Chapter 382
Chapter 382:
When I woke the following morning, the room felt considerably lighter. After everything that had happened the night before, sleep had not come easily — but I didn’t mind. She was in my arms, her bare body pressed against mine as though we were two pieces that had always been meant to fit together. Isabelle was my mate. She was frightened, yes. But she was no longer running from me.
She trusted me enough to stay by my side. That was enough for now. More than enough.
I slipped out of bed carefully, unwilling to wake her. She looked peaceful — her face relaxed in a way I hadn’t seen before, her long hair fanned across the pillow, her breathing soft and even. For a moment I simply stood there, watching her, feeling something fill my chest that I hadn’t felt in years.
In less than a day, this woman had turned my life upside down. And I couldn’t find a single reason to be angry about it.
I made my way downstairs quietly, my mind already turning with ideas. I needed her to understand that I wasn’t her mate simply because the Moon Goddess had decreed it. I wanted her to see that I wanted her — all of her, every flaw, every part of her past, every wall she had ever built around herself.
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And I knew exactly where to begin.
By the time Isabelle came downstairs, the sun was already high in the sky. I was sitting in the living room, doing my best to appear relaxed — but the moment I heard her soft footsteps on the stairs, my heart kicked hard against my chest.
“Good morning,” I said, getting to my feet as she walked in.
She paused, her expression cautious but noticeably warmer than the day before.
“Good morning,” she replied softly.
I crossed the room and held out the cup of coffee I had prepared for her. “Black, right p>
Her eyebrows lifted in quiet surprise, but she accepted it with a small nod. “Yes. Thank you p>
For a while, neither of us spoke. The atmosphere between us was unusual, though not uncomfortable. I cleared my throat, rubbing the back of my neck as I gathered the nerve to say what I had been turning over in my mind all morning.
“I was thinking,” I began, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. “Would you like to go out with me? On a date p>
Her eyes went wide, and for one suspended moment I thought she might pull away again. But then she blinked, her lips parting slightly with surprise. “A date p>
“Yes,” I said quickly, pushing past the nerves. “Nothing formal or elaborate — just the two of us. I thought we could start fresh. Get to know each other again, without the weight of everything that came before p>
She looked at me for a long moment, the coffee forgotten in her hands. Then, to my great surprise, she smiled.
“All right,” she said softly. “I’ll go p>
Relief swept through me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Perfect. Let me get everything ready. Give me an hour p>