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Her hips bucked when he slipped two fingers inside her, curling just right. The stretch made her moan, but it was the way he looked up at her while his mouth worshipped her that unraveled her completely—eyes green fire, lips slick with her arousal.

“Please,” she gasped. “I need?—”

“I know what you need.” He thrust his fingers deeper, scissoring them slowly, his tongue relentless. “You’re going to come for me like this first. I want to feel you break apart on my tongue.”

And she did.

Her climax hit like lightning—bright and scorching, magic exploding from her skin in a flash of golden light. Cade didn’t stop, licking her through it, moaning like her pleasure was his own.

When she finally collapsed back onto the pillows, panting and boneless, he kissed his way up her body, slow and worshipful.

“You okay?” he asked softly, brushing hair from her damp cheek.

Lyra smiled, dazed. “That was just the beginning, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Cade pressed his cock against her slick entrance, not pushing in yet, just letting her feel how hard he was. “That was me saying hello.”

Then he slid inside her.

Slow. Deep. Devastating.

Lyra gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he filled her inch by thick, stretching inch.

“Oh fuck,” she whispered. “You’re—Cade, you’re so big?—”

“Shh,” he murmured, rocking his hips once he was fully seated. “Let me feel you. Let me take my time.”

And gods, he did.

He moved inside her with long, deliberate strokes, grinding his hips to hit that sweet spot that made her toes curl. Their eyes locked. No pretenses. Just raw need and the kind of soul-deep connection that made her feel naked in every way that mattered.

“You feel like heaven,” he gritted, sweat beading on his brow. “Tight. Wet. Fucking perfect.”

She clenched around him. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

His rhythm shifted, faster now, harder. The headboard thudded softly against the wall as the bond between them flared—wolf to chaos, protector to storm. Magic danced along their skin, golden and green and humming with energy.

But Cade wasn’t done.

He pulled out suddenly, flipping her onto her hands and knees.

“Need to see this sweet ass bounce on my cock,” he growled, guiding her hips back toward him.

He slammed back in, making her cry out as the new angle lit her up from the inside.

“Cade—gods?—”

“That’s it, baby. Take it. You were made for this—made for me.”

He reached around to rub her clit in tight, slick circles, his other hand gripping her waist possessively.

The sounds in the room were primal—skin on skin, breathless moans, the rhythmic creak of the bed, and the low growl of Cade’s wolf riding the edge of control.

“I’m close,” Lyra gasped. “Cade—please?—”

He pulled her up against his chest, fucking her deep from behind as one hand came to wrap around her throat, holding her gently, anchoring her.

“Come with me,” he rasped. “Let go. Let me have all of you.”

When they climaxed, it was like a star collapsing. Magic detonated outward, flaring through the room, the bed, the inn. Every light in Mistwhisper Falls flickered in unison as the full bond clicked into place—unbreakable, irrevocable, divine.

Cade held her through it, arms wrapped tight around her body, their breathing harsh, their skin slick. They stayed like that for long minutes—entwined, overwhelmed, utterly claimed.

Afterward, they lay entwined in the aftermath of completion, both breathing hard and glowing with the residual energy of fully bonded magic. Lyra could feel the connection between them like a golden thread that would never break, tying her heart to his in ways that went far beyond the physical.

"Holy sage," she breathed against his shoulder. "Is it always like that?"

"I don't know," Cade admitted, his arms tightening around her. "I've never been bonded before. But if it is, I understand why the founders were willing to sacrifice everything to maintain their connection."

"Speaking of which," Lyra said, reluctantly pulling back to look at him, "we should probably check on the seal. All that magical energy we just released?—"

"Strengthened it," Cade finished, his voice carrying the certainty of someone whose enhanced senses could detect things she couldn't. "I can feel it through the bond. The rune is stable again, at least for now."

"For now?"

"The damage is still there," Cade explained, tracing the founder's mark on her palm with gentle fingers. "We've bought time, but we haven't solved the underlying problem. The seal needs all three founder bloodlines to be permanently repaired."

"So we talk to Nico but I can’t do it, we must find another way," she said. "We figure out how to make this work."

"Yes, we will find another way. I’m sure Nico doesn’t want to do it, too. Maybe we’re misinterpreting something," Cade agreed. "But not tonight. Tonight, the seal is stable, the storm is clearing, and I want to hold my mate without worrying about the fate of the world."

As if summoned by his words, the supernatural storm outside began to dissipate, its unnatural lightning fading to ordinary rain. Through the window, Lyra could see the first hints of dawn breaking over the mountains, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold that spoke of new beginnings.

"Look," she said, pointing toward the window. "It's over."

Cade followed her gaze, then pulled her closer against his side. "No," he said quietly. "It's just beginning."

And as they watched the sun rise over Mistwhisper Falls, Lyra felt the truth of those words settle into her bones. The crisis had passed, but their story—their real story—was just getting started.

But whatever came next, they’d handle whatever followed, side by side. Bonded, committed, and stronger than either of them had ever imagined possible.

The future, whatever it held, looked bright indeed.