Awakening The Silver Wolf

RAVENNA POV 

"Oh, my sweet girl," my grandmother cooed as she stroked my hair, her thin, fragile arms tight around me. I held onto her as I buried my face in her neck, careful not to hold her too tight. "My sweet, sweet girl." 

She pulled me away from her to hold my face, her thumb wiping my tears. "Oh, look at you," she said with a laugh. "You're the female version of your brother." 

She turned her head to look at said brother and held out one hand to him while the other held me. Dalian leaned into her hand with a smile, and she held the two of us together. 

Her embrace felt like home, a haven of warmth and comfort that I had always longed for. It was a peace that settled deep within my soul, a quiet stillness that calmed the storms within me. 

Most importantly, it was a feeling of belonging, of being part of something larger than myself, a family that accepted me unconditionally. This was what I'd been missing all through my life, that sense of complete acceptance and belonging. 

Even though I had found my mate and friends who loved me deeply, having my family filled a void that had always existed, a space that only unconditional love could fill. 

"At long last," she breathed, her voice sounding choked. "At long last." 

Dalian pulled away from her embrace and wiped the tears off our grandmother's face. "Don't cry, Grandma," he said softly. "It's a risk to your health."

She swatted his hand away teasingly, with a small smile on her face. "Silly boy. These are the kind of tears that benefit the heart," she said, her voice gentle but wise. "They release the weight we carry, cleansing us, and in that release, our health finds strength."

And then she turned to me, her eyes filled with love and wisdom. "I have waited for you for twenty-three years," she said softly, her eyes tracing my face. "I have dreamt of the day I could hold you." Her hands tightened around me. "Kiss you." She leaned in and placed a kiss gently on my forehead. "See you." Her eyes shone as more tears fell. 

"My Damira would break into tears if she could see you right now." Damira—my mother. Fresh tears fell from my eyes as I remembered the woman I would never know, the life I would never have a life with her. 

"Damira would scold us if she saw us crying over her," my grandmother said with a smile that had nostalgia written all over it. "She would always say, 'Tears don't bring the lost back, but strength does. Live with purpose, and honor the memories with joy, not sorrow.' So my sweet girl, let's not cry with our hearts filled with sorrow. Let us honor her with joy." 

I nodded as I embraced her tighter and buried my face in her hair, inhaling her soothing scent. 

She caressed my hair as she told Dalian and me, all she'd been doing since he had left—how her flowers had bloomed, how she knitted a new sweater for the both of us. She had knitted all sorts of clothes for me over the years even though she didn't know what I looked like. 

She had said, "I didn't need to have seen you to have known you would look like my Damira, stature and all." 

That had made me hold back fresh tears. 

Now I sat on the ground at the fireplace, my legs crossed and a photo album on my lap. Grandmother had gone to sleep, her old body not being able to stay awake this late. Dalian had gone out, saying he was going to get something for me to eat.

I flipped through the pages, a new tear slipping past my eyes at every page I turned. I looked exactly like my mother—the same shade of hair, the same color of eyes, her lean body. Every damn thing. She, Dalian, and I were all identical.

In some of the pictures she wore smiles so big, her cheeks closed her eyes. While in some pictures the sorrow in her eyes was so deep it cut through me. 

There were pictures of Dalian when he was a baby and Grandmother when she hadn't turned so old. 

I looked through the album until I couldn't feel my ass, and my whole body became stiff. I got up, my bones popping as I went, and went outside. 

It was already late and the village was quiet, only a few people were outside. 

I left the tent and my eyes immediately found him. Darius stood by the side of the tent, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. A smile broke across his face when he saw me, and I couldn't help but return the smile.

"Hello, beautiful," he said softly as he walked to him, drawing me into his arms and kissing the top of my hair. I sighed as his scent filled my nose, his warmth enveloping me. He pulled away and searched my face, his eyes softening. "You've been crying." 

"Yeah," I said weakly, looking down. 

He placed his finger beneath my chin and raised my head to look at me. "Walk with me?"

I nodded and he interlocked our fingers before he led me away from the tents. 

"Do you know where we're going?" I asked as we continued walking deeper into the woods. 

"Yes." I didn't bother to ask how he knew and just continued walking.

We walked through the woods, the cool night air brushing against my skin. We walked in comfortable silence, the quiet of the night surrounding us, broken only by the rustling of leaves beneath our feet.

Eventually, we reached a clearing, and there it was—a lake, serene and still, reflecting the stars above like a mirror. The moonlight danced on the water, casting a silver glow over everything. It was perfect and peaceful, and I couldn't help but feel like we had walked into a dream.

Darius stopped by the edge of the lake, turning to me with a soft smile that made my heart flutter. He let go of my hand, taking a step back to face me, his eyes deep with something I couldn't quite place.

"You know," he began, his voice low and steady, "I've been thinking about something for a while now." His gaze was intense, yet full of warmth. 

"What is it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 

He took a deep breath, his gaze flicking to the water before meeting my eyes again. "I've been thinking about how much you mean to me. Not just as my mate, but as someone I want to build my life with. You've changed everything for me, Ravenna. You've shown me what it means to truly be alive, to have something worth fighting for. I've fallen deeply in love with you even before you shifted, even before I found out you were my mate."

My heart skipped a beat, a swell of emotion rising within me as his words washed over me.

"I don't just want us to be together in body and spirit, and wolf," he continued, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "I want to make you mine in every way possible. I want to give you everything I am. I want to make you mine, not my mate, not my Luna, but just mine." 

My breath caught in my throat, and my pulse quickened.

Darius reached into his jacket, pulling out an ancient-looking box. It was small and worn, with intricate carvings on the surface that spoke of generations past. He knelt before me, the box held gently in his hands. My heart pounded as I realized what was happening.

"Ravenna," he began, his voice shaking with emotion, "I know we're already bound by fate, by our souls. But I want to make this real. I want you to have my heart, my future, my everything. I want to call you my wife, not just my mate. Will you marry me?" 

Tears welled in my eyes, and I felt my chest tighten, overwhelmed by the beauty of this moment, the sincerity in his eyes. 

I looked down at the box, where a beautiful ring lay inside, its delicate design gleaming in the moonlight.

I didn't have to think about it. My answer was already written in my heart.

"Yes," I breathed, my voice trembling with emotion. "Yes, Darius. A thousand times yes." 

A smile broke across his face, a smile so full of joy, that it felt like the sun had risen just for us. He gently slid the ring onto my finger, the cool metal fitting perfectly like it had always belonged there.

"I love you, Ravenna," he whispered, standing up and pulling me into his arms.

"I love you, too," I whispered back, my voice thick with tears.

He leaned down and kissed me softly, curling my tongue with his. I sighed into his mouth and leaned into his touch. 

We pulled away to breathe and Darius placed his forehead on mine, his eyes staring deeply into mine. 

"I have thou—"

"Daliah!" I pulled away from him and turned to see Dalian running towards us, his eyes wide with tears. "Daliah, come quickly! It's grandmother!"