He’s trembling. His fingers flex against my back like he’s still trying to hold on to something.
“You okay?” I whisper, brushing my thumb across his cheek.
He laughs—wrecked and dazed. “Better than okay.”
I kiss him soft, then roll us onto our sides, keeping him close, still inside him, stillhis. For the first time in days, I feel him relax against me.
“I could get used to this,” he murmurs, tracing patterns on my chest. “Falling asleep with you. Waking up together.”
“I’d like that,” I admit, pressing a kiss to his temple.
I wake to find Leo watching me, his head propped on one hand, a soft smile playing across his lips.
“Morning,” I murmur, voice rough with sleep.
“Morning.” He leans down to press a gentle kiss to my mouth. “Sleep well?”
“Better than I have in weeks.” I stretch, enjoying the pleasant ache in my muscles. “What time is it?”
“Early still. The sun’s barely up.”
I glance toward the windows where dawn light is just beginning to filter through the curtains. “No royal emergencies? No press crises? No diplomatic incidents requiring immediate attention?”
He laughs, the sound carefree in a way I rarely hear from him. “Not yet, though the day is young.”
A comfortable silence falls between us, the kind that speaks of deepening intimacy rather than awkwardness. Leo’s fingers trace idle patterns on my chest, following the lines of my tribal markings. His touch is light, thoughtful, reverent.
And then, quietly—like it’s the most natural thing in the world—he says, “I love you.”
The words land with no fanfare, but they knock the breath from my lungs all the same. I look down at him, find his eyes already on mine—steady, sure, shining.
“I love you,” he says again, voice softer this time. “And I want a future with you. All of it. Not just stolen mornings and shared beds, but a life. I want that—with you.”
Emotion swells in my chest, hot and bright.
“I do too,” I admit, cupping his cheek. “You and me. All of it. Forever.”
He smiles. “Then let’s build our future.”
What follows is a leisurely exploration that leaves us both breathless and laughing, wrapped in tangled sheets as morning light fills the room with golden warmth. There’s no rush, no pressure—just a slow, tender claiming of something that already belonged to us.
Eventually, reality intrudes in the form of a discreet knock at the outer door.
“Your Highness?” Victoria’s voice calls. “The tribal council representatives have arrived for the nine o’clock meeting.”
Leo groans, burying his face against my shoulder. “What time is it now?”
I glance at the clock on the bedside table. “Eight-fifteen.”
“One moment, Victoria,” he calls, then drops his voice to a whisper. “We should probably get up.”
“Probably,” I agree, making no move to leave the warm comfort of the bed. “Though I can think of several more enjoyable ways to spend the morning.”
He laughs, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before pulling away with obvious reluctance. “Duty calls. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be at that meeting too?”
“Technically.” I stretch, watching his eyes follow the movement appreciatively. “Though I suspect we’ll cause quite a stir arriving together.”
Leo pauses in the act of reaching for his robe, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “Would that be so terrible?”
