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"Would you walk with me?" Orion extended his hand. "The beach is particularly beautiful this time of day."

Scientific curiosity warred with caution. "I have a few more questions," she said, not moving toward him yet.

One corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile that sent her pulse racing. "I expected nothing less from a scientist. Walk with me, and I'll answer what I can."

Against her better judgment, Seraphina placed her hand in his. The contact sent a jolt through her system, and for a moment, another vision threatened to overtake her—but she pushed it away surprisingly, determined to stay present.

Orion led her through the castle's corridors, his presence commanding acknowledgment from everyone they passed. Staff members bowed their heads respectfully, their eyes darting curiously to Seraphina. Being the subject of so much attention made her uncomfortable, but Orion's steady hand at the small of her back grounded her.

When they emerged from the castle onto a private stretch of beach, Seraphina gasped. The water sparkled like diamonds under the morning sun, and white sand stretched in either direction.

"This is breathtaking," she whispered, trying to reconcile the beauty before her with her bizarre situation.

"It's been my home for four centuries." Orion slipped off his shoes, nodding for her to do the same. "Join me."

Seraphina removed her sandals, the cool sand between her toes a welcome sensation. They strolled in silence for several moments before she gathered the courage to speak.

"You realize this is all absurd to me, right? Wolves and psychic powers and four-hundred-year-old men who look like—" She cut herself off, embarrassed suddenly.

"Like what?" Orion's eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Like you should be on a magazine cover, not ruling some secret wolf kingdom," she finished, feeling her face heat again.

He laughed, the sound rich and unexpected. "I'll take that as a compliment, although 'wolf kingdom' lacks the dignity I prefer."

The wind picked up suddenly, sending her dark hair flying. Seraphina shivered as the cool breeze hit her bare shoulders.

Without hesitation, Orion shrugged off his sport coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Here."

The fabric enveloped her in warmth and his scent—pine, cedar, and something wild and untamed that made her dizzy with want. She pulled it tighter, inhaling deeply without meaning to.

"Thank you," she murmured, overwhelmed by the intensely intimate feeling of wearing his clothing. It was like being wrapped in his embrace, surrounded by his essence. The sleeves hung well past her fingertips, emphasizing the difference in their sizes, making her feel delicate and protected simultaneously.

The wind tousled Orion's hair, making him look slightly less regal and more approachable. Something in Seraphina responded to that vulnerability.

She stepped closer to him, drawn by an instinct she couldn't explain.

Orion's eyes darkened, and he wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, tucking her against his side. His heat seeped through her dress, and the hard planes of his body against hers sent liquid fire coursing through her veins.

"Seraphina," he breathed her name like a prayer, his face lowering toward hers.

Her lips parted, her body leaning toward him of its own volition. Every rational thought fled her mind as his scent enveloped her, as his warmth beckoned. For one wild moment, she wanted nothing more than to fling herself into this madness completely.

TWELVE

ORION

Orion stood utterly transfixed as Seraphina's lips hovered mere inches from his. The morning sun cast a golden glow across her face, illuminating those bright green eyes that seemed to see right through his centuries of careful control. Her scent—a heady mixture of jasmine and something perfectly her—wrapped around him, clouding his judgment and awakening his wolf. The beast inside him prowled, desperately urging him to claim what was rightfully his.

His arm tightened possessively around her shoulders, the thin fabric of her emerald dress doing little to mask the heat radiating from her skin. The sapphire necklace he'd gifted her that morning glinted in the sunlight, resting perfectly against her collarbone. His mark of intention.

"Seraphina," he breathed again, her name a prayer on his lips. Years he'd waited for this woman, and now every cell in his body strained toward her like she was the gravitational center of his universe.

The wolf in him howled with triumph as she leaned into him farther, her body softening against his hard frame. Her parted lips beckoned, promising secrets and pleasures he'd only glimpsed in their shared vision.

"I've never felt this way before," she whispered, her breath warm against his mouth.

For one wild, primal moment, Orion considered sweeping her into his arms and laying her on the white sand. The thought of claiming her beneath the open sky, with nothing but the rhythm of the waves as witness, sent a surge of heat through his veins.