CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161 NO MISUNDERSTANDINGS

Caroline’s POV

When we arrived at my apartment, Liam immediately rushed to his room and returned with his favorite building blocks, scattering them across the living room carpet. Draven sat down beside him,and I watched with joy as they spent the afternoon building towers and watching cartoons together.

After dinner,Liam was exhausted from all the excitement. He fell asleep in his father’s strong arms, and Draven insisted on putting him to bed himself. I showed him to Liam’s room, where he gently tucked our son in, placing a tender kiss on his forehead. When Draven returned to the living room, he pulled me into a warm embrace as we settled onto the couch.

"Carrie, we need to talk," Draven sighed, his violet eyes serious."There’s so much I want to know. But I also have some things I need to tell you. I don’t know where to start."

"Start with New York," I said. "What really happened with Liz?"

Draven took a deep breath. "Nothing happened with Liz in New York.She was brought there by Linda specifically to create problems between us." His jaw tightened. "The night before I left for New York,when you told me that if I crossed any boundaries you’d leave both the company and the territory... I took that as rejection, Carrie. It felt like you were already pushing me away."

Alaric, his wolf, let out a sorrowful whine that even Rory could feel.

"I was devastated and losing hope that we could ever be together. I heard you were seeing Jax, and I was spiraling. When we went to that bar in New York and Liz showed up..." He closed his eyes, shame evident on his face. "I went to her apartment. But nothing happened, Carrie. I swear on my life."

I felt a stab of jealousy, but I pushed it aside. "I won’t say I didn’t care, because I did care deeply. But I won’t fight with you about it. We were broken up, and I was seeing Jax. So let’s put it behind us."

Relief washed over his face. "What about you and Jax?" he asked cautiously.

"I didn’t sleep with him, if that’s what you want to know," I said honestly. "We kissed a few times. Jax is an amazing guy, a true gentleman who respected me. But I couldn’t get you out of my heart, Draven. I realized that after I saw Liz hanging all over you at the office. I ended things with Jax before we really began, and he left for California shortly after."

Draven nodded. "And what did you think about what happened with Ella?"

For the next half hour, Draven told me everything he’d found out about Ella and Howard’s schemes and how he’d exposed her lies. I was shocked by how much she had deceived everyone.

"Howard was behind it all," he finished."I finally had enough evidence to remove him from the council."

"Draven, I’m worried about what they might do next," I confessed, feeling unease ripple through me.

"Don’t worry, love. The pack security detail stays in place. They won’t get near you or your son," he assured me, pulling me closer. "Our son! Gods, how my parents would have loved being Liam’s grandparents.I love you, Caroline Bennett!"

"I love you too," I whispered. "But I’m worried about telling my parents everything, especially about the new baby."

"Why are you worried about telling them I’m Liam’s father?"

I gave him an incredulous look. "Obviously, I didn’t tell my Beta father that I had sex with a masked stranger at a crowded masquerade ball! That’s not exactly proper behavior for a Beta’s daughter."

"So what did you tell them?"

"That I met Liam’s father at the ball and spent the night with him. Just that. Can you imagine how my parents would react if they knew I hadn’t even seen the face of the man I was with?" I explained. "And now I’ll have to tell them everything, especially since you showed up at their house and I specifically told my father you weren’t Liam’s father."

Draven chuckled."This is going to be interesting.Do they know about the pregnancy?"

"No, I wanted to tell them in person."

"Well, whenever you’re ready, we’ll visit them together and tell them I’m Liam’s father, that you’re carrying our second child, and that we’re getting married. How does that sound?" He grinned.

"That sounds...wait a minute," I frowned. "Who said anything about getting married?"

"You did, when you told Liz you were the future Luna of Storm Valley Pack," he reminded me, his eyes twinkling.

"I was just putting that scheming woman in her place," I defended myself.

"I don’t care why you said it. Now it’s going to happen," he said.

Then his expression grew more serious. "But there’s something else I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The day of your pack joining ceremony,I was planning to propose to you",he confessed."I had everything arranged. But Ella’s interference ruined it all and drove you away from me."

"I’d been carrying the ring everywhere, waiting for the perfect moment." He slid off the couch and onto one knee, reaching into his pocket to pull out the ring with a stunning blue diamond surrounded by smaller white diamonds. "I’ve been waiting for the right time, and I can’t wait any longer."

"Caroline Bennett," he began, his violet eyes holding mine."You’ve given me a beautiful son, and now you’re carrying our second child. You’ve taught me what it means to truly love someone, to fight for someone, to be willing to sacrifice everything for someone. Before you, I was merely existing. With you, I’m truly living."

He took my hand in his, his touch sending shivers up my arm. "My wolf recognized you from the first moment, even behind that mask. And though fate kept us apart, it also brought us back together. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life making you happy, protecting you, loving you. I want to wake up beside you and fall asleep with you in my arms. I want to watch our children grow and maybe have a few more."

Tears welled in my eyes as he continued,"I promise to be the Alpha you deserve, to protect you and our children with everything I have. I promise to respect your independence while standing beside you through every challenge. Most of all, I promise to love you every day for the rest of our lives, with a devotion that will never waver."

He held up the ring,"Caroline Bennett, would you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife, my Luna, my forever?"

I tried to maintain my composure, even as tears streamed down my face. "You think you can just waltz back into my life after three years and expect me to say yes to a proposal?" I challenged,"You think a pretty ring and some beautiful words are enough?"

His face fell slightly, but before he could speak, I continued, "Because they absolutely are."

My stern expression melted into a smile. "Yes, Draven Thorne. Yes, I will marry you."

Relief and joy washed over his face as he slipped the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly. He rose to his feet and pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply.

"I know this proposal is nowhere near what you deserve," he murmured against my lips. "I had plans for something much more elaborate, but after you ran off without a word—"

"I didn’t run off, I went on vacation," I corrected him.

"Same thing," he growled. "You showed me just how determined and independent you could be, walking away from me like that. I needed to get this ring on your finger as soon as possible before you decide to disappear again."

His arms tightened around me possessively. "If I wasn’t worried about you rejecting me, I would have marked you immediately," he confessed, his lips brushing against the sensitive spot on my neck where a mating mark would go.

"Well, you’ve convinced me, but my parents might be a harder sell."

"Don’t worry, love," he assured me. "I’ll visit your parents properly and set a wedding date that meets with their approval. Your Beta father will have the traditional mating ceremony he expects for his daughter."

"And after that?" I asked, feeling breathless as his hands began to wander.

His eyes darkened with desire."Then we discuss the matter of marking," he murmured, pressing a hot kiss to my neck.

"But perhaps we should begin those discussions now..."