Claire lay curled against Xander’s side on his massive king-sized bed, her head resting on his chest. The steady thump of his heartbeat beneath her ear was strangely comforting, even after everything she had learned today. His room smelled like him—clean pine, faint cologne, and something wilder underneath that she now recognized as wolf. The fireplace crackled softly across the room, casting warm golden light over the dark wood furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the moonlit forest.
She still couldn’t believe this was real.
Xander’s fingers traced lazy circles on her back, right where her silver dress ended and skin began. Every touch sent little sparks through her.
“I should call my parents,” Claire murmured after a while, though she made no move to get up. “They’ll
