CHAPTER 234

CHAPTER 234

AMARA

The lazy sunlight continued to spill through the half-drawn curtains, turning the room into a private sanctuary of gold and shadow.

Alaric’s fingers never stopped their slow dance along my spine, each lazy stroke sending tiny sparks of warmth through me, chasing away the lingering chill of doubt. I shifted closer, pressing my body more fully against his, skin to skin, heart to heart.

His free hand slid up to cradle the back of my neck, thumb brushing tenderly along my jawline as if memorizing every curve.

“You feel so good like this,” he whispered, the words a low rumble that vibrated straight through me.

“All soft and warm… mine.”

A shiver ran through me at the possessiveness in his tone, not harsh or demanding like the world outside, but deep and reverent.

I lifted my head again, meeting those hazel eyes that still carried flecks of molten gold from the night before.

The way he looked at me—like I was the only thing in his universe worth protecting—made my chest tighten with a fierce, aching tenderness.

I traced my fingertips over the strong line of his collarbone, then lower, across the firm planes of his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall beneath my palm.

“I could stay here forever,” I murmured, my voice barely above a breath.

“Just you and me… no pack, no threats, no tomorrow.”

A soft, pained smile curved his lips.

He leaned in, capturing my mouth in a slow, deep kiss that tasted like safety and longing all at once. His lips moved against mine with unhurried devotion, tongue teasing gently until I sighed into him, melting further into his embrace.

When he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine again, his breath was warm and ragged.

“God, I wish we could,” he said, voice thick with the same yearning I felt.

“I’d keep you in this bed for days… weeks. Kissing every inch of you until you forget there’s anything else in the world but us.”

His hand slipped down to my waist, pulling me even tighter against him so I could feel the solid evidence of how much he meant those words.

Heat bloomed low in my belly, but it was softer this time—less urgent fire, more quiet flame.

I kissed the corner of his jaw, then the pulse point in his neck, savoring the way his breath hitched and his arms tightened around me.

“I love you,” I whispered against his skin, the words slipping out like a secret I could no longer hold.

“So much it scares me sometimes.”

Alaric went still for a heartbeat, then let out a low, shaky exhale.

He cupped my face with both hands now, tilting it up so our eyes locked.

The gold in his irises seemed to brighten, wolf and man both staring back at me with raw emotion.

“I love you too,” he said fiercely, though his voice stayed gentle.

“More than I ever thought I could love anyone. You’re my mate… my home. The only thing that makes all this worth fighting for.”

He kissed me again, slower this time, pouring everything unspoken into the press of his lips—every promise, every fear, every desperate hope for a future where we didn’t have to steal these moments.

I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him close as the kiss deepened, bodies shifting instinctively until we were wrapped around each other like we could fuse into one being.

For long, perfect minutes we stayed like that—kissing, touching, whispering soft words between breaths.

His hands roamed with tender reverence, stroking my sides, my back, the curve of my hip, never demanding, just cherishing.

I explored him in return, tracing the scars that marked his warrior’s body, pressing kisses to each one as if I could heal every old wound with love alone.

Eventually, though, the outside world intruded. Alaric’s phone buzzed sharply on the nightstand—once, twice—then went silent.

He tensed beneath me, a reluctant groan escaping his throat.

“Damn it,” he muttered, burying his face in my hair for one last deep inhale.

“The meeting. The pack’s waiting.”

I felt the shift in him immediately—the alpha duty settling back onto his shoulders like an invisible weight.

His arms stayed around me a moment longer, reluctant to let go, fingers still tracing those soothing patterns even as reality pulled him away.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he said quietly, voice rough with frustration.

“Not when you’re looking at me like that… all soft and beautiful and mine.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a small smile, even as my heart protested.

“I know. Go. They need their Prince.”

He searched my eyes for another long second, then pressed one final, lingering kiss to my forehead, my nose, and finally my lips—soft, sweet, full of every unsaid vow.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised, voice low and earnest.

“And tonight… it’s just us again. No matter what.”

With obvious reluctance, he eased me off him and sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist.

I watched him dress, memorizing the play of morning light across his broad shoulders, the way his muscles flexed as he pulled on his shirt. Before he left, he leaned down one last time, cupping my cheek and brushing his thumb across my lower lip.

“Stay safe for me,” he murmured. “I love you.”

Then he was gone, the door clicking softly shut behind him, leaving me wrapped in the lingering warmth of his scent and the quiet echo of his heartbeat still thrumming in my chest.

I pulled the pillow he’d used closer, burying my face in it, and let myself hold onto the romance of those stolen minutes just a little longer.

........

Later...

I was sitting on one of the stone benches in the small courtyard garden, trying to steal a few quiet minutes under the weak afternoon sun.

The guards kept their distance, but I could still feel their watchful eyes—ten of them today, silent shadows ringing the perimeter.

Their presence had become routine, yet it never stopped the air from feeling thicker, like an invisible collar around my throat.

Footsteps approached.

Light, confident, and far too familiar.

Jesse.

One of the guards stepped forward immediately, hand raised.

“Miss, you’re not authorized to—”

“It’s fine,” I said, lifting my own hand before he could finish. My voice sounded steadier than I felt.

“Let her through.”

The guard hesitated, jaw tight with obvious disapproval, but eventually stepped aside.

His eyes never left her.

Jesse stopped a few feet away, hands clasped demurely in front of her, the picture of refined elegance.

She looked flawless—silk blouse, perfectly tailored trousers, golden hair catching the light like she’d stepped out of a magazine spread. But beneath the polished surface, her beauty had always carried an edge.

Today that edge was razor-sharp.

She glanced at the nearest guard, then leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a silky, venomous whisper meant only for me.

“You don’t deserve him, you know.”

The words slid between us like a blade wrapped in poisoned silk.

I kept my face carefully blank even as my stomach twisted.

“Excuse me?”

Jesse’s smile sharpened, eyes glittering with years of festering resentment.

She let her gaze drag over me slowly—taking in my simple sweater, the faint shadows under my eyes, the way I sat with my shoulders slightly hunched against the chill that had nothing to do with the weather.

“Alaric,” she breathed, the name itself sounding like a curse on her tongue.

“You stole him from me. From the future we were supposed to have. From the life I was promised since the day I was born.” Her voice cracked with barely restrained bitterness.

“And for what? A pathetic, clueless little human who didn’t even know what she was until a few weeks ago? Look at you. Soft. Ordinary. Weak.”

She let out a soft, mocking laugh that dripped with pure jealousy.

“I was raised for him. Trained to stand at his side, to match his power, to carry his legacy. I know every inch of his world, every rule, every expectation. And then you… you waltz in with your wide eyes and your fragile little bond, and suddenly I’m discarded like yesterday’s trash.” Her lips curled in disgust.

“He’ll see it eventually. When the novelty of fucking a shiny new toy wears off and he remembers what real power looks like. What a real mate looks like.”

Heat flooded my cheeks, but I refused to let her see me flinch. I tilted my head, letting a sarcastic edge bleed into my voice.

“Wow. That’s an impressive amount of bitterness for someone who was already rejected. Maybe try therapy instead of stalking your ex’s new mate? Might be more productive.”

Jesse’s smile didn’t waver.

If anything, it grew—slow, cold, and deeply satisfied, like she’d been waiting for me to snap back so she could deliver the killing blow.

She leaned in even closer, her expensive floral perfume wrapping around me like a threat.

“Your end is near, you little creep,” she whispered, each word laced with sweet poison.

“Master… does that name ring a bell? He has a message for you."

The world tilted violently.

I glanced around at the guards, making sure none were close enough to overhear, then leaned forward, my voice low and urgent.

“What...?”

Jesse’s eyes sparkled with cruel delight. She was clearly savoring this moment—savoring the way my hands had started to tremble in my lap.

“Master has your adoptive parents.”

The air rushed out of my lungs.

She continued, voice barely above a whisper, each syllable precise and lethal.
“He wants you to come to him. Alone. Quietly. Without raising suspicion. No alarms. No pack involvement… No dramatic rescue attempts.”

She leaned in even closer, her breath ghosting against my ear like a lover’s secret turned venomous.

“And not even Alaric. If you breathe a single word to him—if you so much as let him feel the slightest hint of fear or hesitation through your precious little bond—your parents die. Slowly. Painfully.”

She paused, letting the horror sink in, her eyes sparkling with vicious relish as she watched the color drain from my face.

“Master will show you exactly how creative he can be with his punishments… if you fail to obey.” Her voice stayed silky, almost intimate, like we were sharing a delicious secret.

“They’re alive for now. But that can change in a heartbeat.”

I forced my expression to stay neutral, even as ice flooded my veins.

My hands wanted to shake; my lungs wanted to seize.

Instead, I kept my shoulders relaxed, my gaze steady on hers, blinking slowly as if we were only discussing the weather.

The guards were still watching—too far to hear the words, but close enough to notice any sudden tension, any flinch, any sign that this was more than a jealous ex’s petty visit.

I couldn’t let them see. One wrong move, one flicker of fear on my face, and they’d report it.

Alaric would know in seconds. And my parents would pay for it with their lives.

So I swallowed the scream building in my throat, tilted my head slightly like I was mildly annoyed rather than terrified, and held Jesse’s gaze without blinking.

My nails dug deeper into my palms until I felt the sharp bite of broken skin, but outwardly I remained perfectly still—polite, composed, unaffected.

Jesse’s smile widened, clearly enjoying the war I was fighting behind my eyes.