Chapter 52 Some moments of love before a storm (B)
52. Some moments of love before a storm (B)
After the dinner Damien took Aurora to the coast side. They walked for a pleasurable moment along the coast with their fingers intertwined. Neither of them spoke or even tried it.
They loved the tranquility of night. Silence in the background felt like a soft romantic tune. Their feet were dusty with grains of wet sand sticking all around their skin till their ankles. Aura's hair flew with the flowing winds while her soft flesh slightly chilled in cold. But thankfully there was his hand doing its work of keeping her warm. They did not talk and let their hearts do the communication. Their breathing synced and their love-filled gaze graced each other from time to time.
'Maybe this is the time! I should tell Damien now.' Aura thought.
This seemed the best timing as they were under a starry night with the glow of rice lights falling on their backs, coming from far away like a beacon light. The rustling of sea waves boosted her confidence.
Aura turned to Damien. So did he.
"Damien, I want to tell you something." Though her heart galloped in her chest out of the blue, she managed to say.
The cool water of the sea kissed their feet as they stopped right there. Since his coat was removed, the jumping and bouncing droplets of water from the sea waves wetted his white shirt at places. It only looked nice. Like a pattern and under the glow of night it appeared to be blue.
"So do I, my love." She was beginning to predict his upcoming move.
However, it was pure astonishment when she observed him going on his knee. "Damien?" She had just begun when she saw his left hand going under the pocket of his pants and pulling out a red velvety box. A small red box of ring.
She felt an eager affection coming from him. Frozen in bewilderment, she couldn't even move when he lifted his head whilst taking her right hand in his own.
"I've never been so nervous in my life before, Aura. Never ever. But this moment, this is special. You are special." He said, looking at her intently.
As a wave rushed towards them with full force, Damien jerked his head away in the opposite direction given that the bloody unromantic wave unnecessarily rose higher, dampening him till waist.
Aura chuckled. The sound of mumbled curses coming from his lovely mouth elated her. It may have pissed him off for ruining this moment, to her he looked attractive. She just wished to go down and kiss his lips while her hands adventurously roamed all around his chest.
She was admiring him lovingly when he composed himself and with a small nervous grin he resumed.
"Aura, I was a playboy before I met you. You know that. I don't even remember the number of women I laid with. Life was… was all about pleasure for me then. It was just fun. The death of my mate left a great impact on my mental state. She was definitely someone I relied on for my mental peace, but I never loved her. I couldn't love her, Aura. It was hard to feel that feeling for her.
Even though I wasn't really in love with her, she loved me unconditionally. Her care and love helped me live a partially happy life. But then her departure left me broken. Lonely. I thought I'd never be able to feel loved or wanted or important in someone's life again." He painfully smiled, looking straight in her eyes.
"That's because… I've given my heart away to you long ago, Aura. I'd given away everything to you when I saw you for the first time. Unfortunately, you were too young to understand what love was, and what I felt for you. I assumed that it was impossible. I thought I could never get you which is why I went abroad, promising myself to forget you forever. I thought I'd be able to settle down happily with my mate. I thought I'd have lovely kids with her and be grateful for my life. But… but I wasn't even one percent happy with her, Aura. Because I couldn't stop thinking about you. And the truth that I couldn't have you either since I had my mate, I was internally disturbed and depressed. I used to complain to moon goddess for mating me with someone else when my heart was stolen by somebody else. I would quarrel with my wolf for asking me to forget you. It was all so messed up with me. And while I was going through all this shit, my mate passed away— leaving me alone. I won't deny that it left me broken, but with lots of hope and wishes at the same time." He spoke in an extremely soft tone.
"Hopeful because it was after a while when I received a call from here, informing me about your parents' sacrificial demise. I was stunned and I couldn't think of anything else but you. When I say this I genuinely mean it Aura, that I was enraged when I learned my father was selling you away in the name of sending you away to the neighboring pack's alpha. I was suddenly possessive of you. I just wanted to hold you to myself and protect you from this world. I was so so possessive that I didn't mind destroying my already broken relationship with dad so I could bring you to my house. Then everything that happened… well," He chuckled nervously..
But frankly Aura knew what he wanted to say. It was about the improvement in their relationship. How everything changed between. The very thought of their adventurous journey widened her own grin as she stood in her spot, feeling pampered and important while the most significant man of this city kneeled down across from her.
"I was infuriated when you didn't see my love in the beginning, Aura. Your reluctance and shyness was affecting me badly." He raised his face again, that twinkle of honesty returning again. "You've managed to make me believe we were not meant to be. You made me feel like I wasn't worth your attention let alone your love. It drove me back to the dark world I've wished to run away from. You urged me to go back to the gold digger women who wanted me in their beds or beside them for fame and money. You really turned me off. I never confessed my love to you as I was scared of a rejection. I thought you'd reject me while I kept falling for you more and more, each passing second."
Aura had a look of denial. She never wanted him to feel that way. Three years ago and even today, she had her eyes fixed on only one person— Him. She didn't express it openly and with words, but she loved him. Just him.
For her, love did not strike her as strongly and rapidly as it did to him. When it happened, she thought it was late and that she could never have.
Look at them now regardless!
Despite all that took place— they were finally here. Sharing what a moment that should have been witnessed by them long back.
"But finally," His husky voice propelled her back to reality. Aura smiled shyly as he pressed a kiss on her knuckles. "Finally it's happening, Aura. Finally I am with you. Finally I have you. Finally I can hold you to myself, touch you as I want and put my head in your lap and sleep. And today I want to request you to grant me the only thing I've ever wanted from you, Aura."
Her heart that was already racing in her chest now started pounding against her ribs. His intent gaze froze her lashes, refusing her to move. Aura was staring at him when he popped the little velvet box and pulled out a huge diamond ring.
"You've become an integral part of my life, Aurora Collins. I think about you before I go to sleep and get up with your thoughts fogging my mind. I smile listening to your voice and feel blessed looking at your happy eyes. I die when you acknowledge my petty efforts of impressing you when I don't really do much as compared to what I have in mind. You make my life heaven and my presence special. And I want it to go on and on and on forever till my last breath." She saw him sucking a deep breath tinged with irresolution before he lifted the ring higher for her stunned eyes to see.
"I want you to grant me my wish of spending your whole life with me. I want to replace your last name with mine. I want to make all your dreams come true and keep that glint of love rekindling in your eyes. Aurora Collins, I want to pamper you when you carry our babies and shower my love on you while we raise them together." Her breaths hitched and eyes turned blurry with burning tears.
She was still unable to move when Damien squeezed the hand he was holding and finally said it out, "Will you give me the chance at loving you forever? Will you allow me to own you as mine?" He took a pause. "Aurora Collins, for heaven's sake will you be my Luna— my wife, my lady! Will you marry me?"
Staring at him with tearful eyes, she sniffed. She was numb.... Numb with his confession. Words refused to come out of her thrust. Her mouth tasted crazily sour and dry as she tried not to sob and ruin the moment.
"Aura, please say something." Damien desperately spoke, still on his knees.
He gawked at her with hope and love, wishing to get an answer. Anything but a no.
Aura wanted to say yes. Eagerly. Loudly so the world could listen. But her damned voice was lost. Her lack of response and frozen state made him quiver and nervously force a smile.
Winds rolled by, several waves rose and crashed at the coast wetting him all over again yet there was no response. Her silence was killing him. Already killed him. One can say he was sucking his last breath.
He was also on the verge of losing his pretended calmness when from the inside he was restlessly shaking. His wolf restlessly awaited an answer from her.
When none seemed to be coming, Damien cut his gaze off her face and brought them to his side to stare at the silver waves. He blew out some air as he attempted to be okay with her silent rejection. Damien swallowed the ache her silence cultivated in his throat in the form of building sob as he sought to get up on his feet.
No sooner did he rise than her body came plummeting down in his lap. Her hands around his neck and mouth urgently hiding in the crook of his neck. Then with a loud inhalation, she burst into noisy cries and wet his shoulder with her tears.
"Why did you take so long to propose to me? Hell yeah, I can't wait to be your wife. I can't wait to be recognized as Mrs. Damien Hunter." Feeling blessed and divinely exhilarated, Damien wrapped his arms around tightly as he pressed his mouth on her hair.
"Hell, you almost gave me a heart attack. Not fair!" He sniffed and then laughed while a tear tore down his lashes.
"I love you a lot, Aura. I love you. I love you. I love you."
"I love you too, Damien."
He pulled both of them up with her delicate frame clutched to his chest. Then with a slow peaceful move, he dipped his head forward and latched their lips.
This kiss was anything but shared before. It had the essence of love, need, excitement, exhilaration— and most importantly, gratitude.
Being kissed with zeal she had never experienced before, she clutched her shut lashes tightly as she tapped her hands on his shoulders. Aura needed to pull away so that she could complete her part of confession and make a promise to him he asked from her the other day.
As assumed he wasn't letting go. Damien was kissing her with all his love and care. His kiss was so intense that her mind spun. She sensed her eyes blurring with dizziness. Her hands sweated. She felt like she was going to pass out.
But oh, it was just her over excitement. It was her nervousness making her feel that way.
Only if she knew it wasn't!
She mustered her energy and detached their mouths. Aura didn't mind earning a disappointed growl from him as she knew the upcoming few minutes were going to earn her more such growls before he composed himself again and resumed his kissing.
She was ready for his angry questions and cold behaviour before he accepted it more quickly than thought.
She stuttered her heavy lashes and with a deep breath she finally began, "Damien, there's something I want to tell you. Something I've been hiding from you for a long time."
"I am listening, love." He noticed her stuttering lashes with concerned gaze, his mind merely registering her words or the secret it could behold.
He only cared for her. She was crazily sweating. Her face was a mess of trickling sweat drops. He felt her knees getting weak. She was standing still due to the support of his strong hand holding her to his hard chest.
"Are you okay, love?" Worried, he asked whilst lifting his hand to wipe her cheek.
Before he even brushed the back of his hand on her skin, "Damien I… I am pr-------" She inaudibly mumbled, passing out in his arms, leaving his eyes ajar in concern and utter shock.
Tbc.....
The worst has begun:(((