Chapter Twenty-Three
Adriel
I wake up to the soft rustle of movement and see Danae slipping out of bed, her silhouette framed by the faint glow of moonlight. My heart stirs at the sight of her…her beauty, her strength, even the shyness that lingers in her posture despite everything we’ve shared. She’s extraordinary in ways I can’t quite put into words.
Beside me, Joseph stirs. His eyes crack open, and our gazes meet silently. We both heard her leave. Neither of us moves, though, as if by some unspoken agreement to let her have her space. But then we hear the low murmur of voices.
Silas.
I strain to listen, catching the cool edge in my brother’s voice. It cuts like a knife, even from here. I look at Joseph, his brow furrowing as the words carry over: “At least you’ll never lack pleasure in our marriage. You’ll always have them to call on when your heat starts.”
What the hell is he doing?
Joseph sighs softly. “He’s being an ass again.”
I clench my jaw, anger bubbling beneath the surface. Silas can be difficult. He can be infuriating…but this? After everything that’s happened between them? Between all of us?
When Danae walks back in, her tears catch the light, and it feels like something in me snaps. I can’t just lie here and watch her break.
“Danae,” I say softly, sitting up. She freezes for a moment as if caught off guard, but I’m already reaching for her. Joseph is quick to follow, sitting up and pulling her gently between us.
She collapses into us, her quiet sobs muffled against my shoulder. My hand finds her face, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. The sight of her pain makes me ache in ways I don’t fully understand.
“Why does he hate me so much?”
The sound of her voice, the sight of her like this. It’s agonizing. It splits my heart in two.
Joseph’s voice is calm, soothing. “Silas doesn’t hate you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite,” he says, his hand rubbing gentle circles on her back. “That’s why this is so hard for him to get to grips with.”
I sigh, feeling my throat tighten with emotion as I start to speak. “Something happened when Silas was younger,” I begin, my voice low, trying to find the right words. “He had a very bad experience with an Omega, and it scarred him. It’s not that he hates you, Danae. He’s hated Omegas for so long, and now he’s falling for one. I think that’s what’s tearing him apart.”
She sniffles, looking up at me with those wide, tear-filled green eyes. It’s a look that knocks the breath out of me.
The pang in me is just too unbearable now. I can’t see her like this.
“Hey now…” I say, my voice even softer as I pull her closer to myself, “I hate seeing you like this.”
Her head rests on my chest as I cradle her head with my hand. Joseph caresses her hand as he sits near us.
The feeling of her leaning on me like this, spurs something in me. That same protectiveness came over me that day when I heard my family members say disparaging things about her as she embarked on that climb up the mountain.
It’s a feeling so strong that I can’t help but want to fix this.
I raise her chin, looking into her eyes. “We’ll head out. How about a movie again?” I say, trying to sound more cheerful.
She nods, sniffling, and the sight is almost unbearably cute.
“This time, I’ll make sure it’s one of my worst performances so I can get you to laugh.” I joke.
She cracks a small, and a faint, tiny chuckle escapes her lips. It’s small, but it means everything to me in this moment. To see her smile, even for a fleeting moment, and know that I caused that. It warms me.
I hold on to the image of that smile as noon rolls around. Her face is bashful throughout the entire car ride. It’s hard for me to not say anything, but in this moment the quiet might just be what she needs. I let her bask in it as we move through the bustling city sights.
When we arrive at the hot spring, I feel a warmth spread through me as I watch her expression light up. And seeing it makes me just…happy.
She’s already shifting, her wolf form darting toward the tunnel with a playful glance back at me. I chuckle, shifting to follow her. The warmth of the hot spring greets us, and we settle in easily, slipping back into our human forms.
This place feels like ours now. It’s where we come to escape, to just be.
I bring out one of my favorite movies, and we settle in to watch, the unease from a few hours earlier slowly melting away. Every time she laughs at something in the film, I find myself smiling too, as if her joy is something I can’t help but mirror.
We snack as we watch, our conversation light and easy. For a little while, everything feels normal. Simple.
But when the movie ends, I notice her glancing at me nervously, her hands fidgeting in her lap.
“What’s on your mind?” I ask, leaning back against the smooth rock behind me.
She hesitates, biting her lip before finally asking, “Was…was it bad?”
I blink, caught off guard and confused. “Was what bad?”
Her cheeks flush a deep red, and she looks away, her voice barely above a whisper. “Us being together like that. The sex. Was it bad?”
I’m stunned for a moment, her vulnerability taking me completely off guard. She’s looking anywhere but at me, and it’s the most endearing thing I’ve ever seen.
“Danae,” I say softly, reaching out to take her hand. “It was phenomenal. Both times we’ve been together have been phenomenal for me.”
She looks at me then, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It’s beautiful seeing her like this, and it makes my heart ache in the best way.
I take a deep breath, the gravity of my next words heavy in my chest. But I can’t hold back anymore.
“Danae,” I begin, my voice steady but laced with emotion. “I don’t want those times to be the last time I’m with you like that.”
Her eyes widen, surprise flashing across her face.
“If you would have me,” I continue, my grip on her hand tightening slightly, “I want to be in a family unit with you.”
She stares at me, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words come out.
I press on, the words spilling out of me now. “You know, when I was a kid, Silas and I used to joke about how I would just join his family unit one day. It was this funny little tease. But now…” I pause, my throat tightening. “Now I want to be with you, Danae. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. With you, I feel more seen than I ever have with anyone else. It’s in how you want to watch my movies…it’s in everything about you. If you would have me, I want to be in your family unit.”
Her eyes fill with something I can’t quite name…joy? Disbelief? Both? She nods slowly, a small, beautiful smile forming on her face.
Excitement bubbles up within me, threatening to spill over. I can’t help but grin, my chest swelling with a childlike hope.
As night falls and we prepare to go back home, there’s a certainty that takes hold within me. A kind of crystallized clarity. Now more than ever, I know I want this woman in my life, and I know I will do anything to make it happen.
Whatever Silas decides, it matters little to me. Danae makes my heart pound faster and harder than it ever has, and whether it’s in a family unit or as my mate, I’m going to make sure she stays in my life.