Free Web NovelChapter 87: Chapter 86: Meeting Silas
Eve pushed back from the table, her breakfast completely forgotten. "I need air."
Damon stood immediately. "I’ll come with you."
"No." Eve’s voice came out sharper than she intended. "Please. I just... I need a moment alone."
She could see Damian about to argue, But finally, he nodded. "Don’t leave the estate grounds. And if anyone approaches you, call for us immediately."
Eve agreed and fled the dining room before anyone else could offer submission or apologies or fearful respect.
She ended up in the gardens....Sarah’s domain....surrounded by the roses that were indeed in full bloom. The morning air was cool against her flushed skin, and for a moment, she could almost pretend she was normal. Just a girl in a garden, admiring flowers.
But even here, she wasn’t alone.
Two younger pack members....teenagers, maybe seventeen or eighteen....were pruning bushes nearby. When they noticed her, they both froze, their shears forgotten in their hands.
"Luna," they said in unison, their voices cracking with nervousness.
Eve sighed. "Please, just... keep working. Pretend I’m not here."
But they couldn’t. They stood there, frozen, clearly terrified of doing something wrong in her presence. After a painfully awkward minute, they gathered their tools and hurried away, leaving Eve alone with the roses and her thoughts.
Is this what my life is now? she wondered. Watching people scatter in fear? Being treated like a loaded weapon that might go off at any moment?
"It’s strange, isn’t it?" a voice said from behind her. "Being feared when you still feel so powerless inside."
Eve spun to find Elder Markov standing at the garden entrance, his ancient eyes kind despite the serious set of his features.
"I don’t feel powerless," Eve said. "I feel... wrong. Like I’m becoming something I never wanted to be."
"A leader?" Elder Markov moved closer, his steps careful on the garden path. "Someone others look to for protection and guidance?"
"A monster," Eve corrected. "Something people are afraid to look at directly. Something that makes teenage kids run away in terror."
Elder Markov considered this. "In my many years, I’ve learned that there’s a fine line between monster and savior. Often, they’re the same being, just viewed from different angles. The power that makes you terrifying to your pack also makes you capable of protecting them from threats they could never survive alone."
"But I don’t want them to be afraid of me," Eve insisted.
"Then earn something more valuable than fear." Elder Markov’s gaze was penetrating. "Earn their trust. Show them that your power is a shield, not a sword. That you wield it to protect rather than dominate. Fear is quick and easy....it comes naturally with power. Trust? Trust takes time. Takes proving yourself again and again. But it’s worth more than a thousand fearful bows."
Eve sank down onto a stone bench, her shoulders slumping. "How do I do that? How do I make them trust me when they can’t even look me in the eye?"
"By being consistent. Compassionate. By showing them every day that you’re still Eve....still the girl who cries when she thinks she’s becoming a monster." He sat beside her, his ancient bones creaking slightly. "They’ll see it eventually. See that beneath the power, there’s a good heart. And that’s when fear will transform into loyalty. Real loyalty. The kind that can’t be commanded or compelled."
"And if they never see it?" Eve asked quietly. "If all they ever see is the power?"
"Then you surround yourself with those who do see you," Elder Markov said simply. "Your mates see you. Mrs. Catherine sees you. And gradually, others will too. Give them time, child. You’ve only been what you are for a few weeks. They’re still adjusting, just as you are."
He stood, brushing off his robes. "Now, I came out here to tell you that I’ve finished the assessment of Silas’s mental barriers. Would you like to see him?"
Eve’s heart clenched. "Is it safe?"
"For you? Yes. I’ve helped him reinforce his control, and we’ve established warning signals he’ll feel before Cain can break through. It won’t be perfect....Cain is exceptionally strong....but it’s better than before." Elder Markov’s expression softened. "He’s been asking for you. Quite insistently, actually. The separation is causing him significant distress."
"Good," Eve said, then immediately felt guilty for the petty satisfaction. "I mean....I don’t want him to suffer, but...."
"But you’re still angry and scared," Elder Markov finished. "That’s understandable. He endangered you, even if unintentionally. Your feelings are valid."
Eve stood, wrapping her arms around herself. "Will you stay? During the visit? I don’t think I can face him alone yet."
"Of course."
They walked back to the main house together, and Eve noticed how pack members gave them a wide berth, creating a clear path wherever they went. Like royalty processing through peasants. The thought made her stomach churn.
Silas’s room was on the opposite wing from the master bedroom....a deliberate choice to put distance between him and Eve. When Elder Markov knocked, Silas’s voice came through muffled and rough. freewebnøvel.com
"Come in."
Eve’s breath caught when she saw him.
Silas sat on his bed, looking like he’d gone ten rounds in a fight and lost every one. Bruises mottled his face....purple and yellow and deep red. His nose had clearly been broken and reset. Cuts from the shattered mirror had been stitched but still looked raw and painful.
But it was his eyes that made Eve’s chest ache. They were dark with anguish and when they landed on her, relief and desperation flooded them in equal measure.
"Eve," he breathed, starting to stand.
"Don’t," she said quickly, and he froze. "Just... stay there."
Silas sank back down, his hands clenching on his thighs. "I’m so sorry. God, Eve, I’m so fucking sorry...."
"I know." Eve stayed near the door, maintaining distance. "Elder Markov told me you didn’t mean for Cain to break through."
"I should have been stronger," Silas said, his voice breaking. "Should have felt him coming, should have sent you away before...." He stopped, unable to finish.
"I know I don’t deserve forgiveness," Silas continued quietly. "But I need you to know....I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it never happens again. Elder Markov has taught me techniques, built barriers, created warning systems. And if it’s not enough...." His jaw clenched. "Then Damian and I have discussed more permanent solutions."
"Permanent?" Eve’s eyes widened. "You mean....."
"Binding Cain the way your succubus nature was bound," Silas confirmed. "It would be... painful. Damaging. But if it’s the only way to keep you safe...."
"No." Eve crossed the room before she’d consciously decided to move, stopping just out of arm’s reach. "You can’t do that."
"Better me destroyed than you dead," Silas said simply.
Through their dream-walking connection....that silver thread that still linked them....Eve felt the absolute sincerity of his conviction. He would let them bind Cain, would accept the destruction of part of himself, if it meant keeping her safe.
"I don’t want that," she said, her voice cracking. "I don’t want you hurt because of me."
"Eve...."
"But I’m also terrified," she continued, the words spilling out. "Terrified that Cain will break through again and next time he won’t stop. That he’ll claim me and I’ll die because my body can’t handle it yet. That I’ll lose Silas because Cain decides he’s done waiting."
