"I am all yours."
The words hovered on the tip of Ethan's tongue, but the sheer weight of them made him swallow them down. Shyness anchored him. Instead of speaking, he simply wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding onto her until she finally began to pull back.
"Okay! Now, let's move on to the next step!"
A lingering dizziness still swirled in Ethan's head, and the fresh bite wound at the back of his neck stung with a sharp, throbbing ache. Yet, looking at the vibrant, breathless joy radiating from the girl in front of him, the pain seemed to evaporate. Her smile alone was enough to dull the sting of the bond.
But what exactly was the next step?
"I was researching on my phone last night," Viona continued eagerly, "and it said that husbands and wives should have pet names for each other. It makes things more romantic."
Ethan could feel just how desperately she wanted to build a real relationship with him. In his past, no one had ever even bothered to offer him friendship. But Viona was trying so hard. He couldn't bear the thought of letting her down or dampening her spirits; she was simply too bright, too cheerful to hurt.
"Ah..."
As usual, Ethan offered a soft, single-word response, letting her keep the floor. Normally, he wouldn't have responded at all. But with her, everything was different. A warm, hidden side of himself had unlocked—a side he had never shown to a single soul.
"Mmm... What about 'Honey'?"
Ethan's mind went blank. He couldn't even picture himself saying it. It felt absurd, almost funny, but as the weight of the word settled in his chest, a wave of pure romance washed over him.
Pet names... aren't those for lovers? I guess... I really am in love with her. But what about her?
He knew he wasn't the type to change easily, but maybe knowing he was bound to spend the rest of his life with her had shattered his walls. He couldn't entirely figure it out. All he knew was that she had claimed the absolute highest peak of his heart. His entire being belonged to her now; there was no room left for anyone else, not even himself.
He had finally learned that not every Alpha was a monster. At least, Viona wasn't.
She was completely different from the brutal Alphas in his family. She was someone to admire, someone gentle. He was entirely willing to give his life to her simply because she was kind. She was the first person to ever love him, and because of that, she could never be replaced.
"Hey… Try calling me Honey. I want to hear it."
Viona was relentless, driven by a playful ambition. Ethan, on the other hand, was on the verge of dying from sheer embarrassment. He wanted to say it, he truly did, but the word stuck in his throat. Hesitating, he pursed his lips, trying his absolute best to force the word out naturally.
He failed miserably. A sudden, scorching heat rushed to his face, turning him into a bright, unmistakable tomato.
"Oh my god! Look how red you are. Are you really that shy?"
Viona teased, but seeing how thoroughly rattled he was, her playful smirk softened. She reached out, pulling him back into her chest, wrapping him in a warm embrace.
And then, it hit her. It was the first time she had ever felt that strange, possessive tug in her chest. A sudden urge washed over her—she wanted to squeeze him tight, to hide him away in her pocket and keep him with her forever. She wanted to glue herself to him. More than anything, she wanted to keep making him blush.
Is it because of the mark? she wondered, feeling the foreign weight of the bond. I'm getting so attached to him.
Ethan tried one last time to summon the words, but ultimately gave up. It was too much. The sheer intimacy of it was overwhelming. It was just a single word, yes, but it carried a profound weight. It bonded them. Honey. Suddenly, the word echoed in his mind, and for the first time, his life felt exactly like that. Sweet.
I should do it. Next time, I must call her Honey.
It was undeniably romantic, if perhaps a bit fast for someone like Ethan, who had never known romance or love. Viona felt the sudden rush of it too, but unlike him, she rarely knew the meaning of the word shy. She was blissfully, beautifully shameless.
"It's okay, it's okay," she cooed, rubbing his back. "If you can't say it, then I'll just call you instead. Honey..."
Boom.
Ethan's heart hammered violently against his ribs. What was wrong with him? He tried to blame it on the fresh mating mark, but deep down, he knew the truth. It was because Viona had called him Honey.
He stubbornly tried to deny it, searching for any excuse to cover up his reaction because it felt so unlike the closed-off person he used to be. But the truth was simple: he loved it. He loved the way the word sounded on her lips.
"Honey... your heart is racing so fast. I can feel it."
Held tight against her chest, there was no hiding the frantic, abnormal thumping of his heart. A soft sense of relief washed over Viona; he didn't hate her words, and he certainly wasn't disgusted by them.
"Honey... even your ears are red."
She reached up, gently pinching his earlobe. Ethan buried his face deeper, completely unable to look at her. The embarrassment was intoxicating; he had never experienced sensations this intense before.
"Honey..." Viona whispered directly into his ear.
Ethan flinched, a shiver running down his spine as her warm breath brushed his skin.
Oh my god, he is absolutely adorable, Viona thought, her inner Alpha preening. I need to tease him more. Fully embracing her shameless streak, she leaned into his reactions, repeating the name like a mantra. "Honey... Honey..."
"Honey... You're such a crybaby."
She noticed the sudden dampness against her shoulder. He had become overwhelmed, perhaps feeling a little bullied by her relentless teasing, and the tears had begun to flow. But it wasn't because he was upset. It was because he felt so intensely, profoundly loved. The gentle, fierce affection in her voice had completely shattered his emotional dam.
It was a beautiful, intoxicating sweetness.
The back of his neck still throbbed with pain, yet enveloped in her warmth, he felt safer than he ever had in his life. He couldn't get enough of her. Her touch, her hot breath against his skin, her whispers, the affectionate weight of her new name for him—everything made his soul shake.
Viona had undone him completely.
He couldn't find the exact words for it, but he knew this had to be what people called love. He wanted to belong to her. He wanted this every single day. Even if she changed down the line—even if she turned around and beat him the way his father used to—he knew he would still follow her. He would still crave her presence.
It didn't matter what the future held. In this exact moment, he just needed her to stay right here.
As if sensing his thoughts, Viona tightened her arms, pulling their bodies so close there was no space left between them. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, her grip fierce and protective. Ethan melted against her, surrounded by the heat of her breath.
"Honey... don't you ever leave me," she whispered.
Finally, she stepped back slightly, though she didn't let him go completely. Ethan immediately averted his gaze, blushing furiously as he hurriedly wiped at his tears. Smiling, Viona caught his chin between her fingers, gently forcing his face back up to look at her, capturing his beautiful, embarrassed expression.
"Haha... I really love holding you. Let me hug you just a little longer."
She pulled him back into her chest, closing her eyes with a contented, happy sigh.
Ethan didn't fight it. He let her hold him, letting her indulge and flirt to her heart's content.
"Honey... Honey... My Honey smells just like lemons," she murmured happily into his hair, a soft laugh bubbling in her throat. "But that's okay. I love it."