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I feel something shift inside me, like the walls I’ve built around my heart are crumbling, piece by piece. It’s terrifying. It’s beautiful. It’s everything I’ve been running from. But I can’t keep running. I can’t keep lying to myself.

I roll over onto my side, facing her fully, letting the bond between us settle. Her hand slides across the tattoos and scars on my chest, and I take a deep breath, drawing her closer. I can’t hold back anymore. I can’t not let go.

She’s right. She’s always been right.

This is us. This is it.

And it’s fucking terrifying. But it’s real. And for the first time in a long time, I don’t want to run anymore.

Chapter Sixteen

Juliet

Four Months Later

I wake up to the warm weight of Abel’s arm around me, his chest pressed against my back, his breathing steady and deep. For a moment, I lie still, taking in the warmth of his body and the calm, steady rhythm of his heart. This is where I belong, where I’ve always belonged. The bond between us pulses, a constant thrum of connection I can’t escape, but now I don’t want to.

The euphoria of our mating still lingers in my veins. I feel whole. We’ve crossed the threshold together, and I can feel it in my bones, in the way my body seems to know him even more deeply now. The marks we left on each other, the taste of our kiss, the way our bodies melded together perfectly. It’s all part of us, of what we’ve become.

I turn in his arms, lifting my head just enough to see his face. His hair is messy, his jaw still rough with the stubble he refuses to shave. But his eyes, those eyes, are soft, a rare vulnerability hidden there that I never expected to see from the man who’s always been so sure of himself.

“Morning,” I whisper, my voice still a little hoarse from the passion we shared last night.

“Morning,” Abel replies, his voice thick, like he hasn’t quite woken up yet. His hand moves to my growing baby bump, brushing over my skin in a tender caress. The touch makes my heart flutter. “You’re still here,” he adds with a soft chuckle, as if he can’t quite believe it. As if I’m a dream he might wake up from.

I nod, my chest tightening. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours now, Abel.”

He pulls me closer, wrapping both arms around me, and kisses my forehead softly. I can feel the weight of his emotions through the bond between us. He’s still overwhelmed by everything that’s happened, by the fact that we’ve completed our mating. That I chose him, and he chose me. And it’s been months.

“I don’t deserve you,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my skin as he speaks.

“You deserve everything,” I say softly, cupping his face and meeting his gaze. “We deserve this, Abel.”

He kisses me then, slow and deep, a kiss that speaks of promises, of all the things left unsaid between us. It’s gentle but filled with an intensity that makes my body ache for more. My skin is burning, and I feel like I could stay here forever, safe, wanted, and completely loved.

“I’m not letting you go,” he mutters against my lips. “Ever.”

****

I didn’t tell my father the truth for a long time. Not until the bond had already formed. Not until Abel had become something more than my boss. More than just a man, but my mate and my future, my everything. Not until after we found out I was pregnant.

When I finally told my father the truth—about the club, about the patch, and about Abel—he didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t storm out or threaten to kill the man I loved. He just sat there, quiet for a long time, like he was counting every breath before he let the next words out.

“Did he force you?”

“No.”

"Did he claim you without permission?"

“No.”

"Did you choose him?”

I nodded, trembling. “I chose him. I choose him every day.”

Then he did the one thing I didn’t expect. He hugged me. And just like that, the distance between us was bridged.

We’re not perfect now. But we’re trying. He calls every Sunday. Abel never forgets his birthday. And when he visits, he makes sure to knock before stepping inside our space.

It’s not what I thought I’d have. But it’s mine. Ours. And for the first time in my life, I’m not hiding who I am.

I’m an omega. I’m a dancer. I’m a mate.

And I am not afraid anymore.

The End