Chapter 72 Evan
EVAN
Adjusting to life back home with Caleb after six weeks at the treatment centre has been challenging yet blissful at the same time. I’m still keeping up with my therapy sessions with Nathan at Caleb’s pack house, and sometimes, we even sit in on each other's sessions for extra support.
I close the book in my lap and hop down from the ledge. My neck tingles, and I brush my fingers over the mark Caleb left on me. It’s been a week since we officially mated, and for the first time, everything feels a lot lighter, brighter, and doable.
I walk towards Caleb’s office without a second thought. I raise my knuckles and knock to hear, “Come in,” shortly after.
The second I step inside, Caleb glances up at me and offers a smile.
“Hey,” he says as he places down his pen. “You don’t need to knock.”
I shrug with a smile. “I need to respect my Alpha.”
His eyes flare at my statement. “Come here.” He beckons with his head.
My feet carry me towards him with a little hurry, and the second he opens his arms, I fall into his lap. I press my face up against his neck and leave a kiss on the mark I left him. Caleb shudders as his arms tighten around my back.
“Once upon a time, you told me I’d never be your Alpha,” he murmurs.
I chuckle softly. “Yeah, when I didn’t know your intentions.”
He pulls away and stares up at me before brushing my curls from my face.
“But now, you’ll always be my Alpha.”
My head raises an inch, and I glance at the wall behind him to find a portrait of myself. It takes a few seconds to realise it’s one of the paintings Caleb did a while back, and now he’s hung it in his office.
“Holy shit,” I blurt as he turns to look at what I’m gaping at.
Caleb smiles before nudging his head into mine. “What do you think?”
“I’m in shock, that’s what I think.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been hung up on anybody’s wall,” I confess as my cheeks heat.
He slides his hands into the back of my hair. “I spend a lot of time in here alone, but when I turn around and look at your handsome face, it reminds me that I’m not alone. I’m far from alone. It makes me happy, even on the glummest of days.”
My chest quivers at his declaration. “You are so fucking cute.”
Caleb releases a soft grunt before pressing his lips to mine. “I want to tell our pack.”
My breath lodges in my throat at his words. Our pack.
“They already know.” I laugh hesitantly.
“I know, but officially. I’ve been waiting to do it since I met you.”
I stare back into his eyes as they glitter at me. “Yeah?”
He bites down on his bottom lip and nods. “Yeah.”
“Then let's do it.”
My eyes dip as I loosen my arms around Caleb’s neck. I push up the sleeves of my jumper, and I stare back at the marks on my skin. It’s been over four months now since I last self-harmed.
“What’s wrong?” Caleb frowns as he kisses my wrists.
“I think I’d like to cover them up.”
“Your scars?”
I nod.
“Why?”
“Because they’ll always be there, but that’s a chapter of my life I’m ready to close and move onto the next.”
“Cover them with what?”
“Tattoos,” I say as I cup his jaw, my palm grazing his light stubble.
Caleb’s eyebrow quirks. “I like the sound of that.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, tattoos are fucking hot.”
I laugh and flick my gaze over the tattoos creeping out of his quarter-zip and littering his neck. “Trust me, I know. I’ve been looking it up online, and it’s safe as long as they’re healed. I’m not ashamed of them or anything, but I’d like to see something else when I look at my wrists, you know?”
“Whatever makes you happy, pups.”
“A fresh start. They’ll always be there, but it’s something new.”
Caleb nods as he kisses my cheek. “I’m all for it.”
“Oh, goddess, I’m nervous,” I say as I shake out my hands.
Caleb reaches forward to cup them. “You have nothing to be nervous about. They already love you, probably more than me.”
I tilt my head at him. “That’s not true.”
“It definitely is.”
My heart thunders in my chest.
“Ready?”
I swallow the thickness in my throat and manage a nod. “As I’ll ever be.”
Caleb slides his hand between mine, and we step out into the grand hall where his pack is waiting. There’s a light buzz of conversation, but as soon as one person glances over at us, everyone starts to quieten down.
I flick my eyes over the entire room, filled to the brim.
After a few moments, people start to clap, and I’m stunned because we haven’t said anything. Caleb leans over and presses a kiss to my temple. “Enjoy it,” he whispers. “These people would do anything for you.”
My eyes ache from the tears already starting to build.
“Thank you all for being here.” Caleb’s voice booms across the large room. “Thank you for having my back and giving me time to earn your trust, but now, I want to introduce Evan into our pack officially.”
I stare up at the beautiful man as he speaks, his eyes soft, and lips at a natural curl.
“I know many of you have become close with Evan after all of his efforts to help out with the merge of the two packs,” he continues. “And I owe him a lot. Everything actually.”
My fingers squeeze his as he turns to look down at me with adoration in his expression. I lose my breath completely.
“I’ve dreamt of doing this more times than I can remember,” he says before glancing out at his pack. “I’ve always been proud of him, but nothing makes me prouder than having him by my side, and to tell you guys that Evan is my mate.”
A tear rolls down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away.
“He doesn’t only make me a better man, he makes me strive to be a better everything.
He’s the missing piece to my heart, my soul, my fucking life.
And I can’t wait for him to be here with us, where he belongs.
With the family he’s always deserved. I might be your Alpha, but we are equals.
He will stand beside me, and you will respect him the way you respect me. That's all I ask.”
“To Evan!” Zara cheers with a beaming smile.
“To Evan!” everyone calls out.
My smile is so big it nearly splits my face in two.
Caleb twists towards me and places his hands on my cheeks as I grin up at him, tears staining my skin. “I love you,” he whispers. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you until you’re bursting at the seams.”
I laugh with a sniffle. “Right back at you, Alpha.”
He presses his lips to mine, and I sigh into the kiss.
The room continues to cheer, and I’ve never felt weightless like this in my life. All I’ve ever wanted is to be accepted for who I am, and my dream has finally become a reality.