Chapter 17 – Back to Reality
The wind brushed against Nosi's cheeks as she stepped onto the familiar pavement of her street. The underworld's heat still lingered in her bones, yet the cool night air of the human realm felt like an old friend welcoming her back. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows on the empty road. Everything looked the same, but inside, she was different.
Fred had insisted she rest. "You need time to breathe, to feel safe again," he'd said, his hand gently brushing her cheek before she returned to Earth. She hadn't told him, but she was grateful. Even with the chaos in her life, this small breath of space felt like a gift.
Nosi slipped into her apartment quietly. The place still smelled like lavender and the burnt toast she'd made three days before everything changed. She sank into the couch, letting her eyes drift shut.
Her mind, however, refused to rest.
Images flooded her—Joy's accusing eyes, Ivan's slurred laughter at the bar, those men trying to pin them down, the rush of fear, and Vincent's sudden arrival like a storm. Then Fred's voice in the underworld, his protectiveness, his steadiness.
Her phone vibrated on the table. A message from Ivan.
> "You alive? Need tea and gossip."
Nosi smiled.
She typed back, > "Come over tomorrow. Long story."
She lay back, thinking she'd close her eyes for just a moment. But sleep came quickly.
---
Fred stood at the edge of his balcony, staring into the flames that danced across the underworld's horizon. He could feel the hollowness left by Nosi's absence. It surprised him how much it hurt to let her go, even temporarily. But he'd made the choice—for her.
"She needed time," he muttered.
The sharp click of heels echoed through the chamber. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Clara," he said without emotion.
She stood behind him in a crimson dress, lips curled into a bitter smile. "You didn't take my advice," she said. "She should not have gone back."
"She wanted rest."
"No," Clara said, voice rising slightly, "you let her go. Because you're afraid. Afraid that if she stays, she'll hate what she sees in herself—and in you."
Fred turned slowly. "You came to ask me something, didn't you?"
Clara hesitated, then walked closer, her posture proud but her voice trembling beneath the surface. "Are you going to make her your mate?"
The silence that followed made the air feel heavy.
Fred's eyes met hers, cold and unreadable. "Yes."
Clara flinched. For the first time, her confidence cracked. "She's half-human. Unpredictable. What if her powers consume her?"
"Then I will be consumed with her," he said quietly. "I won't turn away from her the way others turned from me."
"And me?" Clara asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"There was never an 'us,' Clara. You were convenient. Nosi… she's real."
Clara's eyes burned with a mixture of anger and heartbreak. Without another word, she turned and stormed away.
Fred closed his eyes. He had made his choice.
---
The next morning, Nosi opened the door to Ivan's knock. Her friend walked in with a large cup of coffee in one hand and a bag of pastries in the other.
"You look like you've fought a dragon," Ivan said, flopping onto the couch.
"Close," Nosi muttered.
Ivan raised an eyebrow. "Tell me everything. Slowly. No cryptic lines."
Nosi laughed, though it came out more like a sigh. "Joy accused me of stealing Fred from her. Said I'm not worthy of someone like him."
Ivan snorted. "Typical Joy. Jealous and petty."
Nosi nodded. "She doesn't know who Fred really is. None of them do. After that, the club happened. You and I got drunk. Those men tried to—" She paused. "We were lucky Vincent came."
Ivan's cheeks turned red. "Yeah. About him…"
Nosi raised a brow. "What?"
"I said some weird stuff in my sleep. He was there, watching me. Said I called him cold and dangerous."
Nosi blinked. "You don't remember?"
Ivan shook her head. "Only bits. But he's… intense. Like Fred."
Nosi looked at her friend, realizing something deeper had shifted. "He might be more than you think."
Ivan groaned. "Don't tell me he's some ancient demon prince or something. I already have enough problems."
Nosi chuckled. "You have no idea."
They both laughed, the tension finally breaking. For a moment, the world felt normal again.
But only for a moment.
A chill ran through Nosi's spine. She didn't know what Clara, George, or the others were planning—but she could feel it. The calm was only temporary.
Still, she would enjoy it while it lasted.
Because when the storm returned, she would be ready.