I Refuse To Be Your Luna (Flourish and Harold) novel Chapter 203

Chapter 203 The Gift

Lady Flourish’s POV

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I froze at Damian’s question, my wolf pressing anxiously beneath my skin as I tried to decide how much of the truth I actually wanted to give him tonight.

He was still watching me from across the study, the ring gleaming faintly on his finger, waiting for an answer I wasn’t ready to hand over yet.

“It’s nothing,” I said quietly. “Just a conversation.”

His

eyes

narrowed slightly. “Your scent says otherwise.”

I closed the folder on my desk and stood, deciding that sleep mattered more than an argument

I didn’t have the energy for tonight. “Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

Damian studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Tomorrow, then.”

I left him in the study and went straight to bed, though sleep came slower than I wanted, my mind circling back to Phina’s smile and the cruelty underneath it.

I had barely drifted off when a knock sounded against my bedroom door, and I pulled the blanket over my head with a tired frown.

The scent reaching me through the door was familiar, carrying traces of cologne, alcohol, and the unmistakable presence of my mate.

The knock came again, and I dragged myself out of bed, walking to the door and opening it with irritation written all over my face.

Damian stood there in a dark suit with his tie loosened, his hair slightly disordered, and a faint flush across his normally composed face.

“Do you know what time it is?” I asked, keeping my voice low so I wouldn’t wake the house. though my wolf was already wide awake and paying far more attention to him than I was.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice rougher than usual, a small smile tugging at his lips that told me exactly what had happened.

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you drunk?”

“I am.”

He laughed quietly, then lifted his hand to show me the silver ring I had bought earlier that day. My irritation faded for a moment. “You found it?”

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Chapter 203 The Gift

“I did.”

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His gaze dropped to the ring, something softening in his face that I rarely saw from him.

Damian could command a boardroom full of executives without blinking, yet standing outside my bedroom holding a simple silver ring made him look strangely vulnerable.

“You bought this for me,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

I folded my arms. “It was a thank you gift.”

His brows lifted. “A thank you gift?”

“Yes.” I tried to sound casual, but my wolf gave a pleased little response when he looked at me like that.

He stepped closer, and the mate bond between us grew stronger. “After everything you’ve done for me, I thought you deserved something.”

“Flourish,” he said, and the way he said my name made my chest tighten.

Before I could respond, his hand closed gently around my wrist and pulled me toward him. I stumbled against his chest, and the warmth of his body surrounded me at once.

“Damian.”

He lowered his head until his eyes met mine. “What?”

“What are you doing?”

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips. “Kissing my mate.”

His mouth found mine before I could answer. The kiss felt different from the first one we had ever shared, because there was no drug clouding his judgment this time and no audience watching us.

There was only the quiet room, the warmth of him, the faint trace of alcohol on his breath, and the bond between us responding with a force that weakened my knees.

My fingers caught the front of his shirt instinctively, and his hand settled at my waist, holding me steady without pulling me any closer than I wanted.

His wolf brushed against mine through the bond, and mine answered despite every attempt 1 made to stay composed.

When he finally pulled back, our foreheads rested together, his breathing uneven and mine

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Chapter 203 The Gift

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worse. He looked at me for several seconds before speaking again.

“Did you really buy this because of everything I’ve done for you?”

“Yes.”

His thumb brushed gently over my wrist. “I like it.”

A small smile touched my lips. “Good.”

“But you shouldn’t have been the one to buy both,” he said, taking the second ring from the box. “My mate deserves to be given her ring.”

Before I could respond, he lowered himself onto one knee in front of me.

For a man who had built his entire reputation on control and authority, seeing the Alpha of Dartwood kneeling before me made my heart pound harder than I expected.

“Damian.”

“Give me your hand.”

I hesitated before extending it. He held my fingers carefully, then slid the ring onto my finger, the silver band settling perfectly against my skin.

The mate bond reacted with a warm pulse that made me inhale sharply.

“Does it fit?” he asked, looking up.

“Perfectly.”

His expression softened. “Good.” He stood and took the other ring from my hand. “Now put mine on.”

My fingers trembled slightly as I slid it onto his finger, and the moment it settled into place, his wolf stirred strongly enough that I felt it through our bond.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Better than alright,” he said, his thumb brushing over the ring. “We’re wearing these until we replace them with our wedding bands.”

I lowered my eyes. “You’ve already started planning?”

“I’ve been planning since the day you became mine.”

My face warmed. “You’re drunk.”

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Chapter 203 The Gift

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“Maybe,” he said, leaning closer. “But I’m not confused.” His lips touched my forehead. “I know exactly what I want.”

Something in my chest tightened at his words. I had spent so long protecting myself that allowing someone to want me this openly still felt unfamiliar, even after everything we had survived together.

Then his eyes narrowed, and I felt the shift in him before he even spoke. “What happened today?”

“What?”

“Your scent.” His jaw tightened. “There’s another female wolf on you. Phina.”

The warmth in the room disappeared at once.

“How did you know?” I asked.

“I’m an Alpha,” he said, his voice dropping low. “I can recognize fear, anger, and hostility through scent.”

My wolf shifted uneasily beneath my skin. I had meant to tell him eventually, just not this fast.

“She approached me at the mall.”

“What did she do?” His whole body went rigid.

I reached for his arm. “Damian, don’t.”

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