Chapter 129 And then he worshiped me

Chapter 129 And then he worshiped me
Warning:
explicit material in this chapter
"Mark me," Opal whispered, her voice trembling yet firm, her nails digging into Kael's shoulders as she arched her back, pressing her body closer to his. The room was a sanctuary of shadows and candlelight, the air thick with the scent of their mingled sweat and arousal.
Kael's molten gaze darkened, his lips curving into a smile that was both possessive and reverent. His hands tightened on her hips, grounding her as he hovered above her, his body a silhouette of power and restraint. "You already are," he murmured, his voice a deep growl that sent shivers down her spine. "But I'll make sure you feel it."
He leaned down, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was slow and deliberate, a promise of everything he was about to do to her. Opal's breath hitched as his tongue coaxed hers, their kiss deepening until she was breathless. When he pulled away, her body was already thrumming with anticipation, her skin flushed and sensitive.
Kael's mouth trailed down her throat, his teeth grazing her pulse point before he soothed the spot with a soft kiss. Opal's head fell back, her fingers tangling in his hair as he continued his descent, his lips exploring every inch of her skin. His hands followed the path of his mouth, caressing her curves with a tenderness that belied the fierceness in his eyes.
"Tell me what you want, Luna," he murmured against her collarbone, his breath hot against her skin.
"You," she gasped, her hips lifting toward him involuntarily. "I want your mouth. Your hands. Everything."
He growled softly, a sound that vibrated through her entire body, and spread her thighs apart. His lips brushed the inside of one thigh, then the other, teasing her until she was writhing beneath him. "Greedy," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "I like it."
And then his mouth was on her, his tongue dragging a slow, deliberate path that had her crying out, her hands fisting the sheets as her hips arched toward him. Kael didn't rush. He savored her, his mouth working her with a skill that left her trembling, her thighs quivering as he brought her to the edge and then pulled back, teasing her mercilessly.
Opal's breath came in ragged gasps, her body taut with tension as she hovered on the brink. "Kael," she moaned, his name a plea and a prayer on her lips.
He chuckled darkly, his breath hot against her skin. "Not yet," he murmured, his fingers replacing his mouth, sliding into her with a wicked slowness that had her gasping. "I want to watch you fall apart again. And again. Until all you can say is my name."
And he did. He pushed her to the edge over and over, his fingers and mouth working in perfect harmony until she was begging for release, her body shuddering with the force of her need. When he finally pressed into her, filling her completely, she was already a quivering mess, her body arching toward him as she cried out his name.
Kael stilled, his eyes locking on hers as he held himself deep inside her, his body trembling with the effort of holding back. "You were made for me," he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.
Then he began to move, slow and deep, each thrust driving her toward another climax. Opal clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as he filled her, her body tightening around him as she was pushed closer and closer to the edge.
"Now," she gasped, her voice breaking as she reached for him, her body trembling with the intensity of her need. "Claim me now."
Kael's teeth grazed the curve of her shoulder, his breath hot against her skin as he bit down, marking her in a act of possession that sent her spiraling over the edge. Her cry echoed through the room, her body locking around his as the bond snapped into place, threading through her soul like wildfire.
Kael groaned above her, his body shuddering with his own release as he held her tight, his mark pulsing with the heat of their bond. When she could finally breathe, when the world returned in fragments, she blinked up at him—his lips red, his eyes wild, his chest heaving.
"Your turn," she whispered, dragging her fingers through his hair and tilting his head. She kissed along his throat, her tongue flicking against his pulse, her hands guiding him deeper as he thrust into her again, harder this time.
And when he growled her name, when she felt him shudder inside her, she sank her teeth into the crook of his neck—marking him, binding him to her. Kael let out a raw, broken sound as he surged forward one last time, his body trembling with release, heat pouring into her as they climaxed together—tied, tangled, claimed.
They collapsed in a breathless heap, skin to skin, hearts pounding in perfect rhythm. He didn't pull away. Didn't loosen his hold.
He just buried his face in her hair, one hand still cupping her breast, the other tangled with hers. "You're mine now," he murmured.
Opal smiled against his shoulder. "And you're mine."
Their marks throbbed in sync, glowing faintly under the moonlight. Kael's fingers traced the mark on her shoulder, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. "You're perfect," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion.
Opal's fingers tightened on his, her body still humming with the aftershocks of their passion. "So are you," she whispered, her voice soft but filled with conviction.
Kael's lips curved into a smile, his eyes dark with promise. "I'm never letting you go," he murmured, his voice a vow.
The room was still.
Their bodies were tangled beneath the covers, Kael's chest rising and falling in time with hers, their skin slick with heat and the last shimmers of spent energy. The scent of them—spiced musk and skin and something newly intertwined—hung in the air like incense after ritual.
Opal lay on her side, pressed against Kael's chest, her hand resting over the steady thrum of his heart.
Her mark—still tingling, still warm—burned on her shoulder. But not painfully. No, it pulsed in time with something… bigger.

She closed her eyes and exhaled.
And then—
Are you okay?

The voice wasn't spoken.
It wasn't even a whisper in the room.
It was inside her. Soft, familiar, warm.
Her eyes shot open.
"Kael?"
He stirred beside her, his voice low, already smiling. "Yes, love?"
Her brows furrowed. "I… I just heard you. In my head. Like—like I could feel
your voice."
Kael tilted his head, brushing her hair from her cheek. "That's the mate bond."
Opal blinked. "You can hear me?"
He nodded. "Clear as day. I've been listening to you breathe for the last ten minutes and thinking about how beautiful you are, and you didn't say a word—but I still knew."
She sat up slightly, heart thudding again, but in a different
way now.
Like something ancient had cracked open and filled her with light.
"This is normal?"
Kael chuckled. "It's rare. But yes. For mated pairs, the bond opens up like this after marking. It's stronger in some than others. With us?" He brushed his fingers over her mark. "It's… everything. You are my everything."
She swallowed, turning her focus inward.
Kael?

His smile widened.
I heard that.
His voice echoed inside her, threaded with affection. Try again. But this time, tell me what you're thinking.

Opal bit her lip.
I think I love you more than I know how to say out loud.

Kael's hand cupped her jaw, reverent.
Then I'll listen for the rest of my life. Even in silence.

Her throat tightened.
They lay back down together, her head on his shoulder, his hand on her hip. Kael pulled her close as he kissed her forehead.
The bond shimmered between them like a second heartbeat, alive in the space where no one else could reach.
She felt him shift and sighed as he pulled her closer, tucking her fully into his side.
"You still feel me?" he asked softly.
"Yes," she whispered. "You're like a flame. Quiet, but… always there."
Kael kissed her forehead. "That's what you are to me. Constant. Guiding. Burning in the best way."
She tilted her head up and kissed him—slow, sweet, full of the kind of love that didn't need to be chased. Just held.
And when they settled again, legs tangled, skin flush to skin, Opal let her thoughts drift—barely formed, half-dreamt.
I'm safe.

You always will be.

Kael's voice wrapped around her like the sheets. Steady. Steeped in love.
They drifted off together, the world fading, but their bond holding strong.
Two hearts.
Two souls.
Now forever one.

Opal woke slowly, her body still deliciously sore from the night before, her skin marked with the evidence of Kael's love. The bond thrummed between them, warm and steady, like a second heartbeat just beneath her own.
Kael stirred beside her, still half-asleep, but she could feel his awareness rise the moment she moved.
Good morning,
his voice said in her mind, low and gravelly with sleep.
She smiled.
It is now.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his chest. "You don't have to get up yet."
"Duty calls," she murmured into his skin. "Luna things."
Kael groaned dramatically. "Just a few more minutes. Let me be needy."
She laughed, but gently untangled herself and sat up, stretching, the soft sheets sliding down her bare back.
Kael sat up behind her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "They're going to love you."
Opal exhaled. "And if they don't?"
"Then I'll remind them who you are. What you've survived. What you've earned.
"
She turned, met his eyes, and kissed him once—soft, grounding.
"Thank you," she whispered.
They dressed together—Kael in a dark tunic embroidered with silver thread, and Opal in a pale gray dress that clung to her waist and flowed like smoke around her ankles. Mira had left it for her with a note that simply read: Lead like the moon—soft light, unyielding pull.

She wore her hair down, her new earrings gleaming beneath the sunlight streaming through the window.
And when they stepped outside together, hand in hand, the entire pack was waiting.
Dozens—no, more than that—lined the wide stone circle in front of the packhouse. Warriors in formal gear. Elders with proud eyes. Children bouncing excitedly behind their parents.
A low murmur rippled through them as Kael and Opal approached the center of the circle, where a stone pedestal stood, carved with ancient runes.
Vesta and Roran stood at the edge, flanking Mira and Halden.
Opal felt her throat tighten.
Then Kael raised their joined hands, his voice strong and clear.
"Today," he said, "you meet the wolf who has chosen to stand beside me. Not as a symbol. Not as a shadow. But as my equal. My mate. My Luna."
The crowd erupted in a howl—not of chaos, but of welcome.

Opal stood tall, chin high, her fingers gripping Kael's.
She could feel the energy shift—respect blooming around her like petals, rippling from wolf to wolf. This pack was ready to love her.
Almost all of them.
As Kael lowered their hands, he turned to her and stepped aside, giving her the space to speak.
Opal swallowed and stepped forward.
"I'm not from this pack," she said, voice steady. "But I've known love. I've known loss. I've known what it means to fight for your people—your family. I may not have been born here. But I will bleed
for this pack if I must."
Another round of howls. A few claps. Even a tear or two in the crowd.
She stepped back, Kael beaming at her like he might burst.
Roran stepped forward and placed a silver chain over her shoulders—a ceremonial collar, not of submission, but of unity. It glinted in the sunlight like a thread of moonlight itself.
And just as she turned to face the crowd, her chest swelling with pride—
She saw him
.
A stranger. Standing near the edge of the crowd. Older. Sharp. His arms crossed, his face unreadable.
He didn't clap.
He didn't bow his head.
His eyes locked on hers—and something in them burned cold.
Not hate.
Not yet.
But challenge.
A storm.
Kael's grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.
You see him too?
she whispered through the bond.
Yes.

Who is he?

Kael's jaw flexed.
Someone we'll have to watch.