And she saw how open those mysterious eyes of his again. For once, losing the enigma she was drawn in. But she realized how much she loved the openness.
“I was the one who made a mistake, Lauren. That’s why I’m doing this. I want to do everything just to get your forgiveness. If there’s one person I need approval of, that’s not my father or anyone else. It’s you.”
Lauren looked down on their hands that were now holding each other–him, holding hand, rather. As she only let her fingers dangle around where
his skin left isers.
“Don’t you remember the rest of that conversation we had that day?” She asked quietly.
Declan’s brows creased. “I do. I remembered the plans 1 told you about. I remember feeling so happy and excited to share it with you. You were the final person I told all of those things to. Even my father didn’t know all of the details I told you”
But Lauren shook her head “You said another thing. The dream that y
you said would complete everything.”
As if all his memories came back, Declan’s confusion deteriorated. His hands gripped harder before she could even withdraw.
{
“You said you wouldn’t even care about anything che, as long as you’d find your mate. That your desires or anyone and your soulmate”
“That doesn’t matter now, Lauren, You are my mate- She dook her head.
Would you
sull do this if we hadn’t found out we were nutes! Would you still pursue me like this?”
A tear threatened to spill on the corner of her eye, but Lauren swallowed and toughened up.
This thought has been in her mind since she realized he wasn’t stopping from getting back with her.
else’s wouldn’t matter when you
She knew Declan’s principles. She once had the same mindset, not until she found herself falling irrevocably in love with him.
“We both know you won’t. And if anything. I messed up all of your plans–delayed them when I pushes through with our marriage.”
“Don‘) Idame younelf-
her emotions go
got the best of her.
“I am not blaming myself!” Her voice raised an octave. A glare blared in her eyes as “If you think I’m saying all of these out of self–pity, then you are wrong. I am acknowledging what happened before that I was blind ro. I am choosing to take accountability for the mistakes I made. I’m done fooling myself, Declan. Fin just done being the girl I once was”
Lauren
ren pulled her arm away from his grasp and started walking out She wiped the tears that managed to spill out from the corner of her eyes “And I am not the same man I was from five years ago. Lauren,” he walked towards her, maide sure to catch her eyes that held skepticism in there.
10.19 AM ch
Chapter 17
He realized how much trust and affection she had for him now that he could barely see any of it in those beautiful eyes.
“Please, allow me to show you that you are important to me. Allow me to also take accountability of my actions. Allow me to show you that I need you. Not just as the mother of my children, but as my wife. As my mate. My Luna. Let me introduce you to the pack, and make this right, Lauren”
Lauren didn’t speak. Declan waited for any sort of reaction from her face. From her very expressive eyes that were showing him nothing at the moment. It was making his insides tremble in fear. He realized how much power Lauren had on him. He didn’t even feel an ounce of fear when he was outnumbered by vampires a few hours back.
Lauren looked down on her feet, battling between herself. Her wolf, who had been mostly quiet, was now urging her to go to him. To let him claim her as his Luna
But her resolve was clear. She wasn’t as soft as she was before.
*Before I answer you, I want to clarify something.” Declan instinctively stepped closer to her again.
“What is it? Tell me. Let me clarify if that will make you decide properly for us.”
She saw how eager he was. As if he was hungry–almost desperate to have this with her.
She spoke. “I know the southern packs, and even the other packs from the west and east were
Yes. He nodded, eagerly waiting for her point.
tre still not fo
not fully into this union you were suggesting.”
Lauren could see this clearly in him that she hesitated (she didn’t know why) asking him the question she wanted to ask. But she knew she had to. Vivienne’s information about Harry’s inheritance for him still lingered in her mind. But she wanted to do this one by one.
“I overheard the Council’s meeting when I passed by. It was when I bumped into Yuan when they finished.”
She once again paused, gauging what his reaction would be.
“The other packs see your actions as a way to dominate the entire werewolf community. As much as they didn’t like it, they couldn’t deny your strength and power anymore, especially against enemies they realized they couldn’t fight on their own. So now, they just want this to be proper. They want a proper kingdom.”
Even Lauren when she heard about this earlier couldn’t believe that they were really building a kingdom. And that Declan was going to be their king. But the next details she heard, it made her not want to go back to the infirmary, knowing that he was there.
Lauren sighed. “The Alphas want their hierarchy to be proper. For the ruler to be a proper example. That if they’d have a king, he might as well be married and have a proper queen. Aren’t you just doing this for that requirement, Declan!”
