Chapter 21 WARMTH.

Chapter 21 WARMTH.


Seren’s POV

The morning light didn't hurt.

For the first time since the ice, the light felt like a warm hand on my skin. I woke up wrapped in a pair of arms that felt like a safe haven.

Draven was still holding me, his breathing deep and steady. Without the hard line on his face, he looked younger. Almost peaceful.

I traced the line of a scar on his shoulder with my fingertip. I didn't remember how he got it, but I knew I liked the way he felt. 

My body didn't feel numb anymore. It felt alive. Aching, but alive.

Draven’s eyes fluttered open. The gold in them was soft, like a sunset. "Morning, my love."

"Morning," I whispered.

He pulled me closer, burying his face in my hair. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips.

Draven laughed—a real, deep sound that vibrated through my chest. "Then we eat. But no servants today.  Just us."

An hour later, we were in the small kitchen attached to the private suites. It wasn't the big kitchen where the chefs worked. 

This one was cozy, with copper pots arranged and the smell of dried herbs in the air.

Draven had stripped off his royal shirt and rolled up his sleeves. Seeing the Alpha King of the kingdom covered in flour was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever seen. And the most attractive.

"You're doing it wrong," I said, watching him try to crack an egg. He used too much force, and the shell shattered into the bowl.

Draven groaned. "I can lead an army through a blizzard, Seren. I can kill a man with my bare hands. But these eggs are my greatest enemy."

I laughed and stepped up beside him. "Move over, big guy."

I cracked the eggs perfectly. I didn't remember learning how to do it, but my hands knew. It was like a muscle memory of a simpler life. 

I felt a pang of sadness for the girl I used to be, but then Draven dipped his finger in the flour and swiped it across my nose.

"Hey!" I gasped.

"You had a spot," he said, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"Oh, it's on."

I grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at him. It hit his dark hair and his broad chest, turning him white. 

He froze, his eyes widening in shock. For a second, I was worried. He was a King and I had just thrown flour at a King.

Then, a wicked smile spread across his face. "You’re going to regret that, little bird."

He lunged for me. I shrieked and ran around the kitchen table, laughing so hard my sides hurt. He chased me, his movements graceful even in the small space. 

He caught me by the waist and lifted me up, spinning me around while I kicked and laughed.

"Yield!" he commanded, pinning me against the counter.

"Never!"

He didn't use force. He used his mouth. He kissed me until I was breathless and dizzy, the flour puffing up around us like a cloud. When he pulled back, his forehead was resting against mine.

"I like it when you laugh," he whispered. "It sounds better than any music in this palace."

We finally managed to cook. We made simple pancakes with honey and thick slices of bacon. We didn't sit at the table. We sat on the floor by the window, sharing the food off one plate.

"Tell me something," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Something you love that isn't me or the kingdom."

Draven chewed slowly, thinking. "Rain on the roof of the hunting lodge. The way the woods smell right before the first snow. And... the way you look when you think I'm not watching."

"That's cheating," I teased. "That's still about me."

"I can't help it," he rasped. He put the plate down and pulled me into his lap, his arms wrapping around me. "Everything in my world starts and ends with you, Seren. It was like that before the ice, and it’s like that now."

The rest of the day was a dream.

We didn't see a single guard. We didn't answer a single door. We went to the private library—the one with the big, plush rugs and the windows that looked out over the mountains.

Draven found a set of wooden blocks. "The architects used these to plan the new towers. But I have a better idea."

"A competition?" I asked, my competitive streak sparking.

"The biggest tower wins. The loser has to do whatever the winner wants for the rest of the night."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're on."

We spent the next two hours on our hands and knees on the rug, stacking blocks with the focus of master builders. Draven was cheating—he was using his Alpha speed to catch blocks before they fell but I didn't care. I was winning.

"Almost... there..." I whispered, placing the final block on top of my tower. It was taller than me, wobbling dangerously.

"It's going to fall," Draven teased, reaching out to poke it.

"Don't you dare!"

He laughed and pulled his hand back, but then he sneezed. The vibration was enough. My tower came crashing down in a heap of wooden clicks and clacks.

"Draven!"

He looked at me with fake innocence. "It was an accident. I swear."

I tackled him. We tumbled across the rug, wrestling and laughing like children. He let me win, let me pin his arms above his head as I sat on his chest.

"I won," I declared, panting. "Your tower fell over when you laughed."

Draven looked up at me, his eyes full of a warmth that made my heart melt. He wasn't the scary King. He wasn't the monster. He was just... mine.

"I guess I have to do whatever you want then," he said, his voice dropping into that low, sexy register.

"I want..." I started, my heart skipping a beat. "I want you to tell me more. About us. The good parts."

His expression softened. He reached up, his hand stroking my hair. "The first time I kissed you, it was in the throne room . You tasted like warmth. I remember thinking that I would never be able to let you go, even if it meant the end of the world."

I leaned down and kissed him. It wasn't a claim or a desperate plea. It was just a thank you.

We spent the evening in the gardens, playing a game of tag among the roses. He was too fast for me, but he always let me catch him. 

We watched the sunset turn the sky into a painting of orange and purple.

By the time the moon rose, I was exhausted in the best way possible.

We went back to the bedroom, but we didn't go to sleep right away. We sat on the balcony, wrapped in a single big blanket, watching the lanterns in the Wards.

"Draven?"

"Yeah?"

"I still don't remember," I said softly. "But I think... I think I'm starting to love you all over again."

I felt him stiffen, then relax. He kissed the top of my head, his grip on me tightening. "That’s more than I ever dared to hope for, Seren."

I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of his heart. 

It was a simple day. No magic. No wars. Just a man, a woman, and a kitchen full of flour.

And for the first time, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged.