Elizabeth felt her cheeks burn at his request.
— Hum… I don't think so. Not yet.
She murmured softly, her voice husky, as she slid slightly to the side, the movement revealing a pair of long legs adorned by soft, rounded thighs, paler where the sun had never claimed them in gold.
— I don't know if you'll approve…
She said it while approaching a fruit tree heavy with sweet purple blackberries. She plucked the largest one and brought it to her lips.
— I think Safira… may have gone too far in her choice…
The mantle slipped from her shoulders as she turned, revealing dark blue straps adorned with waning-moon jewels shimmering against the daylight.
— …but as I promised… I won't go back on my word.
She faced him again, fingertips faintly painted, lips stained a deep violet where the fruit had burst and melted.
— But… if you want to see… come.
She beckoned him, flushed, embarrassment tinting her features.
Beneath the mantle she wore a midnight-blue bikini adorned with moon-crystal details that chimed in soft, delicate notes. The top cradled her full, rosy breasts like a jeweled embrace. The bottom was a gentle, intricate design at the hips, delicate rather than vulgar, something almost impossibly refined.
Theodor felt the air leave his lungs.
The contrast between Elizabeth's shyness, her blushing cheeks and doe-like gaze, and the absolute audacity of the attire Safira had chosen was a refined torment. The night-blue fabric seemed sculpted against her skin, and the gleam of the moon crystals against the pale curve of her thighs made his wolf howl inwardly.
Her lips, stained with blackberry wine, were the final invitation into ruin.
— Approve? — Theodor's voice came out like a muffled growl. — Elizabeth… if the Moon Goddess descended to earth today, she would envy the way that crystal shines upon you.
He did not wait.
He closed the distance with slow, predatory steps, the aura of the Alpha of the Morning Sun radiating heat that seemed to consume the cool breath of the waterfall. He stopped inches from her, the scent of jasmine, blackberry, and desire striking him like a wave.
— You said Safira exaggerated… — His hand slid to her waist, fingers grazing the warm bare skin just above the delicate tie at her hip. The touch made the tiny crystals chime, a sound that echoed through the hush of the grove. — I think she was merciful. She knows that after today, I will never look at another female without searching for this blue… for this skin.
He leaned closer, his thumb rising to wipe the trace of blackberry juice from the corner of her mouth, the pressure of his touch a prelude to something far deeper.
— You promised me a thousand kisses, Luna… — he whispered against her lips, warm breath laced with mint mingling with her own. — I think we should begin with the first before I lose my reason and carry you into that water.
He did not wait for a spoken answer.
He sealed his mouth over hers with a hunger that had been restrained since the moment he saw her stumble in the gardens. The kiss carried possession, desire, and a loyalty Dandara would never come close to tasting.
The world around them dissolved.
The roar of the falling water became a distant echo, drowned beneath the frantic beat of Theodor's heart against Elizabeth's chest.
The kiss began with the urgency of a storm. Theodor pulled her closer, large warm hands finding the curve of her waist, feeling silk and crystal beneath his palms. He kissed her as if reclaiming every particle of air she possessed, a complete surrender blending the hunger of an Alpha with the devotion of a soul-bound mate.
Elizabeth nearly lost her footing when he lifted her slightly, pressing her body against his. The heat radiating from him was like a summer sun against the cool mist of the falls. His tongue sought hers with fierce possessiveness, tasting sweet blackberry and the intoxicating warmth only a pure-blood Lycan could exhale.
Deep within her consciousness, Safira let out a triumphant howl.
There was no room for doubt. No space for childhood memories or inconvenient friendships. Beneath the canopy of trees and the glow of the setting sun, there was only the bond.
Theodor's kisses trailed down the line of her neck, stubble brushing her sensitive skin and drawing from her a sigh that sounded like invitation. He was drowning in her, losing himself in the labyrinth of scent and sensation she offered.
— Mine… — he growled against her skin, the word vibrating into her bones. — All mine. Elizabeth…
He held her tighter, burying his face in her hair, utterly undone.
The sovereign Alpha. The warrior feared by all.
Now nothing more than a captive man, bewitched by the Luna who knew precisely how to tame the beast with nothing but a touch and the promise of belonging.