*** Sex scene later on in the chapter ***

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"Gr-gray-s-son" I stutter as I quietly walk into his office, giving the room a once over as I locate him in the chaos. 

The room is currently in shambles due to the fact that we are renovating and redecorating to fit a desk in for me so that we share the office and can do our work together - Grayson had insisted on it after his mother suggested we turn one of the spare rooms into an office for me. In fact, he hadn't even let her entertain the idea before he had told her that we would be sharing his office. 

She had then proceeded to rather cheekily call him possessive to which he had been rather unimpressed at her sly comment and pulled me into his arms which further proved her comment true.

He had grumbled something under his breath whilst she had a good giggle at the whole thing, leaving me awkwardly stuck in the middle of wanting to laugh at Grayson with her and feeling guilty because he wants the best for me and he can't help feeling the way he feels.

"Hey Princess," he says with a warm smile as he looks up from the document he was working on, hidden amongst the clutter on the desk in front of him.

In theory, it made sense to share an office due to the nature of our jobs and how much they overlap considering we run the pack together, however, in reality, it seems like more of a hassle than it's worth. 

"Are you okay? How did your appointment with Teresa go?"

"I-I-I'm o-okay" I start with a small smile before continuing to sign. "The appointment was fine. She said I've passed all the tissue but said we should wait until after my next period before trying again..."

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm glad you have recovered from the mis-" he starts but I quickly cut him off before I look my nerve.

"C-can w-we t-talk pl-pl-e-ease Gr-gr-ay-s-son?"

I watch him, biting my lip nervously as he gives me a confused look before locking down his expression. A mask I haven't seen him use since the fight with Zane a few weeks ago.

He's expecting the worst...

"Of course, Princess," he says gently before walking over to the couch and clearing the stuff off it so we can sit down. He ushers me over before plonking down on the smooth leather and pulling me with him. He tries to pull me into him and normally, I wouldn't fight him but I choose today to sit next to him with my back against the arm of the couch so I can sign properly and so I can see his expressions.

He frowns at my choice but doesn't push it, instead, grabbing my legs and putting them on his lap in an effort to close the distance between us.

"Is everything okay?" he signs after a moment, his eyes searching me as a frown tugs at his lips. 

"Yeah, everything is okay" I start, signing back with a small smile. "It's just... we've barely had a moment to ourselves, let alone talk, since winning the war and I..."

I pause, trying to find the right words.

"Want to talk about the miscarriage?" Grayson signs, trying to be helpful.

I nod as tears spring into my eyes. I bite my lip as I try to calm the sudden wave of nerves and emotion but to no avail. The tears begin to stream silently down my face as I look back at Grayson, his expression softening.

"Please don't hate me... But I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother yet..." I sign, my bottom lip wobbling.

"I know that I was pregnant for a short while and it was Zane's fault we lost the baby and I'm sure if things had been different and I hadn't had a miscarriage, we would have loved that child, but, I just, I don't know if I'm ready to try again..."

"Acacia-"

"At least not yet, anyway. I really do want to have children with you Grayson, but, we are still so young and I want to work on myself first and get help and-"

"Acacia!" Grayson says aloud, amusement dripping from his tone. I stop signing and look at him sheepishly.

"Y-yeah?"

"It's okay, I've been thinking a similar thing since the miscarriage happened, but as you said, we haven't had a chance to talk about it," he continues, signing with a warm smile.

"Wait, you do?"

"Yeah, we are still young and I would like for us to get married and get settled back into our workload after all this craziness before we go having children..."

"Really? Oh, I'm so relieved" I sign, letting out the breath I had been holding, a smile creeping onto my face.

"I was worried you were going to be mad because, in all the books I've read in the library, the Alphas and Lunas all started having children right after they mated and I thought you would want to do the same..."

"No, Princess," he says, chuckling. "I'm okay with waiting. We don't have to be anything like the wolves in those old stuffy books. We can do whatever the hell we want because it's our lives and we will do what is right for us."

"O-ok-kay. S-so n-no b-ba-a-bies y-yet th-then" I stutter with a smile. 

"No babies yet" Grayson nods with a smile. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about, Princess? Because if that's all, then would you do me the honour of letting me take you to bed so we can practice making some babies?"

"Gr-gray-s-son!" I shriek with a grin as I smack his arm, both amused by his vulgar question.

"Hey! Practice never hurt anyone!"

I roll my eyes at him as he laughs with the most stunning grin painted on his face. God, I honestly got so lucky with him being my mate.

"So bed then?" he signs, his laughter trailing off into a suggestive smirk.

"Soon," I sign, struggling to concentrate as Grayson slowly begins to glide his fingers up my legs. "There actually is something else I want to talk to you about..."

"Okay. Shoot" he says aloud, his hands stilling on my legs, his expression soft and attentive.

 "I-I... I-I th-th-i-ink I w-wa-ant t-to g-ge-t-t s-som-me h-help, l-like th-the-er-rapy h-help" I start, the nerves returning and making my stutter worse. Frustrated, I continue signing instead, in an effort to get everything out that I want say.

"Therapy, and continuing my speech lessons and maybe getting some schooling too..."

"Okay..."

"I just, I don't want to be scared anymore, Grayson. I want to be able to live my life, without my past haunting me all the time and I want to be the best Luna possible and I can't do that if I always feel like I'm behind..."

"I know, Princess. I think that it's a great idea if it's something you feel like you want and need," he signs with a smile.

"Really? You promise you're okay with it?"

"Of course! As long as you're happy and safe, that's all I care about. We're equals, remember? We are in this together and if that's something you want, then I'm always going here to support you."

"Th-th-a-ank y-you Gr-gr-a-ay-s-son" I reply with a smile, warmth filling me.

"You don't have to thank me, Princess" he says grinning before pulling me into him and crashing his lips onto mine. 

The warmth that had filled my chest instantly shoots to my core as I melt into his touch, my hands finding their way into his hair.

A possessive growl tumbles from his lips and his grip tightens on me as I shift slightly to try to get closer to him. 

He breaks our kiss reluctantly, resting his forehead against mine.

"Can I take you to bed now?" he asks huskily.

 I nod, giggling, and that's all the confirmation he needs before he sweeps me into him arms and carries me to our bedroom.

We reach it rather quickly and gently places me on the bed before shedding his clothes and climbing on top of me, his eyes dark as Dante lurks close by.

He captures my lips with his and my body instantly becomes a puddle as I melt into his kiss, heat finding its way to my core. A small moan escapes my lips as he kisses a fiery trail down my jaw line and neck, my clothes disappearing from my body in the process.

I suck in a sharp breath as he takes one of my nipples into his mouth, sucking hard, his free hand rubbing gentle circles around the other. A wetness makes itself apparent, the scent thick in the air, and Grayson smiles against my skin as he gives my other nipple the same treatment as the first before continuing to burn his way down my body to my core.

He gives my slick pussy a languorous lick with the flat of his touch, a moan of satisfaction tumbling from his lips as I squirm underneath him.

"God, you're so perfect" he mind links before sliding his fingers into my pussy as he gently rubs circles around my clit with his tongue. 

My body electrifies and within seconds, I'm coming underneath his touch. We hadn't had sex in a while so it wasn't surprising that I've cum so quickly. He groans, drinking me in as he works his fingers faster, sending me straight into another orgasm right off the back of the first one.

Whimpers escape me as he quickly pulls out his fingers, rolls on a condom and then replaces them with his hard cock, slamming into my sated body, electrifying me once again.

He groans as he stills for a moment, letting me adjust to him before slamming into me, picking up his pace. I watch as his eyes shift between his and Dante's a few times before finally settling back onto his own. Clearly, Grayson just won the control battle.

Elliot was also nearby, but after just seeing Dante back off, so did she. She obviously wanted us to have our space, which I appreciate.

"God, Acacia, you are extraordinary," Grayson mind links huskily before sweeping me into an earth-shattering kiss as he continues to thrust into me. His thumb quickly finds its way to my clit and that's enough to send me into another full-force orgasm, a scream of pleasure ripping through me, shocking me as I didn't think my body would be capable of another after the attention he had given it with his mouth.

Spurred on by my reaction, he quickly flips me over onto my hands and knees and begins to pump into me from behind, creating new sensations inside my pussy. I stutter out his name breathlessly, his fingers snaking around my hip to find my clit, pushing me closer to the edge.

"Gr-gr-a-ay-son, I-I c-can't..." I weep, tears running down my face as the pressure builds, the pleasure almost pain.

"You can. Cum for me, Princess" he growls aloud, his voice smooth.

And just like that, I climax. It rushes over me in waves, reaching all the way to the edges of my body. I grip the sheets and scream his name as he slams into me a few more times before his own orgasm takes over with a roar.

Eventually we both come down off our highs, our body's slick with sweat and my orgasm and he pulls out of me before scooping my limp body up into his arms.

"Let's shower" he says warmly, eyes bright as he carries me into the bathroom, my head resting on his shoulder in pure bliss.

"I assume you talked to Teresa about wanting to get therapy, speech lessons and schooling when you went to see her earlier?' Grayson mind links as he nuzzles his chin into the crook of my neck, his large body wrapped around mine.

We had taken a much needed shower, where Grayson had proceeded to worship me some more - because apparently the walk between the bed and the shower was enough time for him to get going again - before having something to eat and then crawling into bed where currently lay cuddled up to each other.

"Yeah, I did. She asked if I wanted to see someone within the pack or outside the pack for therapy and I said outside... I hope that's okay?" I mind link, nervously.

"That's fine, Princess. Just as long as I can vet them first and be the one to take you to your appointments."

"Of course! I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Good," he mind links before kissing my neck.  "And your speech therapy lessons... I assume you'll just continue with Teresa?"

"I think that's the plan. We didn't talk too much about it all, only that she would be able to sort everything for me. I think the schooling will be the biggest issue..."

"The schooling will be fine. We can get one of the teachers to give you some private tutoring... Actually, would you mind if I sat in on some of your classes?"

"Sure," I reply, mildly confused. "Why though?"

"I've been meaning to check in with the teachers to make sure the curriculum for the students is up to date and that they have enough money in their budget. Plus, it's always good to refresh my knowledge. We don't have a university on the territory yet like some of the other packs in the world do, and being Alpha meant that I couldn't go off and continue to study so I've learnt a lot on the job and through the elders and the council but unfortunately it's not the same... So sitting in on your classes would be rather helpful."

"I see, that makes sense. It'll be nice to do it with you, it means I'm less alone. Does that mean that the twins will be off to university soon then?"

"Yeah..." Grayson mind links, a hint of sadness to his tone. "They turn eighteen soon and because this is their last year of high school, they will be off to university if that's something they choose to do as they don't have any hierarchical responsibilities."

"Ah. So you think they will go then?"

"I think Bella will definitely leave. She's obsessed with alchemy and perfumery so she'll want to do something in that field... Beckett, I'm unsure of... However, they tend to do everything together as you know, so if she goes, then I'm sure he will follow."

"Mmm... So when do they turn eighteen?"

"Ummm, a month from now? September thirtieth. They-"

"Oh my god, wait!" I mind link, cutting him off, shock suddenly coursing through me at my realisation.

"Wh-wh-e-en's y-your b-bir-irth-th-day?!" I stutter, turning over in his arms to face him. "I haven't missed it, have I?" I continue frantically, signing now. "Oh god, I'm such a terrible mate, I've been so caught up with everything that I didn't even think about it. Hell, I haven't even thought about my own birthday since I was a little kid... It became so hard to keep track of everything when I was taken and-" 

"Shhh, Princess" Grayson whispers with a small smile as he gently grabs my hands, halting my sudden spiral of word vomit.

"You haven't missed it. My birthday is October twenty-fourth."

"Oh, okay, good." I sign with a smile of relief after he lets go of my hands. "I'm glad I haven't missed it. You'll be turning twenty-four, right?"

"Correct... and in case you couldn't remember, because as you said, you haven't thought about it since you were little, your birthday is March eleventh... You'll be turning nineteen..."

"Oh, that's right. How did you... Actually, never mind, silly question," I smile sheepishly. Of course, he knows when my birthday is. He would have done his research when he found out I was Alpha Andrew Blackwell's missing daughter.

Visions of the past flash through my mind for a moment, memories of my childhood... past birthdays. All the more reason I want to get help. I want to remember and be able to move on and live my life.

"You okay, Princess?" Grayson asks softly, pulling my attention back to him.

"Yeah..." I sign, biting my lip. "You have files on everyone, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Including me?"

"Yeah..." he replies, almost sheepishly.

"Would you mind if I had a look through your file on me, please? I want to start filling in the gaps of my memory."

"Of course, my love. But-"

"And do you think we could contact my parents and see if they can send through any memories of photos they have too?"

"Yes, we can. But-"

"Oh, and we need to go back and see Teresa to start sorting stuff out. Plus, this morning your mother said that we should start thinking about a date for the wedding now that everything is more under control. So I guess that means we need to start some wedding planning and-"

"Acacia" Grayson drawls, a lazy smile on his face, grabbing my hands once again.

"Y-yes?" I stutter, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Just breathe for a second" he continues, amusement present in his tone. "We have all the time in the world to do all of that, Princess. We're in no rush,"

"B-but-"

"But nothing. Right now, we both need to get some rest, especially if you want to start doing all of those things tomorrow."

"O-o-ka-ay..."

"Everything is going to be okay, I promise. We've got a lifetime together and I am going to spend everything waking moment of it making sure that you are safe and loved and happy, starting with getting some sleep..."

"I know" I sign with a small smile. "Thank you, Grayson."

I stare at him and he grins back at me before planting a gentle kiss on my lips. I instantly melt into his touch, enveloped by his warmth, my worries falling away. 

He is right. We have all the time in the world to do all those things.

Tomorrow would be a fresh start. The first step towards finding myself and living my life and with Grayson by my side, supporting me, I know that anything is possible.

Plus, a lifetime of loving the most incredible man to every exist is more than I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams. A dream that my younger self had had to let go of due to her circumstances. A dream that I was now getting to live. A dream I deserved to live.

"I-I lo-lo-v-ve y-you, Gr-gray-ay-s-son" I stutter with a smile, after breaking our kiss to look back at him. He grins back at me with a smile to genuine and warm, I swear I might combust right then and there.

"I love you too, Acacia" he replies, huskily. "Sleep now..."

I nod and kiss him gently before snuggling into him, his grip around me tightening, pulling me unbelievable close.

This is it, the start of my forever and I couldn't be more happy.

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Hey Guys,

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Nice and long for you all!! I'm super excited and nervous and scared for the next chapter... None of you are ready for it...

As always, if you've made it this far, thanks for sticking around! It means so much to me! Please vote and leave me a comment letting me know that you're still around and please also check out my other books including my new romance novel, Passengers.

If you feel so inclined, go follow my personal Instagram account @amy_duffell for a look into my life outside of writing! I also have a writing and book-related Instagram too (a bookstagram if you will) @amyduffell_author, if you would like to check that out also!

Thanks,

Allamy xx