Page 204 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

And now I’m finally deciding to woman up and move our stuff into our real bedroom. We can still keep our individual rooms if we want privacy. We can use it as an office. We are both Betas after all. Or I can use mine to paint, to work on my drawings and paintings.

I roam through the cupboard to arrange our stuff, surprised to find Dante’s necklace in one of the lower drawers. It’s the one with the picture of his old mate from when she was pregnant. It was made shortly before she was killed. My heart clenches when I see it. How awful to lose your family that way. I know it crushed him and in a way, changed him into a completely different man.

Luna Flora once told me that Dante was an easy-going guy growing up, almost a bit of a flirt.

I guess a part of him died with his mate and turned him into a different man.

I get up, take the necklace, and look for my handsome mate. I find him on the balcony. He has just set up our furniture there, making it a beautiful little oasis. It’s already dark outside, stars slowly making their way onto the night sky.

I sit down next to him on one of the soft pillows on the floor. “Hello, beautiful,” he smiles warmly at me, pulling an arm around me. “I’m thankful you grace me with your presence.”

I blush a bit. He is always so happy when I’m around, although I don’t even do much. Nefeli likes him too, and she doesn’t like anyone except for our close friends. She’s a bit guarded, although the mate bond is stronger for her than for me.

“Here,” I smile at him, handing him the necklace. “You don’t need to hide it. I’m not jealous, Dante.”

“Wearing it would belittle you,” he says in a matter-of-fact tone. “It would disrespect you.”

“No, it doesn’t. They were part of your life; they are part of your past and made you who you are today. Without them, I would never have met you. I don’t feel threatened or jealous. They are part of you.”

“And if I added a pendant with your photo to it?” he asks thoughtfully. “Then all my important people would be close to my heart.”

My heart skips a beat. “Really? You would do that?”

“Of course, you’re the center of my life now.” He pauses. “You must think the Moon Goddess is really cruel,” he muses as he brushes his hand over my hair tenderly. He’s always tender when he’s with me. “She mated you to an older guy who lost his mate and pup. Someone with so much emotional baggage. You deserve someone who will make you smile and laugh every day.”

“I actually think the Moon Goddess took pity on me and rewarded me for my years of hardship and terror,” I say earnestly. “Instead of a ruthless mate, she gave me someone who knows my worth, who knows what he lost once and will make sure not to lose again. She gifted me with a mate who would wait for me to come around, never push me into anything, and understands my pain just like I understand his.”

His hand moves over my head, down my neck to my back. He pulls me closer. My eyes meet his. I lean in before I can overthink anything or run away like the scared little pup I can be sometimes. The inner terrorized child in me will never fully go away. I never wanted to trust anyone, never let anyone close to me, aside from Annie. But here I am, ready to have my heart shattered by the man destined for me. I’m terrified of being hurt, but I want to take the risk.

Dante pulls me against his chest and claims my lips. He does it softly like he knows how scared I am, and my walls seem to crumble more and more.

“And?” he pulls back a bit, looking at me nervously, his green eyes sparkling in careful hope. Goddess, he’s so handsome.

I don’t feel scared or anxious. I just feel happy all of a sudden. The touch of his lips has made sparks fly through my body. It feels so right to be with him. I scoot closer, wrapping my hands around his neck, smiling at him. “And now, do it again.” I kiss his neck softly, flashing him a teasing smile. “Just don’t hold back this time.”

There is a sudden glint in his eyes like he was just waiting for me to finally say the words. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me onto his hips. I straddle him, holding onto his shoulders just in time for him to pull me into a hungry kiss. The sparks from his touch make me feel dizzy and excited.

*ANNALISE*

We had a wild night last night and might have overdone it a bit.

I should blame Liam that I still feel sore, but Goddess, did I urge him on. When I eye the devil in disguise, he’s watching me with his intense gaze. He has pushed himself up on one elbow, head resting on his palm. He looks enragingly well put-together.

“If looks could kill,” he states smugly.

I glare at him. “Mocking your mate when she’s cranky won’t be very useful in the long run, you know?”

He chuckles, kissing my cheek softly, before placing little kisses all over my face. Shit, he makes me melt in his arms again. “I love you,” he whispers softly.

“Flattery won’t take you far,” I mutter. “Rather carry me to the bathroom.”

He chuckles, scooping me up in his arms. I squeal! I didn’t expect him to move immediately. “You’re beautiful,” he mutters, kissing me again. “So beautiful, strong, and hot. My stunning mate.”

The butterflies in my stomach won’t stop now. “Okay, flattery does help your case a bit,” I snuggle against him. He doesn’t carry me to the bathroom though. Instead, he takes our private stairs up to the second floor of our suite and to the roof terrace. It’s entirely secluded from everyone’s eyes.

“A little surprise,” he smiles.

My eyes widen when I take in the terrace. There is an outdoor jacuzzi there, looking more like an actual hot spring. Made out of wood and rocks, it almost looks like it was made by nature, not by men. It’s obviously heated, with a beautiful view over Red Claw’s pack territory.