Page 33 of Unwanted

Not knowing what to say, I gazed into his cappuccino eyes, gently stroking his cheek.

Then Liam lowered his head and whispered, "But the fucking tattoo was still there, tormenting me. Today, as soon as you left, I called the shop, and they had an opening right away, in fifteen minutes. So, I dropped everything and rushed over, hoping I’d be back before you even noticed. But it was a different artist this time, and he worked slower. The only problem was: I didn’t have my phone with me while I was on the table. I knew you’d be worried—I could feel it, your stress, my whole system was buzzing." He lifted his arms and placed his hands on both sides of my neck. "But I couldn’t ask him to stop, it had to be done. I could also sense you getting closer, I knew you’d find me…" His voice trembled as his arms tightened around my neck. "And you know—that’s what made me truly believe in us, in the True Mates’ magic. And suddenly, I wasn’t anxious anymore. This wonderful calm washed over me, this… serenity."

Snorting, I admitted, "I wish I could say I felt that calm when I was driving here. Honestly, I was freaking out and just needed to find you. It felt so… intense, like I had to find you. I guess I’m starting to think like an alpha, all territorial and possessive! But now? Holding you like this… that’s when everything feels right. That’s when I can finally feel my own serenity."

Liam’s face lit up, and he pulled me into a soft, tender kiss.

"What you’re saying… it makes me so happy! It just confirms everything I was feeling. Let’s go home, okay?"

"Yeah, let’s go home…"

An hour later, we were back at the house, and all the stress and tension had completely melted away. We held hands the entire drive, stealing glances at each other. At one point, Liam said, "You know, I think this True Mate thing really is working. Have you looked at yourself lately? You look younger!"

I glanced in the car mirror. He was right—my skin looked a bit softer, like I was twenty-seven again, not thirty-four. "Do you think it’s that famous rejuvenation? Is it happening that fast?"

"It’s probably just the start, but yeah, I think it is," he said with a smile.

Once we got home, Liam headed to the bathroom to rinse off the new tattoo and wash away the last traces of blood and ink.

He came out of the bathroom with a look that said, It’s time.

"Ready for the big reveal?"

Spread out on my couch, I peered up at him and smiled. "Yeah, hit me with it."

Liam slowly turned around, and there on his back was a new word—one I recognized well.

‘S o r e n’ had been transformed into… ‘S e r e n i t y’.

"Se…renity?" I stammered, dumbfounded.

He turned back to me, clearly wanting to gauge my reaction.

"Don’t you like it? It’s what you gave me, Finn. Your gift to me. Since I moved here, you brought me out of all the chaos and hopelessness onto your tiny, quiet island." He gestured around us. "For the first time in years, I feel at peace—that’s your present to me. I want to remember this change forever, moving from the dark, turbulent era of my life to this new chapter filled with light and peace, filled with…you."

My eyes teared up, but I also couldn’t help but laugh.

"Honestly, if you’d seen me an hour and a half ago, there was nothing ‘serene’ about me. Just pure panic that I’d lost you, that you were gone, that my whole world had disappeared, Liam."

He smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in it.

"You don’t get it, do you? That’s exactly what I mean. The lack of certainty, the stress about tomorrow, the fear that no one would care if I disappeared… it’s gone. I can finally rest knowing this. That’s what gives me serenity. It’s a privilege I’ve never had before."

"To be obsessed over?" I smirked.

Liam sported a smile. "Exactly that!"

I didn’t respond with words, just pulled him closer.

LIAM

I found myself lying on fine, white gravel again, with blades of grass gently brushing my face, like delicate fingers. It was warm and peaceful, with soft clouds floating across the sky. I was so relaxed, so happy, I felt like I could just drift up there, among the clouds.

Finn was at work, and yet, I wasn’t anxious, not even for a second. Stress wasn’t part of my life anymore. Everything had changed. I belonged to him, and he belonged to me, just the way I’d always wanted—to be so close to someone that nothing could ever come between us.

Only now did I understand why I’d reacted so strongly to Soren’s rejection before. Deep down, I’d always been wired for this kind of intense connection, like the one I had with Finn now. So close, so intimate (and he was like that too!). It hurt so much before because everything about me was designed to fit into a bond like this. My whole personality was built for this—to find my True Mate and be part of something so tight-knit.

As I lay there in the grass, I felt something awaken in my body, something I’d been expecting on some level.

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