The Alpha's Only Luna

Chapter 5 : The Claiming

Lilly POV

The bedroom door clicked shut behind us, cutting off the rest of the world. Cillian didn’t let me go; he carried me straight to the mattress, gently laying me down before following me into the soft bedding. His dark hair fell forward around his face, his brown eyes burning with a raw, reverent heat as his lips found mine in a deep, bruising kiss that stole the breath from my lungs.

My hands framed his sharp jaw, pulling back just an inch. “Can you mark me?” I whispered against his mouth.

Cillian froze, his chest heaving against mine, his gaze widening in disbelief.

“I don’t want to wait almost two months until Halloween,” I murmured, running my thumb across the high curve of his cheekbone.

“I’m sorry I made you wait this long. We can re-bite each other for the formal ceremony... but I want your mark now.”

Cillian POV

The words hit me like a physical blow, stripping away years of quiet anxiety and fear. It felt as though the entire weight of the world had lifted off my shoulders in a single heartbeat.

There was no hesitation left. Clothes were stripped away in a frantic, breathless rush, tossed carelessly to the floor as we came together. Even though we had been together for 6 years already and this was by no means the first time, it still managed to feel just as romantic and powerful as our first time. When the pleasure crested and the room spun, I leaned down, burying my canines deep into the soft crook where her neck met her shoulder.

Lilly gasped against my skin, her fingers digging fiercely into my back. In the same breath, she tilted her head and sank her own teeth into the junction of my neck and collarbone. The sting gave way to an intoxicating wave of warmth as our scents merged, claiming each other in the quiet room. I pulled back slightly and licked her wound clean, feeling the torn skin knit shut beneath my tongue as she did the exact same for me.

A long, contented sigh broke from both of us as we collapsed into the sheets.

Lilly sprawled languidly across my chest, tucked between my legs. I rested both hands flat against the smooth curve of her back, tracing slow, grounding circles along her spine.

“Thank you for being so patient with me,” she said softly, her chin resting on my sternum as she looked up into my eyes. “I know this has been a lot for you. Maybe even borderline torture.”

“No,” I replied, brushing a stray dark wave from her forehead. “I get it. It’s a huge commitment. Alpha and Luna are massive roles, and we’ve seen nothing but dysfunction in our pack and others. It made sense that you were cautious.” I paused, the quiet question I couldn't hold back slipping out. “What made you change your mind so quickly today?”

Lilly’s green eyes softened with genuine emotion. “Seeing you today when I took you lunch. Seeing you sitting at that table with the other men... you’re a good man, Cillian. You’re the love of my life, and you deserve so much more than just a girl stringing you along as a casual fling while she waits around for... what? Something better? You are what’s best for me. And I’m so sorry it took me this long, or if I hurt you while I figured that out.”

Every word felt like a balm, soothing old, jagged wounds and filling my chest with an overwhelming sense of peace.

“No apologies, love,” I said, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. “I appreciate you saying that. I love you, Lilly, and I’m just glad you’re finally mine. I promise you won’t ever regret this.”