~Jane~When I opened my eyes this morning, the room was bathed in soft gold. The sun spilling through the curtains in an almost deliberate way, as if it wanted to wake me gently, reminding me that another day had come. I didn't move at first, I just sat there against the headboard, my blanket pooled at my waist, and let myself breathe. It had been a few months since that night- the night that started it all, and being here, with him. Every moment Nathan and I had shared came back to me then, as if the morning light carried them in its beams. The first time, he pulled me into his arms when I thought I'd never be safe—the countless nights when his voice steadied the storm in my chest. The moments in the meadow, the quiet confessions whispered in the dark. Little by little, they had built something inside me- something strong enough to hold me up when I thought I would crumble. The fear and doubt that once wrapped around me like chains... they were loosening. Each memory with Nathan ch
~Jane~I set my fork down, the last bite of breakfast still settling warm in my stomach. Luna Lauren moved gracefully around the kitchen, her presence as calm and steady as always. When she reached for my empty plate and cup, I handed them over with a small smile. But as her hand brushed mine, I felt it- that familiar pull deep in my chest. My heart skipped. That feeling only ever meant one thing. Before I could second-guess it, he walked in. Nathan. The moment his boots touched the kitchen floor, my whole body knew. My soul knew. And when his eyes lifted to meet mine, I forgot how to breathe. It was always like this. The instant our gaze locked, the world seemed to shrink, leaving only the blue of his eyes. Eyes that made my soul feel whole. Eyes that made me want to believe- believe that what he'd told me so many times was true. That I was meant to be his. That fate really had tied us together. He didn't look away. Not once. Step by step, he moved closer, and though every fib
~Jane~ After what felt like forever, I finally pulled the blanket off me and climbed out of the bed. The cool air brushed against my skin, and I sat at the edge of the mattress for a moment, staring at the floor. My shoulders ached with tension, and heaviness pressed down on me. The pull inside me was getting stronger- tighter than it had ever been before. There was something different about it now, something I couldn't explain. The closer I got to Nathan, the more consuming it became, as if every breath I took tethered me deeper to him. It wasn't just longing anymore- it was something that lived inside me, demanding to be answered. And yet... fear still held me back. The "What ifs" refused to loosen their grip. What if Zander got what he wanted? What if everything was ripped away just when I finally let myself believe in it? The thought of Zander forcing me to be his mate still haunted me like a shadow I couldn't outrun, no matter how much I tried. Every part of me wanted to
~Jane~The first thing I became aware of was warmth. The steady heat pressed against me, wrapping me in a cocoon that made it impossible to tell where I ended and Nathan began. I stirred slowly, my head shifting just slightly on the solid plane of his chest. When I lifted my gaze, I found him already awake. His striking blue eyes were locked on me, as if he'd been watching me sleep. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but there was something deeper beneath it- an intensity that made my heart race before I could even think. For a moment, I just stared back, letting the silence between us say more than words could. The memories of last night came rushing back, flooring me with warmth that curled deep in my stomach and left my skin tinging. Everything was changing inside me. I still had questions. Doubts whispering in the back of my mind like ghosts I couldn't banish completely. The fear of losing him, of not being enough, of the danger of Zander's threat of taking me awa
~Jane~His mouth scorched a path down my throat, and my breath shuddered out, breaking against the heat of his touch. My fingers tangled in his hair, desperate to keep him close—desperate to hold onto the way he made me feel: alive, wanted, burning.“Nathan…” My voice broke—half plea, half warning—but his hands only tightened at my waist, steady, grounding.“I’ve got you,” he whispered against my skin, the words melting into the frantic beat of my pulse.His lips slowed, not pulling away, just softening. As if he knew I needed air. His forehead pressed gently to mine, our ragged breaths tangling in the narrow space between us. For a moment, all I heard was the thundering rhythm of my heart, the quiet promise in his touch.Then his hands shifted, coaxing me backward, guiding me with a tenderness that contrasted the fire simmering between us. My knees brushed the edge of the mattress before I even realized he’d moved me there. The world tilted as I sank onto the bed, Nathan following, hi
~Jane~ The drive home blurred past in a haze of heat and silence, every mile thick with unspoken words. Nathan's hands never strayed from the wheel, but the weight of his presence filled every inch of the car. I didn't trust my voice, didn't dare break the fragile thread holding me together, so I stared out the window, clutching the hem of my shirt to keep from reaching for him. When the packhouse finally came into view, my breath caught. The familiar stone and timber stood tall against the fading light, but tonight it didn't look like safety. Tonight it looked like temptation. Nathan eased the car up the long drive, slowing as he reached the circular front. Gravel crunching beneath the tires, steady, deliberate, like his heartbeat pulsing in sync with mine. Jay's car pulled in close behind us, his presence a reminder that we weren't completely alone- though my body screamed that none of it mattered. The engine cut off, and in a sudden quiet, my pulse roared louder than ever.