GIFTED RILEY by Lacy Mierr

Chapter 75: The Aftermath

*Riley*

I watched with a large smile as Nicolas came forward. The pull in my gut led me straight into his arms. He was watching me too with a grin on his face.

For the first time, I was able to feel completely connected with him like he was able to feel with me. I loved the feeling of it. Which had me pressing deeper into his warm embrace.

I couldn’t get enough of him. Of how he felt, of his purely male smell. It was something I wanted to live in for the rest of my ears.

He pulled me even tighter against him, running his fingers through my hair as he easily soothed my feelings. I had never been more happy than where I was now.

I smiled while pulling away. He watched me as I moved, his fingertips. lightly skimmed along my jaw. He used that touch to lift my face his way and pressed a delicate kiss to the center of my forehead.

“You make me feel whole,” he murmured against my skin.

I shivered at the feel of his lips against me. I had to back away to stare back into his gaze, “I have never been as happy in my life as I am with

Chapter 25. The Altermath.

you, Nicolas.” It was the most honest I had ever been about my feelings with him.

He smiled down at me, happy to hear the admission. However, that expression quickly morphed into a pained and surprised expression.

I cried out, backing away from my mate quickly as I saw the silver dagger protruding from his chest. His shaky hands reached up to grasp at the weapon. Then he fell to the floor. Dead.

Malik stood behind him with a wicked grin spread on his lips. His arms stretched out at his sides, showing off what he had done right in front of me.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I screamed bl o o y murder as I tried waking up from the nightmare that I was stuck in. However, every time I tried opening my eyes, I was just met with the darkness around me.

I tried reaching around me, feeling at the bed around me helplessly. I just wanted to find a way to gain my vision back once again. I sat up on the bed and curled my knees into my chest.

Just as my hands started to move up towards my face, someone’s hands clasped my own. I hissed in surprise, attempting to pull my hands from their grip. They didn’t let go of me though. Their hold was standing strong.

Chapter 25 The Aftermath

That was when my ears finally registered the soft cries of whoever was holding her hands still from feeling at her face. “Calm down, Riley. You’ve been through a lot.”

A feeling of surprise rushed through my body when I recognized the voice in front of me. It was Luna Adele! I had never heard her crying before, which made a bad feeling settle into the pit of my stomach.

If she was here beside me, that meant we were able to make it back to the palace. They were finally back home again. Nicolas must have been so happy to hear that. We had been away for far too long. I never knew how much I would miss this place. I considered this home to me already.

“Why can’t I see?” I croaked to the Luna beside me. She seemed to sniffle harder at the question. A frown settled on my features, waiting to hear any explanation she had.

Instead of saying anything, Adele realized I was no longer searching around violently and left my hands free. My first thought was to reach up and feel for my eyes. “Careful,” she said softly to me. Which had me frowning.

After taking a few moments to feel my face, I realized that bandages were circling my head. Covering my eyes and leaving me with no sense of sight.

That was easily a damper on my mood. I was so ready to look for Nicolas. I wanted to see him now that my wolf had finally come. outright and claimed him. I wanted to tell him this. I wanted to feel the

Chapter 75 The Aftermath

difference now that our bond shifted into place for me.

Even without that, I wanted to see my Nicolas happy and well. The image of him lying bloodied in that cell was the only thing I could see. Without anything to see past these bandages, those were the only images swirling in my mind.

“When can I take them off?” I asked the she-wolf still crying beside me. My head shifted as if turning in her general direction, but there was no telling if I was anywhere near accurate.

I could hear Adele sniffle and then fabric moving. If I had to guess,

I’m sure she would have shrugged just then. I couldn’t see, so I had little to no idea. “The pack doctor wasn’t sure. As long as it takes you to heal, is what he said.”

I frowned, unhappy with the answer. Sure, there was only so much that the doctor could do, but why did it have to be now that I lost my sight? The disappointment flooding through my body was overwhelming.

“I want to see Nicolas. Where is he?” My voice was still in a croaky whisper. I wasn’t sure how long I was out for, but it was enough time for me to be dehydrated.

Yet, with a second to remember, I realized that was from my time. locked up as well. Before I could ask for something to drink, Luna Adele gently guided my hand around a cold glass. I prayed it was water while I lifted it clumsily up to my lips.

LA CON

‘s m o ther took a moment to compose herself I could see her wiping at her cheeks trying to get rid of the tears staining her checks. “My, my son is still in a coma,” the woman cried to me.

I froze in shock. The cup still rested against my bottom lip as I took in the new information. The all-powerful lycan king was still in a coma? That wasn’t possible.

Adele wasn’t done with the bad news though. S o b s are still racking her body. “The doctors aren’t sure if he will ever wake up…”

That was when my world crumbled around me.