Chapter 126: The Hollow Wolf

The night was silent.

Too silent.

Dante stood at the edge of the bed, watching Bella's unconscious body like a predator waiting for its prey to wake up.

His muscles were coiled, tense, his hands curled into fists at his sides.

He didn't know how long he had been standing there.

Minutes.

Hours.

Time didn't matter.

Not when his mate—**his Luna—**was slipping further into the abyss with every breath she took.

Her skin was too pale.

Her chest barely rose and fell.

And the mark on her throat—

It had spread.

No longer a single brand curling around her neck, it had now twisted down her collarbone, dark veins threading beneath her skin like vines creeping toward her heart.

Dante's wolf snarled inside him.

"I am losing her."

A growl rumbled from deep in his chest. No. He wouldn't accept that.

He couldn't.

Not when he had fought so hard to keep her.

Not when he had already torn the world apart for her.

His jaw clenched.

"If I have to burn everything to the ground to get her back, I will."

Then—

Bella moved.

A sharp inhale. A twitch of her fingers.

Dante froze.

His heart slammed against his ribs as he watched her lashes flutter.

She stirred, shifting against the sheets, her breath uneven, shallow.

Then—

Her golden-brown eyes snapped open.

And for a moment—

They were completely black.