At least she’s not the only she-wolf in attendance, and Luna Aurora appears pleased when she throws Yvonne a wink.
No one questions my motives for bringing Yvonne along; the meeting is rather diplomatic as the elders and alphas discuss the recent happenings regarding the demon.
They mention how the group our trio encountered the other day was murdered by the demonic spirit, and I notice the way Yvonne stiffens, because this is new information for her.
Acting purely on instinct, I reach over and place a hand on her thigh to console her, knowing she must be running through all the possibilities that could have been that day in the forest. We’d not have narrowly escaped whatever the Moonshine Pack had in store for us if it weren’t for the emergence of her powers, and we didn’t encounter the demon that day.
So much could have gone wrong, but it didn’t. It brought us closer, and now that we’re here, I’m about to seal the deal.
An opportunity arises when we’re about to call it a night, the Elders and Alphas having run through all the plans we have in place to face the demon. That’s when I clear my throat and gain everyone’s attention, their eyes turning to me.
“I have an announcement to make, and I think it comes at the right time, considering that we don’t know for sure how long it will be before the demon comes for us again.”
“What is it, Dawson?” Elder Charles, Thane’s grandfather, asks.
I lower my head respectfully, but not before glancing at Yvonne, who appears as confused as she was before we left the house.
“The quest for a mate for me is over,” I announce, turning my face toward Yvonne. “I’ve already found her. In fact, I found her years ago. Now that she’s back, I plan on making things official.”
“Are you saying…?” Brooks asks, and I turn to see his skeptically raised brow as his eyes flicker between Yvonne and me.
“Yes,” I confirm with a firm nod, reaching for Yvonne’s hand as I look around the room. “Omega Yvonne Lang is my mate. And Gio is my son.”
There’s a moment of silence that passes through the room, and before it can settle into awkwardness, I go on to explain what happened in the past, and how the deceased elder, Garrett, had thwarted my plans to claim Yvonne as my mate. My rejection was what led her to leave the pack, but this time, I have nothing stopping me from claiming her.
Yvonne’s face pales as if she’s seen a ghost, and she remains tight-lipped throughout my explanation.
“This time, I won’t let anyone come between Yvonne and me. This is my final decision.”
With that, and without waiting for anyone’s approval, I excuse myself and Yvonne, citing that we were in the midst of something important when we were called to the meeting.
The main reason I attended was to make this announcement, and now that it’s out of the way, Yvonne and I can return to our date. She remains quiet as we go back to my house hand in hand, keeping her eyes to the ground until we’re inside and she pulls her hand away.
“What was that about?” she asks behind me as I slide the door closed.
Turning slowly, I see the look of confusion on her face. “I meant what I said back there,” I declare solemnly as I take a step forward, reaching out for her when she steps back and lifts a hand in front of her.
“You told them that I’m your mate, Dawson. You told them about Gio,” she says with a hint of defensiveness in her tone. “Why would you do that? Do you realize—”
“Yes, I do realize how important my announcement was, but like I said, I meant every word I said,” I profess. “I want you as my mate. I’ve wanted you as my mate since the very first day we became friends in that library six years ago. I would have claimed you as my mate if it weren’t for Elder Garrett ruining what was fated. Because that’s what this is, Yvonne. It’s fate.” I take a determined step forward, not allowing her to make another backward move when I take her hands in mine and stare into her eyes with conviction. “You can feel it too, can’t you? We’re meant for each other. It’s why you’re most powerful around me. It’s why I feel like I can conquer the world when you’re with me. We’re fated mates, if you’d only let your walls down and let me in, you’d recognize it.”
Yvonne’s bottom lip drops as she bats her eyelids nervously, her eyes glossing over with emotion as she stares at my face as if she’s searching for a reason not to believe me. But when she finds no reason not to trust me, she sighs, and makes my heart skip a beat when she lowers her gaze.
“I’ve been keeping you out ‘cause I’m afraid of being hurt again,” she admits tentatively, and her soft hands stiffen between mine as she fights against the vulnerability of her admission. “When you rejected me in the past, I was devastated. That’s the only real reason I ran away.”
I lift a hand to cradle her cheek, stroking her soft, porcelain skin with the pad of my thumb. “I only did what I thought was right at the time, for the sake of my parents. But I came looking for you, Yvonne. I was going to come clean and claim you. I wanted you as my mate from the very beginning. And now that we have a second chance, I don’t want to waste it. You are my fated mate, I’m certain of it.”
Yvonne lifts her tear-stricken eyes and frowns wistfully. “I know it’s true, Dawson. I canfeelit whenever I’m with you,” she admits, and it’s like the walls she’d been holding up come crashing down in a heartbeat.
“Then there’s something else you must feel, too,” I whisper as I step closer, holding her hand to my heart. “It’s love I feel for you. I love you, Yvonne Lang.”
Chapter 23 - Yvonne
“I love you, Yvonne Lang.”
Those five words are all it takes to let my walls crumble to the ground, allowing me to feel how his heart beats with truthfulness. I gasp, knowing deep down that I’ve always loved this man, even when I’d been denying it as a protective measure for my heart.
After what he announced to the council, there’s nothing left for him to prove that he’s all in. I feel his commitment with every beat of his heart, and it’s the most natural, honest words I’ve ever spoken when I say, “I love you, too, Dawson Black.”
