Page 125 of An Enigma for the Lycan Crown Prince

“Yes, when we marked, they surrounded us with full force.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yes, of course,” I smile. “They accepted you as a part of me now. It means they see your worth as my mate and as the future alpha.”

“Talking about mates,” Elden sits up and grabs his backpack, which he had dropped when he came to the room. He takes a red, velvety box out of it and hands it to me. “Happy birthday, Flora.”

I open it curiously, my eyes widening when I see a beautiful necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet. It’s an intricate design with a pure ruby worked into it. “Elden,” I say earnestly. “This is too much.”

“The rubies were my mothers. It was in the belongings which we got from the safe the other day. She left it to me. I had the chains altered so it would fit you more. The man at the jewelry shop was amazing. He made sure to keep its original style while working it into something befitting a young woman. The bracelet I kept since Mom died. She wanted my mate to have it. Oh, and a witch put a spell on it. You can actually wear it even when you shift. You won’t lose it.”

I stare at the items, still in shock. “This is your heirloom,” I say. “How can I accept it?”

“Mom would have loved you,” he says quietly. “I mean, I know she already loved the little you, but I bet she would have been so fond of the current you. And she would have been happy for her son to have been so lucky with finding his mate. She always believed in love, although her chosen mate betrayed her. I justknow she would have supported us with all she had. I think I will cherish her memory the best if I gift it to the woman I love and be a better mate than my father was.” He looks flustered. “If you don’t like it, however, then-“

“What, no! I love it!” I blurt out. “Don’t be silly, it’s the best present you could have given me! I wish she could still be here, but I promise I will cherish this forever.”

“So,” Elden says. “I have an idea for the remainder of the night.”

I gaze at the bed.

“I wish,” Elden smirks. “But I think there is something we haven’t done yet, something all four of us are waiting for.”

“Goddess, yes! I want to shift!”

forty

Midnight II

*ELDEN*

Something has changed. When I watch Flora running towards the forest where we want to have our first shift together, away from prying eyes to keep Flora’s heritage a secret, I could swear there is some light around her. I haven’t seen it before. It must be true what she said, that now that we are marked, every ounce of her, every mystery, has accepted me too.

It’s such a humbling realization. Flora is a deity’s daughter; she is blessed in a different way than I, as a royal lycan, or anyone else could ever be. The fact the moon goddess saw me as worthy enough to be her granddaughter’s mate is mind-blowing. For a moment, I am stunned at the realization that I was chosen as her mate.

“I won’t disappoint her,” I say, hoping whoever needs to hear it, will hear it.

“Elden!” Flora turns around to wave me to hurry. “What are you doing? Hurry up!”

I grin at her. “Coming, babe!”

“You called me babe!” she beams. “I like that.”

“Really?” I ask when I have caught up with her.

“Yes, pet names are good, as long as they are cute,” she explains with a serious expression before breaking into a dashing smile. “Or hot.”

My heart skips a beat every time she smiles at me or says something or just looks at me. I know I am the biggest simp in the existence of mates, but I can’t help it. She is just everything to me, and now that the mate bond snapped into full place, and we are carrying each other’s marks, I feel it even more intensely. I think I have loved Flora before I even understood what love truly meant, but never in my wildest dreams had I thought it would be that intense to be fully bonded to her.

Further in the forest Flora strips off her clothes, and for a moment my eyes linger on my mark. Regis swells with pride at seeing it, and I can’t blame him. But there is no time to ogle her. Flora wants to shift.

We have picked a spot where we would be fully on our own with no guards around. Ersa has warned Flora more than once not to shift too often in front of others and to keep her identity a secret, and we both want to take this warning seriously.

“Do you need guidance when shifting?” I ask while I take off my clothes as well.

“No,” she beams. “Celeste said, she has it fully covered!”

Flora is not joking, because in front of my eyes I see her shift, with such ease that it takes my breath away. The first shift is not supposed to be easy. It’s painful, scary and also unsettling, the second time is much easier, and with the third most of usare usually used to it. But for Flora it truly seems to be second nature.