[A/N - TRIPLE UPDATE! As I said in the previous chapter, you may skip this one and go onto chapter 33, but be prepared to miss some details]

"If the world was ending you'd come over, right? The sky'd be falling and I'd hold you tight. And there wouldn't be a reason why we would even have to say goodbye."
~JP Saxe & Julia Michaels, 'If The World Was Ending'

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[Play the song at the top as you read. If the video at the top doesn't work, try the one below 👇🏼]

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*Lhong's POV*

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in....

Breathe...

It... it hurts.

Since when does breathing hurt?

Since when does my chest feel like it's going to explode each time I try to inhale?

I try to understand what's happening, but I can't see much as my sight has blurred. Am I crying? Why am I crying?

Everything is blurry, but I can still make out some shapes. There's... there's fighting. Wolves. Three wolves attacking two wolves as a smaller figure scrambles up from the ground.

The smaller figure runs towards me, screaming my name. He drops to his knees, hands hovering over me frantically as if he's too scared to touch me.

His scent hits me, making my wolf whimper in distress.

Thorn.

"Lhong, don't fall asleep," Thorn instructs, his voice breaking. "Keep your eyes open, baby. Can you do that for me?"

Drops of water hit my face. Is it raining?

"Baby, blink if you can hear me," Thorn pleads. I try to obey, but my eyelids refuse to move.

I'm... I'm cold, Thorn.

Everything is... cold.

"Don't do this," Thorn sobs, more raindrops hitting my skin.

Wait, not raindrops... tears.

Please.... please don't cry.

I want to reach out to him, to caress the smooth skin of his cheeks with my fingertips, but my arms feel like they're being weighted down by concrete.

I'm sorry, Thorn.

I'm sorry I wasn't a better mate.

I'm sorry I let bitterness control so much of my life. I'm sorry I didn't spend more time smiling.

If I could go back, I would smile at you more. Laugh with you more. Hold you more. I would taste those lips I have been dreaming about for weeks. Hold you close, make you mine by sinking my teeth in your neck.

I wish...
I wish I told you how much you mean to me, before the blood trickling past my lips prevented me from speaking.

How much I love...

The growls and snarls multiply when a mass of wolves show up. Thorn hovers over my body to protect me. Several wolves roll over in submission, refusing to fight back.

There's a man screaming orders, orders that are being ignored. Even through my failing vision, I can tell that man is my father.

A massive wolf runs over to him, teeth flashing and eyes glowing. Thorn places a hand over my eyes, but I can hear the snarls of the wolf, leading to the screams of my father coming to an abrupt end.

"Hold on just a little bit longer, baby, okay?" Thorn begs softly as he brushes my hair back. "Stay awake. Don't give up. Please... keep fighting. For us."

My eyes somehow find his, dark and shining with tears. He smiles shakily at me, despite the tears streaming down his face.

I want to smile back at him.

Thorn always smiles at me. Always smiles when I know he's not even happy. He smiles... because he knows it lessens my pain. He smiles for me.

Just as he's doing now.

As my vision begins to fade, the memory of the first time Thorn smiled at me like that plays through my mind.

***

"Thorn... I'm still not sure how I feel about this," I had said to him, a few days after finding out we were mates. "This isn't what I had expected."

"That's okay," Thorn said quickly. "I can wait for you. Even if you take a month, a year, ten years, I'll still be waiting for you. You're my mate, and I know we're meant to be together. I'm not giving up on you, Lhong."

I shook my head. "You don't get it. I spent years being in love with someone else. I'm not sure if I could ever love you in the same way."

Pain flickered in Thorn's eyes. My words cut him deep. My wolf whimpered at the sight of our mate in pain, but I ignored it.

Then, despite the pain still evident in his dark eyes, Thorn smiled at me. "That's okay. I'll love you enough for the both of us. You'll see."

***

Thorn...

I wish I could tell you how wrong I was.
How right you were.

I was foolish to think I wouldn't fall for you.
I was foolish to think I knew what love was before I met you.

Thank you for being patient.

Thank you for waiting for me.

I'm sorry I didn't give you more love, sooner than I had.

I'm sorry this is happening.

All I had ever wanted was to be loved. I couldn't find it from my father, I couldn't find it from other guys, but I found it with you.

Thank you.... thank you for loving me.

Blurred figures run towards me, carefully scooping my body up. A rasped groan escapes my lips at the way my entire body burns as I'm moved around.

Thorn presses his lips to my forehead, his tears falling onto my skin.

I hear him desperately calling my name as my vision fades, and everything becomes dark.

~~~

IM SOBBING OKAY

I DONT CARE IF YOU STARTED OUT HATING LHONG, HE GREW SO MUCH

BUT KEEP READING, I PROMISE IT GETS BETTER

COMMENT AND VOTE
WHY AM I STILL SHOUTING

😭😭😭
-Gumbie