Fated: The Alpha's Unwanted Luna-Chapter 125: Forgiveness

"It’s inappropriate and too informal to address you by your name, Al—" she quickly stopped herself when his head moved forward and his lips hovered barely an inch away from hers, causing her to freeze in place, her breath hitching. Did he really mean to kiss her if she called him Alpha Kade?!

"Go ahead, complete it so I can kiss you," he teased, his lips just a breath away from hers. He could have forced a kiss from her, but Sebastian had already made a mental note to take things slow with her from now on.

She had gone through deep trauma in her life that he needed to help her heal from, and force was not the way to do it. And though he was aching to taste her lips, to kiss her, to touch her, and to feel her hands on him, Sebastian knew it would take time. As impatient as he was, he needed to learn patience with this one.

However, if she called him Alpha Kade again, it would signal that she wanted him to kiss her, and secretly, he wished she would. But he had forgotten he was dealing with a stubborn little rabbit. She clasped her lips together and kept them pressed inward while she stared at him without saying a word.

She wouldn’t call him Alpha Kade, nor would she address him by his name. That hurt something inside him, and he slowly leaned back a little before saying in a lower voice, "There is nothing inappropriate about calling me by my name. We will soon be getting married. So please, Viola, use my name. You have earned the right to call me by it. Will you do that?"

He looked at her almost pleadingly, and the rare softness in his eyes made her heart tighten in a way that frightened her far more than his teasing ever could. Viola frowned.

Sebastian saw the deep frown and thought she was displeased with him for trying to make her address him by his name. Couldn’t she see he was trying? What more could he do to make her stop seeing him as the bad guy? He had never put so much effort into anyone before, and he was willing to do even more if it meant she would at least begin to trust him.

Her rejection, her refusal to truly address him by his name, pained his soul and his heart. What else did she want him to do for her to forgive him?

’You have done everything but one thing,’ Muffin suddenly said, and Sebastian asked, ’What is that?’

Muffin sighed dramatically, as if tired of his human. ’You haven’t apologized to her for everything you said and did! Don’t you know that apologizing and taking accountability for even one wrongdoing can make a massive difference to the other person? Give it a try and see.’

Apologizing. Sebastian had never apologized or admitted he was wrong, not even when he had truly been in the wrong. Being the supreme Alpha since the age of ten had taught him that he didn’t need to apologize to anyone, whether he was right or wrong. It had become ingrained in him and given him a sense of authority, a sense of importance. When had he ever apologized before?

Never. He had never done it.

But now, he realized he would do it, not because he believed it was the only way to make her forgive him, but because he believed, deep in his heart, that she at least deserved an apology. And if he gave it and she still didn’t forgive him, Sebastian didn’t know what else he would do.

He looked into her eyes, where she was still staring at him with that frown on her face, and unable to help himself, he reached out and gently traced the deep frown with his finger.

"I know you and I didn’t start off in a good place, Viola," Sebastian said, looking into her blank eyes that were staring up at him. Her walls were too high, and he doubted he could ever break them, or bring them down, but it seemed he needed to at least try.

"I abandoned you when you needed me the most, when I should have been the one standing by you and protecting you. I was wrong to try to send you away without trying to help you. I... am sorry for everything I did to hurt you. At least let’s step into this marriage as friends. As your friend... will you please stop addressing me so formally?" he asked, looking down at her with a pleading, earnest expression, his silver eyes not hiding the desperation to put their differences aside.

Viola stared up at his face, stunned. She never thought the Alpha was capable of apologizing, much less appearing genuinely sincere about it. Friends, he had said. She also didn’t want to step into their marriage hating him, and he hadn’t asked for anything beyond friendship.

Viola was okay with friendship. At least that way, she didn’t risk falling for him. Friendship was a perfect zone; had he asked for anything else, she would have pulled away immediately because she was afraid of hurting more.

It’s just friendship, nothing else, Viola told herself. Then, looking into his earnest silver eyes that were staring at her and softening something inside her, she gave him a small nod of her head.

"You have forgiven me?" He asked eager.

Viola gave him another nod.

"Really? Then can you say my name?"

Why did it seem like he wanted her to say his name so badly? She thought.

"Sebastian..." she whispered his name, and her brows arched quickly as a big smile broke out across his face, his eyes brightening. Before she knew it, she was scooped into his embrace and nestled into his arms, her body laying against his chest and her head getting into the crook of his neck.

"Hey!" Viola exclaimed in surprise, but Sebastian held her tightly, pressing his lips against her cheek as he whispered, "Thank you, love."

Viola’s heart skipped a beat. She pressed her hands against his chest, pushing herself slightly upward to glare down at him. The way he always used endearments made her heart race uncontrollably. Nobody had ever addressed her with affection, not even Evan, so she didn’t know that it could feel this nerve-wracking and intoxicating.

"Why do you like to use endearments? Isn’t that inappropriate between friends?"

Sebastian gave her a mischievous, heart-stopping smile that tugged at her heartstrings. "It doesn’t matter. I use endearments on everybody, even my beta and my sister. It’s nothing. Don’t mind it; I have a ton of it in my book. And just so you know, I didn’t mind you drooling on me when you slept, so don’t mind me using endearments."

Viola was trying to digest the fact that he had just said he used endearments on his beta when she caught the last part of his words. Narrowing her eyes at him, she said, "I do not drool in my sleep! That’s a lie!"

Sebastian scoffed, still holding her close and clearly enjoying the moment, as he replied, "There’s the evidence on my shoulder, darling."

"That’s not true!" Viola denied it, even after seeing the small evidence. She couldn’t believe she had drooled on him in her sleep!

Zoe, who had finished making the call for the supplements a while ago, peeked through the door gap at the couple on the bed and couldn’t help staring in disbelief. Suddenly, she heard her brother let out a hearty laugh at something Vee had said, and in no time, Viola was laughing along with him.

After Sebastian had been crowned Alpha, Zoe had never truly seen him laugh like this. Not even with any of his wives. She had seen him smile warmly with Natalia back then, but not this kind of laughter. Even the smile he used to give his first Luna had disappeared after her death, leaving him aloof and closed-off.

To be honest, Zoe had even forgotten what his laughter sounded like until now. She found herself smiling as she watched, not only was he laughing, but Viola, who carried so much pain that it was visible in her eyes, was laughing too.

Zoe had been worried that Viola might get hurt, but what if these two could be the ones to heal each other and find peace? What if Viola was finally the only one capable of softening her brother’s heartless ways...?

Perhaps this marriage wasn’t a bad idea at all. Perhaps it was the path to healing for them both.