Chapter 209: Regret
"Look, I thought about it. I really did." His thumb brushed her cheek, gentle and full of regret. "I need to apologize. For a lot of things. And not just because I want to do sinful things to you while you’re mad at me."
Ava arched a brow, folding her arms. "I’m listening. Blow me away."
He chuckled. Then sighed. "I’m sorry, Ava. When your loyalty was tested, I threw you to the wolves. I let my alpha brain take over, and I shut my heart out of the decision entirely."
"Aww... Lucas..." She met his eyes and sighed. "If you’re trying to get me to be less mad at you, it’s working... a little." She tried to keep a stern face, but the tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips betrayed her.
Lucas smiled.
"I love you, Ava Raventhorn...And yes, my decisions might seem stupid to you—and maybe they are. But every living, breathing moment, I live in fear. Fear of hurting you, fear of losing you. And now..." He reached around, resting a hand protectively over her belly. "Now there’s going to be two people who hold my heart in their hands. Two people I would destroy the world for. That kind of fear doesn’t always make you smart—it just makes you desperate."
Ava blinked back tears she hadn’t expected. Her heart cracked open, wide and vulnerable. She twisted in his arms, cupped his jaw, and kissed him softly, reverently. "I love you too, Lucas Raventhorn. Always have. Probably always will... even when you’re being a boneheaded alpha."
Lucas chuckled, relaxing into the moment.
"Oh," she added nonchalantly, "and I called your brother. He’s on his way." She said it like she was commenting on the weather—then turned away quickly, bracing for impact.
"What the fuck did you do that for?!" Lucas whined. His arms flailed in exasperation, his naked chest heaving with betrayal.
"Because someone has to stop you from making those stupid decisions, and clearly it’s not going to be your highly motivated testosterone factory of a brain." Ava shot back, perfectly unbothered. She fluffed her pillow with one hand and rubbed her belly with the other, smug and serene.