Page 69 of Shadowed Bond

His smirk falters.

Good.

Ares glances back at me, notices, and he smirks before he takes my hand and leads me back into the dining room as if nothing happened.

No one says anything when we return.

Scarlett’s eyes sparkle with amusement. Liam is looking very determinedly at Stephen, who is asleep against Sienna’s shoulder. Royce’s expression suggests he has worked out enough to want to be anywhere but here, and Skyla is grinning like she’s just scored a victory.

Mum gives me one calm look, then simply lifts her glass and takes a big gulp before looking away. Sienna and Shahira are giggling quietly.

Oh Goddess, I may never recover.

Ares sits down beside me, reaches for my plate and motions for me to begin eating. Ares Westwood’s love language. I smile softly, remembering how he wiped me down, and I realise he had done the same thing the first time, but I was too exhausted to realise.

Picking up my fork, I look up at him, and the words leave before I can overthink them.

“I love you, Ares.”

The table stills and Ares’ eyes snap towards me,

Ares stills, too.

Only for a second.

Then he looks at me, and the first thing he says is, “I know.”

Several people make sounds of disbelief, and Carter actually chokes.

But I know Ares, and he’s not finished yet. His jaw tightens, and for the first time all evening, he looks… nervous?

Then he exhales sharply, reaches beneath the table, and takes my hand.

“I love you too, Princess,” he says, rough and low, and my eyes widen. I was expecting the reply, but through the mind-link, not out loud.

“Finally,” someone mutters before the noise around us returns slowly, and I don’t care who’s looking and who isn’t, far too busy gazing at my mate.

Ares squeezes my hand once, then nudges the plate closer with his other.

“Eat,” he mutters again.

I laugh softly, looking at my plate.

“Yes, Alpha,” I reply, blushing lightly at his confession.

His eyes darken at that, and I realise immediately that I have made another mistake. Or perhaps not.

Perhaps this is simply how we are.

Ares and Charlotte.

Alpha and Luna.

River and sea.

Tide and tempest.

Two different kinds of water, one quiet enough to carve through stone over time, the other violent enough to drag the world under when it chooses, yet somehow meeting in the same pool, the same current, the same impossible tide neither of us knew how to fight.