Chapter 57

Ava

The cool marble of the bench chilled the backs of my legs as I sat with Chris in the sculpture garden, compelling me to nuzzle into him ever so slightly. We sat in silence, just taking in the view.

“Well?” Chris asked. “What do you think?”

I paused for a moment, then turned and reached up to stroke my fingers along the statue that stood over us—a man and a woman, their limbs tangled together and their hair flowing so realistically that I thought they might come alive.

“It’s beautiful,” I admitted, suddenly feeling bashful after the way I had been speaking about the human world earlier.

Chris hummed in agreement, then stood, reaching for my hand. I took it without hesitation and let him lead me further along the pebbled pathways. We silently wove our way through the other sculptures, taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of this little paradise nestled right in the heart of the city.

As we continued our peaceful walk through the sculpture garden, I started to become acutely aware of the other patrons strolling the winding paths nearby.

Couples and families, all wandering at a slow pace and admiring the sculptures with the same hushed awe I felt. No jostling or rude behavior despite the number of people—just a shared appreciation for the artwork surrounding us.

I found myself struck by a sudden realization in that moment. These were humans, the same beings I had been so quick to dismiss as flawed and inferior to my kind.

And yet here they were, openly respecting and revering beauty and craftsmanship in a way not dissimilar to werewolves.

A flicker of shame burned in my chest as I recalled some of my earlier, unnecessarily harsh criticisms of this world Chris called home. Of course, the human realm was far from perfect—but then, so too was the werewolf world.

Maybe I had been too judgmental earlier; each continent had their own complicated issues and injustices, their own triumphs and simple pleasures to be appreciated.

And at the end of the day… We ultimately shared the same ancestors eons ago. The same affinity for creating, for finding joy in life’s simpler beauties.

I had been too quick to judge, too narrow-minded in my assumptions.

As if sensing the shift in my demeanor, Chris tightened his grip around my waist and shot me a quizzical, sidelong glance.

“You were right,” I finally admitted after a beat of silence. “I’m sorry for calling the human world ‘a mess’.”

A slow, knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “I told you,” he said with a chuckle, giving my waist a squeeze that made my heart skip. “I just knew you had to see the beauty this place has to offer, and then you’d understand.”

I feigned an indignant look even though his words were true. “You don’t know what I’d think.”

Chris chuckled again. “You’re right. I don’t. But I think I know you well enough to have a pretty good idea.”

For a moment, I opened my mouth to retort—to tell him that he didn’t know me as well as he thought, that he had been away from Moonstone for far too long and that we had only been seeing each other for a short while.

But while the latter two statements may have been true, the first wouldn’t have been. Chris seemed to have a way with getting to know the root of a person beneath their hard exterior, and he had certainly done it with me.

“When we move here,” he continued, gesturing around us, “I’ll show you plenty of places like this. The human world may be more urban, yes, but there are always little pockets of beauty if you know where to look. And soon, you’ll come to find the urban sprawl just as beautiful as I do.”

I felt my chest clench at his words, causing me to stop and turn to face him.

“Chris…”

“I know, I know,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Too much, too soon. But can you blame me for being excited? I want to be with you, Ava.”

“I know you do.” I swallowed and set my jaw, looking away momentarily. “But… I don’t think I could ever live here permanently. This world is extraordinary, yes. But Moonstone will always be my true home. I would miss it terribly, miss the feel of the earth and the energy of the moon on my skin. I may want to be with you, but I still haven’t agreed to leave with you.”

Chris was silent for a long moment, seeming to weigh my words carefully. At first, I thought I had upset him; but when he finally spoke, his tone was thoughtful and measured as ever.

“What if… we were to split our time?” he suggested. “A few months on each continent, you and I? That way you could have the best of both worlds without being tied down to just one. You can keep your cottage, and I’ve got my penthouse here. I could buy you a house here, somewhere outside the city, if you’d prefer that.”

I frowned. The concept was nice, but it didn’t feel logical—not when he was going to be viewed in a negative light for giving up his station.

“You mean you’d stay in Moonstone, even after giving up your position as Alpha?”

Chris nodded. “I don’t see why not. It wouldn’t be full-time, but…”

“The people are going to look down on you, at least to some degree,” I said. “You’re essentially throwing away the pack in their eyes; if you stayed, they’d think that you were simply too much of a coward, or too lazy to be the Alpha. That you still want all the benefits of living in Moonstone without having to actually do any of the work.”

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “You know they wouldn’t all think that.”

“Perhaps not. But werewolves are a superstitious bunch. And the Elders—”

“Damn the Elders,” Chris blurted out, causing my eyes to widen. No one ever spoke of them like that, even though maybe sometimes they deserved it.

“Ava,” he continued, “you know as well as I that tradition and appearances mean little to me at this point. I’m willing to endure any shame or judgment from those who might see my decision as cowardly.”

“But it’s not for nothing,” I countered, my voice wavering slightly. “Staying there, with me...is that really worth all the backlash? The scorn from others?”

In a heartbeat, Chris closed the distance between us, cradling my face in his warm palms. His brilliant green eyes bored into mine with an intensity that stole my breath away and left my head reeling.

“You’re worth it,” he said fiercely. “You’ve always been worth it to me.”

His words left me breathless once again. When I opened my mouth to speak, no words would come; although, he didn’t give them a chance to.

Before either of us could utter a word, Chris dipped his head and pressed his lips to mine, hot and searing like I had been burned with a fresh iron. I felt every muscle in my body coil with anticipation, and as I felt one of his hands slip down toward the small of my back, I didn’t stop him.

Instead, I responded in kind and twirled my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

When we finally pulled apart, breathless and red in the cheeks, Chris met my gaze with that roguish smile of his.

“Ready to go back to Moonstone?” he asked.

I nodded and took a step back. “Yes. Let’s go home.”