I Choose You

Loriann's POV again

This holiday with Romero is one I will remember for the rest of my life.

The Alpha is amazing, he treats me like his most precious jewel. Every night he holds me tightly in his arms and in the morning we make love until our stomachs remind us that we also need food to maintain our energy levels.

We swim and snorkel in the clear sea and sometimes hire a speedboat to explore the island's interesting spots. The capital is a great sight from the sea, especially at night. We also hire jet skis to go wild on the open sea like teenagers, the water is totally at our disposal.

In the evenings, we lay on the sandy beach, staring at the different colors of the sky. We talk about everything except our families and the question of our mating.

When the sun is at its highest, we sit under the coconut trees with a big jug of ice-cold juice, reading a book or scrolling through our social media accounts on the phone. And, of course, I never forget to rub on the potion Rachel gave me every night.

But I keep thinking that Romero doesn't want us to go further into the mainland, where we can meet more local people or enjoy the lavish nightlife. I want to talk to the people and learn more about their culture, but Romero anxiously blocks us off from the rest of the world. Of course, I know the reason: he is afraid I will meet my partner.

His possessiveness almost makes me forget my grudges against him. Forgotten is my urge to take revenge for not acknowledging me as his best friend when I returned to Eclipse Howl. And then there was the day he impersonally welcomed me back into the pack. It was in the school corridor, uninterested, as if it were a duty he had to finish quickly.

Romero had apologized for his behavior a few weeks ago, so I should forgive him. I have, but I did not forget his promise, and I never will.

It still bothers me that he has forgotten what he promised me. Would he still want me to be his Luna if I didn't have the pups? Would he go to all this trouble to eliminate a potential rival if I was just Meg's friend?

And then I remembered when the rogues had revealed my secret. Romero was disappointed at first, but not for long. His love for me saved me; otherwise, the dungeons would surely be waiting for me.

So all the risks I took to scare off my fellow competitors for Romero's heart were not in vain. The Alpha son loves me, I have his triplets and he wants to make me his Luna. Now I'll probably have to deal with a mate tonight before it's time to confess my love to the Alpha son and keep him with me forever without fear of ever losing him.

Ultimately, all these wonderful days here in the Maldives are coming to an end. It is now the eve of Romero's anniversary and in a few hours we will be heading back to the pack, back to reality. And then my long-planned plan begins, my final battle for the future Alpha and the promise he made to me, but quickly forgot.

Romero enters our cabin with a large box in his hand and puts it on the bed.

"Lori, please put this on. We will have dinner ashore before we leave. I want to make these last hours unforgettable before we face our next challenge," he explains soberly. His face is stern, unlike anything I have seen from him in the last few days. For a split second, I didn't know how to respond, staring at him in despair as I began to pack.

We dressed in silence and when we were ready, he held out his hand for me to put mine in. Once outside, a seaplane awaited us. Romero helped us get on, still not saying a word.

We finally disembarked at a port in the capital. Here we are met by a Roll Royce with black-out windows. Once inside, we are taken to an elegant hotel, obviously a five-star establishment. Romero leads the way into the lobby, straight to a VIP room. No one is there to meet or greet us, he seems to know exactly where we need to be.

I smile into my fist, has Romero deliberately organized all this so that I don't encounter someone who might claim a right on me? I could sense that the pilot and the driver were humans, although we were separated by a glass wall. And I suspect that the waitress here will also be human, unable to establish a bond with me.

And I am right. Two friendly smiling women enter the room.

"Mr Romero, Miss Lori, welcome to our restaurant. We have an extensive menu with three different types of dishes. You can enter your order digitally and we will be happy to serve you". Without looking at the woman, my partner here nods. The women then leave the room to give us some privacy.

Romero hands me the iPad and I read the menus for Italian, Chinese and Indian cuisine. All three are impressive, the pictures definitely whet my appetite.

"Have you decided yet, love?" asks Romero, his eyes fixed on the menu.

Alarmed, I looked up. His profile seems carved in stone, his aura like an iron barrier between us. This Romero is completely new to me, and I wonder if he is already in transition to the Alpha of Eclipse Howl. But then I remember his recent promises to make me his Luna and keep me with him forever.

More important is his declaration of love. At least twice Romero has tried to reassure me of his love, not because of his pups, but because of me. He even claimed that even if I had not yet given birth to the triplets, he would still choose me. Well, the time to prove it is near.

His attitude tonight is painful and incomprehensible. Although he still behaves like a perfect gentleman, he is distant. The affection of the past two weeks is nowhere to be seen, it is as if I am sitting in front of a total stranger on our first date.

But I will not tolerate this. No more empty promises.

I am tired of them, time to cash in, every one of them.

"Yes, I have already made my choice. It's you"...