Page 31 of Crystal Luna
He waited, giving her time to find her words. He’d figured out that the way to let her find her voice was to not ask too many questions. She simply needed time and patience.
“What would happen if I accepted it?”
“I would welcome you as part of the pack.”
“What do I have to do for it?”
“Nothing. My offer is unconditional.”
“And after? What will I do then?”
“That is up to you. Most women find a duty among the pack, either caring for the elders or teaching at the school. Others provide for the pack by working, some even study. But you have a wolf so that gives you the opportunity to join our warriors.”
There was silence as she let her feet flow through the water, little drops splashing up her ankle. “What if I don’t want to stay forever.”
“Velora, I’ll never force you to stay here. Not now and not after you’ve become a Howler. We would love for you to join our family but that doesn’t mean you have to. Even if you decide being a rogue feels better, you’ll always have a place to come back to.”
He didn’t blame her for not trusting him. She didn’t talk much about her past but from what he’d seen, they’d broken her. She didn’t trust anyone but herself and her wolf. She likely didn’t even understand why he would offer her a safe haven.
“Everyone needs a place they can feel safe and that’s what I’m offering you. If you don’t trust us enough to be part of our pack that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” Or more, but he kept that little tidbit to himself.
After another long pause, she lifted her head and started into his eyes, something forceful about her aura.
“I trust you.” His heart leapt into his throat. Butterflies swirled in his stomach. Those three words took his breath away.
“And that means the world to me.”
A gorgeous smile twitched on her lips as her cheeks flushed a beautiful pink. Her feet still circled in the water, and he simply enjoyed the quiet with her as the forest came to life around them. It was peaceful and for the time being, that was the only thing that mattered. She had chosen him—or his pack, rather—to be her safe haven and he would do anything to keep his promise.
The silence that fell between them wasn’t awkward. Heath was happy to leave her to her own thoughts while they simply let time pass them by. He only stood up when Mia stirred and reached for his mind.
“I have to go back now,” he said softly so he didn’t frighten her. “Would you like to walk with me?”
Velora took in her surroundings, as if she were surprised so much time had passed. “Yes, please.”
She walked by his side, something he’d been waiting for, for quite some time. Those were the improvements he loved to see, the tiny, likely unconscious steps she took.
“The whole pack will gather for the moon ceremony. If you truly would like to join us, I think we would all love to welcome you then.”
She stiffened. “During the moon celebration?”
“Yes.”
She kept her eyes cast down, biting her bottom lip. “What about the pup that will emerge?”
“We’ll welcome the both of you.”
He knew the pack would never accuse her of trying to steal the spotlight from that pup. Just like before, he took her by the hand to help her over the fallen tree. The feeling of her soft hand against his warmed his heart.
“It won’t be anything big, and if you like I can welcome you before the pup. That way everyone redirects their attention to him.”
She nodded, seeming to like the idea of being out of the spotlight sooner rather than later.
Reluctantly, he dropped her hand once she cleared the log. “I will call you forward, introduce you, and then vow my protection to you.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, stopping in her tracks. “I trust you,” she repeated. Though Heath wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.
He stopped before her and took both her hands in his, letting his thumbs caress her knuckles. “I understand this is a big step for you and if you need to talk about it further, we can.”