Page 7

SEVEN

C harov swallowed his growing irritation. He had promised no such thing of taking Bess to watch the sunset, but contradicting Gerri Wilder was never a good idea.

As he helped Bess out of her chair at the dining room table, the contact sent another unwelcome jolt of electricity up his arm. His bear rumbled with approval beneath his skin. Seven hells. He didn’t need this complication right now.

While he had agreed to meet his mate and marry her to satisfy his father’s dying wish, he couldn’t believe she was this... boring human from Earth. A paper-pusher who processed insurance claims. He had always imagined his destined partner would be someone exciting like a warrior queen or a renowned explorer. To make matters worse, he overheard this Earthling hadn’t even known until yesterday that interplanetary travel was possible.

“The western viewing point offers the best angle,” he explained, guiding her through the palace’s ornate corridors. His gaze drifted to the gentle sway of her hips beneath her plain skirt. For all her dullness, he couldn’t deny how beautiful and sexy she was. Those curves would drive any bear shifter wild.

His inner beast growled with approval. Mine .

Charov silenced it with a mental snarl. This wasn’t the time. The mating could wait.

Outside, the royal transport waited, its sleek black exterior gleaming under Nova Aurora’s two suns. He helped Bess inside, catching another whiff of her scent—something floral undercut with a hint of citrus that made his nostrils flare. His bear stirred again, more insistently.

“So,” Bess said as the vehicle glided away from the castle, “you handle the regulatory paperwork for the entire kingdom?”

Charov suppressed a groan. More talk of paperwork. “My administrators deal with a lot of that. I oversee territorial defense strategies and diplomatic relations.”

“That must be exciting.” Her voice was flat.

“It can be.” He tapped his fingers on his knee. “Last year, I led an expedition into the Frostspine Mountains to negotiate a peace treaty with the snow leopard clan. We were caught in an avalanche. I had to shift and dig out eight diplomats before they suffocated.”

For the first time that evening, he saw a flicker of genuine interest in her green eyes. “You actually turned into a bear? To save them?”

“That’s generally what ‘shift’ means.” The words came out harsher than he intended. Damn it. His father’s grave condition was making him cruel. “Sorry. Yes. My bear form is... efficient for many tasks.”

The transport curved along a mountain road, providing breathtaking views of the capital city below. Bess pressed her face to the window, momentarily transforming into someone entirely different—wide-eyed and full of awe.

“It’s all so beautiful,” she whispered.

Charov perked up a little. Perhaps there was more to this human than her dull profession suggested. The thought both intrigued and terrified him. He didn’t want to be intrigued. He wanted to fulfill his duty without emotional complications.

“You should see it during the Festival of Lights,” he found himself saying. “The entire city glows for seven nights straight.”

“Will I still be here for that?” she asked, turning those piercing green eyes on him.

The question hung between them—a reminder of why she was here.

“That depends,” he managed, unable to look away from her beautiful face. The mate pull was undeniable, tugging at something primal within him. “On how well this... works out.”

Confusion flickered across her face at his comment, but she didn’t pursue it any further. Instead, she turned her attention back to the window, her lips parting slightly as she drank in the view. The silence that fell between them wasn’t the strained one from dinner but something different—more contemplative.

He studied her profile as she gazed outside. The dying light of Nova Aurora’s suns bathed her skin in a golden-crimson glow, highlighting the curve of her cheek and the delicate line of her throat. His bear stirred restlessly, urging him to touch her.

He noticed her complete absorption in the surrounding landscape—the purple forests, the crystalline pink lakes, and the distant yellow mountain ranges of his territory. There was something refreshing about her genuine wonder in all of it. Most Nova Aurorans took their world’s beauty for granted as he often did himself.

When they finally reached the western viewing point—a stone platform extending from a cliff face—Charov stepped out first, then extended his hand. “Careful. The edge is secure but steep.”

The moment her hand slipped into his, his bear growled with satisfaction. He fought the impulse to pull her flush against him.

She gasped as she stepped onto the platform. “It’s... I don’t have words.”

He instinctively placed his arm around her waist as he guided her toward the edge. The protective gesture surprised him—it wasn’t calculated, just necessary. Her curves fit perfectly against his side, her warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her blouse. His fingers splayed possessively against her hip.

“You’re safe,” he said, his voice dropping lower. “I won’t let you fall.”

The two suns hung low on the horizon, one blood-orange, the other amber-gold, casting long shadows across the valley below. The capital city glittered as buildings began illuminating for the coming night.

“I’ve seen this sunset thousands of times,” he admitted, surprised by his own candor. “But I haven’t really looked at it in years.”

She leaned slightly into his touch, unaware of how the small movement sent his pulse racing. “How could anyone get used to this? It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Her voice held such sincere appreciation that he found himself seeing his homeland through new eyes. The way the two suns cast dual shadows, how the crystalline spires of the city refracted the light into countless rainbows, and the distant calls of moonwings preparing for their nightly hunt.

“There’s a saying in Mavac,” he said, tightening his grip on her waist as a gust of wind swept across the platform. “We do not own the land; we are merely its temporary guardians.”

His bear was unusually calm now, content in a way he couldn’t remember feeling since before his father’s illness. Her presence beside him felt right as though she belonged there.

“Thank you for showing me this,” she whispered, her green eyes reflecting the sunset’s fire. “I can’t believe twenty-four hours ago I was on Earth stressing about insurance and my nonexistent social life.”

He let out a rich laugh, the sound startling them both. When had he last genuinely laughed? “And I can’t believe Gerri Wilder set me up with an insurance clerk.” He turned to face her, keeping his hand on her waist. “You’re full of surprises, Bess Campos.”

Her cheeks flushed pink in the fading light. “I haven’t done anything surprising.”

“But you have. You appreciate things.” He gestured toward the horizon. “You see beauty where others see the mundane. That’s rare.”

He couldn’t tear his gaze from her face as her eyes locked with his. His bear surged forward in his consciousness, demanding he claim her lips and make her his in every way possible. The intensity of the urge shocked him.

Control yourself, he commanded his bear.