Chapter 125 Not Exactly How I Planned This

Chapter 125 Not Exactly How I Planned This
The scary notes and the cold stares from the pack fade away the second I see him. I run straight into his arms, and Cassian catches me, lifting me right off my feet.

A breathless laugh escapes me right into his neck as I hold onto him, completely letting his familiar scent wash over me.

Then, reality hits me like a cold bucket of water, and I sober up just as fast.

"I am so, so sorry," I whisper, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. The worry that was etched on his face a second ago has completely melted into pure relief.

His warm hands gently frame my face, his touch soft and careful. "Sorry? Nova, don't apologize to me."

"I don't even know what came over me..... I just panicked and felt like I had to run," I admit, a wave of embarrassment and guilt pooling in my stomach.

"I know," he says softly. "But I can't do this without you. Please, come back with me."

I look down at his lips. He always says the right things, but he rarely follows through. Part of me really wants to give in. Maybe if I go back, we can figure out who's sending those threats together. Maybe he really can keep us safe.

But none of that changes the harsh truth: he's still married to Violet, and I'm still just the secret on the side.

I ease out of his grip and take a step back. "I don't think I can."

"Things will be different now," Cassian insists, his eyes bright with determination.

"Will they?" My throat tightens as I fight back tears. "I can't keep doing this, Cassian. I can't just be your dirty secret or the friend you run to when things get tough. It's tearing me apart."

It would be so easy to break down right now. But I don't want his pity. I don't want him to walk away from his title just because he feels sorry for me, I want him to choose me because he truly wants me.

Cassian lets out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his dark hair. A wave of uncertainty lingers on his face until his eyes meet mine, and a sudden, calm resolve settles over him.

"This isn't really how I planned on doing this, but honestly, I don't think I have much of a choice anymore," he says, standing tall.

"Doing what?" I ask, my heart skipping a beat.
He reaches out and takes my hand. "Let's go inside."

He leads me through the front door and shuts it tight behind us, cutting off the view of the drivers and guards waiting outside by the cars.

I silently pray he's too distracted to notice the messy, sad little state I've been keeping this cottage in over the last week.

Luckily, his attention never strays from me as he stops right in the middle of the small living room. But instead of speaking, he slowly drops down onto one knee, still holding my hands in his.

I completely freeze, my breath catching in my chest as the weight of what's happening hits me all at once.

"Cassian..." I whisper.

"I've spent way too many years dreaming about this exact second," he says, his fingers tightening gently around mine. "I honestly thought I'd never get the chance to make you my wife, but everything is different now."

My mind is completely spinning as I stare down at him.

It feels like my wildest fantasy is breaking right through into real life. I always thought having Cassian down on one knee in front of me was something that would only ever happen in my dreams.

"For way too long, I let my title come before you," he admits, his voice thick with emotion. "I was terrified of how the pack would react to us being together, or what they'd say about our future.

But now I see that a real marriage built on love is what we deserve, and it's what the pack needs, too. They deserve an Alpha who is whole, someone who has everything he needs to actually lead them well."

I bite my lip, nodding slowly as warm tears blur my vision, though my chest feels lighter than it has in months.

"I need you, Nova. I want you," he says earnestly, looking right up into my eyes. "You are my other half, the only reason I can even keep going. You've always been so much more than just my best friend. I can't do this life without you. I love you with everything I have, and I'd be the luckiest man alive if you'd let me be your husband."

"I..." The words get completely stuck in my throat, overwhelmed by a huge wave of feelings.

Pure relief, shock, and total, unguided happiness all crash over me at once.

A quiet, tentative smile touches his lips as he fights back his own tears. "Will you marry me, Nova? Will you let me give you everything I am for the rest of our days?"