Chapter 66 Claimed

Chapter 66 Claimed
Ryzen slowly moved his lips down her neck before he removed her clothes, revealing Selene’s beautiful body beneath the soft glow of the moonlight.

“You are so beautiful, my love…” he whispered, his voice low, almost reverent. “I could look at you forever.”

Selene’s cheeks burned, but this time she did not hide. Instead, she reached for him, her fingers trembling slightly as she helped him remove his clothes as well. When the last barrier between them was gone, the air felt different.

The room was quiet except for their breathing. The curtains moved gently with the night wind. The moonlight spilled across the bed and painted their skin in silver.

Ryzen stepped closer.

Not like an Alpha claiming something but like a man afraid to break something fragile.

His hands rested at her waist. Slow. Careful. He leaned forward and kissed her again, deeper this time. Selene melted into him, her fingers sliding into his hair. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest.

Fast.

Just as fast as hers.

There was heat between them, yes. Desire and longing but there was also something else…. Trust.

When he lowered her gently onto the bed, he did not rush. He hovered above her, brushing his nose against hers.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.

Selene nodded. “I’m sure.”

The words were simple but they carried everything.

Their movements after that were slow and natural. They learned each other without hurry. Every touch was soft at first, exploring and memorizing. Selene felt nervous but safe. Ryzen felt protective but vulnerable.

When their bodies finally moved as one, it was not wild or harsh.

It was deep.

It was steady.

Selene clung to him, her fingers pressing against his back. 

“Ryzen…” she breathed.

He whispered her name against her skin again and again, like a prayer he was afraid to forget. The sound of her voice, the way she held onto him, made something protective stir inside him.

When he noticed the faint trace of red, his movement stilled immediately.

“Is it your first time?” he asked gently.

Selene nodded, her lashes trembling.

A shadow of guilt crossed his face. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Just… be gentle, alright?”

And he was.

Ryzen moved slowly, carefully, giving her time. He stayed close, his lips brushing her temple, her cheek, her mouth — reassuring her with every breath. At first, Selene held onto him because she needed the steadiness but gradually, something shifted.

The tension in her body softened. The sting faded into warmth — a deep, unfamiliar sensation that made her cling to him not from discomfort, but from something new and overwhelming. Her fingers curled into his shoulders as a quiet sound escaped her lips.

He felt the change in her, and his movements grew more fluid, guided by her reactions rather than his own desire. Their breathing tangled together, slow at first, then deeper, heavier.

“Oh…” she moaned, her voice no longer strained but breathless.

She pressed a soft kiss against his neck, and Ryzen exhaled sharply at the simple, tender gesture. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, as if holding her steady through the waves of feeling passing between them.

There was no rush.

No force.

Only the steady rhythm of two hearts discovering something sacred in the quiet of the night and when she held him closer, it wasn’t because she needed protection anymore . It was because she wanted him just as much.

When they finally collapsed together, their breathing uneven, the room felt calm again.

Selene lay against his chest, listening to his heartbeat slow down. His arms wrapped around her immediately, pulling her close.

Not out of possession but out of care.

He brushed her hair away from her face. His fingers traced small patterns on her back.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Selene nodded against him. “I am.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head slightly. “No. You were gentle.”

Relief crossed his face.

He shifted slightly, pulling the blanket over them. The night air was cool now, but under the covers, it was warm.

Selene traced her fingers along his chest absentmindedly. She felt different and lighter.

Like something heavy had finally been placed down.

“Ryzen,” she said quietly.

“Yes?”

“What happens now?”

He looked down at her.

“Now?” he repeated softly. “Now you are mine. And I am yours.”

She swallowed.

“I’m scared of what that means,” she admitted.

He did not laugh. He did not dismiss it.

“I know,” he said gently.

He lifted her hand and placed it over his heart.

“This means I stand beside you,” he continued. “Not above you. Not in front of you. Beside you.”

Selene’s eyes filled with tears again, but they were not sad tears.

“I don’t want to be someone you protect like a fragile thing,” she said.

“You’re not fragile,” he replied immediately. “You’re strong. You survived something that would have broken most people.”

He brushed his thumb along her cheek.

“I protect you because I love you. Not because you are weak.”

The words settled into her chest like warmth.

She shifted closer, resting her leg over his. Their skin touched fully now, no distance left between them.

“I’ve never slept beside someone like this,” she whispered.

He smiled faintly. “Me neither.”

Silence filled the room again, but it was peaceful.

He stroked her hair slowly. The repetitive motion relaxed her.

“Tell me something,” he said softly.

“What?”

“When you thought you might lose everything… what did you wish for?”

Selene thought for a moment.

“A place where I don’t have to pretend,” she said quietly. “Where I don’t have to compete. Where I don’t have to be careful every second.”

Ryzen tightened his hold around her.

“You have that here,” he said.

She believed him.

That was what surprised her the most.

She believed him.

He kissed her temple gently.

“You don’t have to fight alone anymore,” he added.

Selene smiled faintly.

“And you?” she asked. “What did you wish for?”

He was quiet for a moment.

“You,” he said finally.

Her breath caught.

“My beautiful Selene,” he continued softly.

Selene blushed.

“Silly…” she whispered.

“You know that I notice everything about you,” he replied simply.

They stayed quiet for a long time after that.

His hand kept moving slowly along her back.

Her breathing grew softer.

“Does it hurt?” he asked gently after a while.

“A little,” she admitted. “But not in a bad way.”

He adjusted the blanket carefully.

“If you need anything, tell me.”

She nodded sleepily.

The mark on her neck pulsed faintly. She could feel his presence more clearly now, like a steady warmth connected to her.

“It feels different,” she murmured.

“What does?”

“Being marked.”

He brushed his lips against the mark gently.

“It binds us,” he said softly. “You will feel me. I will feel you.”

She smiled faintly.

“That sounds intense.”

“It is,” he replied. “But it’s also comforting.”

“Indeed.” She answered and looked at him.

“I love you, Selene…”

Selene blinked.

She had heard it clearly — warm, certain, close — yet Ryzen’s lips had not moved.

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she stared at him. “You didn’t—”

Ryzen chuckled softly, the sound low and amused. “It’s one of the perks of a bonded mate,” he said, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “We can speak to each other this way.”

Her eyes widened. You mean… like this? she thought cautiously.

His smile deepened.

Exactly like that.

A quiet laugh escaped her, half amazed, half delighted. The connection felt different from spoken words — more intimate. She could feel the emotion behind them, not just hear them.

You really love me? she asked silently, a shy vulnerability threading through the thought.

Ryzen leaned down, pressing his forehead gently against hers.

More than you know.

Selene’s heart fluttered at the warmth flowing through their bond.

Amused and still smiling, she shifted and lay back comfortably, pulling him down beside her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she rested her head against his chest, listening to the calm rhythm of his heartbeat.

For a while, they spoke without words — simple thoughts, soft reassurances, quiet teasing that made her giggle against his skin.

The night no longer felt heavy with intensity.

It felt peaceful.

Her eyelids grew heavy and as sleep slowly claimed her, the last thing she heard, not with her ears, but within her heart  was his voice again.

Always, Selene.

“Stay,” she whispered softly.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he answered immediately.

He shifted slightly so she could rest more comfortably on him. His arm tightened around her waist, secure but not restrictive.

Outside, the night deepened. The moon moved slowly across the sky.

Inside, their breathing synchronized.

Selene felt safe, not just physically but emotionally.

She had been afraid to believe that someone could choose her without hesitation but he did and as sleep slowly pulled her under, she realized something important.

She was not running anymore.

She was not surviving.

She was resting.

Ryzen looked down at her as she drifted off. Her face looked peaceful.

He brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.

“Mine,” he whispered quietly.

He closed his eyes soon after, holding her close.