ACE’S POV
I was over my head a billion times asking myself why I brought Charlotte here. This was my mother’s favorite place. After she died, I started coming here alone. The vineyard and silence reminded me of her. It was a good place to hide from the chaos at the pack house.
And I have never told anyone this, but this was also the first place I saw Charlotte. Back then, I didn’t know her name nor who she was. I only saw a skinny little girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen. She was crouched on the ground, picking grapes that had fallen and eating them like she hadn’t tasted anything sweeter in her life.
I was furious and wanted to have her arrested for invading my personal space. No one had the right to be here, this place was mine. She didn’t even see me standing there. And as if the grapes on the ground weren’t enough for her, she wiped her hands on her dress and climbed the vine. That was the first time I ever saw a girl climb a tree.
She moved like she had done it her whole life. She plucked the grapes straight from the vine and ate them there, sitting on a thick branch, her legs swinging slightly. Juice stained her fingers, and she didn’t care. I remember staring longer than I meant to. A few days later, she came back.
That time, I told my men to send her away. She cried so hard when they grabbed her. I can still hear it if I think about it too much. I made sure they pushed her out and warned her never to return. I convinced myself she was just a random girl who wandered into places she didn’t belong. I told myself I was protecting something sacred. But standing here now, with the woman she had become only a few steps away from me, I felt like a complete shit head.
No, definitely worse than that.
She was stubborn because no matter how many times my men sent her away, she always found her way back to pick and eat grapes. She would sneak in quietly, thinking no one noticed her. After I found out she was Moon’s half sister and saw the way they treated her, something in me changed the way I saw her. I told my men not to send her away anymore, I let her come and eat all the grapes she wanted to.
If I wanted redemption, I had to start from the beginning, the first place and time I met her.
For all the times she came around, she never met me, but I saw her. She thinks the first time we met was the night I saved her from the rogues after her sister abandoned her in the woods, but that wasn’t where it started.
I had always seen her. The difference was, I never picked her first. And I will live the rest of my life paying for that.
She definitely recognized this place. When she said it felt like home, I wasn’t surprised. She spent so much une here growing up, playing between the vines, sometimes even bringing Kathryn with her. She laughed here, climbed the trees, the definitely found peace here.
“You’re doing the right thing,” Astra said, and I could feel him smiling sheepishly in my head because he was inally spending time with his mate. “Though you’re slower than I would like, but you are taking little steps
“I can’t tell you how scared I am right now.” I admitted. I’m scared to take her to her favourite grape tree because 1 Raz might trigger something in her memory.”
“Oh, you mean the same grape tree she cried under the night she found our you were her mate he replied without sayiEY Damn, he really had to remind me of that “You followed her to this place that night to make sure she was safe she cried se hard, and you didn’t even go close to console het. You stood there outside the cottage and watched her cry. And dea longch you left her there when it started raining so much. You walked away leaving her to drench is bet tears and rain while you ran off to be with your annoying lover
“Arix, please stop.” I warned slowly His words were getting into my head pressing on gutt I had tried so hard to bury
1/4
28 pm P M
Chapter 92
but I’m insanely drawn to you.”
I felt it too. More than the love I already have for her, the mate bond between us was getting stronger, almont like I heard never rejected her years ago. I knew she could feel it as well, even if she didn’t have the right words for in
She was my soulmate, even after everything. She was still the one my wolf chose without hesitation. The only question was, would she still choose me when she finds out the truth?
‘Does that mean you have feelings for me too?” I asked, searching her face carefully. “Not just ordinary likenew?
already knew she did. I could see it in the way she looked at me, the way her body leaned into mine without thinking, Bast hearing it from her lips would settle something restless inside me. I lifted my hand and cupped her cheek, rubbing my humb gently over her skin.
You already know the answer to that,” she whispered.
Wouldn’t hurt to hear it,” I murmured, my eyes not leaving hers.
She gave me that beautiful smile that always managed to undo me and made me forget every other problem around me. It was soft and for a second I just stood there staring at her like a fool.
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss on my lips. It was meant to be quick, sweet, and innocent. But as she started bulling away, I tightened my grip on her waist and pulled her back against me, deepening the kiss. Damn if I would let her eave after teasing me like that. I kissed her letting her feel exactly what she does to me. Her fingers curled wightly against my shirt and I almost forgot we were standing outside in broad daylight.
When I finally released her, I rested my forehead briefly against hers before stepping back. I watched her get into the Mercedes and waited until the car completely drove off before I turned around and got back into mine.
By the time I reached the pack house and walked into my office, the softness I felt earlier was completely gone.
Damien and Roman were already inside, along with a few of my warriors. Two of them were holding someone down on his nees. I took a closer look and my jaw tightened immediately. It was Moon’s father.
His face was bruised and slightly swollen, his hands restrained behind him. His clothes were rumpled like he had need to ight back and failed.
‘Alpha, we found more evidence at his house,” Brandon said, painfully squeezing his shoulder. Moon’s father yelled at as pain, his body jerking under their grip.
3/4
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
