“You—you love me?” I whisper the hesitant question, and he responds with a gentle nod.
“I've always loved you, Cecelia. I was simply blind to it all along.” He sniffs when his eyes fill with tears that lighten the dark brown orbs as he tears off the top buttons of his shirt, pulling one side away to reveal the tattoo of the woman that I'd recognized as newer than the others. He points to it now, smiling sheepishly. “I got this done while I was away. I was drunk and high on wolfsbane on a night out with my friends. I mumbled a description of her to the artist, and back then, I didn't realize I was thinking about you.”
I reach out and touch the ink on his chest, feeling my nerve endings ignite from my fingertips as if confirming what he's saying.
“It was always you. Even when I tried to push you out of my mind, thinking it was the right thing to do, you were a faceless beauty haunting me at every turn.”
I gasp as I realize the weight of his admission that touches my heart. I was always afraid to ask him about the tattoo, thinking that it depicted another woman. Now, it serves to confirm his confessions, and I'm no longer afraid of how I feel.
“I love you, too, Dominic,” I confess as I lift my eyes to him. “I've always loved you, even when I hated you. I never really hated you.”
Dominic tenderly cradles my cheeks and stares deeply into my eyes. “Hatred can only come from a place of love, right?” he chuckles.
“Right…” I giggle in response, nuzzling into his chest as my heart explodes with the intensity of the love I have for him.
“Does this mean you'll give me another chance to do things right this time?” His eyes flit to my belly. “For us, and our baby?”
“Yes, Dominic,” I concede with a firm nod, my eyes full of emotion. “Of course I will!”
Dominic pulls me forward and kisses me with unwavering passion that has my toes curling and my heart fluttering with the feeling of bliss. Declaring my love for him is like a weight lifted off my shoulders, and now that we've both recognized that we were always meant to be together, nothing is holding me back anymore.
I push at his shoulders, going down with him as our tongues continue a rhythmic dance. His tongue plows the cavity of my mouth with skillful ministrations, his hands stroking and caressing all the right places that have me moaning into his breath as I instantly become soaking wet. Parting my thighs further, I feel his rigid erection burning at my core, begging to be released when it throbs against me.
The hot, passionate kisses continue sporadically between taking breaths and undoing the rest of Dominic's shirt. Placing my palms on his glorious abs, I'm about to travel my touch down toward his belt when an unexpected buzzing rings in my ears, and I'm able to hear Santo's voice coming through the mind link, connecting to Dominic.
“Alpha Dominic…we've locked Simon in the dungeon. There is something that needs your attention concerning your ceremony. Can we meet at the den?”
I break the sloppy kiss and pull my head back, and Dominic groans as he opens his eyes, twinkling with heady desire that's mixed with disappointment. I giggle knowingly as I lift myself off him.
“You heard that?” he asks with a frown.
“I did,” I relent with a sigh as Dominic gets off the floor and helps me to my feet. My knees are still weak from thepassionate kiss we shared, so he steadies me with a lighthearted chuckle.
“I'm sorry,” he apologizes sincerely as I link my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to reach his swollen lips.
“I understand you have to go,Alpha Dominic…” I purr as he pulls me closer with large hands gripping my rear to press me tightly to his hard frame.
“Keep saying my name like that, and I might just forget that I have a pack to serve,” he drawls as he lightly kisses my lips.
I pull away with a girlish giggle, not wanting him to neglect his duties because of me. I might be his weakness, but I'm also his strength, who should remind him that he has things to take care of.
“You should go, Dom,” I whisper as I stare into the only eyes I can lose myself in. “I'll be right here when you're done. Waiting.”
Dominic's lips curl into a warm smile. “No more waiting for me to do what's right, okay? That's gonna change from now on.”
I nod and draw him in for a kiss that lingers on my lips with a tingling sensation of promise even when I pull away. “Well, I'll be right here when you get back.”
“I won't be too long,” he says before pressing a chaste kiss on my lips and leaving.
But this time, even when he's gone, it doesn't feel like there's a gaping hole in my chest. I feel whole now, stronger than I've ever been, full of the promise of a hopeful future for the two of us.
Correction.
The three of us.
Chapter 24 - Dominic
Standing tall and proud at the altar at the front of the hall packed with the Lunaris werewolves, I glance over my shoulder and spot Cecelia seated on the front bench between my mother and Donna.
