Chapter 183: The Wolf Returns

Gideon watched both of them approach him, and it only took him an instant to put two together. The last time Della had been here, she had the same look in her eyes.

And Malachi, who always looked at her with irritation and contempt, was now staring like something he had lost.

Malachi had done this to her. Whatever new soul now inhabited Della’s body, he was responsible for it.

The moment Malachi got close enough, Gideon moved so quickly the chains rattled terribly, and the cage itself shook. He now stood just before Malachi and growled right at the man’s face.

Malachi stood there, stunned as his ears were filled with the angered, vicious growl of his own wolf. Then it looked at him with more disappointment than he’d looked at himself with for weeks.

He knew exactly why, and he slowly lowered his head in shame.

Then, Gideon turned to Della and also lowered its head in shame. He might not have been involved, but it didn’t change the fact that his owner had done this to her, and he and Malachi were basically...one entity.

Della simply reached out and rubbed his dripping fur, "I told you already. I’m fine,"

He looked up at her, and she saw the sadness there behind layers and layers of heat.

"Moonfire, I—"

"WE ARE DONE, MALACHI!!" Her voice boomed, emotion flashing in her eyes. She looked angry and cruel, "How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

Malachi’s lips parted and his eyes melted into a look that resembled relief. Did she... actually just show emotion?! He knew he didn’t hallucinate her hand twitching. Which means Della was still in here... beneath all that eerie cold and emptiness... somewhere.

Unwilling to come out.

She turned back to Gideon who had also been startled a little, and continued to rub his skin.

"Come. Let’s get this over with," The tight, cold mask was back on.

Malachi stepped closer to her, and as he did he looked around the place and also noticed that some barrels were definitely missing.

Once he was close enough, she extended her other arm and placed it on his shoulders. He felt the sharp sting of cold and swallowed.

Della turned back to Gideon, and she wanted to offer him a smile. Anything. A form of goodbye. But her lips remained shut.

He seemed to understand what she wanted to do and let out a tiny groan, then nuzzled his head all over her hand.

"Time to get you back inside of him. Hold on, okay?"

He groaned again, then lowered itself to the ground.

Then, Della closed her eyes.

She took a slow breath, and allowed herself and her wolf to work its magic. The moment she opened herself to them, the Moonfire in the chamber reacted.

Every blue ember floating through the air began moving toward her, and Malachi’s eyes widened as the flames curled around Della’s body, gathering around her like they had been waiting for her permission.

The Moonfire touched her skin, and of course nothing happened. Till it did.

The embers began sinking into her skin, and Della felt the heat spread through her body, but it wasn’t the same destructive heat that had once torn through her.

Her Rotblood power wrapped around it immediately, breaking apart the dangerous energy and changing it into something calmer.

Something harmless.

She absorbed it all.

The flames that had been consuming Gideon’s body began flowing into the hand she was touching him with, like molten blue fire, and Gideon suddenly lifted his head and released a deep growl.

His enormous body trembled as the Moonfire began leaving him. "It’s alright," Della whispered, her eyes still closed. "I’m taking it from you. Endure it a little longer,"

The moment the last words left her mouth, something inside Gideon pulled, and a strand of light emerged from his chest.

Then another. Then dozens.

They slipped through his fur and moved toward Della.

The moment the first strand touched her palm, she felt him again. She could see it all. Feel it all. His pain. His memories. His rage.

The loneliness.

Everything rushed through her, but she didn’t let any of it overwhelm her. She simply held it. And then she guided it toward Malachi.

Malachi suddenly gasped, and his hand flew to his chest. He could feel it too. That feeling inside him that wasn’t an empty imitation of his wolf.

His eyes began to glow as another wave passed through Della and entered his body. He stumbled backwards, but Della’s hand remained firmly on his shoulder.

Then he felt claws, and fur. The familiar scent of rain and earth.

He felt Gideon’s anger toward him.

His disappointment.

His grief.

Malachi’s eyes burned, and she heard him whisper ’I’m sorry, ’ but she said nothing.

The transfer continued. Gideon’s enormous body slowly began losing its glow as more and more of him returned to Malachi.

Then Della and Malachi suddenly felt something else.

Something they hadn’t expected.

A faint tug beneath their ribs, and Della frowned at the feeling.

It came again. It was soft, almost nonexistent, but familiar.

The mate bond.

Her eyes opened, and she whipped her head to look at Malachi. He was already staring at her.

Neither of them moved, and they were both surprised because that bond was supposed to be long dead. It was supposed to be buried beneath rejection, hatred, grief and everything he had done to her.

But now, with Gideon returning to Malachi, something seemed to have brushed against it.

And it had sparkled to life again.

Della’s fingers twitched against Malachi’s shoulder, and her frown grew deeper. She hated this. This nonsense game that the Moon Goddess was playing with them...she fucking hated it.

Another pulse passed through the bond, and now they could feel each other’s heartbeat.

Then Gideon suddenly released a powerful howl, and the remaining Moonfire exploded from his body and slammed into her body badly.

Malachi felt the heat on his face, and squinted his eyes just as Della turned into a glowing blue light.

Her Rotblood power wrapped around them instantly, swallowing their destructive nature before they managed to cause any harm.

The entire chamber went dark afterwards, and then Gideon collapsed onto the stone.

The chains fell loose around him, and then a grey wolf looked back up at Della.

Grey. That was his natural colour.

"Good boy," She whispered to him, and then Malachi’s body shook violently as the wolf dissolved into spirit form, passed through Della’s body and finally settled completely into Malachi.

Then silence.

Della dropped her hands, and her muscles felt heavy. She blinked twice to clear her dizzying vision. The last thing she wanted to do right now was fall and have Malachi catch her like some damsel in distress.

Malachi slowly lifted his head, and looked at her. His glowing eyes were now molten red, and he took a shaky breath.

He couldn’t believe his wolf was back. The feeling of being whole again after so many years was indescribable.

"Thank you, Moonfire,"

Della turned away from him, and the last trace of Moonfire disappeared from her skin.

Then she started to walk away.

She didn’t want to wait to see if the mate bond would react, because if the damn thing did, she might just shove her fist into her chest herself and yank out that aggravating heart herself.

Then, it stirred.

Pulsed.

Sparkled.

*Mate,* Asteria growled, her eyes intently fixed on Malachi.

*I’d rather be stabbed a thousand more times, Asteria.*