real.

Solid.

Like maybe I wasn’t just the damage I’d done.

"Missed you, Eldur," Liam said, voice soft with truth.

I looked down at Nova, still safe in my arms, the firelight brushing her skin like a blessing.

"Yeah," I murmured. "I missed me too."

********

The Next Morning

I conjured a casual outfit for her—well-worn jeans, a hoodie soft enough to tempt sleep, and fresh socks that probably felt like heaven after yesterday. She looked ridiculously cute in it, even though her hair was a bit of a mess and she was giving the morning a death glare like it had personally betrayed her.

"Mornings are a scam," she muttered, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand like a grumpy cat. "Can’t we just teleport to my apartment?"

"Nope," I said, materializing a key out of thin air and spinning it around my finger. "Pretty sure your roommate would combust if you just poofed into existence."

"She’s probably already halfway there," Nova groaned, unlocking her phone. "Oh God—twenty missed calls? A thousand texts? She definitely thinks I’ve been kidnapped. Or murdered. Or both."

I smirked. "Then let’s go prove you’re alive and well."

With a snap of my fingers, a sleek black car appeared outside my apartment. Completely over-the-top and absolutely unnecessary. But it looked expensive enough that if anyone saw Nova step out of it, they’d assume she’d spent the night with a billionaire—definitely not a supernatural entity with social issues.

When we pulled up outside her apartment Lara was already at the door, barefoot, frantic, clutching her phone in hand and ready to dial 911. The moment she spotted Nova, she launched forward like a rocket.

"Nova!" she shouted, pulling her into a hug that nearly lifted her off the ground. "Are you okay?! What happened?! Did the house get robbed?! Were you kidnapped?! Do I need to stab someone?!"

Nova laughed nervously. "Lara, it’s okay! I’m fine. The mess at home... it was Jimmy. Long story."

Lara’s face darkened instantly, her entire expression twisting with fury like a thundercloud. "Jimmy? That creep? I swear to God I’ll call the cops. Or a hitman. Or both."

"That won’t be necessary," I said calmly, stepping out of the car.

Lara turned to look at me.

Her brain visibly short-circuited.

She blinked once. Then again. Her mouth opened halfway through forming a sentence and never finished it.

"Oh. My God," she breathed. "You’re... back?"

Nova groaned. "Lara..."

Lara ignored her. She marched up to me and actually poked my chest. "Where the hell have you been, Snow White? Nova cried like every single day. She moped around the apartment like a sad little ghost."

Nova buried her face in her hands. "Please stop talking."

"She missed you," Lara said emphatically, glaring at me like I’d stolen Christmas.

I met her gaze and gave her the most sincere thing I had. "I’m not leaving her again."

Lara’s eyes softened. She looked between us, then grinned. "Good. Because if you break her heart again, I will break your kneecaps. And I don’t care how scary you are, mister."

Nova made a small, strangled sound. "it was all my fault. You know that Lara."

I tilted my head. "I will keep that in mind, Lara."

Lara nodded once. "Cool."

I pulled out my phone and tapped the screen with a little smirk. "Actually, my friends want to meet Nova. We’re all heading out today to celebrate... well, us. You’re invited too, if you can behave."

Lara’s eyes widened like I’d just sprouted a second head. "Wait—you have friends?"

"Yes?" I blinked.

"You have actual friends?" she repeated, slow and suspicious. "Like, real humans who voluntarily hang out with you? Without bribes? Or blackmail?"

I gave her a dry look. "You’re talking to me."

"That’s because I’m nosy and mildly unhinged," she said with zero shame.

Nova snorted, and it was the kind of sound that made my ribcage feel too small for my heart. I kept a straight face, but inside? I melted.

"I’m in," Lara declared, slinging an arm around Nova like they were already war buddies. "I need to see what kind of people willingly associate with you. I bet they all wear cloaks and chant in Latin."

"Only on weekends," I muttered.

And the sad part? That wasn’t even a joke.

Back inside, Lara dragged Nova off like it was the final countdown to some mystical girl-powered ritual. The door closed behind them, but I could still hear their voices through the thin walls.

"I need to fix your hair," Lara muttered. "You’re glowing like a lovesick jellyfish."

"I am not—!" Nova hissed, scandalized.

"You kissed him, didn’t you?"

"...Shut up."

I stood by the window, letting the sunlight pour over me like it meant something. And maybe it did, because I couldn’t stop the grin tugging at my lips. My chest felt light, like something ancient had finally exhaled.

This—whatever this was—it was the start of something real.

I, Eldur Daegon—the so-called monster who once shattered mountains for fun, the half-wolf, half-warlock terror with silver eyes and a temper that made grown men run—had fallen in love.

Not the dangerous, possessive obsession I mistook for affection when it came to Mai. No.

This was quieter. Braver. True.

And I didn’t want to bury it or hide from it. I wanted to fight for it. For her.

Even if it meant embarrassing myself in front of mortals. Even if I had to smile more often. Even if I had to put up with her wild, overprotective, chaos-powered roommate threatening to break my knees every other Tuesday.

I’d take it all.

Gladly.

Because Nova was worth it.

And the best part?

I didn’t have to do it alone.

Not anymore. Not with her by my side. Not with friends who’d clawed their way into my story and refused to leave. Not with this fragile, stubborn, finally-awake heart that had stopped trying to destroy everything it touched.

Even wolves can learn to stand guard instead of chase shadows.

And even monsters—especially monsters—can fall in love.