I AM GRATEFUL FOR A SECOND CHANCE

I AM GRATEFUL FOR A SECOND CHANCE
Darius

I really loved those slow evenings.

There was not really anything to do and Ayla and I could just relax and really enjoy each other’s presence… I mean it should really be studied because it was a whole other therapy on its own.

Ayla was sitting on the chair in the balcony, wrapped in one of my jackets even though she swore by the heavens that she wasn’t cold. Her hand rested gently on her stomach, a barely-there swell that already meant the world to me.

She let out a soft sigh, leaning her head against my shoulder.

I ran my hands through the silky locks of her hair, allowing her delicious scent to comfort me.

Leo was in a world of his own… the little fucker just loved to be around Ayla, and I culd understand him, I loved it just as much.

I couldn’t help but think, what if it never got this second chance?

How would my life have been if Ayla never came back here to train our pack wolves?

My heart ached just thinking about it, it honestly felt like some nightmare… and I was glad that even though I wasn’t sure that I even deserved it, the goddess chose to give me this second chance.

“What is bothering you babe?” Ayla asked worriedly.

“How do you know that?”

She turned to look at me like that comment was outrageous “I know you Darius… so course I will be able to know when something is wrong with you”

“I was just thinking that we’ve really come so far,” she said quietly, her voice warm, her gaze was already far away like she was experiencing a major case of nostalgia.

I turned toward her, resting my cheek against her hair. “Yeah. Sometimes it feels like a different life. Like the version of me who hurt you, who did all of those fucking terrible things… was someone else.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then, softly, “He was someone else. You’ve changed Darius, a lot. We both have.”

I smiled, brushing my fingers gently over her hand. “Do you remember the first time I saw you after you returned? You walked into that meeting like you owned the world. I was just too busy lost in how fucking sexy that you were” I said.

She laughed. “I had a feeling that you were staring” she said.

“I almost past out.” I chuckled “I was stunned. You weren’t the girl I rejected. You were a literal goddess, standing right in front of me. And you were so fucking angry with me” I said.

“Yeah, you were such an asshole”

I hugged her close to me “Up until today, I still cannot believe that you still loved me even after everything”

Ayla turned to look at me, eyes glistening slightly. “I guess never stopped… You know I had loved you for so long, and even though it hurt, I just had to learn how to survive without you.”

The weight of her words hit me in the chest.

Damn, how was I ever like that to her?

I couldn’t even remember, but I always felt the guilt of making her cry…. Ayla was someone who always deserved the best. She was strong and kind and just so damn perfect.

I hated that part of myself…. And I guess I always will

I gently cupped her cheek, pulling her closer. “You’ll never have to do that again. I’m here, Ayla. Every breath, every step. You have me.”

She pressed her forehead to mine. “And you have me.”

A quiet breeze stirred the trees, and for a while, we sat in that perfect silence, a kind of peace we hadn’t felt in years.

“I think about it sometimes, all of the time” I murmured. “How easily I could have missed all of this. How lucky I am that you gave me another chance.”

“You earned it,” she said softly. “You fought for me. You protected me. You never gave up.”

“And I never will,” I promised.

She smiled and placed my hand over her stomach. “This little one’s going to know love like no other.”

My heart swelled. “They’ll know strength, too. Because their mother is the fiercest woman I’ve ever known.”

“Stop,” she said, laughing through her tears. “You’re going to make me cry again.”

Those fucking hormones…. I still loved it though.

“I am fucking warning you babe,” I teased. “If you cry, I’m crying. Hormones and all.”

We both laughed, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like time had frozen just for us.

“I wish we could stay like this forever, happy” she whispered.

I tightened my arm around her. “We would definitely stay like this forever, I will make you happy… happier than happy, I swear it Ayla.”

“I know that much”

She rested her head back on my shoulder, and I kissed the top of her head. “I love you Ayla, so damn much.”

“I love you more,” she whispered back.

“No chance,” I murmured. “But we can argue about that later.”

And I know that I will that argument whenever it came up because as much as she was in love with me, I was fucking obsessed with everything about her.., and she was my entire universe.

She was the sun and I orbited around her, there was no way to beat that.