I feel Cecelia stiffen beside me as the council members express different reactions to the news, while Sirius smirks and winks at me discreetly. Though I no longer need to prove myself to anyone in the Lunaris Pack, it's notable that Sirius has expressed his faith in me, while also accepting his son's fate. He's proven to be an impressive, no-nonsense ex-leader, and I admire him for being everything an Alpha should be.
I clear my throat to get the attention of the council members once more.
“Preparations for my swearing-in ceremony will be continued, and I will pass a new law about werewolves and humans. Though my mate is half human, she's proven that it makes no difference to what the Moon Goddess has written out for us. Fate overthrows free will when it comes to werewolves, and it's about time we accept it.”
With that, I turn to Cecelia and smile. “I will not accept a word against my fated mate, even if she's half human. She is the reason I stand before you as the alpha now.”
Chapter 23 - Cecelia
I can barely wrap my head around everything Dominic said in front of the council, but it all makes sense if I piece the puzzle together and look at the bigger picture.
Simon kidnapped me and planned to kill me to get to Dominic, all because he knew we were fated mates.
I felt it when Dominic came to rescue me, felt the way my baby responded to him as if calling out telepathically to its father. I didn't even know I was pregnant until Ifeltit, but there's still one thing that leaves me confused.
Dominic clearly didn't want me as his partner for the trials. He didn't want me when he rejected me after taking my virginity in the woods three years ago. But now he's just declared to the council that he will take me as his mate, and I don't know what to make of it.
Overwhelmed by all that has been revealed in a span of one night, my mind turns blank like a mechanism to keep me coping, keep me breathing and functioning—or nearly—as Dominic leads me toward the harbor. My steps are robotic as I follow him, my body numb as he continues to hold my hand as he leads me toward my cabin.
I frown when we near the open door, seeing the scene of the crime he recounted to ex-Alpha Sirius. A shiver courses down my spine, slowing my steps and prompting Dominic to turn to me.
“I'm sorry I brought you back here,” he says gently. “I figured we needed to talk privately, and Mama and Donna are at my place.”
I nod tentatively, gulping down the lump forming in my throat that's full of the questions dangling on the tip of my tongue. Dominic continues to lead me forward, and I follow compliantly, desperately needing to figure out what all of this means.
As soon as we're inside and he releases my hand to close the door with a gentle thud, the break through the silence is what snaps me back to reality, and I suddenly find the courage to speak.
“Everything you said out there…did you mean it?” I ask, staring at the back of his head as he slowly turns around, shoulders slumped as his head hangs down.
“Yes,” he says with a firm nod, lifting his face and meeting my eyes with solemn conviction. “I meant every word I said. I want you as my mate. If you'll have me, of course.”
His last statement is as uncertain as I'm feeling. Hugging my arms over my chest, I tear my eyes away from him and look down, feeling as vulnerable as ever. “What choice do I have? It's like you said, we're fated mates, and it overrules free will. I don't have a choice, and neither do you.”
Dominic says as he slowly treads forward, resting his hands on my shoulders, his mere presence compelling me to look up to find the softness of his dark eyes, “If it were up to free will, I would still want you, Cecelia.”
“What about…” I pause when my lips quiver and my voice sounds too timid, too weak for my liking. Clearing my throat and lifting my chin, I continue, “What about not wanting me as your partner for the trials? I heard your conversation with Sirius when you tried to change partners. I heard what you said about me.”
“How did you—”
“It doesn't matter!” I snap, slapping his arms off me and spinning around to give him my back, exasperated and breathing heavily because it's nearly impossible not to become consumed and intoxicated by his scent. I want to be angry with him right now.
“Simon played a voice recording of the conversation,” I reveal, shaking my head. “It's not important. What about the past, huh? You rejected me, Dominic! I didn't even know we were fated mates, but you rejected me!”
“I'm sorry,” Dominic whispers, sighing behind me as he reaches for my shoulder. I shrug him off but turn to glare at him, noticing the sincerity in his eyes. “I'm really sorry, Cecelia. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I know that what I did in the past was wrong. I'm a coward, and I should have said this a long time ago. But what I did in the past was only because I'd been so hellbent on becoming the alpha that I didn't see beyond that.I saw them laugh at you, and I didn’t stop them. I even said something—something I’ll never forgive myself for.”
I gulp hard, clutching my chest tightly. “You don’t have to say it.”
“No, I do. Because you heard what I didn’t say that day. You heard my silence, and that was the one thing that made me feel the guiltiest I’ve ever felt.”
Dominic closes the distance between us in one stride, and this time, when he rests his hands on my shoulders, I don't recoil, realizing that this apology is all I ever wanted to hear from him. Those words are like a remedy for my broken heart, piecing them back together and making me whole again, allowing me to see his pure soul through the gateway of his chocolate-brown eyes.
“I was stupid back then, behaving like a child,” Dominic continues. “I joined the black ops squad and realized how wrong I was about you, but I was still in denial about it, thinking that I might become weak if I acknowledged the attraction I felt toward you. That's what you are to me, Cecelia. You're my weakness. But you're also my strength. It just took me so long to realize it.” He sighs, hanging his head shamefully. “I just hope you can forgive me, and know that it's not just the fated mate bond that draws me to you. It'syou,as you are, who I want to be with for the rest of my life.” He meets my eyes again. “I've fallen in love with you, Cecelia Morales.”
A moment of blissful silence stretches as I search his eyes for any indication that his words aren't true, but Dominic doesn't stop admitting his faults, becoming so vulnerable that it touches my heart.
“I wanted to speak to you about this for so long, but when you told me you hated me, I knew I had to win over your trust again. I always thought I never needed a mate, but I couldn't resist anymore. I thought we'd come back, and I could do things the right way, court you, and ask if you'd accept me as your mate.Begfor your forgiveness.” He drops to his knees in front of me, pressing his forehead to my belly. “Forgive me, Cecelia. I humble myself before you and ask for your forgiveness. I want to do what's right, and for so long, I've been doing everything wrong. Just give me a chance.Please.”
Overwhelmed with emotions, tears spill from my eyes as I slowly sink to my knees and join him on the floor, reaching out to cup his cheek and staring deeply into his eyes.
