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It was the best kiss Seraphina had ever experienced, and yet somehow it felt like coming home to something familiar deep inher body and soul. As if her cells recognized his on a molecular level, as if every kiss before this one had merely been practice for this moment of perfect communion.

Seraphina's analytical mind tried briefly to catalog the sensations—the slight rasp of his beard against her skin, the taste of salt and something uniquely him, and the solidness of his body against hers. But then his tongue swept against the seam of her lips, and all scientific inquiry dissolved into pure sensation.

Her hands, which had been pressed against his chest, slid up to his shoulders and around his neck. She pulled herself closer, rising onto her tiptoes to press herself more firmly against him. A small sound—half sigh, half moan—escaped her throat.

Orion growled in response, the sound vibrating from his chest into hers. His kiss turned deeper, more demanding, as if he were trying to consume her. One large hand splayed across her lower back, his fingers pressing into the curve just above her backside, while the other cupped the back of her head.

When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Seraphina felt dazed. Her lips throbbed pleasantly, and her whole body hummed with awareness. The logical part of her brain seemed to have short-circuited.

"That was..." she whispered, unable to find words adequate to describe what had just happened.

"Only the beginning," Orion promised, his eyes darker with desire. He pressed his forehead against hers, his breath mingling with her own. "Tell me you felt it too."

"Yes," she admitted, her voice barely audible above the sound of the waves. "It's like... like finding a star you've been searching for your whole life without even knowing you were looking for it."

He smiled then, a genuine smile that transformed his usual stern features. "My astronomer," he murmured, placing a softer kiss on her lips. "Finding poetry in the stars."

Before Seraphina could truly process what was happening, Orion swept her up in his arms with an effortless motion that left her breathless. Her feet dangled in the air as he cradled her against his chest, one arm supporting her back, the other beneath her knees.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Honoring your request," he replied, his voice a rumbling baritone against her ear. "Forgetting the world."

He strode across the white sand with determined steps, her weight seemingly nothing to him. Seraphina felt the solid warmth of his chest against her side, and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her fingers. This close, his scent enveloped her—pine and ocean uniquely male that made her head swim.

"I can walk, you know," she protested weakly, though she didn't truly want him to put her down.

"I know." His eyes never left the path ahead as they approached the castle. "But I've waited centuries to carry my Luna to my bed. Indulge me."

The possessiveness in his tone sent delicious shivers through her. She had never been with a man so unapologetically dominant and so certain of what he wanted. The scientist in her observed with fascination how her body responded to his alpha presence—her temperature rising, her breathing quickening, and her skin hyper-sensitive where it touched his.

Through the grand entrance they went, past startled staff who quickly averted their eyes with knowing smiles. Up the sweeping staircase, and down corridors lined with ancient tapestries and ornate sconces. Orion carried her as if sheweighed nothing, his breathing steady, and his pace unhurried yet purposeful.

"Your castle is like a maze," she murmured, trying to memorize the route.

"You'll learn every corner of it," he promised, the certainty in his voice making her heart flutter.

They reached an imposing set of double doors carved with intricate wolf motifs. Without putting her down, Orion pushed them open with his shoulder, revealing a sumptuous chamber beyond.

"Welcome to my private sanctuary," he said, finally setting her gently on her feet.

Seraphina turned slowly, taking in the massive four-poster bed draped in midnight blue silks, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, and the fireplace crackling with golden flames. It was masculine yet elegant, powerful yet inviting.

Just like its owner.

FOURTEEN

ORION

Orion set Seraphina gently in the center of his royal chambers. His hands lingered on her waist as she turned to take in the space. Her emerald dress shimmered in the firelight, the fabric catching the golden hues of the flames. The room was a reflection of himseslf—powerful, commanding, yet undeniably sensual. The scent of sandalwood and sea salt filled the air, mingling with the faint crackle of the fireplace.

He didn't wait for her to speak. He couldn't. His lips crashed against hers in a kiss that was both a demand and a promise. It was fierce, unrelenting, and yet there was a tenderness beneath it that made her knees weaken.

His hands moved to the zipper of her dress, the sound of it sliding down like a whisper in the quiet room. The fabric pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but lace. He stepped back for a moment, his gaze raking over her with a hunger that made her shiver visibly.

"You're even more beautiful than I imagined," he murmured, his voice thick with desire. "And I've imagined this moment more times than I can count."

Seraphina's cheeks flushed, but she didn't look away from his gaze. He closed the distance between them again, his lips trailing down her neck, his teeth grazing her skin in a way that made her gasp. His hands found the clasp of her bra, and with a deft movement, it was gone, leaving her bare to his gaze.