Chapter 62
Kara
"That's what scares me," I whisper back.
His hand flexes on my waist. "I know. But I promise—I'll never let you fall."
Gradually, my body softens. My head tips forward until my forehead rests against his collarbone. He smells like mint and ozone and something uniquely Cole—clean and cool and safe.
When did 'safe' become a word I associate with them?
"You know what I keep thinking?" Cole murmurs against my temple, his breath warm. "That I've imagined this moment a thousand times. You, in my arms, looking exactly like you do right now."
My throat tightens. Don't cry. Don't you dare cry.
"Cole—"
"The way this sweater fits you." His voice drops lower. "The way your hair catches the firelight. The way your scent—white musk and new snow—mixes with mine until I can't tell where I end and you begin."
Damn him. Tears prick my eyes. I blink rapidly, trying to clear them.
No one has ever spoken to me like this. Like I'm something precious. Something worth memorizing instead of something to be used and discarded.
"Thank you," I whisper.
His hand flexes on my waist. "For what?"
"For making me feel like... like I matter."
His breath hitches. The hand holding mine tightens. "You've always mattered, Goddess. We were just too stupid and scared to show it."
The song ends. He presses a kiss to my forehead—lingering, reverent. His lips are soft and warm. When he pulls back, his eyes are suspiciously bright.
I glance past him. Blake's gunpowder scent has thickened, sharp enough to taste. His eyes are locked on us, hands gripping the couch cushions. Asher's ebony smoke pulses with barely restrained emotion, his body rigid by the window.
But they don't move. Letting this moment belong to Cole and me.
"Come with me," Cole says softly, still holding my hand. "I want to show you something."
He leads me through the mansion to the observation deck—a glass-enclosed platform extending from the east wing. Three-sixty view of the night sky.
My breath fogs the glass as we step inside. It's cold in here—not like outside where exposed skin would freeze in minutes, but enough that I shiver. Cole immediately wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side.
And tonight, the aurora borealis is alive.
Ribbons of green and purple dance across the black canvas, twisting and rippling like cosmic curtains set on fire. I've seen the lights before—glimpsed them through my storeroom's lack of windows, caught them on my walk to school—but never this close, never this vivid.
"My God," I breathe. My hand comes up to press against the glass. "It's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you."
I roll my eyes even as heat floods my cheeks. "That's the cheesiest thing you've ever said."
"Doesn't make it less true."
Cole stands behind me, his warmth a brand against my back. His hands settle on my hips—loose, giving me space to move away if I want.
I don't move away. Can't move away.
"There's an old story in our pack," he says quietly. "They say when the aurora dances like this, the Moon Goddess is listening. Any promise made under these lights—She'll remember it forever."
I turn in his hold to face him. His expression is so serious, so raw. None of the playful teasing he usually hides behind.
"Kara." His hands frame my face, thumbs stroking my cheekbones. "I want to kiss you. Not because my wolf is demanding it. Not because of the bond. Just because... I want to. Because you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I've been dying to taste you properly."
My heart slams against my ribs so hard it hurts. My breath comes short.
This is different from Blake's hungry claiming or Asher's controlled restraint. Cole is asking. Giving me power. Giving me the choice to say yes or no without consequences.
"Can I?" His thumb traces my lower lip, the touch feather-light. "Please?"
My wolf practically howls her approval. Yes yes yes say YES—
I have to swallow twice before I can speak. "Yes," I whisper. My voice shakes. "I—yes."
His smile is blinding. Bright enough to rival the aurora.
Then his mouth descends.
The kiss starts soft. Gentle pressure, lips barely parting. He tastes like mint and something sweeter—like winter honey. His tongue traces the seam of my lips, requesting entrance rather than demanding it.
I open for him on a shaky exhale.
He groans—a sound of pure relief—and deepens the kiss. His tongue slides against mine, exploring slowly, savoring every stroke. One hand tangles in my hair, careful not to pull. The other wraps around my waist, pulling me flush against him.
But there's no urgency. No desperation.
Just Cole, kissing me like he has all the time in the world. Like I'm something to be cherished.
Holy shit. Holy shit, this is—
My knees go weak. Literally buckle.
He holds me upright, his mint-ozone scent wrapping around us both until I'm drowning in it. My hands fist in his shirt, clinging, pulling him closer. His body is solid and warm, so much warmer than mine.
Outside, the aurora flares brighter—green lightning arcing across purple waves like the sky is celebrating with us.
When he finally pulls back, we're both breathing hard. His forehead rests against mine. His pupils are blown wide, ringed with gold.
"I promise you," he whispers against my lips, voice rough. "Every single day from now on, I'll treat you exactly like this. With gentleness. With respect. With—" His voice cracks. "With love."
Love.
The word hits me like a physical blow. Like being shoved underwater.
My chest constricts. I can't breathe. He loves me? How can he love me after everything—
"Cole—"
"I know." He rests his forehead against mine, eyes squeezed shut. "I know you're not ready to hear it. But I needed to say it. Under the lights. So the Goddess would know. So you would know."
My vision blurs. Damn these tears. Damn them to hell.
"I don't—" I struggle for words, throat tight. "I don't know if I can—"
"You don't have to say anything." His lips brush my temple, soft as butterfly wings. "Just let me show you. Let us show you. That's all I'm asking."
Above us, the aurora swirls and dances. Bearing witness.
I nod because I don't trust my voice. My hands are still fisted in his shirt.
Cole kisses me again. Slower this time. Deeper. His tongue explores my mouth like he's memorizing the taste of me. Until my whole body is warm despite the cold beyond the glass. Until I believe—just for a moment—that maybe I really am worth this.
Until I'm clinging to him like he's the only solid thing in a spinning world.
---
When we return to the main floor, Blake is alone in the living room. Asher's gone—probably to his office or the gym.
My lips feel swollen. I touch them self-consciously.
"Where's Asher?" Cole asks, frowning.
Blake jerks his chin toward the ceiling. "Upstairs. Said he needed to clear his head." But there's something in his tone—concern mixed with... knowing.
Blake's eyes find mine. His gaze drops to my mouth. His jaw tightens.
He knows. He can smell Cole all over me. Fuck.
My wolf perks up. Something's wrong with Asher.
"I'm going to get something from my old room," I say suddenly. The words come out rushed. "That snow wolf plushie. I forgot it there when we moved my stuff."
It's a lie. The plushie is in my new room, tucked under my pillow. But I need an excuse—
Cole reaches for me. "Want company?"
"No." I force a smile that feels brittle. "It'll just take a second."
Blake's eyes narrow, but he doesn't argue. He can probably smell the lie on me.
Good. Let them wonder.
I slip out and head for the stairs, my heart pounding.