61- The Spark Between Us
POV Lunara Grimwald:
Lyris was doing Edric’s work. While the Alpha hardly cared to bring me into his life, his culture, or his pack, she, Celindra, and even Nicoleta tried to include me and make things easier for me.
Her phone beeped. She looked away and pulled the device from her pocket, reading the notification.
“Celindra is free,” she said, standing up. “I’m going to meet her.”
I nodded, closing my book.
“Tell her I said hi.”
“Will do!” She stepped away. “See you later.”
I focused on her footsteps, listening to her walk away until they became nothing more than a faint noise.
Clutching the book tightly, I rested my head against the rough tree trunk and stretched out my legs. Solitude wasn’t a problem for me; I knew how to find comfort in my own company. But I enjoyed spending my hours with Lyris or Celindra—they were good friends. Friends I had never been able to have in childhood. If it weren’t for Elowen, I would have been a lonely girl, with no one to share my secrets and stories with.
I wanted to ignore what Lyris had said, about not getting my hopes up with the pack. I wanted to care less—or not at all—about whether I would be accepted by them.
But I couldn’t stay indifferent, no matter how much I wished to.
I felt the spark of hope ignite. She was trying, and maybe she would succeed. Maybe—just maybe—I’d have the chance to finally be happy, at least once in my miserable life. To have a home, a good neighborhood, safety, and a pleasant place to live.
That was all I cared about. And to have Elowen by my side.
Maybe I would never have the pups I dreamed of, or the perfect marriage, but… if I had peace and a safe home with my sister, that would already be enough.
I opened the book to one of my favorite pages, the binding already cracked, and began to read, savoring the peace, safety, and beauty around me.
...
I grabbed my hair and squeezed the strands in my hands, removing the excess water dripping from them. My white nightgown was drenched, clinging to my body, tracing every curve.
The sun was no longer blazing hot, but the twilight sky was stunning, a mixture of orange, purple, and blue. I could have spent hours watching it, if not for the cold.
A chilly breeze hit me, making me shiver.
I stopped beneath the tree and placed my hands on my waist, soaking in the view a little longer before heading home.
Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply.
Warmth spread through my chest. It started like a small flame, until it grew into burning embers.
“I can’t believe you come to bathe like this.” The voice came from a few steps behind me.
I wasn’t startled. I didn’t even open my eyes. I had known he was approaching before hearing his voice or smelling his scent. My body was already becoming used to the strange way it warned me of his presence.
It was something so deep it seemed to come from my soul. And maybe it really did—we were bound by blood, sharing the same life.
“So what?” I replied, finally opening my eyes and turning to face him.
Edric scanned me from head to toe, his brow furrowed, lips parted as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“What the fuck is this?” he growled.
I looked down at my clothes—or lack thereof. A flicker of shame hit me as I noticed the hardened peaks of my breasts pressing against the thin, white fabric of the nightgown. I was… sort of naked.
But I didn’t cover myself. I stood firm. He had already seen everything and more of me; this wasn’t new.
“A… nightgown?” I answered his question with another.
He blinked, opening and closing his mouth, unable to find enough words to express his indignation. And I knew he felt it, because it pulsed inside me. It vibrated through him so strongly it was like magnetism.
“I know it’s a nightgown,” he ground out between his teeth. “I’m asking what the fuck you’re doing with it in the middle of the lake. You’re half-naked, damn it!”
“I don’t have swimwear. This is the closest thing I own that’s comfortable enough.”
And it was true. My dresses became heavy in water, and I absolutely wouldn’t bathe in pants. If not the nightgowns, it would have been lingerie. And to me, that would’ve been even more embarrassing if caught. Not that the nightgown was much better.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and trying to control his uneven breathing.
“Lunara, you’re naked, for fuck’s sake! I can see every damn detail of your body.”
I looked around and shrugged.
“So what? No one comes here.”
He took a silent step, closing the distance.
“This damn lake borders another territory. And you know very well wolves have sharp vision—you could be spied on by anyone in the forest without even knowing.”
I raised my brows and bit my lower lip, considering.
“Hmm… whatever.”
I didn’t even blink before he was right in front of me, only a few miserable inches between us.
“But… what?” I gasped in a whisper.
“What do you mean, ‘whatever’?” he snapped, his eyes scanning me, following the droplets on my collarbone as they slid down my skin, disappearing into the valley of my breasts.
I lifted my face to meet his gaze. His eyes were intent, pupils dilated, silver flickering around them.
“Well, whatever. I don’t care if anyone sees me. I’m not naked.”
“With that piece of cloth that covers nothing?” he grunted, raising a brow.
“Yes, with this piece of cloth.”
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. When he opened them again, golden light gleamed in his irises, taking over.
“If anyone dares to look at you, little wolf, I’ll have no choice but to tear the bastard’s eyes out. Is that what you want?”
I pressed my lips into a grimace.
“You wouldn’t be so… animalistic,” I objected, furious.
A half-smile tugged at his lips.
“You really think I wouldn’t?”
I weighed the thought, but the obvious conclusion was yes—he absolutely would. This was the same male who had decapitated other wolves days ago and used their heads as decoration for a romantic dinner.
“And why do you even care? We’re only mated because of our beasts’ will. Whatever I do or don’t do is my problem.”
“Touch another male and find out what kind of problem will be yours,” he roared.
Heat spread through me as rage took over. I clenched my teeth, hands balling into fists, nails piercing my palms.