“Kieran…” She leans into my touch, softly nuzzling my hand.
“I was such a fool.” My voice roughens with emotions, “I thought strength meant never showing weakness, never admitting when you’re wrong. But you… you showed me what real strength looks like. The courage to be vulnerable. To keep trying, keep fighting, even when the whole world seems to be against you.”
Tears gather in her eyes as I speak, so I reach up to gently brush them away with the backs of my fingers. “Pretty words won’t change what happened, Kieran.”
“No, they won’t.” I take her hands in mine, marveling at how small and delicate they seem, although I know the strength they contain. “But I hope my actions from here on out will. I know now that I never deserved you—not then, and maybe not evennow. But I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of you.”
The bond pulses between us, carrying waves of her uncertainty and fear, and underneath it all, a spark of hope she can’t quite extinguish. It’s that hope that gives me courage and faith in our bond.
“What if I never shift?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if there’s no cure, no answers here for me? Could you really accept a mate who can’t run with you in wolf form?”
Instead of answering immediately, I shift positions so that I’m properly kneeling before her, my head bowed at the neck. The gesture of submission makes her inhale sharply—it’s not something an alpha’s son would ever do lightly.
“I love you exactly as you are,” I tell her, my voice thick with conviction. “Wolf or no wolf, it doesn’t matter. You’re my mate, my heart, my everything in this world. And if I had the chance to choose again, knowing everything I know now, I’d choose you every time.”
“But the pack?—”
“The pack will either accept you as my mate or lose me as their future alpha.” The words come easily, because I know as I say them how true they are. “I won’t let anyone make you feel less than what you are ever again. If the ritual can never be undone…” My voice breaks in pain at the thought of Aurora never getting to run free as her wolf, something she deserves more than anyone. “So be it. If it kept you alive, I’m glad. I’d rather you never shift than lose you.”
A small sound escapes her, somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “You can’t mean that, Kieran. Your father?—”
“Was wrong about everything that matters to me.” I lift my head to meet her gaze, watching the tears fall free down her cheeks unchecked. “He taught me all the wrong things about strength, I know that now. Real strength is about having thecourage to be vulnerable and honest, about trying and failing then trying again. Strength means standing up for what matters, even if—especially if—it’s hard. You taught me that, Aurora.”
Her hands tremble in mine. “I want to believe you.”
“Then let me prove it.” I press my forehead to our joined hands. “Let me show you every day how much I love you, and how proud I am to be your mate. Let me stand beside you—not in front of you, but right at your side, as your equal and your partner.”
When she doesn’t respond, I continue, “I know I hurt you. I know it will take time to earn back your trust, and I accept that. I’m not going anywhere, Aurora. Whatever answer we find here, whatever comes next, I’m with you. If you’ll have me.”
For a long moment, she’s silent. My heart begins to drop, the hope inside me tender and delicate. Then her fingers tighten around mine as if she’s made a decision.
“Stand up,” she says softly.
I do, keeping hold of her hands. Looking down at her, I see the tear tracks on her cheeks, but with something besides sadness in her eyes now. Something that looks like cautious, beautiful hope.
“If we do this,” she says carefully, “things have to be different. I won’t be the weak mate you need to protect. I won’t let you or anyone else make me feel ashamed of who I am.”
“Never,” I swear. “You’re perfect exactly as you are. I see that now.”
She studies my face for a long moment, then nods. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Hope blooms in my chest
“I accept you as my mate.” A small smile curves her lips. “Although I’m still not sure about the bite.”
Relief and joy surge through me, so strong that I can barely breathe. Pulling her to her feet, I wrap my arms around her,breathing in her scent. The bond hums between us, pleased and stronger than ever.
“Whatever you want,” I murmur into her hair, my wolf howling his pleasure. “Whatever you need from me. I’m yours, Aurora. Now and always.”
She melts into my embrace, and for the first time in years, I feel whole. Complete.
Like I’ve finally found my way home, and I didn’t even know that I was lost before this.
Chapter 35
Aurora
The ruins of Pack Onyx land fade into darkness around us as Kieran and I make our way back to the small cabin we’d found for shelter. His words from earlier echo in my mind, making my heart race: “I love you exactly as you are.” The pure acceptance in his voice, the way he knelt before me—no one has ever seen me so completely before, no one has ever accepted me as who I am without conditions. I never thought I would have that, especially from him.
