[[ ---Cesare's POV--- ]]
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"It's funny you bring that up, marriage, where do you stand on couples getting married who aren't mates?" My dad asked.

I sat back and looked at Evalina closely.

"I don't like it one bit." She stated firm yet graciously.

This is the most I've ever witnessed her speak, and so openly with out pausing or stuttering. She is seriously in her element.

I just wish mom would cool it, I don't know how she figured it out, but she definitely knows Evalina is my mate.

"Oh?" he asked.

"No sir, I think it is a pointless Union to marry someone who isn't your mate, because when one or the others true mate comes along then it can leave a messy path." She stated matter if factly.

I nodded a bit, I couldn't agreed more.

"How so?" Dad continued to question her.

Had it been anyone else I might have grown annoyed, but as its my father I held my tongue, not that I had to though as my mate seemed to hold her own in stride.

"Well first off one will be broken hearted, then there's the expensive and sometimes drawn out divorces, and the worst is if they have a child or children, imagine having a loveless baby...sure they will love their child regardless, but the kid is too young to realize what's going on and could grow up resenting their parents...all of which can be avoided by simply waiting for your mate."

"My my" he sounded.

To say I was proud of my mates small speech was an understatement. But the moment was short lived when her sister spoke up.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Gianna glared at her.

My wolf grew defensive and if she didn't stop it soon I was going to have to stand up and demand she treat my
Mate with kindness and respect.

But Evalina simply shrugged, "you can't possibly think Cesare will marry you, you aren't his mate."

I wanted to laugh so badly, I also wanted to look at my mate, had she just sort of accepted us unknowingly?

But of course in true Gianna fashion, she had to be on top. "Shows how much you know, he actually proposed the other night."

I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to keep myself calm, if not I would shift right here and ruin my mother's entire meal, "Gianna, a word please." I struggled to get out calmly.

"I know you wanted to keep it a secret, but what better time than when our family is all together."

This female is truly delusional, perhaps she is a pathological liar. Whatever she is, she's crossing the line with this lie..does she really think I'm going to let her get away with this?

To add insult to injure my father began clapping and her mother looked like she was just about to begin planning the wedding already.

I couldn't take it anymore "Gianna! A word please." I growled.

I heard her small whimper as she rose from her seat, she followed me outside and I slammed the front door behind me.

"What the fuck was that?!"

She shrugged, "oh come on, you've gotta admit that we'd be good together Cesare."

"Are you simple...or just slow?" I asked honestly. "Gianna, we're done...we've been done." I said, I couldn't even stand still I was filled with so much adrenaline right now that I began to pace a bit. "You know even if we weren't over before, we're definitely over now, I mean to the point that I would NEVER even think twice about kicking you out of this pack...you're so lucky that my father is still the Alpha otherwise your ass would be gone."

She didn't say a thing.

"You don't have anything to say for yourself?"

Still she remained silent.

"You're going to go back in there, and first you're going to apologize to your sister for that horrendous outburst against her and then you're going to tell everyone the truth."

"I'll do no such thing!" She shouted.

I reacted, I grabbed her upper arms harshly, enough that she would bruise the next day, "you will either do what I tell you to do or leave my parents house immediately."

She looked at me and turned to enter the house, I didn't bother following her.

I walked along my parents property line taking in the crisp autumn air, I needed to clear my head.

My mindless wandering led me to the backyard, and I was thankful for it as I found Evalina back there.

"I'm sorry about what happened in there."

She got up and looked at me, I could now see that tears had run down her cheeks.

"Hey don't do that." I said as fresh tears began forming in her lovely green eyes.

"Y-you said you were mine."

My heart beat a little quicker and I reached out and touched her face, my fingers touching the small love-bite I had intentionally left on her jaw, "Cara Mia I am yours."

She shook her head, "not from what my sister tells it."

"Excuse my language but your sisters a fucking psycho, Evalina none of that was true."

"Oh really?!" She asked, her voice raising a bit.

"Really." I answered softly, "I broke up with your sister the same night I found you, there was no way I was going to lose you to some girl I didn't even want to date in the first place."

She looked stunned.

"Say something." I begged her.

"You broke up with her?" She asked.

I nodded my head 'yes.'

"S-so this whole time...i mean, I've been feeling guilty over my feelings for you and this whole time you two weren't even dating?"

I knew she was talking more to herself than anything else but I couldn't help but listen, "what feelings?" I asked a little confidently.

"Guilt" she said flatly.

"Why would you feel guilty?"

"Because this whole time I've known you are my mate and of course I can't help but want to be with you, so my hearts telling me that it's okay...meanwhile I know you're my sisters boyfriend so my head is telling me that to even find you attractive is wrong."

"You find me attractive?" I smiled.

She sighed, "of course that's all you would choose to hear."

"Well there's nothing to feel guilty about, I'm single, you're single, we're mates...no issue, right?"

"You're still my sisters ex, we'll have to be careful around her, Gia can be a bitch when she wants to be...and she's not use to being told no."

Still looking down at Evalina I smiled, "does this mean you're willing to give us a chance Cara Mia?"

Once more she sighed, "I hardly have a choice," she smiled, "and stop touching me, you're driving my wolf crazy."

I bent down and kissed her cheek once, "stay after dinner, I can take you home."

"Alright." She agreed happily, "but we should go back in."

"You go in first, we have to remain inconspicuous if you want to play up this charade." I suggested.

She nodded and made her way back into the house, I waited a minute longer before reentering.

"I'm sorry about all of that, I do apologize for the outbursts...and just so you all know, I did not propose to Gianna, in truth we've been broken up for over a week already. I'm not sure where that scene came from earlier but once again I do apologize on her behalf." I said as I notice Gianna was nowhere to be seen.

"It's hardly an issue son" my mother assured me with loving smile.

"Like hell it is," my father shouted, "you have embarrassed Beverly and Gianna both this evening."

I held my composure, "how so?"

"Well, you could've at least played along until after dinner instead of making a scene during dinner."

I shook my head, "you'd rather I lie to you all?"

He remained silent.

"I mean the truth would've been found out anyways... Plus dad, you and mom both knew I had broken up with Gianna, I told you on the night I had originally broken up with her."

"How are we to know you didn't decide to just go back to her?" He tried to place the blame on me again.

"I told both you and mom I broke up with Gianna because I found my mate, so you really think I'm going to just stop pursuing my mate to be with someone else?"

Silence filled the dining room.

"How about we try some of Evalina's beautiful desserts?" Mom suggested cheerfully.

"Yes please." My father grumbled, "at least this should lift my mood a bit."

Evalina's sweets were divine, and just as I thought I would, I loved the lemon raspberry cheesecake. It was made even better knowing I had cleared my conscious and the truth about Gianna and I was finally out, best of all, my mate accepted me and now I would do anything to make her mine fully.