“I’ll be right outside,”I murmur. “Call if you need anything.”
She hums a soft,sleepy sound that sends a jolt of desire through my veins. I close the door and lean against the wall, my knees nearly giving way.
She’s here.
After all theyears of watching from the outside, after the meticulous planning and the agony of the transformation, she is finally where she belongs.
With me.
I just haveto keep the mask from slipping a little longer. Just until the bond is sealed. And then
And then—she’llsee.
She’ll finally understandthat it was always supposed to be me.
LumiPOV-
As I sitin the warm water, a thought occurs to me... I think I’ve taken more baths since knowing Andrik than I have my whole life combined.
By the timeI pull myself out of the tub and reach for a towel, the relief is already melting away. The heat is already creeping back, coiling beneath my skin like something living.
I barely makeit out of the bathroom before the first cramp hits.
It doubles me over,stealing my breath. My hand flies to my lower abdomen, pressing hard against my pelvic bone, but it’s useless. The pain is sharp and twisting, as if my very soul is trying to dig its way out of my skin to find its match. It’s never been this bad.
“Lumi?”
Andrik isat my side in an instant. His hands are steadying, and while they’re gentle, the mere contact sends fire racing through my veins.
“I can’t,”I gasp. “It hurts, Andrik.”
Concern darkens his features.He lifts his palm to my forehead.
“You’re burning up again.”His jaw tightens, the muscles flexing under his pale skin as he guides me to the bed.
“The blood moon...it’s amplifying everything. The cycle, the heat... it’s all peaking at once.”
I collapse onto the mattress,curling into a ball as another vicious cramp tears through me. My pulse is throbbing between my legs, a heavy ache that beats in time with the frenzied thudding in my chest.
“Make it stop,”I beg, my voice breaking. “Please, Andrik, I can’t—I can’t breathe.”
“I’m here.I’ve got you,” he rasps. “Let me help you.”
His hands settleon my shoulders, and a whimper escapes my throat. Even through the fabric of the towel, the contact is overwhelming—too much and not enough, all at once.
“I’m goingto try and ease some of the tension,” he says quietly. “Tell me if it’s too much.”
I can only nod,burying my face in the pillow. He works slowly, with the agonizing patience of a man who’s waited forever. He kneads the knots in my shoulders, his fingers skating down my spine in slow, firm strokes that leave trails of sparks in their wake.
It feels so good.But it isn’t enough. The heat builds with every pass of his hands, every breath he hitches against the back of my neck. My skin feels hypersensitive and raw, aching for friction a massage can’t provide.
My breath fillsthe quiet cabin in short, ragged gasps.
“Andrik,”I choke out.
“I can feelhow much you’re hurting, Saelûn,” he groans, his face lowering until I can feel his breath. “What do you need?”
His hands slidelower down my sides, thumbs brushing over the curve of my ribs. He stops just short of the heat, an inch away from where I’m burning.
