"Your brother?" I glance at him. "You've never mentioned him."
"He was disowned." Dorian's jaw tightens. "Fell in love with an Omega who wasn't approved by the family. They eloped. My parents cut him off completely."
"That's awful."
"It is." He turns to me. "My mother warned me not to make the same mistake. But I think my brother made the right choice. He chose love over money. Over family approval. Over everything."
"Is that what you're doing?" I ask. "Choosing me over your family?"
"If I have to." His eyes meet mine. "I don't want to lose you, Vespera. I don't want to go back to who I was before. Even if it means losing everything else."
The confession steals my breath. This is Dorian—golden boy, Alpha heir, the one who had everything—saying he'd give it all up.
"You might not have to lose everything," I say carefully. "But things do have to change."
"I know." He steps closer. "Can I... can I touch you?"
The question is so tentative, so unlike the demanding Alpha who pinned me down days ago, that I can't help but smile.
"Yes."
He pulls me into his arms, gentle and careful, like I might break. I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and let myself feel safe.
"Thank you," he murmurs. "For giving us a chance."
"Don't make me regret it."
"I won't. I promise."
Wespendtheafternoonat the lake. We end up in the water—swimming and floating and just existing together.
It's normal. Blissfully, wonderfully normal.
Oakley swims up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "This is nice."
"It is." I lean back against him. "I didn't think we could have this."
"Have what?"
"Peace. Quiet. Just being together without all the drama."
"We can have this," he says. "If you want it. If you let us keep trying."
I turn in his arms. "I want it. But I'm scared."
"Of us?"
"Of getting hurt again. Of trusting you and having you turn back into the people who tormented me."
"We won't." He brushes wet hair from my face. "I know that's not enough. I know we have to prove it. But I swear to you, Vespera, I will spend every day showing you that you can trust me."
"Okay," I whisper. "Okay."
He kisses me, soft and sweet, and it's nothing like the desperate claiming kisses during heat. It's gentle. Reverent. Real.
When we surface, Dorian and Corvus are watching from the dock, identical expressions of longing on their faces.
"Come in!" I call to them. "The water's perfect!"
