Scarlett's POV
I expected him to yell. I expected the full force of his Alpha rage, but instead, the fire in his eyes just… went out. He looked smaller, his shoulders sagging as he stared at me with raw, broken pain.
"I want to accept you," he whispered, the word dropping like a bomb. "I want to accept this bond, Scarlett."
I froze. My heart, which had been hammering against my ribs, felt like it stopped beating entirely. I was confused. After two years of cold shoulders and averted eyes, he was saying the words I used to cry myself to sleep wishing for.
"Scarlett… I will be made Alpha tomorrow," he continued, stepping closer until I could feel the warmth of his breath. "Just give me a few days. Once the coronation is over, I'll tell everyone. I'll stand in front of the pack and say it… that you are my mate. That you are my Luna."
