Chapter 48

Sophia's POV

As I watched Derick slowly regain consciousness, my heart felt like it was about to burst with relief. After all that had happened, seeing him alive and breathing felt like a miracle.

"Derick!" I exclaimed, rushing to his side.

He looked up at me with a weak smile. "Sophia," he said hoarsely.

I helped him sit up, holding his hand tightly as he struggled to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at me with regret in his eyes. "I should have listened to you about Mia. I never thought she would betray us like that. I saw her running away with the black bird wolves."

"It's okay," I replied, trying to comfort him. "We'll deal with it later. Right now, you need to rest."

But even as I spoke those words, I knew that things were far from over. Derick and I had a bond now, one that had been forged by the thunderstorm and the realization that we were true mates. But I wasn't ready to accept that bond, not after everything that ha