When she kissed him, everything else melted away. The world, the grief, the fear… None of it mattered anymore. Only him. Only them.
His lips lit something wild inside her, a fire that spread with reckless abandon through every nerve of her body. Kaldrek moaned against her mouth, his grip on her waist tightening as he hauled her closer, as if he could not bear even the smallest space between them. His hands tangled in her hair, his touch desperate, as though he feared she might slip away.
Minutes—or maybe only seconds—slipped past before Evelyne realized they were moving. Kaldrek had quietly carried her into his tent. When he gently set her down and began filling a washbasin, her heart still thundered, craving the warmth of his touch. But as soon as her hands slipped into the water, a deep breath escaped her and relief flooded in. At last, she could scrub away the dirt and dried blood clinging to her skin. She rinsed her face and ran wet fingers through her hair, letting the final traces of the night’s horrors wash down the basin and away.
Once she finished, Evelyne slipped into a loose shirt and pants before crawling beneath the blankets laid across the ground. The exhaustion in her limbs pressed down like stone. But the moment Kaldrek joined her, his body warm against hers, that heaviness gave way to something far stronger.Need.
The bond between them thrummed wildly. It was unbearable now, how his body molded to hers and his scent wrapped around her like smoke and spice, grounding her even as it sparked every nerve. She could lose herself in him, and part of her already had.
She felt the unmistakable press of his arousal against her back, the hard, pulsing proof of his desire. Heat bloomed low in her belly, spreading through her like molten gold, igniting every inch of her skin. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes locking onto his. The moment their gazes met, she caught the potent, heady scent of his want. It slammed into her like a lightning strike, making her shudder with the force of it.
Feral urgency crashed over her, wiping away the last threads of restraint. With a broken sound, she reached for him, framing his face with both hands and pulling him into another kiss. Their mouths collided with a clash of teeth and tongues, the kiss messy, greedy, utterly perfect. Kaldrek groaned against her lips, pinning her onto her back, his body a solid wall of heat pressing her into the blankets.
He buried his face in the curve of her neck, breathing her in like she was the only thing anchoring him to this world. He needed her. And she needed him just as fiercely.
Evelyne threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging just hard enough to make him lift his head and meet her gaze. The yearning she saw in his eyes sent a deep shiver through her, but it still wasn’t enough. His hand trailed up her shirt and cupped her breast as he licked and nipped just below her ear, and a small, breathy moan escaped her mouth.
She needed more. She neededallof him.
“Kaldrek,” Evelyne panted. He stilled above her, frozen, as if he barely dared to breathe. “I want it,” she whispered, voice trembling. “You. The bond. Everything.”
Yes, he had lied, but he had done it out of fear, not malice. He had been terrified she might leave him, and she may have done the same in his place. It had been selfish, but not cruel. She had become stronger, but also wiser, more willing to see beyond the surface of things. And what they shared was undeniably and fiercely real.
This was not some petty secret whispered in a court full of masks and manipulation. This had been a shield, meant to protect her. He had not derailed her path to finding her brother. He had helped her stay on it. Without Kaldrek and his pack, she would have never made it this far. And now, as everything settled around her, one truth rang louder than the rest: she wanted this bond. She wanted him.
To hell with society. To hell with nobility. She was a wolf, and he was home.
For a heartbeat, he did not move. Then the tension in his face fractured, and a slow, devastating smile spread across his lips. A look of pure happiness and love, as if he had waited his entire life for this moment and never truly believed it would come.
He looked at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. And as she watched the light break through the quiet fear he had buried for so long, she knew. He was exactly what she needed.
“Make me yours in every way, Kaldrek. Claim me.”
His hands trembled against her skin. “Are you sure?” His voice came out hoarse and restrained. Because he knew exactly what her offer meant. A claiming was permanent. Irrevocable. It would bind them, soul to soul. She would belong to him, and he to her.
Evelyne met his gaze, then slowly tilted her head, exposing her throat in silent invitation.
“I love you,” Kaldrek breathed, the words cracking through him like a prayer spoken for the first time.
“I love you too,” Evelyne whispered, just as Kaldrek peeled away her shirt and pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck.
A low growl vibrated from deep within his chest, sending a shiver down her spine. His breath fanned hot over her throat as he lingered there, savoring the moment, as if committing it to memory. Then his fangs sank deep into her flesh.
White-hot pleasure tore through her, stealing her breath. Evelyne gasped, bracing for pain, but there was none. Only a rush of ecstasy that seared through her veins and set her soul aflame. She felt everything: the fierce love behind his touch, the trembling desperation in the way he clung to her, and the unbreakable bond snapping tight between them.
Kaldrek shuddered as he tasted her. When he finally lifted his head, his mouth was stained crimson, his pupils blown wide, dark with overwhelming need.
“Fuck.You taste like everything I’ve ever needed,” he rasped. The aching want in his voice sent a jolt through her body and she arched into him, needing him closer, needing more.
Kaldrek shifted, rising onto his knees, and began to strip away the last of her clothing with careful hands. His eyes raked over her bare skin, taking her in as if she were something sacred. And Evelyne, lying bare beneath him, didn’t feel exposed. She felt cherished. Beautiful.
He leaned down, trailing slow, burning kisses along her throat, her chest, pausing to take her breast into his mouth. His tongue flicked over the sensitive peak, drawing a gasp from her as a slow heat curled low in her belly, building with every lingering caress.
When he pulled back, he undid the laces of his pants with steady hands. Evelyne propped herself on her elbows, watching him stand and shed the last of his clothing.
Her mouth went dry.
Kaldrek was all power and strength, sculpted muscle wrapped in sun-kissed skin. When her eyes drifted lower, she swallowed hard, a flush of want sliding through her.
