Page 60 of My Fated Mate

The journey back to the pack is filled with nervous anticipation. Every rustle of leaves, every chirp of a bird, makes me jump. Can I truly win Elowen back? Can a simple flower bridge the chasm I've created between us?

As we approach the pack clearing, I see her. Elowen sits by the stream, her back stiff, her expression unreadable. My heart clenches in my chest.

This is it—the moment of truth.

Taking a deep breath, I walk towards her, Rylan lagging behind with a knowing look on his face.

As I get closer, I see the hurt etched on her face, a reflection of my own pain.

"Elowen," I say thickly. "Can we talk?"

She doesn't turn to face me. Her silence is a wall, a barrier I desperately need to break through.

"I know I messed up," I continue. "I lied, and I betrayed your trust. There's no excuse for what I did."

Silence stretches on, thick and suffocating. Then, slowly, Elowen turns her head, her gaze meeting mine. There's a flicker of something in her eyes, a flicker that might be anger or maybe… sorrow?

"There's nothing you can say." Her voice is flat. "The damage is done."

Taking a chance, I reach out and offer her the Mendshore Bloom. "This is for you," I say, my voice raw. "Greta, the oracle… she gave it to me. She said it could help mend what's broken."

Elowen hesitates, her eyes locked on the flower. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, she reaches out and takes it from me. The moment our fingers brush, a jolt shoots through me, a spark of connection I haven't felt in weeks.

The mate bond is still alive—barely, though.

That means things can still work.

"Is this supposed to fix everything?" she snorts, her voice barely a whisper.

"No," I say, stepping closer. "This is just a start. But if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life proving to you how much you mean to me. How sorry I am."

Elowen doesn't respond, but she doesn't pull away either. She stares at the flower in her hand, its ethereal glow illuminating the tear tracks on her cheeks.

When she stands abruptly and walks away, I let her go.

I have another plan to woo her tonight.

Anticipation crackles through me like a live wire. Flickering candlelight dances across the linen tablecloth, illuminating a feast fit for royalty. Roasted grouse, glazed with honey and berries, nestles beside a platter of succulent salmon.

Freshly baked bread and a selection of cheeses complete the spread, each morsel a testament to the care I've poured into this evening.

Rylan and Zane orchestrated the "invitation." Under the pretense of a pack meeting, they've escorted Elowen here.

It feels manipulative, but in my desperation to win her back, I grasp at any straw.

The sound of approaching footsteps sets my heart hammering against my ribs.

A breath catches in my throat as Elowen enters the room, her face a stoic mask. The fiery anger I'd grown accustomed to is absent, replaced by an unsettling indifference that chills me to the bone.

She surveys the scene with a detached gaze, her eyes lingering on the table for the briefest of seconds before settling on me. My stomach lurches. Is there… a flash of hurt in her eyes? Or am I just searching for forgiveness that isn’t there?

Without a word, she walks towards the table and pulls out a chair. Silence stretches between us. With trembling hands, I pour her a goblet of wine.

"This looks… lovely," she finally says.

Was that a compliment? It feels like a foreign word after weeks of her icy silence.

Dinner drags on in agonizing silence. Elowen eats with polite detachment—each bite a small victory in my eyes. She hasn’t left. Maybe, just maybe, this is a step in the right direction.

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