Chapter 115 COMPROMISE
GALLAHAN'S POV
Surprise was etched deeply on Willa's face as she gaped at me with lips slightly ajar.
Even then, she looked unfairly beautiful, especially as her eyes misted slightly with hints of tears.
I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and tapping her chin playfully while a light chuckle slipped out of me.
"Why do you look so surprised?" I asked with mild laughter still tinged in my tone. "And why the hell do you look like you are seconds away from crying?"
"Because!" she exclaimed, her voice raising in volume.
But she seemed to remember the fact that we had just managed to put the kids back to sleep because she sent a wary glance at the closed door.
"Because," she went again, half-whispering now as she returned her attention to me. "It's just... you... you..."
I lifted an amused brow at her, watching as she floundered with her words.
"Yes?" I drawled teasingly, a smirk pulled at my lips.
She groaned, giving me a mild glare. But there was no real heat in it. Instead, it just made her all the more endearing in my eyes.
"Because you... You haven't said anything about it?! I didn't know. At all."
I snorted. "What do you mean you didn't know?"
"I didn't know," she repeated, slight exasperation ringing in her voice. "I didn't know you did it for me."
My smile quickly slipped off my face as my expression morphed into one that was full of disbelief. "How could you not know? Wasn't it obvious from the start?"
"No!" Willa cried out quite emphatically. "I mean, I knew I was the reason for the sudden proposal for a ceasefire. At least to an extent, I knew I was. After all, Grandpa received your missive weeks after we met. It wasn't a coincidence. But I... I thought you only proposed the ceasefire to find me and not because for my sake or because you cared for me."
"And," I said slowly, "why did you think I wanted to find you?"
"Because I was your fated mate. I thought you were just hunting me down so we could complete the bond or something. Or you have plans to use me against my family and further your agenda for your war against humans."
I frowned, quite insulted and hurt by the accusation.
But before I could even get a response out, Willa added in utter haste, "Before you get offended, you have to remember that we were at war that time, okay? We were enemies! And your reputation didn't help in painting you in a good light in my eyes. I just..."
Willa sighed. Then she took hold of my hand, her grasp so gentle and loving that it completely dispelled the bruising idea she had once thought about me.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't even consider you would go that far for a woman you barely knew."
"You are my fated mate," I said without missing a beat.
Willa rolled her eyes. "Fated or not, it doesn't matter. We just met each other that time, and you just decided to end a bloody war that had cut thousands of lives short. Just like that. As if it was easy."
"It was easy," I said softly, moving my hand so I could lace our fingers together. "Because it was for you."
Willa let out a disbelieving laugh, breathy and sounding almost like a half-scoff. "It's crazy. That's what it is. Crazy."
"Perhaps," I acquiesced with a shrug of one shoulder. "I think it is poetic. I started the war because I loved my family. But I was fueled by my hate. Years worth of hate. Then I met you. I ended the war for a woman I knew was worth more than my revenge. For a woman who hated me but unwittingly owned my heart from the very beginning. For a woman I wanted to be with for the rest of my life."
Suddenly, Willa dove right at me, attacking me with a fervent kiss, and I couldn't stop the groan of pleasure from escaping me.
My hands found their way to her waist, gripping her firmly. Then I shifted so I could lay on my back, while I guided her to straddle on top of me.
Our tongues met in a short-lived dance before I gave her lower lip a good suck and a gentle bite.
It didn't take long for my hands to slip beneath her shirt, fingers drawing lines and random patterns along her sides, making her whimper softly.
"Han," she breathed out when our lips parted, her nose brushing against my cheek.
I hummed in response, trying not to think too hard about my stiff arousal that begged to be given some sort of attention.
Preferably by Willa's mouth.
But she had other plans with her mouth because she backed away, sat herself properly on top of me and admitted, "It is quite hard to believe that you did it for me, especially after knowing what had happened in your past. You gave it all up for me. Your fight. Your cause. Your revenge. You did so much for a woman who had made the choice to leave you."
I lifted a hand and brushed the back of my fingers on Willa's cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment as a shuddering breath left her.
Then, when she opened her eyes again, meeting my gaze so warmly, so sweetly, I assured her, saying, "You said so yourself. We weren't mature and sensible enough to navigate a relationship when we were too different and too young still. There is no room for regrets when we were able to get to this point. I have you now."
"You do. I am yours entirely, and I think you deserve the compromise."
"Compromise?" I parroted, feeling a little confused at the sudden sharp turn of the conversation.
"You mentioned moving. For the sake of this family. For our safety. I am agreeing to it now."
I stared dumbly at her, quite at a loss for anything to say.
"But!" Willa went on. "We must explain this properly to the kids, and the move must be done gradually. I don't want them to be overwhelmed by the sudden change."
"Of course," I quickly agreed, nodding my head eagerly.
"And..." Willa added, hesitance coloring her voice.
"You just have to tell me, and I'll make it happen."
Willa's lips, still looking delectably well-kissed, stretched into a soft smile. One that radiated with affection and gratitude.
"I want Sarina, or perhaps Zuleika and Maliya, to magically connect your home to my family's manor. The same way the Fen Cottage is magically connected to it. Please? I just... I want the kids to be able to visit the manor if they ever miss my family or Wolverham."
"Deal."
My agreement was swift as if I didn't need any second to consider the request.
But the truth is... I knew it would be a huge pain in the ass to get my Dad to approve it.
It didn't matter, though. I had claimed that I would make it happen, so I would be making it happen.