Chapter 167

ASHER

I’d taken the afternoon off—a rare break from the constant demands of being king. It wasn’t just about managing packs, keeping the peace, and handling the politics that came with it. Lately, my thoughts had been on something, or rather someone, far more important. Isabella.

I stood in the living room, watching as she played with Luca on the floor, a soft smile on her lips as she built a tower of blocks with him. He clapped his hands excitedly every time it fell, his laughter filling the room. And for a moment, it was like none of the tension between us existed. She looked so at ease, her defenses lowered, just her and Luca.

I cleared my throat softly as I approached, not wanting to break the moment but needing to be part of it. “Mind if I join?” I asked.

She glanced up at me, her eyes searching mine, as if trying to gauge my intentions. It was the same look she’d given me for weeks—wary, guarded. But there was something softer behind it today, a small crack in that shell she’d built around herself.

“Sure,” she said quietly, shifting slightly to make room for me.

I sat down on the rug beside them, my heart tightening as Luca crawled over to me with his block in hand, grinning like he’d just conquered the world. I ruffled his hair, feeling the weight of everything I wanted to say settle over me.

I hadn’t planned this. Not like I usually did. But I needed to start somewhere, so I just let the words come.

“I know I haven’t been… present,” I began, keeping my voice low so it didn’t disturb the peace we had, however fragile. “Not in the way you need me to be.”

Isabella didn’t say anything, but I saw her eyes flicker. She reached for another block, stacking it onto the tower. I wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear me out, but I had to keep going.

“I’ve been trying to fix things—wrongly, I guess—by giving you space. But I realize now that maybe what you needed wasn’t space. It was me. Here. With you and Luca.”

Her fingers paused, hovering over the blocks as she took in my words. I could feel the tension in her shoulders, the way she was still holding back. But at least she wasn’t shutting me out completely. That was a start.

“Luca needs his dads, the three of them,” she said after a moment, her voice steady but quiet. “But it’s not just him. You… you abandoned me, Asher. You think I don’t notice you pulling away? I do. Every time.”

Her words hit hard, but I forced myself to stay calm. She was right. I had pulled away, trying to navigate everything without making things worse. But I’d been wrong—so wrong.

“I’m sorry,” I said, and I meant it. “I thought giving you space was the answer, but I realize now that it wasn’t. I need to do better, for both of you. I know it’s not enough to just say that—I need to show it.”

She turned her head toward me, her eyes locking onto mine, searching for any sign of deception. I held her gaze, not backing down, because I wanted her to feel it—to know that I was being sincere. I wasn’t just saying these things to smooth over the cracks. I was saying them because I needed to fix what I’d broken.

Luca babbled something in between us, unaware of the heavy conversation going on, and I couldn’t help but smile. He had a way of reminding us what mattered most. Family.

“I miss you,” I added, my voice almost a whisper now. “I miss us.”

Isabella let out a slow breath, her shoulders finally relaxing, even just a little. She looked down at Luca, who was reaching for her now, and she lifted him into her lap. For the first time in what felt like forever, there wasn’t a wall between us. Not completely.

“I don’t know, Asher…” she said softly, her voice cracking just enough for me to feel the emotion behind it. “It’s not that simple. You hurt me. And I don’t know if I can trust that you won’t do something like that again.”

I swallowed, the guilt heavy in my chest. She was right to doubt me, to feel that hesitation. But I couldn’t let her believe that I hadn’t learned from my mistakes.

“I swear to you,” I said, leaning in just slightly, “I will never make a decision without you again. Not when it comes to us. I acted on instinct, and I know that was wrong. But I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you that I’m better than that.”

For a moment, we just sat there, the weight of everything we’d been through settling around us. But it didn’t feel suffocating anymore. It felt… lighter. Like maybe, just maybe, we could find our way back to each other.

She sighed, running her hand through Luca’s soft hair. “I want to believe you, Asher. I really do. But you can’t just say things. You have to mean them.”

“I do,” I said, my voice firm. “I love you, Isabella. And I’m not going to lose you.”

There was a long pause, and then, slowly, she nodded. It wasn’t forgiveness, not yet. But it was a start. And for now, that was enough.

As I watched her cuddle Luca, that small crack in her armor widened just a little more. She was letting me in. And I’d do everything in my power to make sure I didn’t mess it up again.