Against the Odds

Questions

"Hey baby how was your day?" Xavier asked Lyla. He had finally gotten home from his outing with Kai and was more than relieved to see his beautiful mate painting something new.

Lyla raised up to her tip toes and kissed Xavier on the lips. What began as an innocent peck turned into a heated, passionate, kiss. Xavier had missed Lyla way too much, he needed this kiss to reconnect and to ensure that Lyla was all his.

When they finally parted, Lyla answered his question, "I had a nice day by the way, I started this new painting. What about you? Did you bond with Malakai?" Xavier knew better than to blindly believe Lyla when she said she had a nice day. Being held captive by an evil witch for four years greatly affected her. Each day she had to face nightmares, flashbacks, and anxiety. It was worse when she was alone because there was no one there to ground her back to reality.

"A nice day? Lyla." He gave his mate a look that said I'm not buying it, "I'll ask you one more time, my moon. How was your day?" The alpha did his best to soften his gaze in order to make Lyla more comfortable.

With one look into Xavier's piercing blue eyes, Lyla crumbled to bits. Tears welled in her brown eyes so large they could not be hidden by her glasses. Xavier quickly pulled her close and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Shh. It's okay my little moon. I'm right here with you." He hummed a tune and swayed them back and forth all while holding her tight. "You're okay. Listen to my heartbeat. You are right here with me and nothing is going to hurt you." Quite a few minutes passed before Lyla calmed down. The sound of Xavier's heartbeat reminded her that all she would ever need was right there within him. Nothing else mattered but him.

"Now my love, will you please tell was has made you so sad? I will fix it. I have to fix it."

&

Malakai was lighting the last candle when he heard Diana's footsteps approach the picnic he had laid out on the grass. He had worked very hard to set up a lovely picnic for them with a flannel blanket, an arrangement of candles, and rose petals - all in their beloved meadow. To top it off, Malakai had completed all this by sunset so the couple could enjoy the perfect view with their meal.

Kai looked up from the lit candle to see Diana dressed in jeans and a tight black V-neck that hugged her figure. She was wearing a surprised and confused expression across her face.

"Malakai, what is all this?!" Her eyes widened as she took in the luxurious scene her mate had put together.

"I wanted to do something special for you, you deserve every bit of it and more." Diana felt her heart skip a beat. Her mate is such a caring and compassionate person with so much love to give. She was so absolutely lucky.

Diana sat next to Kai on the picnic blanket and greeted him with a kiss on the lips, "This is beautiful, Kai! I can't believe you did all this. This is crazy." Kai noticed a light blush across Diana's cheeks which planted a sense of pride within.

"I wanted to do something a little extra for you today. We haven't really gotten a chance to decompress since the battle. I thought this would be perfect." He smiled genuinely at Diana. Just being in her presence sent him spiraling on a ride of bliss.

"This is perfect. Ever since the battle we haven't really had quality time with each other. The aftermath was a lot of clean up and mourning your father was nearly impossible." Diana clasped their hands together and rested her head on Kai's shoulder.

"Diana, I have something important I want to talk about," Kai turned to face her directly and he intertwined both their hands, "Diana Sage Ravenwood. You are the strongest person I know. You have been to hell and back several times but still find room in your heart to love me fiercely. The day I met you, you knocked me on my ass and woke me up from the dull life I was living." Kai had to take deep breaths to keep his composure. He noticed Diana had a small smile on her lips and her striking eyes were glassy. "You and I didn't have the smoothest start to a relationship. I put you through trials and tribulations and for that I apologize. But somehow, I got lucky enough to not only have a loving mate, but a forgiving one too.

"You have been to battle with me, picked me up when I'm down, and you've allowed me into your heart which is the greatest honor of my life. Diana, you are my whole world. You are the sun, the moon, the stars, and everything in between. I am beyond blessed to have you as my mate." The big question was coming up next. Kai took a few more deep breaths and squeezed Diana's hands a bit tighter.

"I know it isn't customary to get married in werewolf culture, but I want to be bound to you in every way possible. So, Diana Sage Ravenwood," Kai reached into the picnic basket and pulled out the velvet box, "would please do me the honor of marrying me?" Kai pulled open the box to reveal a stunning diamond ring. The ring looked as if it was made of vines and it was home to a sparkling diamond. It was simple, not flashy, which is exactly what Diana would want.

By this time, Diana had tears slowly cascading down her cheeks. She couldn't speak, she was so paralyzed with shock and emotion. All she could muster was an enthusiastic nod of her head and a whispered, "Yes!"