Page 55 of The Wolf's Secret Twins

My throat was clogged up with unshed tears. Slater rested his hands on my shoulders with a smile, seeming to be thinking about something that made me shiver all over. Was he going to kiss me? That would certainly be a first for our pack to witness.

He scratched the side of his head, started to speak, stopped, and then stepped back. I gaped at him. What was going on? Did he have some great secret to admit to me? Well, I shouldn’t have assumed the other night had solvedallof our problems. I’d barely given him a second to speak after I spilled everything to him.

Was he going to reject me again? My poor heart wouldn’t be able to take it. Just because our alphas hadn’t read the proposal didn’t mean that—

Slater knelt on one knee. Gasps echoed from the parents who were speaking to the alphas, and then the alphas turned too, and then Celia turned as red as a ripe tomato. I held my breath so hard that I thought I would faint until I finally let it out in a loudwhoosh.

Between us, Slater held up a gold ring. It was such an unassuming little thing, a modest band with a lovely diamond on it. Probably something he had scraped to find at the last minute. We were both impulsive like that. Upon reading his expression, I knew I was right. I knew he had gotten this ring in the last couple of days.

“Ginny darling,” he said slowly, pronouncing every syllable like it was sacred text he was speaking out loud, “will you do me the honor of becoming a Duff?”

I broke into giggles while covering my mouth. Those familiar tears came to my eyes again, the ones that I’d so happily shed the other night when we were talking on Bravecrest land. I was so glad to have found him even though I didn’t know precisely where he had been. My heart had led me to him.

When I dropped to the ground, he seemed disappointed until I threw myself at him and cried myself into a silly fit. “Yes!”

Somebody shouted something in the background. A round of applause broke through the mess of me crying. Slater scooped me up and kissed me so hard that he dropped the ring. But the ring wasn’t really important to me. It was the gesture. It was the fact that he’d gone out on a limb and taken a chance of me denying him.

Nope, that would never happen again. Every part of me wanted every part of him.

And it all started at this moment.

As the cheers died down and the alphas approached, I prepared myself for them to turn us down outright. But Troy stepped forward, gestured to the ring, and said, “You’ll have to present your case along with the proposal.”

Slater laughed. “I already did the proposal.”

Blake rubbed the bridge of his nose while Troy guffawed.

“He means thewrittenproposal,” Blake said firmly. He smiled kindly and bowed his head. “Meet us at the neutral cabin in an hour.”

My whole body went stiff, rivaling the joy I felt deep down. Was this the end of my membership with the Beaufort Creek pack? Or would the alphas really change their minds about us?

Chapter 19 - Slater

Cabins like the one in which I sat now were clearly crafted with love. This neutral cabin had been erected between our properties as a statement that we would always meet in the middle. So, it seemed fitting that our alphas had Virginia and me join them in a space specifically created for such meetings.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous. Hell could have billowed up from the center of the earth and been a far more welcome invasion than the anxiety creeping up my spine. Virginia took my hand, proving to be the perfect supporter despite her head being on the chopping block as well.

Troy smiled while gesturing to the tea he had brewed. “Please, help yourselves, friends.”

“Thank you, Alpha,” I said with a nod. “But I would like to get on with this. I just need to know if I need to start packing.”

Blake waved his hands. “We’re not kicking you out of the pack, Slater.”

He rapped lightly on the table with his knuckles, sparing Troy a hesitant glance. They exchanged some unspoken words.

Ultimately, he sighed. “This is a delicate situation as you can understand. Our pack has been solid for a long time.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s without its issues,” Troy added gently. “Just that things have recently gotten out of hand.”

“You went against direct orders.”

Shame forced me to hang my head. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I truly feel guilty for my actions. But I just—” I held up Virginia’s hand. “Can’t you see how much we love each other?”

Troy nodded slowly. “I’ve read over your proposal. Your family has, indeed, been kind enough to offer their financial services. You’ve evidently gotten the Beaufort Creeks out of hot water quite a few times.”

“We’ve also barely caused any trouble at all,” Virginia added. She blushed when the attention shifted to her. “I mean, you know, until recently. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I just want…” She gulped. “I think it’s best for Slater and me to be together.”

“You’ve been good,” Blake confirmed. “That’s true. And I—” He hesitated for a second, casting another glance at Troy. “I owe you an apology for how things have gone recently.”

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