"Open your eyes." She heard the hushed voice order her and as if she was being controlled, her eyes flung open. What she saw made her gasp.

A tall white wolf looked down at her, its blue eyes the most beautiful ones she has ever seen. It looked like the one that had shown up to her the night she first kissed Zeidan but this time, it looked more calm and happy than threatening. It was a Luna. Her white fur covered her body and she could swear she saw it glitter. She made to touch it but it faded away into the dark with a howl and the hushed voice said again.

"Thank you for freeing me."

By the time she would open her eyes, it was already getting close to sunset. She slowly opened her eyelids and was met with the delicious smell of Maine lobster rolls, tamale pie, and macaroni salad. Placing her hand behind her, Lyne realized Zeidan was no longer there. Had he gone outside to order the maids to cook food? She sat up and memories of that morning came rushing, lifting her mouth in a smile.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she could feel something she had never felt before. It was like their intimacy had filled her with something tangible that has been missing in her life for a long time. His touch had awoken an enthusiasm to fight for love inside her and his warm body knew her in a way she had never thought he would. Is this what it feels like to mate with someone? Or did she just feel that way because of her love for Zeidan?

Love.

Their confessions the night before still looked like a dream and she wondered if Zeidan had truly confessed his love to her. He had shown her care all this while because of his love for her and not because he wanted to get her Father's army. Was that why he didn't flinch when her Father mentioned her name during their negotiation? Had he always hoped to get her to marry him? If so, then Zeidan is definitely the right person made for her. The only man that made her feel wanted. 

Lyne laid back on the bed and soon, she could hear the door open ad close. His smell wafted through her nose.

"Zeidan?" How did she know? She was shocked as she mused to herself. She could even smell him from a distance.

"Yes, love." The bed pressed from his weight as he embraced her from behind. His hands smelled of apple pie and honey. She immediately sat up.

"Have you been cooking?" She didn't need an answer as she could see flour dust all over his head and shirt and she couldn't hold back her laughter. He looked exactly the way he had when they went to play in the temple. His face was white from the flour dust.

"I've been baking. This is the first time I'm doing things myself, why are you laughing?" Zeidan pouted and Lyne thought he looked cute.

She giggled and rubbed his hair, her heart swelling with love and affection.

"I'm not laughing at you. I'm just surprised. Why have you been baking?" 

"For you," Zeidan replied and Lyne almost cried. She bit her lips and looked down. He even lowered his standards to suit her. 

Her lips quivered and she bit them to stop herself from crying. Zeidan knew what she was about to do and so lifted her face to him with his index finger.

"Don't cry, Lyne. You deserve every inch of my love towards you. You deserve my devotion to your welfare." He released her and stepped back a bit to access her face well. "I love you, Lyne. I have always loved you. I cannot allow you to be in pain. I'd rather be in that position than let you be in it."

"Are you serious right now?" It was all she could say to ensure she heard him right.

"I have never been more serious."

"I figured. Thank you." She smiled sweetly at him, her head floating with excitement, and an outburst of happiness coursed through her veins when he kissed her forehead.

"What do you say we eat before we bathe?"

"You need to have a bath first. You look like a busted bag of gun powder." They both laughed and she sucked in her breath when Zeidan ripped his shirt off his body, revealing the body she had just gotten intimate with earlier in the morning. 

"We do this together."

"What?" Before she could say anything, Zeidan had grabbed her wrist and pulled her up from the bed. 

"I said, we do this together." 

Soon, Zeidan was inside the warm bath, while the maids around poured flowers and perfumed oil into the warm water. She got inside the washroom, a bathrobe around her as she looked at him from afar. 

"I can't imagine this is happening." 

"What is happening?" Zeidan probed, a mischievous smile playing around his lips.

"I suddenly feel..."

"Sad? Shy? Disappointed?" 

"No, not that. I just want to..."

"Dismiss!" Zeidan yelled an order and the maids scrambled out of the washroom after bowing slightly. "Come here, my love."

After the door to the washroom was locked, she gently slid the robe down her soft body that received an arousing reaction from Zeidan. Unconsciously, he licked his lips and tried averting his eyes. Lyne thought she was supposed to feel shy but what's the point of feeling shy before the man who had tasted her, known her desire, and trod carefully with her body?

She stepped into the warm water but not being in this man's arms made the water seem less warm. Zeidan stared at her from across the water and they were two feet away from each other. Swimming his way towards her, he grabbed a soft towel and gave it to her.

"Wash me." 

She scoffed and made gestures for him to turn. 

"This is gonna hurt though."

"What do you mean?" Zeidan asked as if he was indeed scared as he looked at her over his shoulder.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She proceeded to wash his back, dragging the towel sharply with an intention to get a reaction from him. He didn't budge and while she slid the towel down to his waist with the same sharpness, she realized it was the sword wound she had touched and she immediately felt sorry after he cried out. 

"I'm sorry." She pleaded, her hands clasped over her mouth and she dropped the towel immediately.

"Wow. That was harsh." He turned towards her but to her surprise, he was smiling. He moved close to her and she took careful steps backward, the water getting warmer with the way he stared down at her. 

He trailed his hand over her hair causing her to feel a shiver run down her spine. Hot tension curled within her and she moaned to encourage him. Immediately, Zeidan kissed her in a swoon with the same passion he had always used, and this time, he let his hands work wonder as well, running them over her breast, hips, and the firm but soft mounds behind her. 

"Hmmm." She chuckled as she grabbed his hair and kissed him back with the same passion, sharing untold messages and romance that neither of them have ever had before. As the tension increased, Lyne wrapped her legs around his waist in the water, and Zeidan getting her message moved her to the tiled wall of the bath, so as to serve as a support. The muscles of his back strained under her hands which she wrapped around him, clinging to him as though holding on for her very life. 

As their bodies were locked in sync, Zeidan began moving gently and Lyne released soft grunts but soon, he began moving faster.

Lyne gasped in satisfaction, throwing her head backward.

"Oh, Zeidan!"

"That's for being harsh with the towel."

Faster and harder they moved, with Zeidan grabbing her waist and pulling her to himself, and she knew nothing of the world around them save the feel of him inside her and the spiraling ache that encompassed her being. She marveled at how he seemed to want to punish her but she enjoyed it and still wanted more.

"Please, Zeidan. I want more."

He chuckled and nodded as if knowing what to do. Her gasp and ragged breathing slowly turned into a scream of pleasure that she never would have imagined she could ever do. When she thought she would surely die from sheer rapture, a taut flame of bliss within her exploded. She cried out, her body jerking beneath him and shaking in waves of delicious release. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and began to groan, his body shuddering in unison with her own and she could feel his muscles contracting. 

With the way he was groaning, she was sure he undeniably was enjoying this too and she did all within her power to follow the move. He plunged deeper and faster; in her mind she never wanted any of this to stop. 

Soon, his shuddered breathing and groaning soon turned into him pleading for her to allow him. 

"Lyne, just...oh damn it! Mmmh...I want to taste you."

And like magic, she knew what he was about to do. But was she ready for it yet? Her body shivered in his arms and when she realized he had released into her, their paces slowed down.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The door was clear and the guards seemed to have been dismissed but this is the second day and Zeidan still hasn't come out of Lyne's room yet. Even when he did, she heard he was cooking for her and didn't let anyone close to the kitchen. Not even her. 

Moving closer to the door, she made to open it but had to stop when she heard a sound coming from the inside. It wasn't a sound of argument, they weren't talking but she was screaming. She could hear Lyne's scream and plea of sheer pleasure and it dawned on her immediately. She had lost him. Many thoughts swirled in her head at a time and she placed a hand on the doorknob, trying hard not to open it and see for herself. That would be intruding on their privacy but why would she care? Probably because she doesn't want to see for herself what she feared Zeidan might be doing with Lyne. Her head burnt with anger and veins popped out of her body. She was turning white and her fangs were out. Her eyes turned black as she placed a hand on the metallic doorknob, squeezing it as if her life depends on it. The knob turned red from her burning hands and her claws had dug deep into it. 

She exhaled shakily and let go of the door, transforming back to normal as tears rolled down her eyes. Turning to go back, she stopped. 

"No. This isn't what we talked about." Glancing back at the door, she kicked it out of the way and broke into the room.