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Finn stepped closer, his hands gently brushing her arms, his touch grounding her. “Lizzy. I never dreamed in a million years I’d find my mate or that she’d be half as amazing as you. I love you.”

Her throat tightened at his declaration.

Only one other person had ever said those words to her.

Hearing them from the man created to be hers, a man who’d already risked his life for her and had willingly opened himself to her, was humbling and unexpected.

Unable to find the words to respond, she reached for him, her hands resting on his chest as she let herself lean into his warmth.

His heartbeat was steady beneath her palms, a calming rhythm that soothed the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

Finn’s hands moved to cup her face, his thumbs brushing lightly over her cheeks as his gaze searched hers. “If you’re not ready, we can wait,” he said softly. “But if you are… I need you to tell me. I need to hear you say it.”

Lizzy’s breath hitched, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “I’m ready,” she whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. “I want you, Finn. I want this.”

A low growl rumbled in his chest, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers as he closed his eyes. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

When he kissed her, it was slow and deliberate, a claiming that left her breathless.

His lips moved against hers with a tenderness that made her chest ache, but there was a fire beneath it—a barely contained hunger that threatened to consume them both.

Lizzy gave in to it, her hands sliding up to tangle in his hair as she pressed closer, her body molding to his as if they were two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together.

Finn’s hands roamed her back, his touch firm yet reverent, as if he were memorizing every curve, every inch of her.

He broke the kiss only to trail his lips along her jawline and down the column of her neck, his breath warm against her skin.

Lizzy tilted her head back, her eyes fluttering shut as a soft moan escaped her lips.

The moonlight bathed them in its ethereal glow.

The clearing was a sacred haven that seemed to exist for this moment alone.

Finn’s hands found the hem of her shirt, and he paused, his eyes meeting hers in silent question.

She nodded, her breath catching as he lifted the fabric, pulling it over her head and discarding it onto the ground.

“You’re beautiful.” His eyes drank her in as if she were the most exquisite thing he’d ever seen. His hands moved to her waist, his thumbs brushing the bare skin there, and Lizzy’s cheeks flushed under his intense gaze.

She reached for him, tugging at his shirt, and he obliged by pulling it off and tossing it aside.

Her breath caught at the sight of him, the moonlight highlighting every hard plane of muscle, every scar that told a story of battles fought and survived.

He was a warrior, her warrior, and the thought sent a wave of warmth through her.

As her fingers roamed over his flesh, tracing those old wounds, she realized that Finn had just as much trauma in his life as she’d had in hers.

He just wore his on the outside of his body.

“I have no secrets,” he murmured through the bond, “All that I am, even my memories, are yours.”

Finn leaned down, capturing her lips in another searing kiss as his hands moved to the waistband of her jeans.

He made quick work of the button and zipper, and Lizzy shivered as the cool night air kissed her skin when he slid them down her legs.

She stepped out of them, standing before him in nothing but her underthings, her heart pounding as she met his gaze.

“You’re stunning.” His voice was reverent as he reached for her, his hands trailing up her sides. “And you’re mine.”

Lizzy’s cheeks flushed, but she couldn’t look away from him. “And you are mine,” she said softly, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. Lizzy had never had anything that was truly hers. But this male was. And she’d gladly keep him.

Finn’s lips curved into a soft smile, and he bent down to kiss her again, slower this time, savoring the moment.

Once he was fully undressed, he guided her gently down onto the soft moss, his body covering hers as he braced himself on his forearms. The forest seemed to come alive around them, the rustling of leaves and the distant call of an owl creating a symphony that seemed meant for them.

As their bodies moved together, the bond between them flared brighter than ever—a living, breathing thing that wrapped around them and pulled them closer.

Every touch, every kiss, every whispered word was a promise, a vow that went beyond words.

They were two souls intertwined, two halves of a whole finally made complete.

The world faded away, leaving only the two of them, bathed in moonlight and wrapped in each other’s arms. And as they gave themselves to each other, the last of Lizzy’s walls crumbled, leaving her bare and vulnerable but unafraid.

Later she’d have to return to reality and continue the search for their pack.

But sometimes reality had to be put on hold in order to nurture that which made them capable of enduring the trials of life.

And she and Finn needed to nurture this .

Because she was his, and he was hers, and in this moment, nothing else mattered.