91- The Lake of New Memories
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“I’m sorry for interrupting your moment.”
He shook his head and cast another glance at the lake.
“The box you saw me throw away held some of the ashes from the pyre that burned Catalina’s body.” His eyes lifted to meet mine. “Samhain felt like the right time to let them go.”
“Why?” My voice barely rose above a whisper.
“I don’t know... I think it’s time to move on and keep only the good memories. To stop dwelling on the past.” He exhaled deeply. “I think feeling your near-death was the trigger I needed for that.”
“I understand,” I murmured, feeling slightly unsteady.
It carried a weight too profound, too overwhelming. My palms were damp, a cold sweat breaking over me as I listened to him reveal pieces of his past I never thought he would share.
He ran his tongue across his lips, his breath condensing in front of his face.
“I’ve always respected Thalira. Only she knows my demons and what I truly felt when Catalina died. But today... after everything that happened, I know I’ve changed. Something inside me has changed.” He looked at me, his shoulders tense. “If she had hurt you, Lunara, I don’t know what I would have done. My beast would’ve taken control and... I wouldn’t have been able to contain what came next.”
My heart raced, and I felt my skin chill at his confession. That changed so much between us—redefined everything. Edric was trying to bury the ghosts of his past and fulfill the promise he’d made to me—that he would make my life peaceful and good. Not just through the respect he’d demanded from everyone, which ensured I’d have no more problems with the pack, but through his actions, showing that he respected me as his mated female. It wasn’t, of course, a promise of fidelity or a relationship, but it meant no other she-wolf would dare disrespect me the way Thalira had.
I would have peace.
I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and the weight pressing against my chest, making it hard to breathe.
It meant nothing—it was simply his duty, the fulfillment of his word. Nothing more.
I shoved everything my wolf felt about it into the deepest corner of my mind.
He seemed to feel the weight of what he had said, of what he had confessed. Avoiding my gaze, he turned back toward the lake and pulled his sweater over his head, leaving his chest bare.
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“I’m going for a swim,” he said, unbuttoning his dark jeans.
My eyes widened—I couldn’t look away from his half-naked body.
“In this cold?” I exclaimed.
He gave me a look, the silver dancing around the blue in his eyes, and flashed a fleeting smile.
“The water’s probably warm.” He winked, his long dark lashes casting shadows over his eyes. “And if it’s cold, I’ll just warm you up.”
I choked on my breath, stunned.
He undid the button of his jeans, lowering them to his calves, and kicked off his boots. I kept my gaze high, ignoring his legs—especially what was between them. When he finished undressing, he walked naked into the water.
Mouth agape, I couldn’t stop staring at his firm, muscular ass. The silver light shimmered against his bronze skin, a beacon rising from the alpha himself. The muscles in his back tensed against the chill he seemed determined to ignore.
He stepped into the lake and kept moving until the water reached his waist. He swirled his hands through it, shifting from side to side, playing.
“I’m waiting for company, Lunara. What will it be?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.
The rational part of me thought he had gone insane. The cold didn’t affect us the same way it did humans, but it was still unpleasant. The other part—the foolish, utterly besotted wolf inside me—urged me to go to him.
I bit my lower lip and took a deep breath, weighing my choices while wrestling with myself and with the feeling that had stirred inside me when he used my nickname for the first time.
Fuck it.
It wasn’t just about keeping him company—it was about giving new meaning to his memories of the lake. He was trying to move forward, to leave the past behind. This was the lake where he had last seen his fated mate, her throat torn open. The image must have been horrific, traumatic. Now he was here, with me, inviting me—perhaps unconsciously—to create new, good memories. I loved this place; I always had, even before I knew the truth of what had happened here. I wanted it to be something beautiful for him too.
Besides, it was because of the sound of this water that we had met. It was because of it that I had come close enough for him to catch my scent, to track me.
The lake meant far more than either of us had realized—and now, it would carry new memories.
I let my coat slip down my arms and began undressing quickly, all under his watchful gaze. Despite the cold, I felt warm under the alpha’s attention.
The icy breeze prickled my bare skin, making me shiver. I trembled as I finished pulling off my boots and socks. Lifting my face, I met his gaze.
I felt no shame, no urge to cover myself as I caught the gleam of mischief in his eyes, saw the way he admired every inch of me.
The ground was cold beneath my feet. I walked forward, forcing one step at a time toward the lake. The water was freezing, but even that didn’t stop me. Ignoring my pounding heart, I held Edric’s gaze as the water embraced me, rising higher and higher until it reached just below my breasts.
He smiled.
“I thought you wouldn’t have the courage.”
“And I thought you wanted company.”
He brushed the back of his hand against my cheek. His skin was warm—a delicious contrast to mine, chilled by the air.
“It would be far too lonely in this lake, on Samhain night, if I didn’t want you to join me,” he murmured.
I ran my tongue over my lips.
“I hope you have a good idea to warm me up before I freeze to death,” I panted.
His hands slid to my waist, pulling me against him. I felt his hard cock press against my stomach, and a smile curled on my lips.
He was affected by me—and that was more than satisfying.
“Oh, I’ve got some very warm plans,” he whispered, threading his fingers through my hair and tilting my neck back to plant kisses on my cold skin. “So hot, in fact, the lake’s chill will feel like a blessing.”
I clung to his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his muscular waist. I would never understand how his body stayed so warm despite the cool air and icy water.
He spun me in his arms, swirling me through the water. He sighed and pressed his forehead against mine.