Points?

    300 Terms of Love

    Martha

    When everyone insisted I stay, I finally gave in and sat down, though I wasn’t blind to their intentions. They were stalling, buying time, for him. For Vander.

    My heart thudded painfully as I imagined what would happen when he walked in. Three months apart wasn’t long by any measure, yet it had stretched into an eternity. If he could split open my chest, he would see that he still lived in every corner of my heart. Always him. It had always been him. Only recently had I carved out the smallest space for myself, and even that felt fragile.

    No matter what had passed between us, I had never stopped loving him, and I never would.

    Then he entered.

    The moment Vander stepped into the room, myposure shattered. Tears stung my eyes before I could

    blink them away. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him twice. My head bowed under the weight of everything

    unsaid, my chest tight with grief and longing. He looked worn down, a hollowed shadow of the man I

    remembered. Not even when he lost Ka had he looked so undone.

    I felt his presence draw nearer, heavy and maic, and it broke me further that I couldn’t lift my gaze.

    “Martha..” His voice, usually so deep andmanding, cracked under defeat. I raised my eyes slowly, and

    what I saw undid mepletely, tears glistening in his.

    am sorry, Martha,” he said, voice raw. “I was cruel to you. I should have tried harder. I should have loved you

    better. I take the me for everything.”

    I shook my head and rose to my feet, my own guilt pressing down on me. “I wasn’t innocent either, Vander.

    Forcing you into marriage by getting pregnant… that isn’t love. It was desperation.”

    He tried to smile, though it faltered on his lips. “Lucian and Mara found their way. So did Tiffany and Darian. Why can’t iwe/i? Why can’t we fight for us?”

    Something inside me cracked. His words were fragile, but they carried hope, and I was so tired of denying my

    heart

    “Come back to me, darling,” he whispered, stepping closer. “I’ll give you my world. Everything you want.”

    bBut /bhe still didn’t understand. My tears slipped free as I shook my head. “You still don’t get it, Vander. I’ve

    never wanted material things. Never Everything I did, I did to survive. But now I’m free, and the only thing I long for is love. Real love. A love that doesn’t break with every storm, but stands unshaken.”

    He reached for me then, catching my hand in his. He lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to my skin as if to seal a wow and drew in my scent like he had been sterved of it

    “Then that is what I’ll bgive /byou” he swore “Pleasee back to me, I will love you without conditions. Without band /b

    The sincerity in his eyes broke down thest of my walls I nced around the room and found every pair of eyes fixed bon /bus, watchful, hopeful, silently urging us to heal. Today had already been beautiful, Mara and Lucian had weed two shining little Alphas into the world. The day begged for reconciliation, for new beginnings

     300 Terms of Love

    +0 Points Y

    Mara’s words echoed in my mind, and for the first time, I let myself hope. My lips trembled into a smile.

    “I have terms and conditions,” I said softly, the ghost of my old self slipping through. The room broke into

    Vander swept me into his arms, crushing me to him in a bear hug, his lips brushing the mark on my neck with reverence. “Anything you want, darling,” he vowed. “I’ll do it. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving my love to

    you.”

    I wrapped my arms around him, finally letting my weight rest against his chest. There was no sense fighting anymore. My heart had already chosen.

    It was time to go back to my man.

    Vander sat pressed close beside me on the couch in Mara’s hospital room, his hand never leaving mine. It

    was as if he feared that if he let go, I might slip away again. One by one, people began to leave, first Denis

    and Keisha, then Darian, Tiffany, and Emma. Only Richard remained, lingering with his parents and siblings.

    The room quieted, leaving just us, the new family, and the steady hum of life that came with newborns.

    Curiosity tugged at me as I watched the swaddled twins resting peacefully, their tiny chests rising and falling in rhythm with the soft lull of the room. I cleared my throat softly.

    “Have you two thought of names yet?” I asked.

    Lucian nced at Mara, a silent exchange passing between them. Then he gave her a small nod, urging her

    to speak. Mara turned her gaze to me, her expression warm, her voice gentle.

    “We are thinking of naming our daughter Ka Martha Nighthorn… and our son Ronan Vander Nighthorn.”

    The words hit me like a tidal wave. For a moment, I could only stare, stunned into silence. Then the tears

    came, hot and uncontroble, spilling down my cheeks. My chest ached with disbelief and gratitude. Me, after everything I had done to their family, after the damage, the mistakes, the betrayals. I had never expected forgiveness, let alone this honour.

    My body shook as Vander pulled me into his arms, holding me close while I sobbed against his chest. His

    embrace was firm, steady, as if anchoring me in the moment.

    “Thank youi,” /iI choked out between tears. “Thank you for deeming my name worthy. I don’t deserve it. I am… I

    am so sorry for everything I did to both of you. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret it.”

    Mara reached across, her eyes soft and full of quiet strength. “It’s all in the past now, Martha.”

    Lucian bgave /ba simple nod of agreement, his steady presence filling the silence. He had always been a man of few words, even bas /ba boy But Mara, Mara brought out something different in him. She softened bhis /bedges, drew out his best. And now, together, they had given me a gift i never thought I would receive redemption wrapped in the names of two beautiful children

    We lingered at Mara and Lucian’s for another two hours before finally deciding to leave. My heart was lighter, but there was still a quiet storm inside me Vander walked me back to my apartment, insisting oning along when I told him I needed to gather a few of my things

    The moment we stepped into the living room, he didn’t give me a chance to breathe. His hand caught mine, his other arm sliding around my waist, and before I knew it, I was pressed against him. His lips crashed onto mine with a hunger that stole the air from my lungs. The kiss was fierce, raw filled with love and a desperation that spoke of three months of emptiness. Every ounce of passion he had buried poured into me,

    213

    300 Terms of Love

    and I matched it, needing him just as much, if not more.

    “Where’s your room?” he asked, his deep, masculine voice roughened by desire.

    *Points

    I was too eager to think straight. My body burned at his touch, trembling with need I could no longer contain. I managed to gesture toward the hallway, and that was all he needed.

    With one swift motion, he scooped me up into his arms, lifting me bridal style as if I weighed nothing. My

    heart hammered as he carried me into my bedroom, his eyes never leaving mine. The air between us was

    charged, heavy with longing and the ache of too much time spent apart.

    I was already ready for him, every part of me aching, every breath shallow with anticipation. After months of

    distance, of silence, of craving, I knew this night would not be fleeting. It would be long, unrelenting, and unforgettable.

    Get Bonus (Ad)–

    490

    H

    bVote /b