EPISODE 15%
It was just a fleeting kiss, quick and light, but it set fire to everything we had been holding back.
My chest rose sharply, breath caught in my throat, and I saw the same thing happen to him. Valor’s pupils flared, the faint red hue in his eyes darkening as if his wolf had stirred.
The heat between us shifted, no longer something we could ignore.
Without a word, Valor suddenly lifted me into his arms. I gasped in surprise, my hands gripping his shoulders, but I wasn’t scared. His arms around me were strong but careful, as if he feared I might break.
He carried me through the open door of his house, kicked it shut behind him, and before I could even speak, his lips were back on mine.% This time the kiss wasn’t fleeting.
It was deep, intense, full of emotion. He kissed me like a man who had waited too long, like someone who thought he might never get the chance again.”
One hand slipped behind my head, cradling it gently, while the other pressed against the small of my back, guiding me closer until I could feel his heartbeat racing against my chest. There was strength in the way he held me, but he never lost control. Everything he did was deliberate, measured, as if he knew that rushing things would scare me away.”
I melted into him.
I let myself forget every reason I shouldn’t be doing this. I stopped thinking about the past, the fear, the weight of what I carried. All I could feel was him.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless and dazed, our foreheads touched. We stood like that for a while, eyes locked, not needing to say anything. We had said enough through that kiss.
Then we both laughed.§
It was quiet and breathy and full of disbelief, like neither of us could believe this was actually happening. He stepped back slightly, but kept his arms around me, looking me up and down with concern.
“Did I carry you too fast?” He asked, his hand brushing over my stomach with a frown. “I didn’t hurt you, right?”
I smiled, shaking my head. “No, not at all. You’re surprisingly gentle.”
That made him chuckle. “Good. I don’t want to do anything to hurt you or the baby.“}]
Then he hugged me again, even warmer this time. His scent was comforting, something woodsy and safe, and when he kissed the top of my head, I closed my eyes and leaned into him.
“I like you,” he whispered.
I pulled back with a surprised laugh. “That’s your confession? Really?“}
He looked sheepish and nuzzled into my shoulder like a guilty pup. “It’s my first time. I’ve never fallen in love before, so I wasn’t sure how to say it. I’ll try to do better.”
I giggled, brushing my hand through his hair. “No need. I’ve already accepted.“”
From that moment on, we were a couple.
His father was the most excited of all. The moment he found out, he started preparing for a bond ceremony. If Valor hadn’t convinced him that I needed more time to rest, especially since I was already showing, he would’ve dragged us to the altar that same week.!
His father was so fired up that he actually accused Valor of trying to delay the marriage, saying it might give me the wrong idea.
i had to step in and reassure him that I supported Valor’s decision. I told him I trusted his judgment, and that was enough to calm the old man down…, though not enough to stop him from watching us like a hawk every time we were in the same room.”
Mona had a knowing smile when she heard the news. It was almost like she’d expected it from the start. She told Valor that he should spend more time bonding with me and the baby so he could form a strong paternal connection. Valor took her advice seriously and became even more attentive, always checking in, always trying to be near me.”
“I want the baby to feel close to me,” he said once, resting his hand on my belly. “I want them to know their father is here.”
And hearing that…, hearing him say those words with such quiet devotion made something inside me soften. It made me fall even harder for him.2
Two months had passed since I arrived here. The bump was hard to hide now. Even Valor’s usually wild siblings had toned down their chaos whenever I entered a room. They tiptoed around me like I might shatter if they laughed too loud. Valor, of course, stayed glued to my side most days, making sure I was eating, sleeping, and never lifting anything heavier than a blanket.
I had never known this kind of peace. Or this kind of love.
That afternoon, Valor and I were walking along a path near the border, a safe zone where the moondew trees grew in clusters. The air smelled like early spring, fresh and sweet, and sunlight filtered through the canopy above us in warm patches.
I glanced up at the trees, marveling at the round fruits that had begun to swell from the branches.
“They’re so green,” I said, reaching out to touch one lightly. “When do they turn silver?“#
“When they’re ready. Valor replied, watching the trees with a thoughtful look. “They’ll glow a bit at night, just like the moon.”
“And then what? What happens when they’re ripe?”
He was quiet for a moment before answering
“They’re meant for mothers who’ve just given birth to chosen children. It’s part of the tradition. The moondew gives back strength.
herause the mother loses so much bringing someone that powerful into the world
7:04 PM
because the mother loses so much bringing someone that powerful into the world.“}
I stopped walking and turned to him. “Is that what I’m carrying? A chosen child?“}
He didn’t answer with words, but the way his hand tightened around mine was enough. The silence between us said yes. I took a breath
and smiled.
“Then I’ll survive this. I’ll be strong. I want to see our child grow up, learn to walk, shift, run through the trees. I want to be there for all of it.” His eyes softened again. He looked at me like I was the most incredible thing he had ever seen. He kissed me then, slow and tender, with none of the urgency from earlier, just pure affection. But before we could pull apart…, we heard something.
A sound. A rustle in the underbrush. Then another.
Valor’s head snapped up, and his body immediately shifted into a protective stance, one hand resting on the small of my back, subtly urging me behind him. Then a voice cuts through the quiet woods, sharp and furious.§
“Why the hell are you kissing my wife?“}
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