Page 35

ASH

We stepped inside the quiet house. I watched her with Luca and Elena—how natural she was with them, how her presence calmed the boy and offered Elena a friend. It struck me again how lucky we both were.

Luna stopped and turned, her hands settling on my chest. Her eyes were bright, flashing with a heat that pulled me in.

“Will you take me upstairs?” she asked, voice low, almost daring.

“What?” I blinked, caught off guard by its suddenness.

She held my gaze for a moment longer, then turned and walked ahead without another word, her hips swaying with that confident rhythm I knew so well.

My wolf growled softly—alert and hungry. I stalked after her, heart pounding in time with each step.

The bedroom door clicked closed behind us. I stood facing her, the air thick between us. She’d lost some of that boldness, replaced with a softer, vulnerable edge.

She stepped into me, her hands sliding around my waist. I could feel the steady thump of her heartbeat against my palm.

Her eyes locked on mine as she peeled off her t-shirt, slow and deliberate. I swallowed hard. Her body was incredible—every curve, every line, perfect and mine.

I pulled off my shirt, matching her move. Her hands traced across my chest and arms, fingers teasing down to the button of my pants. She slowly unfastened them with a smirk, allowing my jeans to slip to the floor.

I sprang up, hard and ready, and caught the sharp intake of her breath. My wolf stirred violently, the bond tightening between us like a live wire, pulsing toward its crescendo.

I lowered her jeans, revealing soft skin, and waited. I laid her down on the bed with care, taking a moment to drink in the sight—Luna, poised and beautiful, waiting just for me.

But beneath her resolve, I felt the quick and subtle flutter of nerves. I leaned down, pressing kisses across her forehead and along her temples, tracing the curve of her nose until my lips met hers.

She hummed against me, breath warm and inviting, her body arching beneath my touch.

“Will it fit?” she asked suddenly, her voice shaky but steady.

I laughed softly, brushing hair from her face. “As long as you’re ready.”

She breathed out a slow, sure “I am.”

“Maybe emotionally,” I said, voice low and steady. “Let me handle that part.”

She moaned into my mouth, her hands clutching me tight. She was right—she was ready. But this moment needed to be perfect, sacred even.

She bucked against me, urgent and fierce, whimpering as I positioned myself over her. I pressed in slowly, inch by inch, feeling the sharp edge of her breath hold tight around me.

“Luna, breathe,” I whispered, sliding my hand along her ribs.

She inhaled shallow, then deeper, her body finally relaxing into mine.

When I was entirely inside her, I paused, holding still. It felt like heaven—like this was where I was always meant to be.

Then, the bond coiled tighter—like a vine wrapping itself around our souls—twisting and twisting until it clicked into place with a sharp shock that sent a jolt through us both.

“That was it? The bond?” she asked, pressing her palm to her chest, eyes wide with awe.

“Yes,” I breathed, stunned. “You accepted it—fully.”

A serene calm washed over us, like we were wrapped in a bubble of something ancient and perfect.

Time slowed until it felt like it didn’t exist at all.

I felt like my heart was knitting itself back together, piece by piece, as the bond rooted itself deep within us.

This wasn’t just a connection between bodies—it was the intertwining of our souls, the promise of something lasting and unbreakable.

For the first time, I knew what it meant to be truly whole, to have someone who wasn’t just beside me but inside me, in every way.

She shifted beneath me, breaking the spell, and I slid back in, this time moving slowly but with purpose, pushing all the way home.

“Yes,” she moaned, louder now, a sound that set fire to my skin.

The floodgates opened, and we lost ourselves to the rhythm—faster, harder, desperate.

She clawed at my shoulders, bit my lip fiercely, then held her breath and released it all at once in a shuddering climax that clenched around me, igniting my release.

Our breaths filled the room, ragged and heavy.

I collapsed beside her, pulling her close, heart pounding fiercely.

It was the culmination of everything we’d been building, the closing of a circle that began long before we met.

With this bond sealed, there was no turning back, no doubt.

We were mates now, bound by something ancient and fierce, and I was ready to fight for her, for us, no matter what.

She smiled, dazed and glowing. “We should do that all the time.”

I held her tighter, grinning. I had zero problem with that.