Chapter 48 MORNING LIGHT
Adam's POV
I wake up slowly.
Not the jolt-and-panic kind of waking. Not the cold, lonely kind either.
This one is warm.
Warm everywhere… my back, my legs, my neck. Especially my neck.
I blink, eyelashes fluttering as sunlight slips through the curtains, painting the room in soft gold. The scent hits me next, familiar and comforting, wrapping around my senses before I can even move.
Kael.
It’s deeper now. Richer. Like it’s not just around me, but part of me.
And then I remember… Everything.
My face heats so fast I’m surprised the sheets don’t catch fire.
I squeeze my eyes shut and bury my face into the pillow, groaning softly.
Last night.
The mating.
Kael.
His hands. His voice. The way he looked at me like I was something precious and holy and entirely his—
Okay. No. I’m going to combust if I think any further.
A low chuckle vibrates behind me, followed by arms tightening around my waist.
“Good morning, mate.”
I whimper.
Not a dramatic whimper. A small, embarrassed one. The kind that escapes before I can stop it.
Kael laughs again, soft and pleased, and presses his face into my neck. Right where the mark sits.
I feel it even before I remember it’s there. A gentle, constant warmth. Not burning or painful. Just… there.
Like a quiet heartbeat under my skin.
I lift a hand, hesitating only a second before touching it. The skin is sensitive, sending a shiver straight down my spine.
Kael’s arms tighten immediately.
“Does it hurt?”
I shake my head quickly. “No. It’s just… weird. In a good way. I think.”
He hums, satisfied, and kisses just below the mark. “It’ll feel more natural soon. Your body’s just adjusting.”
My body.
My mate.
I hide my face again, mortified all over.
Kael shifts, propping himself up on one elbow so he can look at me. I don’t look back. I absolutely do not look back.
He gently nudges my chin upward anyway.
There’s nothing smug on his face. No teasing dominance. Just warmth. Adoration. Pride so soft it makes my chest ache.
“You did so well,” he says quietly.
I might actually die.
“I—Kael,” I mumble. “Please don’t say things like that before breakfast.”
He grins. “I’ll say them all day if I want.”
I groan again, but it comes out more like a laugh.
He brushes his thumb over my cheek, then leans in to kiss my forehead. Then my nose. Then the corner of my mouth slowly, unhurried, like he has nowhere else to be.
Which I guess… he doesn’t.
“Bath?” he asks. “I had one prepared for us earlier.”
My brain short-circuits.
“Together?” I squeak.
“Yes.”
“I—I don’t think I can do that. I’ll pass away. Right there. In the tub.”
Kael smiles like this is the cutest thing he’s ever heard.
“You don’t have to be shy,” he says gently. “We’re mates now.”
“That’s exactly why I’m shy.”
He laughs, full and bright, then carefully scoops me up before I can protest. I yelp, grabbing his shoulders instinctively.
“Kael!”
“You’re trembling,” he says softly. “Let me take care of you.”
I want to argue…
I don’t.
The bath is already steaming when we enter the bathroom, scented faintly with herbs and something floral. Kael lowers me into the water first, slow and careful, like I’m made of glass.
When he joins me, he keeps a respectful distance, just close enough that our knees touch.
He washes my hair for me.
I think I might cry.
Not because I’m overwhelmed… okay, maybe a little, but because no one has ever been this gentle with me. Ever.
After, he wraps me in towels and carries me back to the room like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Breakfast is already waiting.
Fresh bread. Fruits. Warm tea. Everything laid out neatly.
We eat together in bed, knees brushing, shoulders touching. Kael watches me like he’s memorizing the way I chew.
“I was thinking,” he says, pouring me more tea, “we could go into town later. Jewelry shopping. Post-mating gifts.”
I choke slightly.
“Kael,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “No. Please. I don’t need anything.”
He tilts his head. “You don’t want anything?”
“I want—” I pause, then take a breath. “I just want today. Like this. Can we stay inside?”
His expression softens instantly.
“Of course,” he says. “Anything you want.”
Relief washes over me.
“I’m too shy to be perceived,” I admit. “I keep replaying last night in my head and I don’t think I can face other people without combusting.”
He laughs quietly and pulls me into his chest, arms wrapping around me securely.
“Then we’ll cuddle,” he says. “All day.”
I melt.
We do exactly that.
Cuddling turns into soft kisses. Soft kisses turn into Kael murmuring praise against my hair, my temple, my shoulder.
“You’re beautiful.”
“I’m so happy.”
“I waited so long for you.”
Every word makes my heart do something dangerous.
At one point, I realize I’ve stopped overthinking entirely. I’m just… here. Safe. Loved.
I press my face into his chest, inhaling deeply.
“I think,” I murmur, “I might be falling for you again. Like. Repeatedly.”
He laughs, delighted. “Good. I plan to make you do that every day.”
I giggle, unable to stop myself.
If this is what being mated feels like,
Then I never want it to end.
By evening, Kael finally succeeded in what I’d started calling his daily mission: getting me out of our room.
He didn't rush me. He just lay there with me, slow fingers tracing circles on my arm, warm breath brushing my temple, murmuring things like, “The sun’s going down,” and, “I think the wind feels nice tonight,” and, “You don’t have to go far. Just with me.”
Eventually, I sighed and buried my face in his chest.
“…Just a walk,” I mumbled. “If I panic, we come back.”
Kael smiled so wide I could hear it in his voice.
“Deal, my love.”
That word still did something to me. It made my chest feel too small for my heart.
He helped me dress in soft clothes, nothing tight around my neck where his mark rested, still tender, still warm if I thought about it too much. Kael kissed it anyway, like he couldn’t help himself, before wrapping a light shawl around my shoulders.
Outside, the air was cooler. Evening light painted everything gold and blue, shadows stretching long across the grounds. People bowed as we passed, some deep, some shy, some smiling like they were witnessing something precious.
Every single time, Kael’s hand tightened around mine, grounding me.
We didn’t go toward the forest paths or the training grounds. Kael led me the other way, past the familiar routes, into a wide open field I hadn’t seen before.
I stopped short.
“Oh.”
The field was full of flowers; wild ones, soft and unruly, swaying gently in the breeze. Whites and yellows, purples and pale blues, stretching farther than I could see. The scent was light and sweet, not overwhelming, just… peaceful.
Kael watched my face like it was the real view.
“You like it?” he asked softly.
I nodded, throat tight. “It’s beautiful.”
“So are you,” he said, immediately, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I laughed under my breath, heat creeping up my neck. “You say that about everything.”
“Incorrect,” he said, very seriously. “I say it about you.”
We walked into the field, flowers brushing my legs, the ground soft beneath our feet. Kael knelt down without warning and began carefully plucking flowers, choosing them with a focused expression that made me tilt my head.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He looked up. “Making something.”
“For…?”
“For you.”
Of course.
I sat down in the grass while he worked, hands steady, movements gentle. He braided stems together with practiced ease, fingers sure, confident.
“You’re good at that,” I said.
Kael huffed a quiet laugh. “My mom taught me.”
I looked up at him. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, a softness entering his eyes. “She used to make crowns like this when I was a kid. Said an Alpha should know how to be gentle enough to make something beautiful, not just something sharp.”
My chest ached in the best way.
“She’d like you,” he added after a moment. “I know she would.”
When he was done, Kael shifted closer and carefully placed the flower crown on my head, adjusting it until it sat just right.
“There,” he murmured. “Perfect.”
I reached up, fingers brushing petals, suddenly shy again. “Thank you.”
Kael leaned in and kissed me; slow, sweet, and lingering.
We stayed there until the sky deepened into evening, until the light softened and the air cooled enough that Kael draped his arm around me without asking, pulling me into his side.
When we finally headed back, I didn’t feel like hiding anymore. Not completely.
As we stepped into the pack house, the familiar grandeur wrapped around us: warm lights, polished floors, the quiet hum of life moving through the space.
We barely took three steps inside before someone approached.
His Beta.
The man bowed deeply, respectful, his gaze flicking briefly to me before returning to Kael.
“Alpha,” he said. “Vance from Star Moon pack is here to see you.”
The name meant nothing to me.
But Kael’s body went still.
His arm instinctively tightened around my waist, a subtle, possessive gesture that made my pulse spike.
“I didn’t schedule a visit,” Kael said calmly.
“He insists it’s urgent,” the Beta replied. “He’s waiting in the east hall.”