Chapter Eighteen: Breaking the Chains

Nicholas’s POV

The rage that had fuelled my outburst began to simmer into a cold wave of regret. I stared at the shattered pieces of the mug I'd thrown, the fragments reflecting my emotional state—broken, scattered, irreparable. The silence that followed Emma's departure was excruciating, a poignant reminder of the hollowness that plagued my every waking moment.

After what felt like an eternity, I wheeled myself back to the window, staring out into the endless stretch of the land that seemed to mock my confinement. The outside world felt unreachable, a distant memory of a life where I was powerful, untamed, and free. Now, I was nothing but a prisoner in my own home, my own body.

For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine stepping outside, feeling the earth beneath my feet, the wind rustling through my fur when I shifted. But it was just a fantasy, a cruel game my mind played, reminding me of what I had lost.

I closed my eyes, trying to push away the dark clouds of despair that loomed o