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Then, one evening, as Fae stood at her door, preparing to close it for the night, he found the courage to speak.

"Fae."

She paused but did not meet his eyes. She was still simmering with anger.

"Fae..." His voice faltered slightly. "I just wanted to say...I am sorry."

The words felt clumsy on his tongue, but he forced them out.

"It should have been the first thing I said." He swallowed. "I didn't. And I am sorry."

Silence stretched between them.

"I am sorry I put you through that," he continued, voice low and steady. "Sorry I was not the mate you deserved. Sorry I made my hell yours. Sorry I hurt you when I should have been your shield."

The porch creaked softly beneath his shifting weight.

"I was wrong," he said plainly. "And I am sorry. I am not saying this for you to forgive me. I just want you to know that I...I want to be better."

Chapter 38

It was strange to hear the emotion in Blaidd's voice. His usual conversations with her never extended beyond monosyllables and grunts. Fae felt like she had entered a parallel universe.

"The past must remain in the past," she said finally. "You cannot change it."

And you can't make me forget.

She did empathise with what he went through, but she almost lost herself trying to hold the mate-bond together all by herself. It was not a mistake she was ever going to make again.

Blaidd lowered his gaze briefly, as if searching for the right words. "I know."

The porch lantern flickered between them as it swayed in the wind.

"And as much as I want to go back," he continued quietly, "and make it right...I cannot."

He drew in a slow breath. "I would go back sixteen years and not meet Isolde. I would trust the instinct that told me something was wrong. I would not carve that rune into my flesh. I would not leave you alone in that house with her children." His voice roughened. "You were barely more than a child yourself. I had no right…none."

Fae's fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the door.

"I made you feel less," he said plainly. "I did that."

He did not look away now. "I was a coward."

The word sat between them, heavy and unvarnished.

"I chose to keep my distance because it was easier than facing the damage I was causing. I convinced myself it was for your safety. For the pack's safety."

He shook his head once. "We have been mated for eight years and we barely know each other. Even though it is late, I would like to change that."

The wind stirred again, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and night air.

"I cannot undo those years," he said. "I cannot give them back to you. They were my failure."

Fae wanted to slam the door, not listen anymore. But she couldn't get herself to move.

She stood there for a long moment, the turmoil in her heart clear on her face. "Give me time," she said at last. Her voice was as soft as the flutter of a feather. "I need more time."

Blaidd nodded immediately. "You know that you have all the power here," he said. "All of it. You dictate how long you need."