Roxanne’s POV:
Felix and the rest leaving the pack made me feel rather sad.
Everyone was talking about how Tamara had cried so much, and that made me feel so guilty. I hated Larson for doing that to her. Was he fucking stupid or what?
Did he think I would rejoice over his sudden confession in front of my mate and overlook what he had done to Tamara? At first, I had no idea how to react to everything that had happened, but when I went into the study and sat down, I took everything in, and I was beyond furious with him.
Every little respect I felt for him was gone, and my feelings of hate were now stronger than ever.
“Roxanne, you have been quiet for a while now. Is everything okay?” Garren asked in concern. Immediately, Roman had given him back control, he tried talking to me nicely to cheer me on. I was happy that he was by my side, yet I was beginning to miss his place. I wanted to be far away from the pack, but I couldn’t tell him the truth.
“I just feel bad for Tamara. She didn’t deserve such harsh treatment from that jerk. I can’t believe he rejected her openly,” I answered sadly, then sighed softly when his hand grabbed mine.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“Yes,” I responded, then looked at his hand on mine.
“No, I’m lying,” I whispered sadly.
“I know, so tell me. What is bothering you?” he asked.
“I miss us being far away from the pack. Although I was concerned about my parents’ well-being, I was happy being with just you on that side. Also, for a second, I was wondering if I too could have been such a mess if you had rejected me. Would I have lived as a broken-hearted mate, or would I have begged you to take me back in tears?” I answered softly, then looked at him.
He smiled warmly, then moved his hand to my cheek.
“Honestly, it wouldn’t have happened. I do acknowledge that at first I wanted nothing to do with you, but that’s not how Roman felt about you. He liked you from the very beginning, and with time, he was willing to do anything to have you with us. So even if I wasn’t in love with you, he would have found a way for us to be together,” he answered as my heart fluttered.
“In love?” I asked shyly, with a smile.
“Yes, in love,” he answered, then leaned in and kissed my forehead.
“Garren,” I called softly.
“Mm,” he hummed in response.
“Have you ever thought about our future together? How would we live if the coven was taken care of?” I asked curiously.
He pulled back and then kept quiet for a few seconds.
“There was a certain day when all I could think about was you. I even dared to think of our future together. To me, I cared less if the coven elders would be dead or alive because all I knew was that I was going to be with you and protect you at all costs,” he answered, then continued to speak.
“Also, when I was young, there was a time I dreamed of my future self having it simple yet whole. My desire was to one day find a beautiful, strong, hardworking woman. To me, it didn’t matter if she would be human or something else because I wanted someone who could love and accept me for what I am. We would have a simple cottage near a beautiful stream, and a small fountain would be put right at the side of my house entrance. Some benches would be a few meters away from the maze that would be at the back of the cottage and near the garden. If my partner loved gardening like I did or taking care of flowers, then I would fix a greenhouse for her, and every single day we would spend an hour or so there,” he said with a smile, then continued.
“In my mind, it didn’t matter if she was slim, curvy, or thick. I also didn’t care what race she could be or what kind of skin color she would have. What mattered to me was that she knew how to cook and take care of me. If she was a virgin, then it would be a bonus because I would be the only one to know her on a deeper, intimate level,” he said, then sighed softly.
“I told myself a lot of cheesy things back then, like making love would be a deeper means of connection and that with time, we would both learn our likes and dislikes. The time she would carry my child would be the time she wouldn’t lift a finger, because I would spoil her a lot more than I had ever done. I would watch and care for her health closely until she delivers. Then I would let her name our firstborn child to thank her for the hard work she had done in carrying our little one. As our child grows, we would plan his or her future and start planning for another child,” he said as I felt my heart melt at his perfect imagination.
“Please, go on,” I whispered softly.
“After having a few more, I would do my very best in being the perfect father to my kids by taking them out and taking care of them at home. My lover and I would argue, and at times I would forget some anniversaries, but then I would make an even greater effort to remember them all, and our love would grow even stronger. As we grow old, we would have our children take good care of us, and with time, we would meet our grandchildren. The day that she would die would be the day I too would take my own life to lay next to her. Our children would be happy knowing that we are resting next to each other and that we lived our lives without any regrets,” he said as I blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall.
He wasn’t the romantic type in my mind. But now, hearing his words, I was beginning to think of him as a total romantic and a kind soul.
“But then that dream got shattered the more I got to see the world clearly for what it was, and that is hell. Women wanted me for what I had, not for who I was. All that mattered to a lot of people and supernatural beings was the fact that I was a hybrid and had a lot of riches to my name. Their fake laughter and smiles began to disgust me, and I had to draw a line so that I could be alone. If only my past self was wiser, he could have waited patiently for you, untouched or untainted in any way,” he said in a low tone as I wiped off the tears that had rolled down my cheeks with my free hand.
“Well, I love you for who you are, Garren, and it doesn’t matter to me if you are rich or not,” I answered softly.
“I know,” he whispered, then embraced me as I hugged him back.