Rejecting, Your Broken Promises
Chapter 42

Sloan’s POV

Ever Green Pack

Vincent was right. I should be more focused as that stupid ball of fire hitting me really did hurt. I know first-hand that it will be an effective tool in a fight now because I can still remember that searing pain in my shoulder. I can still remember the pain of it before he came and healed me. I had no mark on me at all from my injury, and I know for a fact that I want to learn how to do that spell he used next. I would want to be able to help any of my mate’s family, or him if they were hurt. I am glad that Vincent and Beth will be going with them when they go to the B***d Claw pack with Peyton. I was worried that she could be hurt by them again, and I wanted to go as well.

Dawson wants me to stay here, with him and Elena. She wants to go too, but her parents agree that some of us need to stay behind. Dawson and I, as the incoming Alpha and Luna for B***d Moon, and Elena would get Ever Green if the worst were to happen. She understands how important family is to her parents, so she grudgingly agreed to stay, this time. I knew what she meant, she meant that if Peyton ever needed us again, we would both be there for her. No matter what, we are 100 percent in agreement on that.

The worst part about that was that we ALL knew that there would indeed be a next time. Poor Peyton had been through way too much in her life, and the fact we all acknowledged that we would be going through more, and soon, with the threat of Jasper still in the air. It was a sore subject around here, and all I could do was try my best to learn so I could help out when the time came. It was the main reason that I trained as hard as I was. I love Peyton and Elena like they were my sisters. Wait, cancel that. I have a horrible sister, and they are nothing like she is. She is a vain, spoiled b***h that was responsible for at least three-fourths of the times I got really hurt, between her and her friends. My mother was the other quarter. I love Dawson more than anyone, I also love Peyton, Elena, and Rob my brother. I love Gabi, Tanner, Heath, Von, Vincent, Beth, and Moira too, but Peyton and Elena were special to me. Peyton because she understands more than probably anyone else what I went through. Elena because she is the reason that I was saved from my prison. She saw me standing in my window, and pointed me out to Dawson. I will never ever be able to thank her enough for that alone, but she was the very first friend that I ever had.

I shivered thinking about my mom, she never let dad catch her abusing me, it was always done when he was out for Alpha training, or to help another pack and she couldn’t go with him. It had gotten worse in recent years, as soon as Rob had gotten old enough to go with him to learn. Those times were the worst. Usually, it was just mom coming in to do it, but two years ago when Brandi caught mom in the act, she wanted to be included in it. Brandi usually hurt me or had her friends hurt me the bulk of the time, but I healed quicker when it was just them. When mom was doing it, I could tell that she really wanted to kill me, or at least, hurt me badly. That was the very worst, I still loved mom, but all the pain that she put me through gradually destroyed any remnant of love that I had for her. I don’t even talk about it to anyone, not the therapist, who had told me that I could tell him anything, and it would stay between us. I will also never tell Dawson, he would definitely go back there to punish her for it, and that will not go over well for anyone. I certainly don’t want to lose my brother in a war that I know for a fact that Gold Moon could never win.

I didn’t even want to look at my mother anymore, ever again in this lifetime. She was allowed to keep me locked up, dad only wanted mom to be happy, and she could hide how she was treating me from him. I have only seen dad from afar for the last year, until the day Dawson rescued me. I almost had to step over him in the hallway when I left. It was sad not being able to say goodbye to him, but it was for the best. Dad always valued mom, much more than I, he couldn’t have loved me to have allowed me to be treated like I was. I think that mom had gotten more violent with me because the training had gotten increased as Rob would be taking over soon. They both wanted him to be as prepared as he could be, so, they made sure that he had every single training available to him. They both doted on him, and I was not jealous of it. Rob is a good man, and I loved him deeply. He was going to be a great Alpha. Much better than my father who basically let my mom run everything. He doted on her, whatever she said was done, in every situation. I have to calm my breathing, as I was starting to get upset and I see Dawson glance over at me from the drink station as he was getting us both some more water.

Dawson comes back to the table and pulls me into his side. I took a deep breath in to calm myself. Nothing smelled better to me than my mate. He is perfection and I thank the Moon Goddess, Selene, for him each and every morning when I wake up. It is the perfect time to do it as his scent is still surrounding me, and his warm body is solid against my back. I love to turn towards him in the morning and just look at him. I always have to fight the urge to touch him, I don’t want to wake him up as I enjoy my time to just look at him, trying to memorize his face. His long lashes touched his cheeks and let me anticipate getting to see his beautiful blue-grey eyes. He is one of the most handsome men that I have ever seen, and I always have to fight the urge to trace his lips. For me, Dawson is total perfection from top to bottom. I can’t wait to see what our pups will look like. I hope they all favor him, he is drop-dead gorgeous. I can still remember how angry Brandi was when she was yelling outside my room because he was my mate, and not hers. I saw her on the training field lining up, even when she already knew he wasn’t hers. She knew but had still tried, she had already met him right after she turned 18 years old, and had griped about him not being her mate for a month afterward. He is a blessing to me straight from Selene herself. I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I am so thankful for him.

I snap back from daydreaming to finishing our dinner, taking another deep breath in, and then nodding to him in thanks. He knew I needed him to help calm down. We have a deep connection with each other, even without us being marked. He knows what I am feeling, and I know what he was feeling as well. Like earlier today when I got hit by a ball of fire from losing focus to turn and check on him. Vincent was right, in an actual fight it could be life and death, and I needed to make sure that I kept my attention where it needed to be. We finish the meal and we all sat around the long table talking to each other. Due to the extra guests here at Ever Green we had our area elongated with additional seating at the table, so there was seating for up to 18 people, which was one more than we needed. With a bench seat on one side of the table, and chairs on the other side. We now had two sets now pushed together to make an extended seating area.

I was speaking to Elena when her eyes got big, and she was looking over my shoulder at something behind me. I turned around to see what was going on because Elena is never surprised and gave a small gasp. They had quietly slid the bench seat that Dawson was sitting on away from the table giving him a spot to get down on one knee. He was holding an open ring box up hopefully towards me and said, “I wanted to make this proposal special and wonderful for you. With a romantic setting, and some lovely music, your favorite meal, and a beautiful sunset to top it all off. I just cannot wait any longer to ask you to be my wife. I bought this ring at the mall with dad while you were shopping with mom and Elena, and I need you to say yes to being my wife, my mate, and the mother of my pups. The perfect moment isn’t always real, this right here, what we have together is real. Special moments where I get to hold you close, comfort you, or inhale your scent to calm me when I am under stress. That is real, and that is perfect to me. What I feel for you, is real. I want you to know that no matter what happens in life, that I will always make sure that you know that I love you, and I promise to tell you that every day. I promise to hold your hand when you are having my pups. I will be your strength when you need me to be, and I will always put you first as my mate, and my Queen. I promise to give you date nights on the town, and special nights at our pack, with the same romantic setting that I mentioned to you. I want to wake up every morning and see your beautiful face staring back at me with so much love shining out of your eyes every single day. I love you, now and forever, please say that you will be mine completely, Sloan Reynolds.”

I have tears in my eyes that he would say that this isn’t perfect, it is. I don’t need a special location, I just need him. I started nodding yes and Dawson slid my ring onto my finger, it fit perfectly, and now I know why Elena asked me my ring size while we were shopping. I only had 1 ring, until today, and it belonged to my grandmother, Sera. I feel tears running down my face and all of the women at the day were crying right along with me. I stood up to hug and k**s Dawson. I already thought he was perfection, but now he is even more precious to me. What he said to me, how he makes me feel like I am the only woman in the world when he is with me. I thanked the Moon Goddess again for giving him to me. He is my everything, and I would die protecting him as well. I wipe the tears from my face and sit back down and they pick the bench seat up to put it back in place. He had help, that is why I didn’t hear it slide back. Heath and Tanner smile at me as they go back to their seats and I smiled back at them, happy that I have a brand new family, that loves me completely.

I love over to Gabi, who is still crying concerned that she is upset. I cannot stop the words from coming out as I am worried that she is unhappy with me becoming a new member of the family, “Gabi are you OK?”

“I have never in my life been happier than I am at this moment sweet girl. Now we have not one, but two weddings to plan. I only thought I would get to help with one, for Elena. The Goddess has blessed me with two wonderful mates for my sons, and I couldn’t be happier with her choices. Queen Deanna, I hope to be included in the dress shopping for Peyton’s wedding as well. I am absolutely thrilled that both of my sons want to get married. I know that it isn’t needed by our traditions after marking and mating, but I am so glad you both want your mates to be fully and completely yours. I didn’t know that Dawson had gotten the ring the same day we found Sloan. I am so glad to have been here for the proposal, son. It was beautiful and from the heart. I could tell you meant every word, and I hope you both have a long and happy life together. Sloan, it will be my pleasure to act as your mother when we go dress shopping. Maybe we can get both dresses at the same time? I cannot wait to get my hands on my grand pups. Beth, I am so sorry, I wasn’t thinking because I am so excited. You might want to be the one to act as her mother, you are her family, and I am fine with that. I just wanted her to have someone to help her pick her dress out” Gabi said to the group and her excitement is obvious. I have never heard her say so many words at one time in the few weeks that I have known her. I smiled back at her, happy that she wants me to be a part of her family, and for offering me something that I thought I would never have, a mother’s love, and that got me crying again.

“I would be ecstatic to go with you all, I believe Moira would love to go as well. It is a date, and we can make a day of it. I have done this before, several times over in my long life, and I am very happy to let you take the “mother” position in this Gabi. I know you will guide her well in her choices. I am just so glad that Dawson decided to stop waiting on the perfect moment and realize that every moment has an opportunity to be “perfect” each day” Beth said and smiled knowingly down at Dawson. I remember that he had fallen back when we were coming in to get dinner and I guess he spoke with them about it. He may have been scared to ask me in case they got upset at the request. A lot of supernatural creatures don’t need to have a wedding, they each have their own way to do it, and with us, it is usually a Luna ceremony. I am even happier knowing that they not only approved of him for me but encouraged him to ask as well.

Elena and Peyton want to see my ring, so I showed them both and then had to look at it myself. It is beautiful and I love it. Just knowing Dawson picked it out just for me because he loved me and wanted to make me his wife. I feel like I could explode with happiness as just over two weeks ago I had no hope at all, trapped in a room and only able to look out the windows to experience life. Now I have a devastatingly handsome fiancé and mate, I have two best friends that I love with my whole heart. I have a new family that loves and accepts me. My life is perfect, and there is only one more thing that would make it better. I want to mate and mark Dawson tonight. I just need to get a little intel first, so I don’t look like a complete i***t for attempting something that I have no idea about. My life is wonderful now, and it is all because of Dawson.