I turned to face him, reading the question in his eyes. "No. With you. As your true mate. Not because some test said we were compatible, but because we chose each other."
Relief and joy washed over his features. He leaned down, pressing his forehead gently against mine in a gesture of intimate connection. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I am yours, Kalyndi. By choice, not command."
"And I am yours," I whispered back, the words feeling like a vow more binding than any ceremony Magnus Terra could devise.
The tribal safe house was a sprawling underground complex built beneath an ancient forest grove. Dozens of matched pairs and their allies gathered there, preparing for the confrontation to come. Evidence packages were completed, testimonies recorded, strategies planned.
As midnight approached, I couldn't sleep despite our comfortable quarters. Tomorrow loomed large in my thoughts, with all its dangers and possibilities.
I slipped from the sleeping chamber, careful not to wake Selene who had finally succumbed to exhaustion. The main cavern was dimly lit, most of our allies having retired to rest before the challenging day ahead.
A familiar silhouette caught my attention. Redmon, sat alone by a small fire pit, body hunched in thought.
"Can't sleep either?" I asked, joining him on the stone bench.
He shook his head. "Too much at stake."
"We've done everything we can to prepare," I reminded him, though the words felt hollow even to me. So much could still go wrong.
"It's not just tomorrow I'm thinking about," he admitted. "It's after. If we succeed, if the matching program ends, what happens to us? To all the pairs forced together?"
The question hit at the heart of my own unspoken concerns. "We choose our own paths," I said slowly. "Some will separate. Others will stay together."
"And us?" His voice was low, vulnerable in a way I rarely heard.
I took his massive hand between both of mine, studying the contrast of his reddish fur against my brown skin. "I thought I'd made that clear. I choose you, Redmon. Not because of some genetic test or tribal obligation, but because you've become essential to me. To who I am."
His breath caught. "Kalyndi..."
"I love you," I said, the words flowing easily now that I'd finally acknowledged them. "Not because Magnus Terra decided we were compatible, but despite it. Despite everything that should have kept us apart."
He gathered me into his arms, his embrace gentle despite his strength. "I love you too. I think I have since you stood up to me that first day, refusing to be broken by circumstances you didn't choose."
Our lips met in a kiss that held all the promise of our future, tender yet passionate, a connection forged through adversity and strengthened by choice.
When we finally broke apart, I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. "Whatever happens tomorrow, we face it together."
"Together," he agreed, his voice a rumble beneath my ear.
We remained by the fire, talking softly about possibilities we'd never dared consider before, a home of our own choosing, perhaps children someday, a life built on mutual respect and love rather than obligation.
As the fire burned low, Redmon stood, extending his hand to me. "We should rest. Tomorrow will demand all our strength."
I took his hand but didn't move toward the sleeping chambers. Instead, I led him down a side passage to a smaller cavern I'd discovered earlier, private, with a soft moss bed and the gentle sound of underground water flowing nearby.
"Kalyndi?" His question held understanding of my intent.
"Tonight might be our last chance," I said softly. "If tomorrow goes poorly..."
He shook his head. "Don't think that way. We will succeed."
"Even so." I stepped closer, my hands sliding up his chest. "I don't want to wait any longer. Not when we've finally found each other truly."
His eyes darkened with desire as he cupped my face in his large hands. "Are you certain?"
In answer, I rose on tiptoes, brushing my lips against his in a whisper of a kiss. The dam of restrained passion broke free, flooding us with months of pent-up longing. His arms encircled me, pulling me closer as the kiss deepened, our breaths mingling in the cool cavern air. The scent of earth and musk clung to him, a heady mixture that intoxicated me.
He lifted me effortlessly, carrying me to the soft moss bed as if I weighed no more than a feather. A low rumble of desire escaped his chest, resonating through me like a physical caress. The sound sent shivers down my spine, igniting a spark of anticipation that bloomed into a flame of need.
