Rejected and Pregnant Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince novel Chapter 822

Denzel's directness left Juniper stunned. She stared at him, forgetting to blink, wondering if she'd heard him correctly.

"Are you asking me out?" she breathed, the words heavy with disbelief. In her mind, she was damaged goods, a divorcee with a messy past and a reputation for chaos. She couldn't imagine why any man would willingly step into her life.

"Yes," Denzel replied, his hands planted firmly on the counter as he held her gaze.

She let out a dry, incredulous chuckle. "Why? I'm older than you, I'm a divorcee, and my family cut ties with me. You know exactly what kind of mistakes I've made." Her voice wavered, and her eyes grew misty as she forced herself to keep looking at him.

"I don't care about any of that," Denzel said. "I live in the present. Think about it."

He turned back to the stove, though his movements were slightly stiff. He was nervous. Asking out an Alpha she-wolf was a gamble; he knew their nature, fiercely independent and often guarded. But the more time he spent with Juniper, the more he realized the woman standing in front of him wasn't the broken, reckless person she claimed to be.

He drizzled a small amount of oil into the pan and turned the burner to medium, watching as the liquid began to shimmer.

"There isn't a rulebook that says an older woman can't date a younger man, nor does it forbid a divorcee from moving on," he said. "Everyone carries a messy past, Juniper. At the very least, you've learned from yours and transformed that struggle into independence. That is a rare strength. Not everyone can do that."

Juniper was stunned, hearing his words.

Since the day they met, Denzel had never once judged her. While everyone else in her life seemed intent on pinning the blame for her failures on her, Denzel saw something entirely different.

Refusing him now, when she felt such a pull toward him, would be nothing short of foolish.

"I am an Alpha," she said softly, testing the weight of the words. "And you are a Gamma. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Denzel turned away from the stove, his expression completely unbothered. "What possible problem would I have with that? I've always found myself drawn to strong-willed women." He offered a gentle smile, one meant to soothe the spike of anxiety she felt, and turned back to the pan.

"Then, let's date," Juniper asserted, her heart racing suddenly.

Denzel smiled at her, feeling his nerves finally calming down.

~~~~~~~

After concluding her video call with Casaio and Idris, Zilia realized she needed to let Juniper know she was leaving. She opened their chat and sent a quick message.

The reply pinged back almost immediately: "What? So soon?"

"Yes," Zilia typed. "Cas is missing me. Besides, I mainly came here to see you."

"Let's meet in the morning," Juniper replied. "Is your flight in the early morning hours?"

"No, around noon," Zilia clarified.

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