Chapter 230

Zara's POV

Seven years later.

The early morning sun filtered through the soft curtains of our bedroom, casting a beautiful ray through the room.

Years passed but the sun ray was still not my thing, just as staying apart from Keith was not my thing, I couldn't stay away from him for just a day.

My lashes are battered always at the first sunrise and I always end up waking up before Keith.

His scent hit me, I tilted my head to the side of his bed, and he was lying peacefully on his back, Keith was already in his late thirties, yet he still looked like a boy in his teens, I watched as his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of deep, undisturbed sleep.

I moved my fingers and pushed them into his hair while raking them off his face, he looked super handsome in his sleep, and I pressed a soft kiss on his forehead, seven years together has made our bond grow stronger and I am not trading anything for this.

I swing my legs off the bed and the duvet covering Keith pulls off leaving his half-nude body visible to me a thought crosses my mind and my lips curve into a lopsided grin, "Maybe, I should paint him nude." I said before I gently moved from the room to set up my painting stuff, we had a painting of me, Keith, and our little girl who is turning into a teenager, and these days, she had been having a lot of questions, no longer those childish questions but those related to the opposite sex.

I had often sketched him before, catching moments of his life in quick pencil strokes, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the intensity of his focus when he was working on a project, or the softness of his gaze when he looked at me. But today was different. Today, I wanted to create something more permanent, something that would capture not just his appearance, but the essence of who he was, a wolf man in his birthday suit.

It didn't take long before, I gathered everything I needed to paint Keith, my easel stood in front of me, a blank canvas waiting to be filled with color and life. On a small table beside me, tubes of oil paint were neatly arranged, their vibrant hues ready to be mixed and applied. A palette rested on my hand.

I throw the duvet off his body making him completely nude on the bed, for those seven years, we have always slept nude every night beside each other.

I studied him for a moment, taking in every detail the way the light played across his skin, the relaxed expression on his face, the way he hugged the pillow thinking I was still beside him. My heart swelled with affection as I dipped my brush into the paint, my hand moving with instinct as I began to outline the shape of his body on the canvas.

The first strokes reminded us of the first time, I drew Keith, he was just standing there, staring at the window like a model, with his hand in his pocket and the upper part of his buttons open, that was the beginning of our love.

Although Keith had told me, that he loved me since he set eyes on me I know that I felt the love when I sketched him and we kissed. I smiled as I remembered the way his lips danced on my lips the first time. I worked in silence, the only sound in the room being the smooth rustling of my brush against the canvas and the faint rustle of the sheets as Keith shifted slightly in his sleep.

As I painted, I got lost in the process, my mind and body completely focused on my painting. I mixed the colors with care, blending the paints until they matched the exact shade of Keith's skin, I made sure to capture everything on his skin.

Time seemed to slow down as I worked, each stroke of the brush bringing me closer to completing the image in front of me.

Now and then I would pause to study his face, I didn't want to miss any details. Even the slightest one.

As the painting began to take shape, I felt a surge of pride. Here I was capturing Keith with a different mindset, I see him as a kind alpha, not that ruthless alpha that rejected me, maybe, I should rename him, my compassionate alpha who claimed me, I chuckled at my words.

A sweet smile spread across my lips seeing the painting in front of me, I loved what I saw, I grabbed the water bottle on the table sipping from it while I admired the painting in front of me

Just as I was staring at the image, I noticed Keith stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He looked around, slightly disoriented, moving his hand to search for me beside him, I chuckled and followed the sound of my laughter his gaze settled on me. A slow smile spread across his face as he realized what I had been doing.

"Good morning my queen," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning my king," I replied, setting down my brush and walking over to him. I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"What are you up to?" he asked, his eyes flicking to the easel.

"Just capturing a beautiful moment," I said, a smile playing on her lips, I knew Keith would freak out when he saw what I had done to his body.

Keith chuckled softly, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Let me see."

I held my breath when Keith grabbed his bathrobe and walked towards the easel.

For a moment, he was silent, his eyes taking in every detail. His lips hung in excitement before he tilted his body to me.

"It's perfect," he said softly. "Thank you."

I felt a warmth spread through my chest as I leaned into him, my heart swelling with love. "I'm glad you like it," I whispered.

He kissed the top of my head, pulling me closer. "I love it, and maybe, I should paint you nude as well, so I could feast on them when you are not here with me."

"What?" my lips drop, I didn't paint him because of that.

"Yeah, don't you think it's unfair that I have my nude paint while you don't have yours?" He pecks my neck and his lips trail from my neck to my jawbone before he starts kissing my lips and his hands are finding their way under my robe.

"Aren't you a horny king?"

"Only for you," he murmured between our lips before he kissed me bruised hard, my hand went to his neck, intertwining my fingers with his hair, kissing him at the same pace, my arousal filled the room and I knew it wouldn't take long before we both ended up in bed.

"Mommy..." The door of our room flew open and Kiera's face was all we could see, she raised her hand covering her face, and Keith and I froze.

Slowly he let go of my waist, I was standing in front of Keith not just covering his boner but his nude painting.

"What do you need sweetheart?"

"I was going to talk about the boy..."

"A boy?" Keith's voice came up.

"Fuck..." She curses.

"Kiera, your words," Keith said.

"Sorry Dad, I will just go and come back, or maybe Dad, you should leave, I want to talk to Mommy," my eyes move to Keith.

"Are you kicking me out of my room?" Keith's deep baritone voice came up, and Kiera ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

"No, just that I thought you had to meet with the council,"

"Yes, my assistant but I am talking with your mommy first, so go" I chuckle inwardly, Keith and Kiera, are always at each other throats.

"Dad, that isn't talking that is kissing, you are Kissing and while is that here?" She pointed at the drawing, "What did you draw?" She took a step to see, and I cleared my throat. "fine, I will just go," she turned around and walked to the door then she stopped suddenly. I noticed something was bothering her.

"Is there a problem sweetheart?" I asked.

"I think he likes someone else,"

“Who?”