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I considered that, though I still couldn’t piece together why it had caused her to cry. “Not hard enough.”
“I thought… when you found out, and you didn’t say anything… I thought it was because…”
“Because I didn’t want you?” I asked.
She nodded.
Ah.
I grabbed hold of that. She needed reassurance. I’d already considered this and come up with a game plan. I hadn’t intended to offer it sosoon—though I hadn’t thought she’d want to see me for a while longer. But it was the best option, and the most valuable thing I had to offer.
I shifted my thumb, stroking her cheek ever so gently, waiting. Finally, she peered up at me, something curious in her gaze at my touch.
Good.
This was the beginning of the reassurance. But by the time we were done there would be no moment in her life that she’d felt more safe. “I’m sorry. For everything. You deserve so much better than what we put you through.”
“What?” she asked, eyes glittering with insecurities.
But I knewthiswas what she needed.
I’d rehearsed it in my head. I’d done my research on all the kinds of apologies it was possible to give. So, making sure my voice was steady, I went on. She’d heard my expression of regret, next, I needed to accept responsibility.
“I was… selfish. I treated you in ways I never should have, and that’s on me. There’s no excuse for it.”
Now, offer restitution.
“There is nothing I won’t do to make this right. Nothing I won’t do to free you of that bond. I will be whatever you need of me. I can’t… I can’t allow you to be unsafe…” I glanced around at the garden. “But I will give you space, if that’s what you ask for.”
Repent.
“You can’t trust this, and I can’t change what happened—but I promise I will never hurt you again. I want you to feel safe with my pack. I want you to know that you matter to me, and… not many people in this world matter to me.”
Ask for forgiveness—but don’t force it on them.
“If you’ll let me, I want to earn your forgiveness.”
She stared at me, confusion clear on her expression.
But I’d seen this before. It’s how the process worked. The moment I tried to change—to give someone like Love or Drake what they needed, there was this same confusion. Then they understood what I was offering, and they conceded.
It was the foundation of all the important relationships I had in my life.
So, I waited for her to understand.
“Are you…?” She swallowed, staring at me with that perfect little crease on her forehead. “Are you…lyingto me?”
I shifted, taking her in, a little surprised. Vex was emotional, but she wasn’t stupid.
“Thisisthe truth: I want you to be safe and I want you to be happy.”
She frowned, trying to untangle that. “I don’t want a mask from my mate, Ebony. I wantyou.”
I felt an unexpected weight in my chest. None of the others had questioned this part, knowing the solution I offered was better than the alternative. Better than the impossible. “I don’t think you understand what you’re asking for.”
“Tell me, then.” she said.
I straightened where I sat, gaze darting out to the gardens, calculating. “Let me tell you what you could have, if you let me give you this, instead.”
