Lily
I was deep in sleep, wrapped in one of those heavy dreams that feel like sinking underwater, until something shifted. Not in the dream. In the air. Something warm and potent pressed into the room like a second heartbeat. I stirred, eyelids fluttering open to the low, flickering glow of candlelight.
"Elis?" My voice came out hoarse and unsure, barely more than breath. He was standing at the foot of my bed. His chest rose and fell with rough, uneven breaths. The white shirt he wore hung open, exposing sharp lines of muscle and tension. But it wasn't lust that made the air feel heavy, it was something darker, something frayed and on the edge. I pushed myself upright, the sheet slipping down my arms. "What's wrong?"
He stepped closer, his voice rough like it'd been dragged over gravel. "I don't have much time." My heart started beating faster. "I tried everything," he said, pacing now, agitated. "Fighting. Hunting. Praying to old gods. I even went to the ancient Alpha caves. And still, nothing. My wolf won't come."
"Elis…" I started, but he cut me off with a look; intense, golden, and aching.
"The only thing I haven't tried… is you."
I froze. "Me?" I echoed, my voice small.
"You said it yourself. About wolves craving what they've been denied." He muttered.
His words hit me like a match dropped on dry grass. My skin tingled, my breath caught. As he moved closer, the heat of his presence wrapped around me like a cloak. When his fingers grazed my shoulder, I didn't pull away. His touch trailed down my arm, setting fire to everything on its path.
"Elis…" I whispered again, only this time, it was laced with something I wasn't ready to name.
He lifted my chin gently. "Lily," he murmured, leaning in…And then he broke. A violent tremor gripped him. He staggered backward, clutching his sides.
I leapt from the bed. "Elis!"
"Stay back," he rasped.
But I couldn't. I dropped beside him as his body contorted. The sound of bones snapping filled the room. His claws pushed free, his skin rippling as he shifted. I touched him, despite everything because something inside me knew he needed that anchor. "Tika," I whispered, my fingers threading into his fur as it burst through his skin. He was magnificent. Wild. Terrifying. And still… beautiful.
When I reached out and touched his massive head, the great black wolf flinched. But I kept going, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his muzzle. "You're beautiful," I whispered. The growl that rumbled from him wasn't anger. It was something else. Something ancient. Something relieved. I watched him in awe.
"Come back to me, Elis." I whispered. The shift reversed so fast I barely had time to blink. Suddenly, he was there on his knees in front of me, sweat clinging to his bare skin, golden eyes wide with awe and something deeper.
"You woke him," he said, voice husky.
"I told you," I said, smiling despite the storm still raging inside me. Then he kissed me. Gods, he kissed me like a starving man. And I kissed him back, pouring every ounce of feeling I'd tried to bury deep. When he lifted me onto the bed, I didn't stop him. I didn't want to. That night, there was no more fear. No more pretending. And no more chains. Only us.
The early light painted soft gold across the room, casting everything in a gentle glow. My limbs ached in that pleasant, unmistakable way. I turned my head. He was still here. Elis. It wasn't a dream. Not a memory. Just... him. His chest rising and falling steadily, his face relaxed, all the usual tension melted away.
A slow smile curved my lips. I reached out and traced the line of his jaw, just to prove to myself it was real. His eyes opened. Those warm, golden eyes. "You're awake," he murmured.
"You're still here," I replied.
He shifted onto his side, one arm sliding around my waist like it belonged there. "I didn't want to leave."
My chest tightened. "You always leave."
"Not this time," he said. "Not after last night."
I swallowed hard. "You were different," I said. "Like something had been set free."
"Because something had," he said, his fingers tracing lazy circles over my hip. "Back in the woods… that was my first time."
"Our first time," I corrected softly.
He smiled. "Do you regret this?"
"No," I said, honest and clear. "But it scares me."
He tensed slightly. "Why?"
"Because I know what happens when I let myself love you." I looked away. "I've been burned before."
His hand found my chin again, gently turning me to face him. "I'm not the same man I was."
"I know." My fingers trailed over his chest. "That's what scares me the most."
A knock at the door shattered the moment. We both froze. The world was still waiting for us.