The clan murmured their agreement, the coven nodded and Savla squeezed my hand again.For a moment, the chaos fell away, leaving only the blueprint of a life we were about to build—together.
Chapter 50
Hanna
For a long moment after the final details of our new homes were in place and the blueprints had been marked up for finalization, everyone just stood there, taking in the lake like they were afraid to break the silence. The water caught the sunlight in ripples of silver and blue. Wind swept across the surface and carried the freshest air I’d ever breathed straight into my lungs.
Savla watched me instead of the scenery, and I felt it—the way the air changed around him, the way the bond warmed softly like a flickering hearth. Then he stepped closer.
“Come with me,” he murmured, voice low enough to vibrate under my skin.
I didn’t hesitate. He guided me toward the far edge of the clearing, down a small path between two old birch trees. Their silver-white trunks leaned inward slightly, forming a natural archway. The moment we passed under it, everything felt quieter—shielded.
Savla stopped where the ground dipped gently toward the lake. Moss and soft grass cushioned our steps. The water lapped gently at smooth stones, and sunlight reflected upward in shimmering dance-like patterns.
“This is where I want the bedroom window,” he said quietly.
My heart did something completely undignified.
“Oh,” I whispered, breath catching.
His gaze tracked the lake, thoughtful.
“Imagine waking up to this every morning,” he said. “Before anything else. Before the world can touch us.”
I swallowed. “It’s beautiful.”
He turned, face inches from mine.
“It’s peaceful,” he corrected softly. “And you… need peaceful.”
His hand rose slowly—hesitant, gentle and reverent—like he was approaching a wild creature that might flee. He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and my breath hitched in my chest.
“I want you to have somewhere you feel safe,” he murmured.
“I do,” I whispered. “With you.”
Something flickered in his eyes—love, hope, hunger and devotion—before he leaned his forehead against mine. We stayed like that, breathing the same air, the bond humming warm and quiet.
And then—
Splat.
A wet, heavy weight hit the earth behind us, shaking the ground. Savla sighed a long-suffering sigh.
“Ribbon.”
We turned. Ribbon was soaking wet from what I assumed was an impromptu dip in the lake and… sitting, but not just sitting.
Claiming.
His enormous, round body was plopped directly in the centerof the cleared area the clan had marked for our house. A loud croak from him summoned everyone to what we’d previously been enjoying as a private moment. Then he made eye contact with all thirty people present and croaked once again, even louder.
Dristan chuckled. “He’s… reserving the lot.”
Krusk folded his arms. “Like a boulder saving a parking spot.”
Zara gasped. “He thinks he’s your property marker!”
