Dahlia’s POV
“Did you ever want to find your mate?” I countered their question with one of my own.
“Yes, of course!” Liam answered without hesitation.
“Yeah, I did too,” Logan admitted, though there was a trace of reluctance in his voice. I shot him a look, making it clear that I wasn’t convinced, but I let it slide for now.
“And yet, it never crossed your minds that the woman you’d ask to stand beside you as your Luna-the one expected to lead with you-would have to battle the stigma you created just to fulfill her role,” I said, my voice sharp with accusation. “I don’t take it personally. You didn’t know me until two days ago. But now, you’re asking me to be that person, so I have to consider how your past choices will affect me.”
Rowena had been the perfect example. “You obviously don’t respect women. You treat them like objects-disposable, convenient, something to use and cast aside. Did you even stop to consider what it was like for me to stand there while she laid claim to you?
I don’t know the full extent of what happened between you two-aside from the obvious-but whatever it was, it left her feeling entitled to you. And why wouldn’t she? You let her. You gave her that right. And it doesn’t end with her, does it?
How many Rowenas are out there, Logan? Is there a single place in this pack’s territory-or the surrounding ones-where I won’t find myself standing in the background while you fend off yet another woman who thinks she still has a claim on you? Will I always have to endure the stares, the judgment, the hostility, all because I had the audacity to be fated to you?”
I shook my head. “You sent a clear message: the women in your life are only good for one thing. They serve your needs, and then they’re discarded. Your pack won’t respect their Luna, because they won’t believe you do. And whoever she is-whoever ends up standing beside you-deserves better. I deserve better.”
“Lia, I-” Liam started, his voice raw.
“I’m not done!” I snapped, cutting him off before he could attempt to soothe the fire burning inside me. I wasn’t finished, and they needed to hear every word.
“If you truly want me to consider accepting this bond, then you need to listen. You were worried that I’d be hurt by the fact that you didn’t wait for me. I’m not-yet. But we all know what happens if I accept this. My feelings for you will grow. And I will pay the price for it. I’ll feel it every single time another woman touches you.
How would you feel if the roles were reversed? If you had to stand there while an ex-lover whispered memories of our time together, put his hands on me, tried to convince me to walk away from our bond and return to him? If you were in my position, would you honestly want to deal with that? And that’s not even touching on the real fear-what happens when you get bored? When I become just another mistake in your long list, left to watch while you move on to the next conquest?”
I exhaled, steadying myself. “Thanks to my father and his inability to keep things to himself, I’m sure you both already know-I never wanted a fated mate. Not even if there had only been one of you, and he was some kind of saint untouched by the world. So this-the two of you and everything that comes with you-is too much for me to just accept.”
Silence settled between us. Liam dropped his head into his hands, while Logan… stunned me.
He stood, walked around the table, and knelt in front of me. Then, without hesitation, he rested his head in my lap.
I froze, breath caught in my throat as we sat there, saying nothing.
Finally, Logan spoke.
“You’re right-about all of it. I’ve been selfish, careless, and thoughtless. You and Liam both deserve better. Hell, Liam shouldn’t even have to share the Alpha title with me,” he admitted, meeting his brother’s gaze.
“I know there’s nothing I can say to fix this. But apparently, I’m not done being selfish yet, because no matter how unworthy I am, I still want you to accept us, Lia.
You were made for us, and we will never want anyone else.
I can’t change the past, but I swear to you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never feel disrespected. With every breath I take, I will work to prove to you-and to this pack-that you are not expendable to me. You are the only one who will ever be Luna, for us and for this pack.” His voice was thick with emotion, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“And for what it’s worth, I’m the only hypocrite here,” he added. “I know I have no right to feel this way, but the thought of another man putting his hands on you drives me insane. I have to find a way to live with your past, to accept that we won’t be your first in every way.
I know it’s unfair, considering everything we’ve done. But the one thing that hurts the most is knowing that no matter how close we become in the future, we will never be your first loves.
Finnian Blackwell will always have that place in your heart. And there’s no avoiding him-we just entered an alliance that means we’ll have to see him regularly. Every time we do, we’ll be reminded that he had your heart before we ever got the chance.” His voice broke, but he pushed through. “That’s a pain you’ll never have to feel. Because, as callous as it may sound, none of those other women ever meant anything to us. We’ve never even come close to being in love-until you.”
Then, he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered,
“And baby girl, I promise you-the three of us together will never be bored.”
A shiver ran down my spine at his words, a sharp thrill sparking in my chest. Blue purred in my mind, more than ready to accept them both on the spot. It would have been so easy-to just surrender, to let the bond dictate my feelings, to stop worrying about what the future might hold.
But I couldn’t forget.
I couldn’t forget my father-shattered and sick with grief. I couldn’t forget how it felt to stand in that doorway as the mate bond took everything from me.
Yet, I also knew I bore some responsibility, too. I could have walked away when Finnian and I realized we weren’t fated-especially when his parents urged him to wait for his true mate. I had been young, naive, too weak to make the hard choice back then.
I was stronger now. I could walk away.
But maybe-just maybe-there was more strength in choosing to stay.
I believed I deserved happiness. I just wasn’t sure what happiness looked like anymore.
I wasn’t ready to give them my heart-not yet. But I could give it time.
So, I took a deep breath and said the only words I could in that moment.
“So… how about that tour you promised me?”
The relief in their eyes was instant, their twin smiles breathtaking.
And for the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe.