"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does change the future."

He isn't getting better. Hiro and Ricardo helped me carry him into our bedroom a few hours ago. I've been sitting here, waiting to see the lashes in his chest get better but they have stayed the same.

His hoodie acts as a protective blanket around me. I try to find comfort in his scent and the warmth of the sweatshirt but my heart will not stop pounding.

The sound of my family and friends downstairs registers briefly before the ringing in my ears continues. All of them refuse to leave and I'm grateful for it. I reach for his hand and hold it tightly.

Please.

Donata said he will heal but I can still feel the ache in my chest from his injuries. It hasn't lessened and my hope continues to diminish.

The slow sound of the door creaking catches my attention. Through the small sliver of space between the door and the wall, I see familiar hazel eyes staring at me.

I wonder what it would be like if Isabel and I weren't so estranged, if we were just sisters who fought sometimes but always had each other's backs. The truth is that I would give up my relationship with Zane if it meant having my sister back again.

We came into this world together, I just wish we would have been able to live it together too.

I straighten my back and mentally prepare for what she will say.

I would have protected him.

I should be Luna.

I prepare myself for words that never come and in their place are words I thought I'd never hear from her.

"Are you okay?"

It's genuine. Her voice is laced with concern. Her tall body stands awkwardly by the door as if she's unsure if she should step in further. I catch her eyes flit around the room and pause on Zane momentarily.

Inside, I wonder when she became this person. I try to remember the sister who was always at my side instead of the one who humiliated me in front of my pack. Yet when I reach into the crevices of my mind, the image of the Isabel I want to remember becomes muddled with the one that stands in front of me now.

"I'm okay."

My response is meant to be dismissive but even I can hear the uneven tone of my voice and the shaky breath that leaves me. I'm a liar. I'm not okay and if I don't see Zane's dark eyes again I'm not sure I ever will be. Despite our differences, Isabel is my twin and I know she sensed my despair the second she walked into the room.

She walks over to me and pulls me out of bed. I open my mouth to protest but the strength to form words has left me. I follow her to the large glass doors that lead to the balcony outside.

There's a small table out on the balcony that used to be unused. It was dusty when I moved in but I already had a picture in my mind when I saw the set up. It was the perfect place to drink coffee and just enjoy the beautiful view in the morning. Initially, my image was one of me, sitting on one of the two chairs and sipping my hot coffee slowly. I never expected Zane to join me but he did.

Every morning he would make coffee for him and I. His mug was smaller and a dark blue color but mine was big and purple. Granted, I like my coffee with more creamer than actual coffee but I still consider myself a caffeine enthusiast. Zane never stopped making fun of me for my coffee choices but he was crazy because he drank his coffee black.

Yuck.

The unused wooden table slowly turned into a morning ritual and the sight of it sitting there, our mugs still standing next to each other, breaks me.

I crumble to the ground as a sob escapes me. I know I shouldn't cry, I need to be strong for him but this fear is crippling. It's slowly infected my entire body and I can't. I just can't.

"It's going to be okay, Alessandra."

The words are whispered to me with sincerity but there's still a hint of doubt in there. Isabel helps me up from the floor and sits me down on a chair. I feel my body move but my brain cannot process it.

Zane.

Zane.

Zane.

My heart aches with every beat, my lungs tighten with every breath, and my limbs feel as if they are out of my control.

"You're the strong one, Alessandra," Isabel whispers. She brings the seat over from the other side of the table and plops it down next to me.

Her words reach my ears but it sounds like I'm underwater. Am I drowning? It feels like I'm drowning.

"Alessandra!"

The noise startles me. I bring my eyes up to Isabel who stares at me with sadness and worry.

"He will be okay, but you need to be okay too."

Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm so sick of that word. I'm not okay. No one really knows if Zane will be okay.

How can I be okay when today might be the last day I see my mate live?

I try my best to gather my thoughts and give my full attention back to Isabel. In the back of my mind, I am still plagued with thoughts of Zane dying, but I try to put my trust in Donata. She said he would heal so he will.

I take in the sight in front of me. Isabel's always kept her hair short because our mom used to have our hair flowing down our backs when we were young. Her eyes look a little less haunted than they did years ago. She still looks a bit out of her depth.

"You know, I think the goddess must really hate us because this situation is.."

I nod at her. What were the odds of Zane and I being mates when he was dating my sister?

She sighs. Her hands are clasped in her lap and her head is bent forward. She looks up at me.

"I'm sorry for how I handled everything. I was just angry, you know?"

For a second, I'm stunned. I don't know what to say to her. I never expected to hear an apology from my sister but I realize it's something I've been hoping for.

"I honestly do not blame you. Was it shitty? Yeah. But you loved him for so long only for fate to betray you," I tell her. Slowly, the fog in my head starts to clear.

"No, not that. Zane was like my crutch and I was his. We were temporary. You don't walk with crutches forever, eventually, you heal and can walk on your own."

I arch my eyebrow in question.

"I guess I'm madder at myself for not realizing the truth sooner."

Now I'm more confused.

"You two have always had something, you know? The looks, the bickering, all of it should have told me that you would end up being mates. If I just noticed it sooner, maybe I wouldn't have ruined our-"

Her words are cut off with a sob. I reach across the small space between us and wrap her in a hug. The familiar smell of peaches invades my senses.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," her words are separated with hiccups.

"I forgive you."

She pulls away with a small smile on her face. There's a small beat of silence before she speaks again.

"You must really love this house."

I smile.

"I do, it's everything I ever wanted."

"I know, it's why he built it."

"What?"

"When you were gone in Italy, he kept asking me these questions about you. Most of them were about the kind of house you dreamed of and I guess he took everything I said and made it into this house."

The house was stunning. The light fixtures, floors, kitchen, even the bathrooms, were exactly what I pictured when I thought of my future home. The beautiful view of the lake only added to the charm.

"That's wonderful," I whisper. I'm not sure what to say. What I really want to do is kiss Zane and tell him thank you for making my dream a reality, but circumstances prevent that.

"It was pretty easy to remember everything, I remember your HGTV obsession," she giggles.

There might have been a time in high school when I watched House Hunters, Flip or Flop, and Property Brothers all the time. I was able to construct the perfect house in my head but it was never really complete. I knew what I wanted but I did not know how it was all going to work together but Zane made it possible.

"Hey, HGTV doesn't get enough credit," I respond.

I continue my conversation with Isabel but my head is stuck on one thought.

Why would he build this house if he never expected to be my mate? He was going to mark Isabel yet he built this house, my house.