One Night
One Night 241

Chapter 241

Audrey

When I woke, I found myself in bed back at the apartment. Edwin was stroking my hair, a worried look etched into his face as he stared down at me.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” he said, his voice soft when my eyes fluttered open. “You had me worried there for a bit.”

I groaned softly and tried to push myself up to a seated position, but it was no use. My arms trembled beneath my weight and I flopped back against the pillows. “I feel… drained,” I croaked.

Edwin shook his head and lifted a glass of water to my lips. I drank deeply, grateful for the soothing sensation as it poured down my dry throat.

“That’s because you are drained,” he replied, a somewhat scolding tone to his voice. “You used up just about every last drop of your Silver Star powers.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice for me to realize that he was right. That silvery pool of energy inside of me felt nearly entirely empty now, save for whatever was necessary to keep me breathing.

Even my wolf was weak and tired. When I reached for her presence, she didn’t respond; she was just resting, but too

calls. exhausted to answer my

“Oh,” I said. “I guess I went a little far, didn’t I?”

My mate huffed softly at that as he set aside the glass and helped prop me up on some pillows. I was wearing one of his oversized t-shirts now, indicating that he must have changed me out of my dirty clothes himself while I was unconscious.

“You can say that again,” he remarked wryly. “Audrey, you didn’t need to heal all of those kids. Not in one night, at least. You’re honestly lucky you passed out before you drained your entire life force.”

Iit the inside of my cheek as I thought back on those moments before I had gone unconscious. I recalled healing Ivy, seing her pallid face warm up beneath my touch. Her little smile had awakened something deep inside of me, and I hadn’t been able to stop myself from healing all the others.

“I couldn’t just heal one and leave the rest,” I whispered.

Edwin sighed. “You know, there are millions of children dying of cancer in the world. Some are dying even as we speak. Do you intend to heal all of them, too?”

“Look, I know it’s impractical,” I insisted. “And of course I know that it’s physically impossible for me to heal everyone. But when I see an opportunity in front of me, I’m going to take it. You can’t really fault me for that, can you?”

My mate was silent, although his face softened. Finally, with another shake of his head and an incredulous chuckle, he said, “You’re incorrigible. But no, I guess I can’t fault you.”

Neither of us spoke for some time after that, although we didn’t need to. I could feel his approval down the bond, even if it was laced with a healthy dose of scolding. We both knew that I went too far, and yet what I had done had also been

necessary.

“You know,” I finally said, my voice softer now, “now that I’m the Silver Star, it’s sort of my duty to help people like that, isn’t it?”

Edwin’s dark eyebrows shot up. “You don’t have to, you know. It’s not your ‘duty. You’re still a person on your own, not a tool for world peace.”

I swallowed and looked away. “I know. But I think…” I thought back on those moments in the forest, when we had given one

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Chapter 241

another our marking bite and I had finally, truly, become one with my wolf.

The sense of purpose that had washed over me during those moments. The feeling of peace. Wholeness.

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“I think I’m ready to accept my identity as the Silver Star,” I said quietly. “All this time, I felt like I needed to cling to ‘Audrey’, because I feared that once I became the Silver Star she would slip away for good.”

I shook my head, dispelling the tears that were beginning to p****k at the corners of my eyes. “But Audrey was never going to go anywhere. My soul has always been the Silver Star-throughout every incarnation, every lifetime. And yet, the Silver Star cannot exist without the woman that it is bound to.”

As I spoke those words, I knew that they were true. ‘Audrey’ was never at risk of being stripped away when the Silver Star emerged.

It was the Silver Star who was at risk of being stripped away if I didn’t accept her.

“I… I accept the Silver Star now,” I finished. “I think I’m ready to let that part of myself emerge. I’m not afraid of it anymore.”

Edwin was quiet, his eyes wide as he looked at me. His hand tightened around mine, his mouth working uselessly. Finally, he leaned forward and gently brushed the barest kiss against my lips, every movement slow and almost reverent.

When he pulled back, there was a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’m proud of you, my love,” he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. His fingers lingered on my silver streak, pinching the strands and studying them in the moonlight.

Smiling myself, I continued, “I want to become the best Silver Star there ever was. I want to help people, whenever and however I can. Even if it seems dangerous or s***d, I want to do it, because it’s my calling.” I sat up a little on my elbows and c***ed my head at my mate. “Will you support me through that?”

Edwin’s gray eyes trailed over me, his jaw setting as he considered my question. I could feel his mind whirring through our bond, his soul torn between that innate nature of his to protect everyone he cared about at all costs and knowing that he couldn’t keep me safely tucked into his pocket forever.

Finally, he grinned and wrapped his arms around me. He dragged me up into his lap and raked his fingers across the back of

y neck.

His breath was warm against my lips as he murmured, “I made my vows under that tree. I meant them.”

And then, suddenly, breathlessly, our lips were locked together. His kiss was firm and fiery, the taste of his lips like embers on my tongue. I felt his soul stroke the bond, and I reached out with my own, lashing and twining our hearts together until they were one.

I didn’t realize that my hair had begun to glow until we pulled back for air, and Edwin’s own glowing golden eyes widened with surprise and joy.

“You must be happy,” he murmured, lifting a few silver strands so I could see. “Because you’re positively glowing.”

I flicked my eyes over his shoulder toward the full-length mirror, and gasped. My hair was glowing silver. Not just the strand, but my entire head was like a silver beacon.

It was as if the very moon herself was pouring her light into me, starting at the roots and rippling downwards to the tips. Each movement of my head seemed to send a fresh ripple of light through my hair, the strands shimmering against one another.

The pool of silver inside of me seemed to replenish as I laughed head thrown back, and fell back against the mattress. And that pool grew to overflowing as Edwin tangled himself with me beneath the sheets.

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Chapter 242