She shook her head, and something glittered in her eyes that might have been tears. “No one’s ever wanted to.”
He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her slender body and holding her against his chest. She fit there perfectly—like she’d been made for him, shaped by the universe itself to slot into the empty space he’d carried since his exile.
“Then they were fools,” he growled against her hair. “Every single one of them.”
She laughed, the sound watery but genuine. “Maybe. Or maybe I just needed to find the right person. To find you.”
They stayed like that for a long time, floating in the luminous water while the moonlight shifted overhead. He could feel her heartbeat slowing, her breath evening out, her body relaxing against his with a trust that humbled him.
Mine,his beast purred.Ours. Forever.
He didn’t argue.
When they finally emerged from the pool, the moon had risen high enough to flood the cavern with silver light. She was shivering slightly—not from cold, but from the aftermath of pleasure—and he wrapped his discarded tunic around her shoulders.
“We should get back,” he said, though every cell in his body protested the words. “In case Lilani wakes.”
She nodded, but she didn’t move to leave. Instead, she turned to face him, her skin still glowing a soft violet.
“Valrek.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” The words were simple, but the emotion behind them was anything but. “For showing me this place. For everything.”
He reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing the delicate line of her jaw.
“You never have to thank me for that.” His voice dropped, rough with feeling. “When I touch you, it’s not something I’m giving you, Ariella. It’s something I need. Something my beast craves. You’re not taking from me. You’re giving me a reason to exist.”
Her eyes went wide, and he saw the moment the words truly landed. The moment she understood exactly how much this meant to him.
“I—” she started, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
“Don’t say anything now. Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep.” The words cost him, but they were necessary. “Just know that I’m yours, if you’ll have me. My beast chose you the moment I scented you on the beach. But the male—” He tapped his chest, over his heart. “The male chooses you too. Every day. Every moment.”
She kissed his finger, her lips soft against his calloused skin.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”
It wasn’t a promise, but for now, it was enough.
They made their way back through the narrow passage, his hand resting possessively on the small of her back. The evening air was cool against their damp skin, and in the distance, he could hear the soft rhythm of Lilani’s breathing, still deep in sleep.
Everything was peaceful. Perfect.
Tomorrow,he decided. Tomorrow he would ask her to stay. Truly stay, not just for visits and stolen moments but forever. Tomorrow he would tell her that she belonged here, with him and Lilani. Tomorrow he would ask her to be his mate.
CHAPTER 13
The morning light found Ariella tangled in contentment, her body still humming with the memory of Valrek’s touch.
When they’d returned to the cave, he’d simply led her to his sleeping furs and she hadn’t argued. She’d spent the night cradled in his arms, unwilling to think of anything but those precious moments. Lilani had woken before dawn, demanding breakfast with the imperious certainty of a small queen, and Valrek had obliged before carrying Ariella to the entrance of the cave, still wrapped in furs.
She sat contentedly by the cave’s entrance, watching the sunrise paint the sky in shades of coral and gold as Lilani explored the tide pools on the beach below. Her delighted squeals carried on the salt-laden breeze, while Ariella lingered in that hazy space between waking and dreaming.
This is what peace feels like.
She’d almost forgotten the sensation. Growing up in her father’s lab, there had been no mornings like this—no lazy stretches, no warm furs, no massive Vultor male watching her with eyes like molten gold. There had only been schedules and experiments and the constant pressure to perform, to prove that the modifications had been worth the cost.
