The Clumsy Omega Gave a Bath to a Giant Black Wolf- Then the Alpha King Refused to Leave Her Cottage

Chapter 9

Spring finally arrived at Mirror Lake.

The last traces of winter melted from the shoreline. Wildflowers began appearing along the forest paths, and sunlight lingered longer each evening. Yet despite the changing season, one thing remained exactly the same. Cassian still found himself standing outside Elara’s cottage every morning, wondering how he had become this happy.

Elara found him there one afternoon, staring across the lake with his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat.

“You’re thinking again,” she said.

Cassian glanced over his shoulder. “I do that occasionally.”

“Dangerous habit.”

He smiled. Elara stepped beside him and looked out across the water. The lake shimmered beneath the afternoon sun. Gentle breezes carried the scent of pine trees, fresh earth, and the faint fragrance of lavender drifting from the open cottage windows. Neither spoke for a while. The silence between them no longer felt awkward. It felt familiar. Comfortable. Like home.

Eventually, Elara glanced at him. “Your riders haven’t come back yet.”

Cassian’s smile faded slightly. “No.”

The answer hung between them. Both understood what it meant. The kingdom was waiting. Responsibilities were waiting. A crown was waiting.

Elara lowered her gaze toward the water. “You’ll have to go back eventually.”

Cassian looked at her quietly. “Yes.”

For the first time since learning the truth, neither of them tried to avoid the subject. The realization carried a weight they had both been pretending not to feel.

A flock of birds crossed the sky overhead. Their reflections drifted across the lake below.

“Do you miss it?” Elara asked softly.

Cassian considered the question. He thought about royal halls. Endless meetings. Noble families. Advisers. Expectations. He thought about years spent carrying responsibilities that never truly ended. Then he thought about stolen apples. Crooked scarves. A ridiculous chicken named Penny. And a cottage that smelled faintly of lavender.

“No,” he answered honestly.

Elara smiled sadly. “That is not a very kingly answer.”

“Perhaps I am not feeling particularly kingly today.”

A laugh escaped her. Cassian watched her smile and felt the familiar warmth that always followed. “Elara,” he said quietly.

She turned toward him. Something in his expression made her heart skip.

“Before I came here,” he said, “I thought strength meant carrying everything alone.” His gaze drifted briefly across Mirror Lake. “I spent years trying to be exactly what everyone expected me to be.” He paused. “Then you dumped two gallons of freezing water on my head.”

Elara immediately covered her face. “We agreed never to discuss that again.”

“We absolutely never agreed to that.”

Despite herself, she laughed. Cassian’s eyes softened.

“Everything changed after that.”

The breeze stirred her hair. Neither looked away. “You treated me like a person before you knew who I was.” His voice grew quieter. “You saw me when nobody else did.”

The words settled gently between them. Elara felt her chest tighten.

“Cassian,” she said. “You gave me a home when I did not even realize I needed one.”

For a moment, she could not speak. Every memory returned at once. The black wolf beside the fireplace. The scarf. The walks around the lake. The laughter. The storm. The silver eyes.

“You gave me one, too,” she admitted.

The confession seemed to surprise both of them. Cassian stared at her. Elara lowered her gaze before continuing. “Before you arrived, I thought being alone didn’t bother me.” A small smile touched her lips. “Turns out I was very wrong.”

The lake sparkled behind them. Somewhere in the distance, Penny could be heard causing trouble again. Neither paid attention.

Cassian took a slow breath. “Elara, there is something I need to ask you.”

Her pulse immediately quickened. “Okay.”

He stepped closer — not enough to overwhelm her, just enough to close the distance that had existed between them for so long. “If I return to the kingdom,” he said softly, “there will always be responsibilities.” His silver eyes never left hers. “There will always be people who need me.”

Elara nodded. “I know.”

“But there is only one place that has ever felt like home.”

Her breath caught. The breeze seemed to disappear. The entire world narrowed to the space between them.

“Elara.” His voice was steady, honest, vulnerable in a way she had never seen before. “If I stay,” he said, “would you want me here?”

For a moment, Elara could only stare at him. Then she laughed softly through sudden tears she had not expected. “You are the Alpha King. That is not an answer.”

“You rule an entire kingdom.”

“Elara.”

Her smile grew. “You are also the man who stole my apples.”

Cassian sighed dramatically. “I regret teaching you that story.”

“You got jealous of Penny.”

“That is still under investigation.”

Elara stepped closer until only a small distance remained between them. Her hand found his — familiar, warm, right. “Cassian?” she said softly. “You could stay for a hundred years, and I would still want you here.”

The expression that crossed his face stole the breath from her lungs. Relief. Wonder. Happiness. All at once. Neither looked away. Neither needed to. The answer they had both been searching for had finally been spoken aloud.

And as the afternoon sunlight shimmered across Mirror Lake, and lavender drifted through the spring air, both of them realized that the future no longer felt uncertain.

It felt like something they would face together.