Chapter 61

Elara

The door slammed harder than I meant it to, but I didn’t care. Let them hear it echo down the damn hall, for all I cared.

Fated mate? Either Asher had lost his mind, or he really thought he could manipulate me into believing him..

I stormed down the corridor, my hands curled into fists at my sides. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. I barely saw James as I passed him in the lobby, barely registered the way his brow furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak. I wasn’t interested in anything that anyone had to say.

I needed air.

The double doors shoved open beneath my palms, and the crisp evening air bit at my cheeks, cooling the flush on my skin.

Fated mate. Asher thought I was his fated mate. Or so he said.

I stopped by the edge of the parking lot, bracing my hands on my knees as I forced slow breaths into my lungs. He was lying, of course. Asher lied about everything. It was his nature, woven into the fabric of who he was. But this…

This wasn’t just a lie. It was one last attempt to twist the knife. To get between me and Alaric the only way he knew how, right before he inevitably went to prison once and for all. Because he knew he’d been caught and he had to get the last word in.

And I had almost believed that he was a good person once, or at least that he had the capacity to be one. I had given him the benefit of the doubt, despite Alaric’s warnings. Goddess, I was a fool.

The door opened behind me a few minutes later, but I didn’t have to look to know it was Alaric. I straightened slowly, pulling my hair over one shoulder as I faced him.

“It’s done,” he said quietly. “He’ll serve his time. Probably more than a decade.”

I nodded, looking down at the ground between our feet. “Good. Let him rot in there for all the horrors those drugs he sold caused.”

For a few moments, neither of us spoke. It was a surprisingly lively Friday night, the streets noisy with laughter and music and passing cars. I wrapped my arms around my midsection and shivered a little.

“I’m sorry.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “You were right about him. About everything. I should have listened to you.”

Alaric didn’t say anything at first. Then, after a moment, he stepped closer. His hands found my arms, gliding up to cup my face as he tilted my chin until I was forced to look at him.

“You were just trying to help,” Alaric said. “He’s manipulated people his whole life, Elara. Don’t blame yourself for being one of them. You see the good in people. That’s not always a flaw.”

As he spoke, he leaned forward, and his lips brushed softly against mine. I shivered once more at the kiss, but it had nothing to do with the cold. When we pulled away, I melted into him, my hands resting against his chest. His heartbeat thumped steadily beneath my palm, and I took in a deep breath to steady myself.

“Let’s go home,” he murmured after a moment.

Dinner that night was warm and easy. Zoe insisted on spaghetti, and by the time Ella joined in, I didn’t stand a chance. Alaric was hardly able to keep up with their constant chatter at the table, but I caught him smiling more than once as Zoe ranted about how unfair it was that Ella got to stay up five minutes later than her.

“It’s because I’m older,” Ella declared matter-of-factly, twirling her fork in her noodles.

Zoe huffed. “But five minutes isn’t even long! It’s not fair!”

Alaric leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table. “How about this? If you finish your vegetables tonight, I’ll let you stay up five minutes later, too.”

Zoe gasped, eyes widening with excitement. Ella, meanwhile, shot him a mock glare. “That’s not how this works.”

He just smirked. “I make the rules, don’t I?”

I laughed softly into my glass, and when I caught Alaric’s eye, he winked.

After dinner, we played a few rounds of cards before the girls finally surrendered to sleep. Alaric carried the already-sleeping Zoe upstairs while Ella trudged behind us, barely able to keep her eyes open.

So much for staying up five minutes later, I supposed.

.

Once the girls were tucked into bed, I lingered in the doorway, watching them sleep. They’d been insisting on sharing Ella’s room lately, which I found it impossible to say no to. I knew they would grow out of that phase soon, but it was peaceful for now, the kind of peace I hadn’t felt in years. Maybe never.

Alaric appeared behind me, his chin brushing against my hair. “Come with me,” he whispered.

I was surprised when he told me to get dressed and leave the girls with James, and even more surprised when he drove past our usual spots. He pulled up in front of a lounge, soft music drifting out as the door opened for a patron leaving.

“Alaric,” I began as he turned off the car. “What are we doing here?”

“You’ll see.”

We slipped inside, where the sound of soft music drifted through the warm, slightly smoky air. A woman sang on a small stage, accompanied by a jazz band. Alaric led me to a small table near the back, ordering drinks for the two of us before I could ask any more questions.

As we sipped our cocktails, I watched him. He looked more relaxed than I’d seen him in weeks, his shoulders looser, the edges of his lips curled faintly. It seemed that Asher going to prison had lifted a weight off of him, but I had a feeling there was more to it than that.

“Alright,” I said after a while, tilting my head. “What’s all this about?”

Without a word, Alaric set his glass down and reached into his pocket. My heart stuttered when he pulled out a small, velvet box and placed it gently on the table between us.

My breath caught in my throat.

“I know we never had a proper wedding,” he said, his eyes steady on mine. “And I know that technically, we don’t need to. But I want to. I want you to be my wife, Elara. For real this time.”

I stared at the box, unable to form words as he flipped it open. The ring inside sparkled in the low light, the small diamond delicate and lowkey but undeniably beautiful.

“Alaric…” My voice wavered.

His hand found mine beneath the table. “You don’t have to say anything except ‘yes’.”

I smiled, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as I nodded. “Yes. Of course, yes.”

The relief on his face was immediate. He slipped the ring onto my finger, his touch lingering there before he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

In that moment, with the music humming around us and his hand still wrapped around mine, I felt truly happy. Content. And safe.