Chapter 107 Chapter 107

Chapter 107 Chapter 107
_Leah's POV_

Kayden kept his promise.

A few days passed after everything that happened in the temple. After the blood. After the dark magic. After the end of Tariq.

The pack slowly returned to its normal rhythm. The air no longer felt heavy with fear. The nights were quieter. The shadows did not feel like they were hiding monsters anymore.

And for the first time in a long while, I could breathe without feeling hunted.

But tonight, none of that mattered.

Tonight, it was just us.

Kayden took my hand after dinner. His fingers wrapped around mine. They were warm and steady.

“Come with me,” he said.

“Where?” I asked.

He only gave me a small crooked smile. “You’ll see.”

Athena stirred inside me. His voice is full of excitement. This is dangerous.

“Dangerous how?” I asked her.

Dangerous for your heart, she said.

I tried not to blush.

Kayden led me outside. The night was clear. The moon hung high and bright. It was like a soft white coin in the sky. The air was cool and smelled like pine and damp earth. A few warriors were patrolling near the gates. They nodded and looked away when they saw us.

He opened the passenger door of his car and helped me inside like I was made of glass.

“You do know I can get in by myself,” I said.

He leaned closer. His breath brushed my cheek. “I know,” he murmured. “Let me spoil you anyway.”

My heart gave a stupid little jump.

Athena sighed. We are so gone for him.

He walked around, got in and started the engine. The hum of it was familiar and comforting.

We drove in silence at first. Trees lined both sides of the road. Their dark shapes slipped past us. The stars glittered above the branches. The pack house lights faded behind us until they were only a memory.

I watched him from the corner of my eye.

His hands were steady on the wheel. His jaw was relaxed now, not clenched like on the battlefield. There were still faint shadows under his eyes but they were softer.

He felt me staring.

“Is there something on my face?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

He frowned. “What?”

“Your usual arrogance.”

He huffed a short laugh. “That sounds like jealousy,” he said.

“Of what?” I demanded.

“Of how handsome I am,” he answered, completely serious.

I snorted. “You’re impossible.”

“Yet you’re still here,” he said.

“I blame the Moon Goddess,” I muttered.

Athena laughed inside my mind. Liar. You like his stupid face.

I did. I really did.

We turned off the main road and onto a narrow dirt path. My heart recognized it before my mind did.

“The lake,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he said. “The cabin.”

The trees parted and the cabin came into view. It sat near the edge of the lake, half-hidden by tall pines. A warm light glowed inside the windows. The wood of the walls looked dark and solid. Smoke rose in a thin line from the chimney, carrying the smell of firewood.

The lake lay beyond it. The water was dark but the moon lay across it in a bright silver path. The surface moved in slow ripples like the lake was breathing. Fireflies drifted near the shore. They blinked on and off like tiny stars that had fallen to earth.

The air felt different here. It was lighter and calmer.

“Kayden,” I said slowly. “It’s beautiful.”

He looked at me instead of the view. “It’s better now,” he said.

I knew that he meant to say because I was here. Heat crept up my neck.

Athena hummed. He is being sweet. This is suspicious. Watch him.

“Come on,” he said softly.

He got out and rushed to my side before I could open my door. I gave him a look as he helped me down.

“You know,” I said, “I actually like using my own legs sometimes.”

He smirked. “Your legs had a very long day last week. They are still on probation.”

“That is not how bodies work,” I muttered.

“It is how your Alpha works.”

He laced our fingers together and led me toward the cabin.

The ground was soft under my shoes; pine needles and damp soil. The night air brushed my skin. Somewhere in the trees, an owl hooted.

He opened the door and stepped back so I could go in first.

Warmth wrapped around me at once. The scent of pine and rain hit me too. There was a fire burning in the stone fireplace. The flames crackled and danced, sending orange light over the room. A few candles were lit on the small table by the window. Their soft glow mixed with the firelight.

On the table, I saw something that made me pause.

There were two plates and two glasses. It was a simple meal. There was bread, meat and some roasted vegetables. Someone had tried to make it look nice. It was neat. Not like a feast but just… thoughtful.

“You cooked?” I asked, surprised.

He closed the door behind us. “I tried,” he said. “Fred supervised so we didn’t all die of poisoning.”

A small laugh escaped me. “So I shouldn’t eat anything?”

His eyes widened in mock offense. “You wound me. I put a lot of effort into this.”

“That is what I am afraid of,” I said.

He moved closer and lowered his voice. “I promise I did not try any dark spells on the food.”

“That better be true. Because if I get cursed again, I am blaming you.”

“Fair,” he said softly. “Blame me for everything. Just don’t leave.”

My smile faded. My chest squeezed.

He saw it and his gaze gentled.

“Sit,” he said. “Please.”

He pulled out a chair for me at the table. I sat down slowly. He took the chair across from me but he was not far. We could still touch if we stretched our hands a little.

We ate in silence for a few minutes. The food was simple but warm. My body relaxed more with every bite.

“This is good,” I admitted.

He looked proud. “So you will not ban me from the kitchen?”

“I might give you limited access….with supervision.”

“By you?” he asked. “Because I like that idea.”

Athena snorted. He would burn water just to have you near.

My lips twitched.

He watched me closely. “You’re smiling,” he said. “That’s a good sign.”

“You act like I never smile,” I replied.

“Not like this,” he said quietly.

I met his eyes. His expression was open. A little sad….a little hopeful but very serious.

My heart did that strange flutter again.

The meal ended. He stood and took the plates. His movements were easy but I could feel something under his skin. A nervous energy. Like he was holding back.

“Athena?” I thought.

Yes, she answered.

“Is he… okay?”

He is about to do something stupid, she said. Or brave. It is the same with males.

He came back and held out his hand.

“Come,” he said.

“Where?” I asked.

He nodded toward the door. “Outside. I want to show you something.”

“You already showed me the cabin and the food,” I said. “What else is there? A secret army in the bushes?”

He smiled faintly. “Better.”

That made me nervous.

Still, I took his hand.

He led me out onto the small porch and then down to the lake. The ground was cool. The sound of the water grew louder as we got closer. Soft waves touched the shore. The pines around us were tall and dark. The sky above was wide and full of stars.

We reached the wooden dock.

It stretched a little way out over the water. The boards creaked softly under our weight. A faint lantern hung from a post at the end, casting a low golden light over the wood and the water around it.

He stopped halfway and turned me so I faced the lake.

“Look,” he said.

I did.

The lake was beautiful. The moon’s reflection lay across it like a bright road. Tiny ripples broke the light, making it flicker and dance. The air smelled like clean water and wood and the faint smoke from the cabin chimney.

“It’s peaceful,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he said.

I could feel him behind me….close but not touching. His presence was solid and safe. His emotions brushed against the bond between us. He seemed to be a bit nervous.

Nervous?

I frowned.

I turned to look at him.

“Kayden,” I said slowly. “What is going on?”

He met my gaze. For a second, he looked almost… unsure. That alone was shocking. This was the Alpha. The male who used to walk like the world belonged to him.

Now he looked like he was standing at the edge of a cliff.

My heart began to pound.

“Leah,” he said softly. “I brought you here because this place is important to me.”

“I know,” I said.

“Tonight is special,” he said.

“How?” I asked.

He exhaled slowly. “Because tonight, I want to ask you something. And whatever your answer is, I want it to come from here.”

He touched his chest with his fist.

“Seriously,” I said weakly. “You are very dramatic lately.”

He smiled a little. “You bring that out in me.”

Before I could say anything else, he moved. He stepped back. And then he went down on one knee.

My breath stopped.

The world seemed to freeze. The sound of the water, the wind in the trees, the faint crackle of the fire behind us…..everything faded into a low hum.

“Kayden,” I whispered. “What are you doing?”

Athena gasped inside me. Oh. Oh. This is happening.

He looked up at me.

His eyes were bright in the lantern light. His usual Alpha confidence was there but it was softer now. His hand slid into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.

My hands started to shake.

“Leah,” he said and my name in his voice sounded like a vow. “I have done many things wrong.”

My throat tightened.

“I rejected you once,” he continued. “I hurt you. I made you feel small. I let other people’s lies matter more than your truth. I let my pride and fear speak louder than my heart.”

His jaw flexed. He looked like it hurt to remember.

“I watched you walk away,” he said softly, “and I told myself it was for the best. That you were better off without me. That I did not deserve someone like you.”

Tears pricked my eyes.

“You don’t have to….” I began.

He shook his head. “Let me say this,” he whispered. “Please.”

I closed my mouth.

He opened the box.

Inside was a ring. It was a thin silver band. There was a small moonstone at the center. The stone caught the moonlight and glowed faintly like it held a piece of the night sky.

“I am not perfect,” he said. “I will probably still make mistakes. I will still annoy you. I will still try to boss you around and you will still ignore me sometimes.”

“That is true,” I said before I could stop myself.

He huffed a short laugh. “See? Already honest.”

Then his face turned serious again.

“But I will also do this,” he said. “I will stand between you and every threat. I will fight anyone who tries to hurt you. I will listen when you speak, even when it is hard to hear. I will hold you when the nightmares come and I will wake up every day and choose you again.”

Athena was silent now. She was holding her breath with me.

“Leah,” he said, “I cannot erase the past. I cannot pretend I did not fail you before. But maybe… maybe you can find it in your heart to forgive me. To let me try again. Properly this time.”

A tear slipped free and rolled down my cheek.

“I do not want to be just your Alpha,” he whispered. “I want to be your partner. Your mate. Your husband. The father of your future pups. The idiot who carries you when you say you can walk. The man who grows old beside you if the Moon Goddess allows.”

My chest felt too full.

He looked up at me like I was the only thing that mattered in this world.

“Leah,” he asked softly, “will you marry me?”

Silence.

The lake glimmered. The wind tugged at my hair. The bond between us pulsed with wild and strong emotion.

My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Athena spoke first. Say yes. Say yes now. Or I will do it for you.

“I…” My voice broke.

I took a slow breath.

I thought of the cellar…of being beaten…of being nothing.

I thought of the temple…of the altar…of the dark.

I thought of Kayden’s voice pulling me back….of his arms holding me….of his eyes when he thought he had lost me.

I looked at him on his knee. This powerful Alpha was willing to be small in front of me.

My tears kept falling.

“You are an idiot,” I whispered.

His brows lifted. “That is not a yes or a no.”

“You are a stubborn and proud idiot,” I said, my voice shaking. “You hurt me. You made me cry. You made me hate you.”

His jaw tensed.

“But,” I said, my voice softening, “you also came for me. Again and again. You believed me when no one else did. You fought for me. You let me possess you like some wild ghost and you did not push me away. You carried me out of hell. You stayed.”

His eyes shone.

“And I…” I pressed a hand to my chest. “I still love you. I tried not to. I tried to make myself forget. But I couldn’t. My heart remembered. Athena remembered. We always came back to you.”

Athena murmured, We did. Annoying but true.

A small laugh escaped him.

I took a step closer. My hand trembled as I held it out.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I will marry you.”

For a second, he did not move.

Then his whole body seemed to release at once. Relief crashed through the bond so strong it almost knocked the breath from me.

He took my hand in both of his and slid the ring onto my finger. The metal felt cool against my skin. The moonstone caught the light and glowed.

“It suits you,” he said softly.

“I like it,” I whispered. “It’s simple.”

“Like my brain?” he asked.

“Exactly,” I said.

He laughed. It was a real laugh this time. Then he stood.

For a heartbeat, we just stared at each other.

Then he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me.

His lips were warm and gentle. His thumbs brushed away the tears on my cheeks as he kissed me again….and again.

My hands clutched at his shirt. I felt his heart pounding against my palms. The bond between us glowed like a thread of light. It was pulling us closer.

When we finally pulled away, we were both breathing hard.

He rested his forehead against mine.

“You just made me the happiest man on this planet,” he whispered.

“You say that now. Wait until I steal all the blankets.”

“I will buy more blankets.”

“I will still steal them.”

“Then I will steal you.”

Athena groaned. He is so cheesy. I kind of like it.

I laughed.

Behind us, the cabin fire flickered. In front of us, the lake shone under the moon. The night felt wide and open. The threat that had hovered over me for so long was gone. Tariq was gone. Susan was gone. The curse was broken.

There were still problems in the world. There would still be dangers. But right now, in this moment, I felt safe.

I looked at my ring.

Hope rose inside me. Maybe, just maybe, everything would not just be fine.

Maybe it would be beautiful.