Chapter 186: Chapter 186 Bound Forever
Draven’s POV
After the doctors left our pack house,confirming that both Caroline and Liam were recovering well with no lasting trauma from the kidnapping, a wave of relief washed over me.
I pulled Caroline into my arms as she sat on the edge of our bed, Liam already nestled between us, his tiny body radiating warmth against my chest.
"I can’t believe I almost lost both of you," I whispered, burying my face in Caroline’s golden hair.
"We’re safe now," Caroline murmured, her hand gently stroking Liam’s back as he dozed against me. "Thanks to you and our friends."
I gazed down at my son,watching his chest rise and fall with each peaceful breath. His little hand was spread across my chest. The peace of this moment, with the three of us together in our bedroom, hit me so hard that I felt myself getting choked up.
"Having you both here, safe in my arms..." I struggled to find words adequate enough. "I’ve never felt more complete."
Caroline looked up at me, her green eyes watery. "I was so scared when they took him, Draven. I thought I’d never see my baby again."
I kissed her forehead, feeling that protective urge kick in.I felt the perfection of that intimate moment filled with love, it ignited a fire in me, gave me infinite joy and a sense of belonging. Having a family was something I hadn’t had since my parents passed away. How I missed that! Having a solid foundation, someone who accepts you as you are and will always be willing to support you, and no matter what happens, will still love you. I was happy and grateful to be a family again.
"I’ve been thinking," I said after we’d been sitting quietly for a while."About how easily things can fall apart, how fast everything can change."
"Mmm?" Caroline mumbled, her head on my shoulder.
"You haven’t officially joined the Storm Valley Pack yet," I said softly. "If you were, I could have mind-linked with you during the kidnapping. Alaric could have communicated with Rory."
Caroline tensed slightly. "I know. It all happened so fast between us—"
"That’s exactly my point," I interrupted gently. "Life doesn’t wait for perfect timing. I’ve been putting things off, thinking we had all the time in the world. But after nearly losing you both..." I paused, swallowing hard."I want to hold your pack joining ceremony tomorrow."
Her eyes widened."Tomorrow? But what about work?The aftermath of Howard’s arrest—"
"The pack comes first," I stated firmly. "I’ve already notified Ryan to handle things at Thorne Enterprises. Tomorrow, I want every member of Storm Valley Pack here to witness you pledging your allegiance, to welcome you and Liam properly into our family."
"Draven—"
"And," I continued, my heart pounding, "I want to announce our wedding date during the ceremony."
Caroline sat up straighter, careful not to disturb Liam. "Wedding date? We just got engaged."
I chuckled. "I’m thinking this weekend."
"This weekend?" she gasped. "Are you serious? That’s in three days!"
"Deadly serious," I replied, my violet eyes meeting her green ones. "I don’t want to wait another day longer than necessary to make you my Luna, to mark you as mine forever."
Caroline’s brow furrowed."But organizing a wedding takes time It would be so rushed..."
"Money can solve most problems," I said with a slight smirk. "And I have plenty of that. Whatever you want, whatever you need for your perfect day—it’s yours."
She bit her lower lip, a gesture I found endlessly endearing. "But Draven... I’m still a scentless wolf. Can I really be a Luna? Your Luna?"
My chest tightened at the vulnerability in her voice.
I knew all too well the discrimination she’d faced in the Blood Moon Pack, how her lack of scent had made her an outsider among her own kind.
"Caroline Bennett," I said, shifting Liam gently so I could take her face in my hands, "you are my true mate in every way that matters. You’re the mother of my heir. Beyond that, you’re brilliant, courageous, and dedicated. If not for your work on the Thorne Enterprises audit, Howard might have gotten away with his schemes. You’ve already contributed more to Storm Valley Pack than many wolves who’ve been here their entire lives."
Tears gathered in her eyes as I continued.
"You don’t need a scent to be an extraordinary Luna. Your strength, your intelligence, your heart—these are the qualities that matter. I’ve seen how you fight for what’s right, how fiercely you protect Liam. Our pack will be stronger with you leading alongside me." I pressed my forehead against hers. "Alaric has been desperate to connect with Rory since the moment we met. This separation between our wolves has gone on too long."
Caroline’s hands came up to cover mine, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You really mean that, don’t you?"
"Every word," I promised. "I love you, Caroline.Not despite your differences, but because of them. Everything that makes you uniquely you is what drew me to you from the beginning, and that includes being scentless."
She smiled then, her entire face lighting up in a way that made Alaric howl with approval inside me.
"That night at the masquerade," she whispered, "when I was heartbroken from being rejected, hiding behind my mask... finding you was like finding a piece of myself I didn’t know was missing. Even before I knew who you were, I was already falling for you."
"Fate," I murmured, kissing her softly.
"Fate," she agreed when we pulled apart. "I love you, Draven Thorne. You came in, becoming a certainty in my heart. But it would be strange if I didn’t love you! Because I only feel good by your side. I found myself in you. I’ve never felt so complete, so safe, so loved. We’ve faced so much in such a short time, and we found our way and stayed together.And yes, I will join your pack tomorrow. And yes," she added with a watery laugh, "I will marry you this weekend, though I think Eleanor might kill us both for giving her only three days to prepare."
I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in days. "She’ll manage. She always does."
Caroline carefully took Liam from my arms and carried him to his room, settling him gently in his crib. Then she turned back to me, her eyes darkening with desire.
"Now," she whispered, settling into my lap, "how should we celebrate our decisions?"
Alaric purred with satisfaction as I kissed her deeply, my hands gently pulling at her shirt.
Tomorrow, she would officially become part of Storm Valley Pack.
This weekend, she would become my Luna.
And tonight... tonight I would show her exactly how much she meant to me.