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“Mr. Darcy?”
Darcy stepped forwards, knowing that this was the moment, but more nervous than he could ever remember being. His whole life was about to change and Elliot’s with it.
He took a deep breath.
“I have fought against everything that should have kept us apart,” he began. “My own judgement. The expectations of my family. The inferiority of yours. The difference in our ranks, our fortunes, all to bring me to this point.”
“I don’t?—”
“I have struggled in vain and can bear it no longer,” Darcy continued. “It will not do. My feelings will simply not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
Elliot’s mouth dropped open. His astonishment was clearly beyond expression. Darcy was abruptly confused. He had thought that Elliot had understood that this was coming…had expected it…
“You…love me?” he whispered.
“Most ardently.”
“But—”
“I have known it for some time. Perhaps since our very first meeting,” Darcy continued, stepping even closer. “I have struggled with these feelings, unable to understand their meaning, but it is clear to me now what they do mean.”
“What—”
“You are my fated mate,” Darcy said, and Elliot’s eyes widened. “Meant for me and me alone. I am therefore asking you to end my agony. Please do me the honour of accepting my hand.”
A pause.
Just a moment.
Elliot took a step back.
“This is not possible,” he whispered.
“Elliot—”
Elliot visibly shook himself. The moment stretched interminably until Elliot eventually broke it. “I am sorry,” he began. “If I have caused you pain it was not intended.” He looked up, meeting Darcy’s eyes, and Darcy could see that there was pain in his.
How could this be?
“However, the feelings which, you tell me, have long prevented the acknowledgment of your regard will surely help you in overcoming it.”
Darcy gasped, unclear on the meaning of Elliot’s words at first, and only spoke again when it seemed that Elliot was not going to. “This is all the reply which I am to have the honour of expecting?”
“It is.”
“I might, perhaps, wish to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I am thus rejected,” Darcy snapped, realising then that was what was indeed happening.
Elliot was refusing his hand.
The hand of an alpha!
“I might as well inquire,” Elliot replied. “Why with so evident a desire of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?”
“I didn’t?—”
“Is not this some excuse for incivility, if I was uncivil? But I have other reasons, you know I have,” Elliot said.
Darcy closed the distance between them. There was no other choice. This was all getting out of hand, and he needed to do something to remedy it!
