The Rejected Luna’s Prince By Aurora Archer
Chapter 32 – Stars And Relish
(Willa)
Caspien and I talked about how things would go moving forward. We would move in eventually, but I still wanted to ease Emmett into it even though he already felt so comfortable here. Caspien insisted that Emmett and I have a say in adding our own touches and redecorating.
He had a team, a literal team waiting for me in the dining room the following morning, a contractor, two designers, and what I a*s*sumed were a*s*sistants.
“Change anything, add another floor, an indoor pool, paint it hot pink for all I care,” He walked away, taking a call.
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Emmett was down at Holden’s apartment with Loreli and Cali, so I had the team’s full, unwanted attention on me.
They looked at me expectantly as if I was about to whip out some vision boards from my back pocket and give them a full-a.ss presentation.
“Um,” I stared at them, and to my chagrin, none of them stepped in, “I don’t know what I want; honesty, I don’t really know my style.”
“Perfect,” One of the designers slid a few books to me, “Have a look here, and how about you flag some things that you like? Some fabrics, rooms, furniture, and we can put something together.” She looked at the male designer, and they both smiled at each other widely.
“This is our dream project,” The man said, “Especially with someone that we can start from scratch with; it rarely happens.”
“Well, then, I’m glad to help,” I gave them a genuine smile, and the contractor asked me a few things about the layout, but I didn’t want to change anything; I didn’t see a need to go around knocking down walls or anything.
“We will be in touch,” They got up and went to take room measurements while I flipped through the books. I honestly didn’t know how they would transform this space. I couldn’t see it at all. I couldn’t see past the stark modern fixtures and furniture and the neutral pallet.
Caspien came back and took a seat next to me.
“I’m bringing my mismatched mugs; I hope you know that,” I raised an eyebrow, and he stared at me.
“Maybe,”
“Maybe?”
“I thought relationships are about compromise, so instead of saying no, I said maybe.”
“You haven’t even seen then,” I crossed my arms.
“Are you inviting me over?” He asked. He almost smiled, almost.
“No, but I mean yes,” I shrugged.
He’s been in the front hallway before, he’s come up to pick me up for our dates, but many times I met him downstairs, too excited to wait. On the weekends, he was usually finishing meetings when I was done with work, so we took a car to him.
“Would you be more comfortable with me meeting your parents there?”
“I don’t think it matters, actually, but it might be nice. I want to show them the city and let them enjoy it a bit more than what they saw the week they were here.”
Caspien’s eyes lit up, “We’re simple people,” I stopped him, “Before you even think about a sunrise jet ride to the Moon, reel it in.”
“Fine,” His lips made a thin line, but I could tell he was still thinking about something.
“Fine,” I shook my head, “I have to get back to fabrics, ah, this one will match the wallpaper perfectly.” I pointed to one with black and white clowns.
“I’m terrified to see your choice in wallpaper,” He smiled.
“You said I could do anything I wanted,”
“I trust you,”
“You paused and winced,”
“I think I trust you,” He amended.
I nodded once, “I accept that.” I would have to figure out a way to sneak some of this awful fabric in somewhere.
“The sooner you choose, the sooner you can move in,” He looked at me.
“I know, I know,” I wanted this, but I wasn’t completely ready to give up my own place just yet.
The days seemed to pass quickly, now that I had weekends to look forward to and relax having only five days of work and school seemed so short. My parents were coming that weekend, and Caspien decided to do our date night at my place this week.
He brought over takeout from a few places and set up a picnic for Emmett and me in our living room. He didn’t hate it, not that I really had much choice over the furniture, but it was nice seeing him so comfortable here, even if he did look out of place with Emmett and me in our pajamas while he sat across from us with a perfectly pressed suit.
“Is Caspien staying? Are we having a sleepover?” He asked excitedly.
I looked at Caspien and shrugged.
“If you want me to,” Caspien said to Emmett but was looking at me.
“You can stay in my room,” Emmett said, and Caspien’s lips tugged up.
“You can stay,” I said to him, “I would like you to,” I wasn’t sure how to explain this situation to Emmett, but we would all be living together soon enough.
Emmett was drawing what he wanted his room to look like while Caspien helped me put the leftovers away.
He started studying my mug collection, “Fine, some of these can come,” He smiled, holding up one that said, ‘Someone who loves me went to Myrtle Beach, and all I got was this lousy mug’.
“It’s going to look so good next to your espresso machine,” I thought of his tiny white cups that all matched perfectly, and he frowned.
“These are going in the cabinet, compromise remember?”
“Fine,” I took the mug setting it on the counter, “I’ll set this aside to pack it.”
He pulled me close to him and k*issed my hair, “I can’t wait until I never have to leave you again,” I settled into his embrace.
“You want that right?” He pulled back, looking into my eyes, “I can move here, or we can get our own place.” I shook my head, but my stomach did a flip. I knew he was serious and that he would move to this tiny apartment on the opposite side of town just if it made me happier.
“You have a pack that wouldn’t make sense.”
“I know something is bugging you, but I have to remind you, you can’t take this back,” He ran a finger over my mark, and I shivered.
“This is the only home I have had to myself,” I stepped away from his touch, “The only place I have had just Emmett and I. I feel like I just got it, and now we’re leaving so soon,” I looked around at the kitchen with the white paint and exposed bricks.
I shrugged, “I wanted to try to do it alone,”
“And you did,” He put his hand under my chin and gently tilted it, so I was facing him.
“I did,” I snorted, “For a few weeks at least. Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy to have found you, and I want to move in more than anything. Me feeling a bit sad to leave this place and leave another life I was planning behind doesn’t detract from that.” His eyes softened.
“It’s just different emotions right now, I wish I had a bit more time, I guess, to see what I could have done on my own.”
He nodded and removed his hand from my chin, “I understand, at least to the extent that I think I can. I don’t want you to give up anything for me.”
“I’m not,” I shook my head placing my hand on his chest and looking up at him, “I’m only gaining with you. Your friends, your parents, everyone has been incredible. I just won’t ever know now if I could have really done it.”
He put a hand on the back of my head and pulled me to his chest, “You know you could have, I know you could have.”
I nodded into him, I did know it, but I couldn’t help that feeling of sadness leaving this place behind the only place Emmett and I had just the two of us. But I knew what we were gaining, the fact that it didn’t have just be the two of us ever again, we were becoming a family.
_______
My buzzer rang, and I jumped; why did it have to be so loud? I pressed the button to unlock it, hoping that my parents knew what to do.
“They’re here!” I called to Emmett, and he bounded out of his room, almost tripping in just his socks, “Did you clean your room?” I asked.
“Yes, Mama.”
There was a knock on the door, and I rushed to open it. My parents smiling faces filled the door frame and I was overcome with happiness.
My mom knelt down and scooped Emmett into her arms, looking him over. My dad pulled us all into a hug.
“It’s been too long,” My mom said, “You’ve grown so much.”
“Goddess, we missed you,” My dad said his hands on my shoulders, “Willa,” His eyes were wide.
“What?” I asked, looking behind me, half expecting to see someone breaking into the window.
“You’re marked,” He whispered, his eyebrows furrowed.
“She’s what?” My mom pushed my dad out of the way and looked at my neck, “Goddess, she is.”
“Did you think I would lie about that?”
“No, but, I didn’t know.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, it just happened,” I shrugged. My mom looked toward Emmett, “Mom, I met him right after you guys left. He just marked me. I’m taking things slow; I took things slow.”
“So when do we get to meet this mystery mate?” My mom eyed me with a smile, “Hopefully not another Alpha,” She joked.
“Could you imagine?” My dad laughed and walked into the apartment.
I took a deep breath, following them in.
“Place looks nice, the windows though. I’ll see what I can do about them while we’re here.”
“We actually might be moving soon,” I added the might to make it seem less certain, even though we all knew that now that I wore his mark there was nothing uncertain about this.
“Where to?” My dad asked nonchalantly.
Emmett wiggled out of his arms and ran to his room.
There was a sharp knock at the door, Caspien.
“That’s him now,” I said.
“Or the grim reaper,” My dad muttered under his breath.
“Vincent, why are you so apprehensive about her mate? You’re acting like a human father.” She nudged him.
“It’s just; I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” He looked away from me, “You don’t know what it was like, how bad it was.”
“Dad, I think I know,”
“I know, no one else was going through it the same but, but “He signed, “You were a shell of a person, there were days you didn’t talk, and we were worried you would never come back from that.”
My mom frowned and looked at me with sympathy. I really didn’t like this conversation or remembering.
“It took you ages to even start to pull away from that for us to recognize you underneath that.” My dad swallowed and wiped at his eyes. A flicker of sadness arose, I knew it was bad for them, I knew they sacrificed, but I didn’t realize I was that bad. I didn’t truly understand how terrified they must have been.
“I’m sorry,” My voice broke.
“No, honey, no.” My dad stepped forward, wrapping his hands around my arms, “Don’t be. I just am worried, that’s all. I know you know yourself, and you are only thinking about what is best for Emmett.” He shook his head. My mom came up and patted his shoulder.
“Maybe we should meet the guy before we pass judgment.” She whispered, looking at the door.
Oh, right yeah.
I wiped my eye and smiled at my dad.
“Alright then,” I walked to the door and took a quick breath before opening it.
“I thought you changed your mind.” Caspien was leaning against the doorway in a light gray suit, with a bouquet of pink and white flowers in his hands.
“Sorry, we just were talking and,” I shrugged, “Come in,”
I held the door open for him, and he walked past me, putting on a smile for my parents. I shut the door and followed him in. My dad tensed, and my mom’s mouth hung open.
“Um, is, this is,” My mom pointed at him.
“Caspien!” Emmett came out with an armful of toys, some of them falling behind him.
“Why don’t you just let your grandparents come in and see your toys?” Emmett ignored me, “Sure, fine, no, this makes way more sense.” I muttered.
“I finished my last drawing for the room, I left it in my bedroom here, though,” He frowned.
My parents were staring between Emmett and Caspien.
Caspien knelt before Emmett, “That sounds great. Now we can choose some paint samples and colors out based on your drawings, okay?” Caspien ruffled his hair.
“My grandpa can help too. He helped me paint this room; he’s really good.”
“Perfect, we can get his expert opinion then,” Caspien smiled at Emmett and stood out, extending his hand to my dad, “I’m Caspien,”
“I-It’s great to meet you,” My dad found his voice grabbing his hand, but he still looked shocked.
“These are for you,” Caspien turned to my mom and handed her the bouquet.
“Wow, these are really lovely,” She smiled at them, “Thank you so much. My name is Heather, and that is Vincent,” She looked at my dad affectionately.
“It’s an honor to meet you both,” Caspien nodded at them.
“This is your-,” My dad pointed at him.
“Mate,” I smiled, “Yes.”
“Well then,”
“Would you like some coffee or anything?” My mom asked.
“Mom,” I shook my head, “Why don’t I make some coffee? You guys get settled.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude; I thought you had been here for a few hours,” Caspien explained.
“We hit a bit of traffic, and” My dad started.
“It was my fault. I forgot to pack one of the suitcases, so we had to turn back.”
“I was trying to cover for you.” He smiled at her.
“I can come back,” Caspien said, seeming unsure.
“Of course not; you’re family now. Stay.” My mom smiled up at him affectionately.
My dad grabbed the bags and headed to my room, where they would be staying.
“They can stay in the packhouse, or I can get them a hotel if they prefer?” Caspien asked me.
“Thank you, but this should be fine.”
“Do you guys want to go do something while we watch Emmett?” My mom asked as I handed her a mug of coffee.
“If you weren’t busy, I thought we could do something together,” Caspien suggested nonchalantly.
I squinted my eyes at him, and he looked away.
I promise no trips to the moon
I jumped a little, still not used to being able to mindlink him because we marked each other.
“What do you have in mind?” My dad asked, still a bit apprehensive, but I wasn’t sure if it he was still worried this would be a repeat of my last mate or because he was an Alpha Prince, the Alpha Prince.
“Willa mentioned you liked baseball, and Emmett hasn’t been to a game, so I thought that might be fun.”
My dad looked at me with eyebrows raised.
“I would love that,” He said.
Of course, by going to a baseball game, we were in a box, Caspien insisted that they had them at every stadium, and it wasn’t being used so we were doing him a favor.
My dad was in his element, explaining everything to Emmett and pointing out different athletes he remembered.
Caspien frowned at the catered food, “I’ll be right back,”
My mom sidled up to me, “So,” I turned to her.
“Say it,”
“Your mate is Prince Dracos?” She shook her head, “I, just, wow.” She smiled, “He seems, well, he’s different than I thought.” I chewed my lip, nodding.
“Me too.”
Caspien returned with a tray of hot dogs, and someone wheeled in condiments behind him. Emmett and my dad joined us, and Emmett bounced up and down; I don’t think he actually ever had a hot dog before.
“Willa made me try one, my first,” He added, “You guys eat them, right?”
“Sure,” My dad grabbed one, clapping Caspien on the back, “Thanks, son.” Caspien froze for a second and almost smiled before seeming to remember himself.
You’re allowed to smile
He narrowed his eyes at me
Stop reading my mind
I shrugged and grabbed a hot dog. Much to Caspiens dismay, Emmett doused his in relish and ate every bite of it. Caspien was staring at him the whole time with a mix of shock and awe on his face.
“Can I have another? The same way?” Emmett asked him, “Please.”
“Sure,” Caspien frowned as he covered his hot dog with green goo and passed it to him.
“Thank you,” Caspien nodded and took a bite of his.
“Are you my dad?”
“Uh,” Caspien almost choked, “Not well, if you want me to be, yes.”
“I do,” He nodded, “But I didn’t choose my mom; she chose me. I came from her, but I don’t remember that” He lowered his voice, “She might have told a lie,”
“Sometimes parents chose you, and sometimes you chose them,” Caspien explained.
“Okay, well then, you can be my dad, and my mama can be my mom.”
Caspien’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, “I would like that,” He pulled Emmett into a hug, “Thank you,” He whispered to him.
My stomach clenched, and my mom grabbed my arm. Witnessing the interaction, my dad was too enthralled with the game and was back in the seats attached to our box. Caspien looked at Emmett with such wonder I couldn’t read his face; so many emotions seemed to flicker there.
“Want to go watch the game with your grandpa?” Caspien asked, taking Emmett’s hand.
My mom and I followed him, and she sat on his other side.
“Your parents? They’re okay with her having a kid?” She whispered to him once Emmett was enthralled in the game again or enthralled in my dad’s explanation.
“Of course,”
“I thought they would be very into bloodline,”
“Royal bloodline is important to carry on, and it still can be if Willa wants.” He looked at me, “My mom was adopted; she wasn’t born in this pack. My parents understand that family is bigger than blood.”
I looked at Caspien, but he was turned toward my mom; I didn’t know that.
“Well then,” My mom smiled widely, “That is very nice.” She took a deep breath, seeming to calm down fully for the first time since she arrived.
We watched the game as darkness settled around the stadium. The lights illuminating the field made the sky beyond look pitch black.
“If you guys have plans for the evening, we can get Emmett to bed,” My mom looked to use; she switched places with him so she could sit next to Emmett.
“The game is wrapping up anyway,” My dad added.
“No-” I started.
“I actually have something we could do,” Caspien said, “If that’s okay with you, of course.” He turned to me.
My mom looked at me, eyes wide.
What Mom
I just, I never heard Nolan ever ask if you wanted to do anything. He just made decisions.
She was right. My mom had a broad smile as she looked at Caspien.
“I’ll have dinner sent to you and a car downstairs when you want to leave.” Caspien stood up and said goodbye to Emmett and my dad.
“Can we come back?” Emmett asked.
“Any time you want,” Caspien promised, “That goes for you two as well,” He looked towards my parents. We said our goodbyes and Caspien took my hand, leading me down to a car.
“Where are we going?”
He checked his watch, “There’s something I want to show you.”
We arrived back at the packhouse.
I hope it’s his private areas if you want what I mean
Shut up
We arrived at a floor I had never been on; it looked industrial, the walls were white brick, and it was brightly lit.
“This is where he’s going to kill me,” Caspien looked at me, “Sorry, didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
He shut his eyes, shaking his head, and led me to a flight of steps, “After you,” I took the steps pushing on a door. The cool evening breeze brushed my face as I stepped onto part of the roof.
“There is a rooftop terrace, gardens, and a pool for pack members, but this one no one uses,” He shrugged.
“I bet you’re going to say you’ve never taken anyone up here before,” I turned back to him.
“I wasn’t going to say that, but I haven’t.”
He took my hand and led me around something that was whirring; I stopped in my tracks. A blanket was laid out with candles around it, I looked at him, but he kept looking ahead, guiding me to the floor.
“What is that?” I pointed to something I had just noticed.
“A telescope.” He popped a bottle of champagne and handed me a glass.
“You planned this,” He shrugged, “For how long?”
“There’s a meteor shower tonight. I didn’t know if it would work with your parents being in town.”
I took a sip of the cool bubbles.
“I’m not good at this,”
“At what?”
“The whole romance thing, I’m not sure what to do, and I feel like I’m doing too much or not enough.”
“This is perfect; you are perfect. But just to be clear, I would be just as happy with you sitting on a couch watching a movie as I would at a rented-out restaurant, maybe even more so. It’s not the extra stuff. It’s you.” I looked at him; his jaw seemed to harden.
“I just, want to do things for you.”
“I appreciate what you do, and everything you do is amazing; you don’t have to try so hard.”
His gaze turned to me, “I’m not trying hard; I’m just doing things I think you would like, things I want to show you are sharing with you.” His brows furrowed, “Is that not what you did with the hotdogs in the park? Share things with me?”
I was taken aback for a moment, “Yeah, you’re right. I never thought about it like that.” He seemed to relax a little.
I scooted closer, leaning into him, studying the night sky.
“One sec,” He got up to turn off the lights somehow and came back, pulling me towards him.
The sky came into focus, and thousands of twinkling stars lit up a perfectly clear night.
“Wait,” One danced across the sky; I sat forward, “I think I see one,” I squinted.
A few more moved and shimmered.
“Wow,” I breathed.
I looked at Caspien, but he was staring at me, watching the stars.
“I keep forgetting to tell you, but I love you, Willa.”
“What?” My attention was on him.
My heart dropped into my stomach.
“I love you.” His icy blue eyes were set on mine, “I just forget to say it because it’s just so obvious to me, so second nature to love you that I forgot that I should actually tell you, even though I’m sure you already know.”
“I mean,” I blinked; I loved him, of course, but I realized I didn’t say it either.
“I love you, Caspien.”
“Really?” His eyes widened slightly.
“Really.” I laughed once.
He pulled me into a lingering k*iss; it was deep but soft. Intense but loving.
“I love you, Willa.” He smiled against my lips.