Chapter 73 Morning Afterglow
Malia's pov
I woke slowly, wrapped in warmth and the faint scent of Aiden’s skin—clean sweat, cedar, and something uniquely him. Sunlight slipped through the half-closed curtains in thin golden stripes, painting soft lines across the sheets.
I was naked beneath them, my body pleasantly sore in places that reminded me of every touch, every thrust, every whispered word from the night before. My hair was a alburn wild tangle across the pillow, strands sticking to my cheek.
I shifted slightly and felt Aiden’s arm tighten around my waist, instinctive even in sleep. His chest rose and fell steadily against my back, slow breaths stirring the fine hairs at my nape. For a long moment I simply lay there, letting myself feel it: the solid weight of him behind me, the way our legs had tangled together sometime in the night, the quiet hum of contentment that still lingered in my bones.
Carefully, I reached for his discarded shirt from yesterday—soft black cotton, still carrying his warmth and faint cologne. It was huge on me, sleeves falling past my fingertips, hem brushing the tops of my thighs when I finally slipped it on. I smiled to myself as I tugged it down. It felt like wearing a piece of him.
Aiden was still asleep, face relaxed in a way I rarely saw when he was awake. No guarded edges, no sharp intensity in his eyes. Just peace. I turned in his arms so I could face him properly and traced one fingertip along the line of his jaw, following the faint shadow of stubble. Down the slope of his neck, over the dip of his collarbone. Memories flickered through my mind: his mouth on my throat, his hands gripping my hips, the way he’d groaned my name like it was the only word he knew. Heat bloomed low in my belly just thinking about it.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand—once, twice, then a third time in quick succession. I reached over carefully so I wouldn’t wake him.
July’s name first.
July: Girl where did you disappear to?? We left at like 1 and the suite was QUIET.
Freddy: She means we heard NOTHING after you two vanished. You're welcome for the privacy we gave you
July: Had a BLAST though. Tell aiden his brothers are actually tolerable when they’re not being territorial wolves. Rowan knows way too much about plants. I'm impressed.
Freddy: Also cian smiled. Like ACTUALLY smiled. We witnessed history.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. I typed back quickly.
Malia: Glad you had fun. And yeah… we got distracted. Sorry.
July: DISTRACTED huh. Details later. breakfast soon??
Freddy: Bring the wolf pack. We're claiming the café table in 30.
I was still smiling at the screen when Aiden stirred. His arm flexed, pulling me back against his chest with a sleepy grunt.
“Morning,” he mumbled into my hair, voice gravelly from sleep.
“Morning.” I set the phone down and turned in his hold so I could see his face. His eyes were half-lidded, dark lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. He looked soft like this—younger, almost boyish.
He studied me for a second, then leaned in and kissed me. Slow. Lazy. Just lips brushing lips, no hurry. I sighed into it, melting a little. When he pulled back just enough to speak, his breath was warm against my mouth.
“You okay?” he asked quietly. “Not too sore?”
I shook my head, cheeks warming. “A good sore.”
His thumb stroked my lower lip. “Good.”
Another kiss, deeper this time, tongues touching lightly. He tasted like sleep and last night’s mint. I slid my fingers into his messy hair, holding him there as the kiss stretched out, slow and syrupy.
When we finally parted he rested his forehead against mine. “Last night was… fuck, Malia. Seeing you laugh with everyone, seeing July drag Cian out of his shell, watching Rowan actually relax for once—it was perfect. You looked so happy. Made me happy.”
I traced the curve of his eyebrow. “You invited them. That was you.”
“I wanted you to have that. Your people. Our people.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Didn’t expect to get jealous of my own brother smiling at you, though.”
I laughed softly. “You hid it well.”
“Barely.” He rolled us so I was on my back and he was braced above me, weight on his forearms. “But I like this better. Just us.”
He kissed me again—longer, hungrier. One hand slid under the shirt, palm flat against my bare stomach, thumb brushing the underside of my breast. I arched up into the touch, legs parting instinctively so he could settle between them. The kiss turned molten: open mouths, slow slides of tongue, quiet sounds caught between us. His hips rocked gently against mine, not pushing for more, just savoring the friction through the thin fabric still between us.
I broke the kiss to breathe, lips tingling. “We should get up. July and Freddy want breakfast.”
“Five more minutes,” he murmured, kissing along my jaw, down my neck. He found the spot that always made me shiver and sucked lightly, drawing a soft moan from me.
“Ten,” I bargained, tilting my head to give him better access.
He chuckled against my skin. “Deal.”
We stayed like that—lazy kisses that started sweet and turned heated, hands wandering without urgency, bodies pressed close. He kissed the corner of my mouth, my cheek, the shell of my ear. I kissed the hollow of his throat, felt his pulse jump under my lips. Time blurred. The only sounds were our breathing, the rustle of sheets, the occasional soft laugh when one of us found a ticklish spot.
Eventually Aiden lifted his head, eyes dark and soft at the same time. “Okay. Ten minutes are up. We should probably shower. And eat. Before your friends break down the door.”
I groaned dramatically but let him pull me up. He stole one more kiss—quick, firm, full of promise—before swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
I watched him stand all naked, all lean muscle and easy grace, and felt that same warm glow from earlier settle deeper in my chest. Whatever came next—holidays, campus drama, the complicated pull of the bond—I knew this much: waking up to him felt right.
He glanced back, caught me staring, and smirked. “Like what you see?”
I grinned, shameless. “Very much.”
He crossed back to the bed in two strides, leaned down, and kissed me again—slow, lingering, like he couldn’t quite bear to stop.
“Shower,” he said against my lips. “Then food. Then whatever else the day throws at us.”
I nodded, stealing one last brush of my mouth against his. “Deal.”