5: WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.

MALIA’S POV

Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, warm against my skin.

For a second, I forgot everything.

The tension.

The accusations.

Draven.

Then the weight around my waist tightened slightly, dragging me back to reality.

Emil.

I stiffened.

His face was buried against the crook of my neck, breathing slow and heavy like sometime during the night exhaustion finally dragged him under. One of his arms was wrapped tightly around me, almost possessive.

Like he was scared I’d disappear if he loosened his grip.

The memory hit me immediately.

Can we just stay like this… just for tonight?

I swallowed hard.

Last night, I’d been too tired to argue. Too emotionally drained to fight him off again.

Now, in the clear light of morning, everything felt awkward.

Wrong.

Carefully, I tried to move away.

Emil stirred almost instantly. His grip tightened before slowly loosening again as he lifted his head. His hazel eyes met mine, tired in a way I’d never seen before.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he exhaled quietly. “About the other night…”

I sat up slowly, pulling the blanket tighter around my legs. “What about it? Is it the accusations five minutes after walking back into my life, shutting me out for two days like I was some stranger, or the fact that you’re keeping secrets?”

His jaw tightened.

“I shouldn’t have said it like that—”

“Like what?” I asked flatly. “Like you own me?”

“Malia—”

“No.” I turned to face him fully. “You don’t get to disappear for two years, come back, and start throwing accusations around like I owe you explanations.”

A flicker of guilt crossed his face. Real guilt this time.

“I know.” His voice dropped lower. “And I’m sorry.”

The words caught me off guard enough to make me pause.

Emil wasn’t the kind of man who apologized easily.

“I was angry,” he admitted. “I came back expecting things to feel the same and they didn’t.” He ran a hand through his hair roughly. “That’s not your fault.”

Silence stretched between us.

“The guests are coming to complete an alliance. And the thought of it… I didn’t mean to take it out on you,” he continued quietly. “And I know I’ve given you every reason to hate me.”

Hate him?

If only it were that simple.

“I don’t hate you,” I said before I could stop myself.

Something shifted in his expression at that. Relief maybe. Or hope.

I can’t have the conversation moving Down that lane. I made the choice to tell him the truth. End whatever this is…

“I’ll do better,” he said quickly, sitting up straighter now. “I know I can’t fix two years overnight, but if you give me a chance… I’ll prove it to you.”

I looked away.

That was the problem.

A part of me still wanted to believe him.

Even after everything.

“I can’t pretend everything’s okay,” I said carefully. “Because it’s not.”

His expression dimmed slightly, but he nodded. “I know.”

“I don’t think things will work out between us Emil”

“Malia-“

“I waited two years and you don’t show up. I got pictures of you in another pack. Not from one pi but three others and I gave up on you”

“But I’m back. I’m—“

“The other night, you were right” I hissed. “I was with another man.” There I said it. “Not long ago, I met someone else and I slept with him”

Emil’s eyes flashed hazel. “Who. Was. It.”

“Thats not the point”

“Was it Draven?”

I force my expression to stay neutral.

“I’m not comfortable telling you who it was right now. But I just want you to understand. It’s too late for all this”

Emil stayed silent, refusing to meet my gaze as tension crackled between us.

I let out a slow breath, “I understand it’s all too sudden, and with your guests coming, I’ll stay and be a good hostess and after they leave—“

“Youre not going anywhere”

“What?”

“It happened once, we’ve been together for years, I left without keeping in touch. I won’t hold the past against you. We both made some mistakes.”

Mistake?

I swallowed down.

That night was far from a mistake.

“We can make this work Malia, I want us to work things out. One last shot.” My eyes widen with each word. This was nothing like him.

Instead if getting angry and judging me for what I did. He pulled my hands in his with a gentle squeeze.

Something must’ve changed.

He must’ve changed.

Is Emil willing to be that forgiving?

But making things work now?

I searched for him for two years. Defended him for two years. Loved him for two years after everyone else gave up.

And now he was here.

Broken. Sorry. Looking at me like losing me would destroy him.

I hated that my heart still reacted to it.

“Malia”

“Fine” I sigh.

“But along the way, if you try to point fingers at me for what I did. Or treat me like I’m some possession you left on a shelf…” I met his gaze directly. “It’s over.”

The room went quiet.

Then unexpectedly, Emil laughed softly under his breath. Not mockingly. Almost like he was relieved I was yelling at him instead of walking away.

“There’s my Malia,” he murmured.

“I’m serious.”

“I know.” The smile faded slightly. “And you’re right.”

That alone felt strange enough to unsettle me.

Before I could respond, Emil leaned toward the bedside table and picked up a small velvet box I hadn’t noticed before.

“I wanted to give this to you two days ago,” he said.

My brows pulled together slightly as he opened it.

Inside rested a silver necklace.

Simple. Elegant.

At the center was a dark crimson stone wrapped in delicate silver vines that curved around it like claws protecting something precious.

It was beautiful.

Too beautiful.

“Emil…”

“I saw it months ago,” he admitted quietly. “And all I could think about was you.”

His fingers brushed against mine as he lifted the necklace from the box.

“Let me?”

I hesitated for half a second before turning around slowly.

The cold chain brushed against my skin as he fastened it around my neck. His fingers lingered there for a moment longer than necessary.

“You have to keep it safe,” he murmured softly. “Promise me you’ll cherish it.”

Something about the way he said it made me glance back at him.

Too serious.

Too intentional.

Before I could ask what he meant, a sharp knock interrupted the moment.

An omega stepped inside nervously.

“Alpha… Luna…” she bowed quickly. “The guests have arrived.”

Emil’s expression changed immediately. The softness from moments ago disappeared so fast it almost felt unreal.

Like a mask sliding back into place.