Chapter 240: The Open Bond next

Vivian’s POV

We stood quietly together like that for a long while, simply breathing and just being in each other’s arms. And then, without any warning, something shifted in the air around us.

I felt the change first as a gentle, quiet tug right inside my center chest his side of our mental bond finally opening up wide. My breath caught sharply in my throat. Instinctively, I jerked backward a little bit, my hands still resting flat against his damp skin, startled by the sudden wave of raw vulnerability flowing freely through the invisible tether that bound us together.

Zahliver rarely ever opened his end of our bond fully. And even on the rare occasions when he did, I had always felt a bit hesitant to cross over that invisible line. There was always something haunting lurking on his side something ancient, wild, and dark. It felt a bit like wandering blindly into a deep forest where you could never quite tell if the heavy silence meant you were safe or in grave danger.

But now?

Now it felt entirely different.

There was no icy undercurrent beneath the surface. There were no hidden shadows waiting to pounce in the dark. Instead, a warm, golden peace poured steadily through the connection, washing softly over me like bright sunlight filtering through tall tree branches on a warm summer afternoon. I closed my eyes tightly, letting the feeling wrap completely around me. It felt remarkably like lying down beneath a grand willow tree while a gentle breeze brushed softly across your skin. It was tranquil, steady, and wonderfully whole.

I opened my eyes slowly, my heart aching softly in the best possible way, and looked straight up into his face. His eyes were softer and gentler than I had ever seen them before.

Something fundamental had changed between us.

"What actually happened out there during the battle?" I asked quietly, not needing every single gritty detail just wanting the simple truth behind this sudden emotional shift.

He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of my head, holding it there for a moment, before pulling back slightly to look at me. "I simply did what I set out to do. And in return for my trouble... I came back home with a wonderful surprise," he said with a knowing smirk, clearly trying to sidestep the heart of my question.

"A very good surprise indeed," I echoed playfully, narrowing my eyes at him in mock suspicion.

Reaching behind him, I grabbed the bath sponge, poured a generous amount of soap onto it, and began tracing slow, gentle circles along his muscular arm and up over his broad shoulder. That small, affectionate act made his entire facial expression soften into something almost boyish filled with bright joy and something very close to quiet awe.

"My brother is actually back home," he said softly, his dark eyes lighting up with happiness. "I honestly can hardly believe it is true. There is just so much I want to tell him. So much I need to show him around here..."

But then the bright light in his eyes dimmed suddenly, and a dark shadow passed swiftly through his gaze.

"That is, if he will even allow me near him. I killed him once, Vivian," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the steady patter of the shower water. "I took his very life away with my own two hands. Even if I did not truly mean to do it, even if it was not really my conscious mind at the time... I just do not know if I can ever truly forgive myself for that. So how on earth could he ever forgive me?"

His strong hands tightened protectively around my waist as he pulled me closer against him, acting like he desperately needed me to anchor him once more before he drifted too far away into the dark waters of guilt.

My heart clenched painfully at the rawness in his deep voice, feeling the heavy pain swimming just beneath the surface of his words. I reached up quickly, cupping his face gently in my hands and forcing him to look directly into my eyes.

"He is your blood brother, Zahliver. And no matter what happened in the past, he will know deep down that it was not your conscious choice. Once he sees the good man you have truly become over the years, he will remember. He will feel it in his bones. You are his big brother, and that family bond does not just vanish into thin air not when there is still genuine love left between you. And if he happens to be too stubborn to see that..." I shrugged with a look of mock innocence. "I will gladly go kick his ass for you. Politely, of course."

He snorted a laugh at that, shaking his head fondly at my fierce words.

Leaning down slowly, he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that was sweet, deeply grateful, and entirely full of something that felt a whole lot like hope. But the moment he pulled back, I surprised him by scrubbing the soapy sponge a bit too hard right against the side of his cheek.

He jerked away from me instantly, his eyes going wide with surprise. "Ow what the hell, Vivian?!"

"You had dried blood right there on your cheek," I said defensively, holding up the sponge like a tiny weapon. "That stubborn stuff clings to skin, okay?"

He rubbed his now-reddened cheek with his hand and gave me a playfully wounded look. "You are seriously lucky that I love you so much, because that hurt like absolute hell."

"Oh, do not be such a big baby," I teased, rolling my eyes at him. "You just came out of a brutal fight to the death do not sit there and tell me a little bit of scrubbing hurts "

He did not even let me finish my sentence. His warm mouth suddenly crushed down against mine, instantly stealing the breath and the remaining words right out of my lungs.

And just like that, the heavy, lingering tension in the air completely lifted away.

We were still healing our wounds, both of us. But in that exact moment, I realized with absolute certainty that together, we actually could make it.

My stomach growled loudly in protest as I slipped Zahliver’s soft black hoodie up and over my head. He glanced over from across the room where he was busy drying his damp hair with a towel, shooting me a sheepish, apologetic smile. His messy black hair was wild now, with shiny strands sticking out every which way, but somehow, it just made him look even more like himself.

"Have you actually eaten anything at all since I left for the battle?" he asked, stepping closer behind me and gently starting to towel-dry my still-damp hair.

I shrugged sheepishly and turned around to face him. "I honestly do not remember eating a thing. I was far too busy worrying sick about you to even think about food."

His soft smile faded instantly into a deep frown of concern, and before I could even think better of it, I reached out and poked him repeatedly in the chest.

"Hey, do not do that " he warned playfully with a mock growl.

"Poke you?" I teased, raising a single eyebrow at him. "Tough luck, mister. I kind of really like poking you."

He shook his head, letting out a warm chuckle. "No, I mean do not worry yourself so much about me that you completely forget to eat your meals, Vivian."