“I always believed in you,” she said softly. Her hands reached for his, their fingers intertwining. “From the moment I met you, I knew you could heal. I knew you could be the kind of king your parents would be proud of—one who leads with strength through empathy and understanding, not just brute force and control.”
Draven’s gaze softened, and he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’re the only one who ever saw that in me,” he admitted, his voice thickened with emotion. “My fire madness... it’s been starving for trust and compassionsince I was sixteen. Your faith in me, your love—it’s the only cure that ever truly mattered.”
Lila felt her breath catch, the weight of his words settling deep in her chest. Her own fears and insecurities had always whispered that she wasn’t enough—not for Trevor, not for anyone. But Draven looked at her like she was everything. And finally, she believed it too, how special she was and how much she truly was worth.
“Your love, Draven,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion, “the way you see me, the way you value me—it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted. To be truly appreciated. You’ve given me that.”
His breath hitched, and he leaned in closer. “You are seen, Lila. Every part of you. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you know your worth.”
Her heart swelled with a warmth that threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to show him how much he meant to her, and how ready she was to take this next step. Slowly, she pushed him back onto the bed, her hands trailing down his chest, feeling the heat of his skin beneath her fingertips. He was already bare from the shift, his muscular frame laid out before her like a feast. She wanted to worship him, just like he had worshiped her so many times this past week.
“Let me show you,” she murmured, her lips brushing against his. “Let me show you how much you mean to me.”
Draven’s golden eyes darkened with desire, but there was something else there too—a vulnerability that made her chest tighten. “Lila,” he rasped, his voice thick with want. “You don’t have to?—”
She silenced him with a kiss, her mouth moving against his with a hunger that surprised even her. When she pulled back, she saw the way he looked at her—like she was the only thingthat mattered in the world. It was heady, intoxicating, and it only fueled her determination.
“I want to,” she said, her voice firm. “I need to.”
Her hands roamed lower, tracing the hard lines of his abdomen, feeling the way his muscles tensed under her touch. She pressed her lips to his chest, kissing a slow trail down his body, her tongue tasting the salt of his skin. His breath hitched, and she felt the way his body responded to her, the way his hands clenched at the sheets as she continued her descent.
When she reached his hard cock, she paused, her heart pounding. She looked up at him, meeting his heated gaze.
“You’re so perfect,” she whispered, her voice filled with awe.
Draven’s eyes burned with intensity. “Lila?—”
She didn’t let him finish. Instead, she took him into her mouth, her tongue swirling around him as she explored every inch of him, tasting his raw power and vulnerability. His groan was deep and guttural, his hands tangling in her hair as he arched into her touch. She reveled in the way he responded to her, the way his body seemed to sing under her hands and mouth.
But just as she felt him nearing the edge, she pulled back, her own breath coming in short, shallow gasps. “I want to feel you inside me,” she breathed. “I want to be as close to you as possible. I’m ready to complete our mate bond now.”
Draven’s eyes were wild with desire, but there was a tenderness there too. “Lila, are you sure?”
“I’m very sure,” she said, her hands already moving to the hem of her dress. She pulled it over her head in one swift motion, followed by her bra and panties, leaving her completely bare before him. The way his eyes roamed over her—like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen—made her feel more powerful than she ever had.
“How did I get so lucky?” he whispered, his voice filled with reverence.
Lila smiled down at Draven, her fingers tracing the hard planes of his chest as she straddled him. The weight of the moment—of what they were about to do—settled over her like a warm, intoxicating blanket. She could feel the heat of him beneath her, and the way his muscles tensed in anticipation. His golden eyes burned with a fire that matched the one simmering inside her.
She reached between them, guiding his hard cock to her wet entrance. The first inch was a tease, a slow, deliberate slide that made her breath hitch. His grip on her hips tightened, his fingers digging in just enough to make her gasp.
“Lila, look at me,” he growled softly.
She obeyed instantly, locking onto his gaze as she sank down onto him, inch by delicious inch. The stretch was intense, the fullness bordering on overwhelming. She let out a shaky exhale, adjusting to his sheer size, and the way he filled her so completely.
His nostrils flared. “Lila. You feel?—”
“So right,” she finished for him, rocking her hips experimentally. The friction sent sparks up her spine, and she moaned, her nails scraping lightly against his chest.
His hands slid up her sides, his thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts. “You’re in control,” he murmured, though the strain in his voice betrayed how much it cost him to let her set the pace.
She smirked, rolling her hips in a slow, torturous circle. “I know.”
His answering growl vibrated through her, his fingers flexing against her skin. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his shoulders as she began to move—slow at first, savoring the dragof him inside her, and the way every thrust sent heat surging through her.
But the longer she rode him, the harder it became to keep the rhythm steady. Pleasure coiled tighter, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. The mate bond hummed, amplifying every sensation and every pulse of need. She could feel his desire, his warmth, and his love—it wrapped around her, pulling her deeper into the spiral of pleasure.
“Draven,” she panted, her movements growing erratic.
