-Elias Grayson:
After what felt like a lifetime of waiting, a low groan broke through the silence. My father's eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then slowly adjusted to the room around him. I shot up so fast the chair scraped harshly against the floor. His skin looked… wrong, pale. A grayish tone clung to him like death was already threading its fingers into him. His lips were pale, almost blue, and his eyes—normally warm and sharp—were tinged with yellow, as if the sickness itself had stolen the color from his soul.
"Dad?" My voice cracked as I rushed to the edge of the bed. "Dad, are you okay? What happened? Why didn't you tell me something was wrong? How are you feeling now?"
He blinked slowly, his gaze softening the moment it found me. "Elias… I didn't want you to worry. I wanted you to live your life. Study. Laugh. Grow. Don't spend years looking over your shoulder waiting for this."
I shook my head, my chest crushing in on itself. "You hid your sickness from me for years?"
A weak breath escaped him. "I'm sorry. I had to. If I told you, you would've put your life on hold. I couldn't let you do that. I promised myself you would never have to carry that weight."
His hand trembled as he reached for mine. I grabbed it immediately, desperate, clinging as if I let go, he'd vanish. He squeezed—barely, but it was enough to feel the ghost of the strength he used to have.
"I promise you," he whispered, voice thin as air, "I'm not going to leave you. Even if I'm not here physically one day… I'll always be here. With you. In your heart."
Those words shattered something inside me.
"Do not say that." My voice came out broken, terrified, shaking. "Do not fucking say that to me. You're not going anywhere. Do you hear me? You're going to stay right here. Physically. With me. You're not leaving me, you're not—"
The sentence dissolved as I collapsed forward, burying my face against his shoulder. The tears came hot and relentless, soaking into the blanket as my hands fisted into the sheets like I could anchor him here if I just held tight enough.
His trembling arm came up, wrapping around me as best as his weakened body could manage. I could feel every bone, every ridge—my father, the strongest man I ever knew, felt fragile enough to break in my arms.
Around us, the room blurred.
My mother covered her mouth, sobbing into Celeste's shoulder. Marcus stood rigid, jaw clenched, trying to keep himself composed. Even the doctors paused, giving us that moment—quiet, respectful. And next to me, I felt it again:
Sebastian's steady presence. Silent. Solid. He didn't say anything to me, didn't interrupt, just sat there like a wall trying to hold up the part of the world that was collapsing on top of me.
——-
In that room—filled with tears, fear, and the echo of a truth no one wanted to say out loud—I held onto my dad like I could fight death off with my bare hands.
And for the first time in my life, I felt truly, devastatingly helpless.
My dad's arm trembled around me, and after a moment, he pulled back just enough to cup my face with his shaking hand. His fingers were cold, but the way he looked at me—God, it was the same way he always had. Like I was his whole world.
"I want you to live your life," he whispered, voice thin but determined. "I want you to finish college. I want you to chase every dream you've ever had. I want you to be here for your mother… for the pack… and I want—" his voice cracked, "—I want you to be safe."
My throat tightened as more tears struck the blankets. He kept going.
"And I want you to be loved. Protected. I know you're strong, Elias. I know you can protect yourself. You're my son—of course you're strong." His hand slid to the back of my neck, steadying me, grounding me. "But strength doesn't mean going through life alone. And I can't…" his breath hitched, "I can't leave this world without knowing you'll be safe in someone's hands. Safe with someone who won't fail you."
My chest tightened, a terrified anger bubbling inside me. "Dad, what are you talking about?"
His eyes flickered past me. I followed his gaze—Sebastian sat there, tense, hands pressed tightly together, as if holding himself still by force. He looked like he wanted to disappear.
My dad's voice softened, but the words landed like a blow.
"The only person I trust to protect you is Sebastian."
My dad took a shaky breath, eyes locked on mine with a kind of desperation that cleaved straight through me.
"I want you to marry Sebastian."
The room went silent. I didn't breathe. I didn't even think.
For a second, the words didn't register—they just hung in the air like smoke, like something unreal. Then they crashed into me all at once.
"What?" My voice splintered as I whispered it. "Dad, no—what are you—"
His hand slid down from my neck, fingers tightening on my shoulder as if holding me in place was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. "It's the only way I'll die with peace in my heart," he rasped. "Elias… I'm not asking you to love him. Not now. Maybe not ever. I'm not asking for romance or fate or whatever the Moon decides." His jaw trembled. "I'm asking for a bond. A vow. A protector. Someone who will fight for you when I can't." He glanced at Sebastian and smiled, saying, " Sebastian, come here, son."
My pulse hammered so loudly it drowned out everything. I turned toward Sebastian, unable to stop myself. He looked shattered—like every word was a blade he was forcing himself to swallow. His eyes were wide in shock, dark, full of pain for my dad. His throat worked as he struggled to speak, but nothing came out. He is just as shocked as I to hear this.