Zoe nodded, her eyes shimmering with a mix of emotions.
Dennis felt his own transformation ebb away as he stood before her, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. She was here, his mate. Emotions tangled within him. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek, tracing the spot where Lucas had struck her. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Zoe's gaze dropped, uncertainty flickering across her features. "I... I wasn't sure. I thought I might be mistaken, or that you were unaware. I didn't want to impose."
Dennis's heart ached at her words. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You could never be an imposition."
Unable to resist the pull any longer, he closed the remaining distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that spoke of longing and newfound connection. Zoe responded in kind, her arms winding around his neck, pressing herself against him as if to meld their very beings together.
