Chapter 15 – Trusting Shadows
Fred paced the length of the moonlit corridor, his boots silent against the polished obsidian floor. He had sensed Nosi's distress long before she returned. Her scent—usually warm, tinged with something wild—now carried the sharp trace of fear and alcohol. Something had happened.
The heavy doors creaked open. Fred turned swiftly.
Nosi stood there, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion. Her hair was tangled, her clothes wrinkled from the night before. But it was her silence that unsettled him most.
He approached her slowly. "You're safe," he murmured, reaching for her hand. "That's all I care about right now."
She let him take it, her fingers cold in his. "I needed to breathe," she said quietly. "I needed to feel human again."
Fred nodded. "And what did you find out there?"
Nosi let out a humorless laugh and moved past him to sit on the edge of a velvet-cushioned bench. "A lot. More than I was ready for."
Fred sat beside her, careful not to crowd her. "Tell me."
There was a long pause before she spoke.
"It started with Joy," she began, voice tight. "She barged into my room, screaming. Accusing me of stealing her man."
Fred blinked. "Her man?"
"You," Nosi said, turning to him with a weary smile. "She doesn't know anything about who—or what—you are. She only sees the riches, the power, the way you carry yourself. That's all she wants."
Fred clenched his jaw. "I should've known someone like her would try to stake a claim."
"She told me I didn't deserve you. That I was just some... leftover nobody. And the worst part is—I believed her for a moment." Nosi's voice broke, but she pressed on. "I thought, maybe she's right. Maybe you deserve someone who doesn't come with this mess."
Fred turned toward her fully, cupping her cheek. "Don't ever say that again. I don't want anyone else. I chose you."
She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of his hand ground her. "After that, I left. Ivan called. She knew something was wrong—she always does. She told me to come out. We went to a bar."
Fred's brow furrowed. "You drank?"
"A lot," she admitted. "We were just trying to forget. Laugh, scream, cry—all of it. We were both hurting in our own ways."
Fred remained still, waiting.
"Two men followed us out," she said softly. "We were too drunk to think clearly. They cornered us. One of them grabbed me. Ivan tried to fight back, but they were too strong."
A flash of fury passed through Fred's eyes. His aura shifted—darker, colder. "Did they touch you?"
"Not... like that," Nosi said quickly, sensing the storm in him. "Before anything happened, Vincent showed up. He saved us."
Fred exhaled slowly, but his muscles remained tense. "Vincent."
"He... he carried me out of there. Put Ivan in his car. That's when he realized."
Fred narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"Ivan's his mate."
That made Fred pause, the anger in him momentarily giving way to surprise. "A human?"
"She muttered in her sleep. Called him dangerous. He just stared at her like the world had flipped."
Fred leaned back slightly, absorbing it all. "I'll have to speak with him."
"You should. He seemed... shaken."
They sat in silence for a moment before Nosi continued, voice softer now.
"Fred, I don't know how to handle all this. One minute I'm fighting with my sister, the next I'm nearly attacked, and then I'm watching my best friend get claimed by someone not even from our world."
"You're overwhelmed," Fred said gently.
"I'm drowning."
Fred pulled her into his arms. This time, she didn't resist. Her body melted against his chest as though her strength had finally given out. His embrace was firm, anchoring her like roots to the earth.
"You don't have to face this alone, Nosi," he whispered. "You never did. I've been waiting—for you to come to me. To talk. To trust me with your fears."
She looked up, her eyes glistening. "It's hard. Trust hasn't been... kind to me."
"I know. But I'm not them. I'm not Andrew, or Ruth, or Joy. I'm not here to use you or break you."
She nodded slowly, pressing her forehead against his. "I'm scared, Fred. Of what I'm becoming. Of what's waiting for me."
"You're becoming who you were always meant to be," he said, brushing his fingers through her hair. "And I'll be by your side through all of it."
Nosi closed her eyes. For the first time since her death, she felt the sharp edges of her fear dull, if only slightly. She still had demons—real ones and those in her mind—but in Fred's arms, she finally felt like she wasn't alone in fighting them.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Fred smiled against her temple. "Thank me when you're ready to let go of the past. When you're ready to accept what we are."
She nodded. "I'm not there yet."
"I know," he murmured. "But you're closer than you think."
And there, in the quiet shadows of the underworld, with grief still fresh and wounds barely scabbed over, a fragile hope bloomed between them. It wasn't perfect. But it was real.
And for now, that was enough.