Denzel's directness left Juniper stunned. She stared at him, forgetting to blink, wondering if she'd heard him correctly.
"Are you asking out?" she breathed, the words heavy with disbelief. In her mind, she was damaged goods, a divorcee with a ssy past and a reputation for chaos. She couldn't imagine why any man would willingly step into her life.
"Yes," Denzel replied, his hands planted firmly on the counter as he held her gaze.
She let out a dry, incredulous chuckle. "Why? I'm older than you, I'm a divorcee, and my family cut ties with . You know exactly what kind of mistakes I've made." Her voice wavered, and her eyes grew misty as she forced herself to keep looking at him.
"I don't care about any of that," Denzel said. "I live in the present. Think about it."
He turned back to the stove, though his movents were slightly stiff. He was nervous. Asking out an Alpha she-wolf was a gamble; he knew their nature, fiercely independent and often guarded. But the more ti he spent with Juniper, the more he realized the woman standing in front of him wasn't the broken, reckless person she claid to be.
He drizzled a small amount of oil into the pan and turned the burner to dium, watching as the liquid began to shimr.
"There isn't a rulebook that says an older woman can't date a younger man, nor does it forbid a divorcee from moving on," he said. "Everyone carries a ssy past, Juniper. At the very least, you've learned from yours and transford that struggle into independence. That is a rare strength. Not everyone can do that."
Juniper was stunned, hearing his words.
Since the day they t, Denzel had never once judged her. While everyone else in her life seed intent on pinning the bla for her failures on her, Denzel saw sothing entirely different.
Refusing him now, when she felt such a pull toward him, would be nothing short of foolish.
"I am an Alpha," she said softly, testing the weight of the words. "And you are a Gamma. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
Denzel turned away from the stove, his expression completely unbothered. "What possible problem would I have with that? I've always found myself drawn to strong-willed won." He offered a gentle smile, one ant to soothe the spike of anxiety she felt, and turned back to the pan.
"Then, let's date," Juniper asserted, her heart racing suddenly.
Denzel smiled at her, feeling his nerves finally calming down.
~~~~~~~
After concluding her video call with Casaio and Idris, Zilia realized she needed to let Juniper know she was leaving. She opened their chat and sent a quick ssage.
The reply pinged back almost imdiately: "What? So soon?"
"Yes," Zilia typed. "Cas is missing . Besides, I mainly ca here to see you."
"Let's et in the morning," Juniper replied. "Is your flight in the early morning hours?"
"No, around noon," Zilia clarified.
"Then I will co to the mansion to et you."
Zilia smiled at the screen and set her phone on the bedside table. Slipping her feet into her slippers, she decided to take a walk through the quiet.
As she reached the living room, she found Gabriel and Karn hunched over a spread of docunts, deep in discussion.
"I will see you tomorrow," Karn said, offering a respectful bow. He gathered his files and headed out, leaving the room quiet once more.
"You're still working?" Zilia remarked, causing Gabriel to look up from his desk.
She walked over to the couch and settled into the cushions. "Are Alie and Noah asleep?"
"They are," Gabriel replied, setting down his pen. "But what about you? Why aren't you resting?"
"I had a surprisingly long nap earlier today," she admitted with a shrug. "I thought a walk might help clear my head."
Gabriel stood up, closing his ledger. "Co, let's go to the garden. I'll keep you company."
Zilia hesitated, glancing at the docunts still strewn across the table. "Aren't you tired?"
"No. I don't want my sister-in-law wandering around alone. If you were to get hurt, heaven forbid, Cas would burn my place to the ground," Gabriel muttered, already rising to his feet.
Zilia laughed. She stood, instinctively placing a protective hand on her baby bump. "Cas is afraid of you, Gabriel." She looped her arm through his elbow, and they began their walk toward the garden.
"Why would he be afraid of ?" Gabriel chuckled.
"Don't you know? Out of all four Sinclairs, your temper is the shortest," Zilia noted. "And Cas loves his youngest brother; he doesn't want to have to scold you."
Gabriel rolled his eyes as they stepped out into the night air. A cool breeze brushed against them, carrying the scent of the evening flowers.
"So much has changed in just a year," Zilia mused. "Do you like the change?"
"Of course," Gabriel replied instantly. "Unlike my previous, dull years, I'm no longer perpetually on edge. What about you, Zilia?"
"I never imagined a life like this," she admitted, looking up at the stars. "I no longer live in constant fear of being hunted. I should thank you for this."
Gabriel paused mid-step, his expression sobering. "I threw you into prison, Zilia. You should have hated . Cas even tortured you because I pushed him."
"Umm… Gabriel, from the beginning, I never thought bad for you. You were doing your duty in my eyes. Besides, you have done so much for us. Cas always speaks about how you helped him. His anger toward was right, too. I never blad anyone. And later, he even accepted ."
"I never said this before, but if I was envious of anyone, then it was Cas. I felt his life was perfect and even got a mate so early, unlike , who was burning every day in agony for not finding my mate," Gabriel asserted. "Thank you for being a warm sister-in-law even after my bad attitude."
"Alie has indeed changed you," Zilia pronounced with a cheerful smile. "I pray that you always stay happy with your family."
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