Freya
The silver crescent moon pendant glead against my skin as I stepped onto the candlelit terrace of the Milanese restaurant Silvano had chosen for tonight.
Silvano stood near the fountain,a vision in a tailored dark suit that accentuated his broad shoulders. His dark hair was slightly tousled,giving him that effortless look that made my heart race.
Heads turned when he moved—but his eyes were only on ,filled with an intensity that made my breath catch. The way he looked at made my heart skip,like I was the only thing that existed in his world.
"You’re breathtaking," he murmured,lifting my hand to his lips. That single touch sent a shiver all the way to my toes,a wave of warmth spreading through my body. My wolf practically purred beneath my skin.
"You don’t look so bad yourself," I teased,though my voice was soft. Sothing in the air felt... different. Charged. The space between us seed to crackle with electricity.
He guided to our table,his hand resting protectively at the small of my back. The simple gesture felt more intimate than any touch I’d shared with Jasper in eight years.
Dinner was a dream. The table was set with white roses and lavender—my favorite combination,sothing I’d only ntioned once in passing during our trip through Tuscany. The wine? That rare vintage we’d found during our countryside tour,when we’d gotten caught in the rain and taken shelter in that tiny family winery. Every detail was him saying,I see you. I know you. I choose you.
"How was the eting?" he asked,his dark eyes studying my face carefully.
I sighed,taking a sip of wine. "Closure. Jasper begged. Cried. Said all the things I once wanted to hear." I paused,realizing the truth of what I was about to say. "And I felt... nothing. No anger,no regret. Just... peace."
Silvano’s gaze stayed steady,a small,satisfied smile playing at his lips. "Good."
I touched the crescent moon pendant that nestled in the hollow of my throat. "Your mother’s necklace helped. It reminded who I am now. Who I’m becoming."
His expression softened,those intense eyes warming as they fell to the silver pendant. "She said it would end up with the right woman. She was right." His fingers brushed mine across the table. "She would have loved you,Freya."
After dessert—a tiramisu that lted on my tongue like sin—Silvano stood and offered his hand. "Walk with ?"
The night air was cool but not cold,perfect for the light wrap I’d thrown over my shoulders. We strolled through the moonlit garden behind the restaurant,the scent of jasmine thick in the air. The sound of the fountain created a soothing backdrop as he led to a quiet corner where the light hit his features just so,highlighting the sharp angles of his face.
"There’s sothing I’ve been wanting to tell you," he said,voice low and deep,sending another delicious shiver down my spine.
He took both my hands in his. His touch was warm,steady,grounding. "When I was seventeen,after my first full shift,I had a vision. A woman standing beneath the moonlight. My wolf knew imdiately: she was our mate."
My breath hitched,my heartbeat accelerating.
"I searched for her for years," he continued,his eyes never leaving mine. "Through gatherings,etings with other packs,everywhere. I never forgot her face. And then one night,you walked into Crescent Moon wearing that black dress..." He smiled,a little breathless. "It was you,Freya. My dream,made real."
"You knew?" I whispered,stunned. "All this ti?"
"I did." He touched my cheek with such tenderness that tears threatened. "But I wanted you to choose . Not fate. Not the bond. ."
Tears pricked my eyes,but these were different from the ones I’d shed over Jasper. These were healing tears,joyful tears.
"You have no idea how many females my father tried to introduce to," he said with a small laugh. "I turned down everyone they tried to pair with. So of the most powerful she-wolves in North Arica. Because none of them were you."
His eyes held mine,filled with such raw honesty that it took my breath away. "I watched you from afar for months,waiting for the right mont. When I heard you’d finally broken free from Jasper,I knew it was ti."
Then he dropped to one knee.
My heart stopped. The world seed to pause around us.
From his pocket,he pulled out a ring—diamond center,erald halo,catching the moonlight like magic. The stones seed to dance with an inner fire.
"Freya Stone," he said,his voice a vow,strong and clear in the night air. "You walked into my life exactly when I needed you... I know with absolute certainty that I don’t want a future that doesn’t have you in it."
My wolf howled with joy inside ,recognizing her mate,her alpha,her forever.
"I want you as my Luna. My partner. My equal. Not because of fate or tradition or pack politics,but because there is no one else I want by my side as I build my legacy." His eyes glead with emotion. "Will you marry ?"
Tears stread freely now,my heart beating so fast it felt like it might burst from my chest. Eight years of feeling second-best,of being hidden away,of never being enough—all washed away by this man who had waited for ,who saw clearly from the very beginning.
"Yes," I whispered. Then louder,with all the certainty in my soul: "Yes,Silvano!"
He slid the ring onto my finger—a perfect fit,as if it had been made for all along—and stood,sweeping into his arms. When his lips t mine,the world disappeared. The plants rustled gently around us,as if nature itself approved of our union. A warm breeze caressed our skin,carrying the scent of jasmine and possibility.
We broke apart,both breathless,foreheads touching.
"So," I said,smiling through tears as I admired how the ring caught the moonlight,"that’s why you brought to Italy? To propose where your family’s story began?"
Silvano grinned,his hands warm at my waist,keeping close. "That,and I figured I should give you a better mory of Italy than your ex-Alpha crying in a café."
I burst out laughing,the sound echoing in the quiet garden. "Consider it overwritten. Completely erased from mory."
"Good." His expression grew serious again,tender. "Because you deserve only beautiful mories from now on,amore mio. And I intend to give them to you. Every day."
He kissed again,slower this ti,his hands warm at my waist. I lted against him,feeling the solid strength of his chest,the steady beat of his heart against mine.
"Does this an I’m officially part of the Shadow Pack now?" I asked when we ca up for air,a hint of mischief in my voice.
"You’re much more than that," he murmured against my lips. "You’re the future of the Shadow Pack. My Luna." His eyes glead with pride. "And I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with all that power."
"First order of business as future Luna—more kissing," I demanded with a smile.
"As my Luna commands," he replied with a grin that made my knees weak.
In that garden—surrounded by jasmine,under a moon that seed to shine just for us—I finally felt whole. No regrets. No shadows. Just the future stretched out before like an open road... and the man who had waited for long before I ever knew I was his.
My wolf howled with joy within ,finally ho with her true mate. And as Silvano pulled close again,whispering Italian endearnts against my skin,I knew with absolute certainty that this—this man,this love,this future—was what I had been searching for all along.
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