The morning of the Golden Embrace should have felt magical. From the moment I opened my eyes, I could hear the pack stirring with anticipation. The halls of the mansion buzzed with energy—laughter, chatter, the clatter of servants preparing food for the great feast. But inside me, there was only a knot. A heavy, twisting knot that no smile or gentle touch from Varion could untangle.
He had been perfect since that night in the bathroom. Sweeter than ever, attentive in ways that made me ache—pressing kisses into my hair when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, brushing his thumb over my knuckles when he took my hand, always keeping me close as though he wanted me to feel how deeply I was wanted. And yet, all I could think about was nightfall.
When he would surrender himself to his wolf.
