Semua Bab Beauty and the Alpha Beast: Bab 61 - Bab 68

*Roxy*The fire casts soft amber light on Leo’s face. We sit shoulder to shoulder in the clearing, the stars like scattered silver dust overhead. Everything smells like trees, smoke, and earth, and it feels peaceful. I hug my knees to my chest and tip my head back to stare at the sky. “Today really was the best day of my life.”Leo glances at me, his brow lifted slightly, amused. “Is that so? It started off a little rough.” I laugh. “Other than how I woke you up, of course. I ran barefoot through a meadow with a beautiful wolf, ate trail jerky in the moonlight, and got to see the whole, big sky.” I smile softly. “For someone who’s spent her entire life behind stone walls, that’s… magical.”He chuckles, low and warm. “Well, I’m honored to have spent it with you. And I suppose… it wasn’t too terrible for me either.”I nudge him with my elbow, and he grins. But the laughter fades from my lips as a heavier thought returns—the one that’s been sitting in the back of my mind all day. “Leo

*Roxy*The trees thin just as the sky begins to blush with morning light. I blink against the golden haze spilling through the forest, and then suddenly, it’s there.Moon River Village.Nestled between two hills, it’s the most peaceful, beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Neat rows of cottages with moss-covered roofs and flower boxes line the winding paths. Smoke puffs lazily from the stone chimneys, and a gentle stream winds through the heart of it all, sparkling in the dawn.Everything about it feels right, like I’ve been waiting for this place my whole life.I slow without realizing it, taking in the scene. It’s nothing like the cold stone tower I came from. The village feels warm and alive. Quilts hang from open windows, chickens peck along a garden path, and somewhere nearby, someone is singing.The three wolves who escorted us, sleek and graceful, each of them beautiful in their own wild way, pad a few steps ahead of me and Leo. Their fur glows gold in the morning sun as they come t

*Leo*The air inside the old outbuilding is damp and cold, but it’s the only place on Marek’s land where we can be certain no one overhears anything they shouldn’t.I light the lantern on the central table, the flame making shadows on the rough stone walls. Marek shuts the door behind us and bolts it. No one knows we’re here.The silence stretches between us like a taut wire until Marek finally mutters, “We should’ve seen it coming.”My jaw tightens. “We always do.” I grip the edge of the table, trying to will the memory into something more coherent, more explainable, to no avail. “We were halfway down the ridge,” I say, my voice low. “And then… something changed. Did you feel it?”Marek nods, slowly. “Like the air thinned. Like I was holding my breath.”“The birds went quiet first. Then the wind stopped, and I couldn’t smell anything. I could barely breathe.” “Everything was still,” Marek finishes. “It was like I couldn’t hear anything.”I exhale through my nose, the tension buildi

*Roxy*My lips are still tingling.I can feel the heat of Leo’s hands on my waist, and my heart thuds so hard I think it might echo in the stillness of the sacred space around us.He pulls back just enough to look at me, and there’s something in his expression I haven’t seen before. “I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you,” he says quietly, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “Let you have the festival and your birthday without anything hanging over your head.”I blink up at him, still breathless. “You mean about going to Golden Elm?”“Yes, about Golden Elm.” He swallows, like the words are heavier than they should be. “We’re leaving mid-day tomorrow. Marek and I, along with some of my best warriors. We will be escorting you there.”For a second, I can’t breathe. Tomorrow? My mind races, a thousand questions crashing through me, none of them quite forming words. And then the reality lands—he’s giving this to me. A chance I never thought I’d get.“You did this for me?” I whis