Chapter 16%
Ivy’s POVI
His audacity, his pathetic attempt to cling to me, infuriated me. He acted like I was some prized possession he’d simply misplaced living, breathing being he had systematically broken. I knew Vincent would be pissed, and a part of me, the still wounded part, almost relished the thought of Ethan facing the consequences of his actions ⠀
Alpha Vincent was there, waiting, his powerful frame radiating barely suppressed fury. His eyes, usually so calm, were alight with anger but they softened the moment they met mine. He saw my distress, instantly. His wolf was roaring. I could feel it, a protective snad dec within him.
“Ivy,” he growled, his voice tight, his jaw clenched, “Did he did he do anything to you? His hands flexed at his sides, as if fighting the
he… urge to go back inside and tear Ethan apart,
I forced a calm I didn’t entirely feel. “No, Alpha. Everything’s fine. He just… he’s an idiot.” The anger still spiked, but I pushed it down. There was no point in letting Ethan’s toxicity ruin this night, ruin what was quickly becoming our night. “Let’s just go home.
He hesitated, his gaze searching mine, making sure I was truly okay. Then, with a frustrated sigh, he nodded, his broad shoulders slumping slightly. “Alright, darling. Let’s go home.”
The drive back to Nightshade Pack was quiet, but it wasn’t a strained silence.
Later that night, long after I’d shed the emerald gown and slipped into soft, familiar sleep clothes, a soft knock came at my bedroom door. I knew it was him. His scent, now deeply ingrained in my senses as home, was unmistakable.
“Come in, Alpha,” I said, my voice softer than I intended.
He entered, and my breath hitched. He stood in the doorway, tall and commanding, but his eyes held a vulnerability I hadn’t seen before. He looked like he had something to say, something that weighed heavily on his mind. His wolf radiated a mixture of fierce protectiveness and a quiet longing.
“Alpha?” I urged, my voice gentle. “What is it?′′E
He closed the door behind him, the soft click echoing in the quiet room. He walked towards me, slowly, his gaze never leaving mine. He stopped a few feet away, close enough for me to feel the warmth radiating from his body, close enough for our wolves to hum in quiet contentment.
“Ivy,” he began, his voice a low rumble, rough with emotion. “… tonight, seeing him…” He trailed off, shaking his head slightly. “It just solidified everything for me.” He took another step closer, reaching out to gently cup my face in his large hand. His thumb stroked my cheekbone sending shivers through me.
“I don’t want to waste another moment,” he confessed, his silver eyes buming with an intense sincerity. “I don’t care what you went through with him. I don’t care how long it takes for you to heal. I don’t care if it takes forever for you to love me back in the way a mate should” His grip on my jaw tightened, not painfully, but with a fierce determination. “I just need you to be mine. Officially.”
My heart swelled, expanding in my chest until it felt like it might burst. All my life, I thought I was destined for misery, destined to chase after a love that was never truly mine, stuck in an endless, painful cycle with Ethan. I had believed my wolf was broken, that my heart was too fractured to ever fully recover. And now… now there was Vincent.
I was skeptical at first, after everything. What if this intense connection was just the mate bond asserting itself, a primal instinct overriding my wounded heart? But Vincent Vincent wasn’t hard to like. He was kind, patient, understanding. He was strong, yet gentle. He saw me, truly saw me, in a way no one else ever had. And as I looked into his honest, unwavering eyes, I knew. He wasn’t hard to love. He was everything I hadn’t realized I craved.
He took a deep breath, and then, slowly, he reached into his pocket. My gaze followed his hand, and he pulled out a small, velvet box. My
gaze follow breath hitched. He opened it, revealing a ring nestled within. It wasn’t flashy or ostentatious. It was simple, elegant, yet breathtakingly beautiful. A single, luminous moonstone, glowing with an inner light, set on a band of intricately carved silver that mirrored the ancient symbols of the Moon Goddess.K
“Ivy,” he said, his voice husky with emotion, will you be my Luna? My official Luna, my mate, my wife? Will you marry me?“%
Tears welled in my eyes, hot and unexpected, blurring his beloved face. A choked sob escaped my lips, a sound of profound relief, of overwhelming joy. My wolf howled, a jubilant, triumphant roar that echoed through my soul.
“Yes,” I whispered, the word thick with emotion, barely audible “Yes, Alpha Vincent. A thousand times, yes!”
Relief washed over his face, and a radiant smile, utterly breathtaking, spread across his lips. He slid the moonstone ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, shimmering like captured moonlight, a tangible symbol of our unbreakable bond. He pulled me into his arms then, crushing me against his solid chest, holding me close. His scent, my true home, enveloped me, filling every inch of my being.
The next day, the entire Nightshade Pack erupted in joyous celebration Vincent announced our engagement to the pack, his voice booming with pride and happiness. The cheers were deafening, a chorus of genuine delight that resonated deep within me. The rumors, fueled by our public display at the Grand Ball, spread like wildfire, reaching beyond the territories of Nightshade, into every comer of the werewolf world.
That night, lying under the same sheet with Alpha Vincent, our naked bodies intertwined, I felt his warmth, his kisses on my neck trailing down my spine. Every touch, every soft murmur, sent shivers through me. I was loved. Truly, utterly, worshipped. I felt so full, so complete, in a way I never thought possible. His body was a perfect fit against mine.
