“Shade, baby, I would make love to you right now if you told me you wanted to,” he groaned, fingers tightening around my hips.
I bit my lip, the effect he had on me vibrating pleasantly across my skin.Goddess, his touch feels so good. What would it be like if we came together with nothing between us?
The thought stoked a fire within me, and I gazed at him, need pulsing through every fiber of my being.
Luna’s Quarters
SHADE
“Um…I-I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” I admitted, hiding my face in my hands.
Caelan laughed, prying my fingers away. “Baby, it’s no big deal. We’ll wait. I’m not in a rush. I just want to be with you.”
I smiled.How did I get so lucky?
“Come on,” he said, picking me up again. “It’s been an exhausting day. Let’s get you to bed.”
He carried me out into the hall even though I told him repeatedly that I could walk on my own.
He probably still needs to touch me. Luna Maty said it wouldtake him a while to calm down.
I stiffened when he continued up the steps past the second floor.
“Uh, I-I don’t know if I should be up here,” I muttered nervously, slipping back into old habits.
“Yes, you should,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You’re the future luna, and this is where lunas stay. Plus, I need you close. It’s the only way I’ll stay calm.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to share a room, Alpha,” I admitted honestly.
“I wasn’t going to move you into my room…yet,” he teased. “And just call me Caelan, please. We’re about to introduce you as my mate to the entire pack. It’s awkward for you to be referring to me by my title.”
“But…we aren’t fully mated yet,” I countered. “You technically still outrank me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he huffed. “You’re my mate, and mates don’t refer to each other by their titles. Do you want me to call you Luna Shade?”
“No. Please don’t call me luna,” I said quietly. He chuckled. “Okay then, it’s settled. If you call mealphaagain, even in public, then I’ll call youlunaright back.”
“Fine,” I agreed.
He opened the door to my new room, the luna’s quarters, and I gasped as we stepped inside.
A glittering crystal chandelier dripped from the ceiling, and the fireplace was twice the size of the one in my last room with a couch and a much larger coffee table placed before it. There was a massive white rolltop desk next to the door that led to the bathroom, and art hung on every wall.
The bed was bigger than the one downstairs as well, with thick white velvet curtains draped across the frame rather than the sheer cloth of my guest room. A grand vanity sat near the enormous closet, complete with a three-sided, full-length dressing mirror.
This is a room fit for a princess. I feel like an imposter.
“This was my mother’s room, but she and my father moved out to a private cottage after his retirement, so it’s been unused for a while. I had it readied for you. Your clothing is already in the closet,” he explained as he set me gently down on the bed.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, not wanting to appear ungrateful. “But…um, I don’t know if I should stay here. This is…very luxurious for someone of my station,” I tried to explain as I took in the opulence of my surroundings. “And it’s your mother’s space.”
“Would you prefer to stay in my room?” he suggested.
I blushed immediately.
“Personally, I’d prefer to have you with me, but I figured you’d be more comfortable if you had your own room,” he remarked. “But I need you close by. So, either you stay here, or you sleep in my room.”
“I’ll stay here,” I squeaked, my cheeks burning.
