Page 98 of Wisteria and Cloves
Then Julian looked at me.
“Come walk with me?” he asked, his voice low and deliberate, like the question had been waiting on his tongue for hours.
I blinked. “Now?”
“Now,” he said again, more gently this time, offering me his hand.
I hesitated only a second before placing mine in his. His grip was warm, steady, his thumb brushing lightly across my knuckles. A simple touch, but intimate enough that I felt my heartbeat stutter as I stood.
No one questioned us leaving. Miles gave a nod so subtle it was more sensed than seen. Christopher winked and made a teasing remark about“romantic strategy debriefs,”but his voice was light. Even Nicolaus glanced up, eyes briefly catching mine in a way that told me he’d be listening for our return.
Julian led me through the quiet house, his pace unhurried, his presence calm but undeniably commanding. Out through the glass doors, the patio welcomed us into a soft cocoon of morning warmth. We walked into the garden until we reached the low stone railing that edged the path into the private trails, the wooded parts where wild things still grew untamed.
Julian stopped, his hand still holding mine, and turned to face me. “You handled that well,” he said, his voice thoughtful, not perfunctory.
I glanced at him, searching his features—the firm line of his jaw, the soft amber flecks in his hazel eyes, the crease in his brow that never quite went away. “I felt freeing to have all those choices and options…and I didn’t feel pressured at all.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That’s what growth feels like. A little awkward. A little thrilling.”
I laughed softly, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Is that why you brought me out here? To tell me I’m awkward?”
“No,” he said seriously, stepping a little closer. “To tell you I see you. Really see you. And I wanted a moment where it was just us—no noise, no strategy. Justyou and me.”
His words struck something deep in my chest. I swallowed, the sound loud in the silence between us. “Okay.”
Julian’s gaze softened further, and he reached up to brush another loose strand from my cheek. His touch was featherlight, but it lingered—a question in the space between skin and meaning.
“You’re changing so quickly, Lilianna,” he said, his thumb tracing just beneath my cheekbone. “Every day you grow braver. More yourself. And I… I want to make sure we’re not overwhelming you. That we’re not pulling you faster than you want to go.”
“You’re not,” I said immediately, then paused. “I mean… Iwasoverwhelmed at first. But not because ofyou.Because I didn’t know how tobe.Now I think… I’m starting to.”
His jaw flexed, something raw flickering behind his eyes. “Good. Because I need you to understand something.” I looked up at him, the garden and morning forgotten. Only the strength of his gaze mattered now.
“You matter to me….to us.,” he said, the words like stone on water—rippling and impossible to ignore. “Not just as an Omega. Not because you’re ours. But because you’reyou.Because you keep showing up, even when it’s hard.”
My breath caught. I didn’t know what to say, so I did the only thing that felt right—I stepped forward and pressed my face to his chest, arms wrapping around his waist. He held me without hesitation, his embrace strong and sure, like shelter.
“I trust you,” I whispered into the fabric of his shirt.
“I’ll earn it,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, “every day, if you let me.” And just like that, Iknew—no matter how complicated things became, no matter how loud the world got—this was the place where I could grow.
Right here. Withhim. With this pack.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Lilianna
We stood there in the garden for a long moment, Julian's arms solid around me while the morning sun warmed our shoulders. When I finally pulled back to look at him, his expression had shifted to something more playful, though his eyes still held that tender intensity that made my stomach flutter.
"There's something else I wanted to discuss with you," he said, his hands settling at my waist. "About the individual courting we talked about yesterday."
My pulse quickened at the reminder. "What about it?"
"I'd like to take you somewhere special. Just the two of us." His thumb traced small circles against my hip through the fabric of my dress. "There's a place I think you'd love—a small botanical conservatory about an hour from here."
The combination of plants and music made my heart leap. "That sounds perfect. When?"
"How about tomorrow?" Julian suggested, his smile warming his eyes. "We could make a day of it. The conservatory has a special section of rare orchids that bloom this time of year, and there's a small café overlooking the gardens where we could have lunch."
