Page 220 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

Yellow eyes glint at me. A vicious smirk curls over Calvin’s lips. “Who would ever believe you?”

I want to scream. I want to push him away, but I stopped fighting him long ago. I dread his punishments and his revenge when I do.

“Who would ever believe you?”

Suddenly, I hear growling in my mind, much to my surprise, tearing me out of my nightmare and into a waking state. “What…”

That was me,Cyrus yelps.Did it help!? I thought I would try it.

I’m too shaken to answer him, but it did help. He’s pulled me out of my nightmare before it got really bad. I take a few breaths and will my frantic heartbeat to calm down. If it keeps up much longer, Celine will wake up for sure. I carefully crawl out of our bed and grab a glass of water before walking out onto the balcony for some fresh air. The alpha suite has a huge balcony that looks out over the back of the pack house. The way it’s angled means it’s hidden from prying eyes. Sometimes we have breakfast out here or just relax and spend time with each other when we want some peace and quiet.

I gulp down the glass of water before placing it on a small table and dropping down on one of the chairs.

“Fuck,” I mutter. “Get out of my head. Just leave.”

My sharp ears catch quiet footsteps behind me. Celine’s approaching scent surrounds me, instantly calming me down. She gently reaches out, touching my shoulder. Fuck. I woke her up and ruined her night. I’m surprised when instead of being asked a myriad of questions I don’t want to answer, Celine just snuggles against my back, wrapping her arms around me.

She doesn’t say anything, just keeps hugging me and allowing the mate bond to magically calm me down.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” I whisper.

“Don’t say that,” she begs. “I want to be with you, not only in good times but also during bad moments.”

I smile. “Did you just propose to me?” I tease.

I can feel her glare burning through the back of my head. “That is your job,” she grumbles. “You can’t expect me to do everything.”

“Alright,” I say with a secretive smile. Good to know where she stands on that topic. I want to make her mine. I know we have no reason to rush, we are just getting to know each other better, but in the not-too-distant future, I would like it if she had my name.

I turn and pull her closer, kissing her shoulder softly. She is the only person whose touch truly doesn’t repulse me. I’m so thankful to have met her and that the Moon Goddess gave me a second chance. I’m even more grateful that Celine gave me a second chance too.

“You know,” Celine says into the silence. “Before I met you, I thought that my mate would magically fill the void inside of me, somehow healing what’s broken. But I’ve realized that it doesn’t work that way.”

“Obviously, because I was a shitty mate.”

“No,” she shakes her head. “My mother and brother died, and no one will ever be able to replace that void left behind in me. I never dealt with my grief properly. Through the mate bond and through getting to know you and accepting you, I’ve finally learned to let go and accept the fact that they will never return. My mom is gone, and no other person will ever be able to replace her. However, instead of feeling a void inside me, I’ve gained something new.”

My heart flutters in agreement, and I look up into her eyes. “I know exactly what you mean,” I admit quietly. After all, Calvin left me broken, and I thought no one would ever be able to love a broken me. Celine didn’t magically make the pain go away, but she’s helped me face my nightmares and my fears little by little.

With her, the darkness is a bit less dark.

“Yes,” she says with a warm smile. “You’ll see. With time, we will both move forward with each other. And what we’ll gain from each other will be so much more than the wounds we carry.”

I return her smile, kissing her softly. “I’ll never stop fighting for our future.”

She snuggles against me. “Me too.”

Epilogue #1 - The Council

*VALERIE*

WelandclosetoParis at a private airport which belongs to the Council. Some guards welcome us officially, and I can immediately feel the change in atmosphere here. Everything is way more formal. The men immediately bow toward Eric, revealing their necks to him, and even Eric is a lot more serious all of a sudden. Completely different from how he is with Alpha Liam and the others back at home.

He keeps my hand in his though, squeezing it softly, and I instantly know he is still my Eric, just that here he has an official role to play and an image to keep. Emilien and Eric, fortunately, briefed me a bit on the flight, which I’m really thankful for now.

The guards greet me too, bowing towards me and welcoming me officially. Two of them remain with us, while the rest of the group and a few enforcers take Calvin with them. Calvin has been sedated and has not been awake once during our flight. It was still weird to have him fly back with us; this man has harassed, abused, and raped a child, and that’s just beyond disgusting. Even I would like to castrate him, and I hate violence! But fuck, that disgusting psycho!

Once we are mostly on our own again and the crowd has dispersed, Eric takes my hand again. “Sorry, love, that our flight wasn’t as pleasant as planned, thanks to our surprise guest.”