CHAPTER 216: CHAPTER 216: CAN I... KISS YOU?

Aeron didn’t slow down until he felt the palace walls blurring around them again. One moment he was tearing through the air with Selene held tight against his chest; the next his boots hit the quiet marble of her private corridor. She was still pressed against him, her breath warm on his throat, her body light in his arms.

She hadn’t even realized they arrived.

That was how fast he had been.

He lowered her gently to the floor, his hands still locked around her waist as if his fingers simply refused to let go. Her feet touched the ground, but Aeron stayed close, standing almost flush with her. Her scent was still in his lungs, calming and intoxicating at the same time.

"See?" he murmured softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "We’re back safely. Nothing happened. And I’m sure Luca and the others have handled everything."

He even gave her a small smile to reassure her, but the truth was, he didn’t want to reassure her. He wanted to keep her in his arms a little longer. He wanted to hold her until she stopped trembling. He wanted to keep her close until his wolf finally stopped pacing inside him like a starved beast.

Selene smiled faintly and whispered, "Thank you," before stepping back.

Aeron finally let his hands fall from her waist.

They felt cold immediately.

He didn’t say anything about it, but a sad heaviness showed in his eyes. He tried to hide it by straightening his shoulders.

"Sleep well," he said gently. "Don’t think too much tonight. About the council... about anything. We will fix all of it. You’re not alone. We’re with you."

He cupped her cheek, his warm thumb brushing lightly across her skin. Her eyes softened, and for a moment Aeron forgot to breathe. He lowered his hand and took one step back to leave.

But then...

Selene’s hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Aeron... can you stay?"

Her voice was small, unsure, and almost shocked at herself for saying it.

Aeron froze.

His heart punched against his ribs.

His wolf howled so loud inside him he almost staggered. He never expected her to ask this. Not like this.

But she did.

He tried to stay calm, but his chest was burning with something raw and hopeful.

"Yes," he said quietly. "If you want me to... I’ll stay."

Selene shivered when he said that. Even she didn’t know why she wanted him here. Maybe it was the safety he wrapped around her without trying. Or the warmth she had never tasted in her life. Or maybe she just didn’t want this night to end yet.

She lay down on her bed, slowly, hesitantly.

Aeron sat beside her...not too close, not too far...just near enough that she could reach him if she needed to. He took her hand in his, holding it with a soft but firm grip. He didn’t cross a single line. He didn’t move closer. He didn’t pull her in.

He just held her hand. He was afraid to even breathe loudly, afraid that maybe she would change her mind and ask him to go away.

Neither of them spoke.

Both of them felt awkward.

Both of them felt something warm spreading inside their chests that they could not name.

It was the first time they were alone like this.

The first time she reached for him. The first time he let himself hope.

Aeron looked down at their joined hands, then up at her quiet face resting on the pillow.

He could stay like this forever.

The silence between them stretched too long. Selene shifted on the bed, her face turning a little pink from embarrassment. Then, as if her mouth moved before her brain could stop it, she whispered:

"If you... want, you can lie down too."

The moment the words left her lips, her eyes widened. She looked like she wanted to slap herself.

Aeron stared at her, completely stunned. He never expected that invitation. Not ever, honestly. For a second he thought he misheard. But the hesitation in her eyes told him she really meant it.

He swallowed hard and nodded. "...Alright."

He slowly lay down beside her.

But he left a wide space between them. Enough for someone to sleep in between. Enough to remind himself not to touch her without permission. Enough to not scare her.

Still, he could hear his own heartbeat pounding so loudly it almost echoed in the quiet room.

It was the first time he had ever laid beside his mate. The first time she let him get this close. The first time her scent filled the air so thickly that his head felt light.

His wolf was losing control.

It kept pushing against his chest, growling and whining at the same time, wanting to drag her into his arms, mark her, bury himself in her warmth, and keep her there forever. Aeron clenched his fists against the sheets.

Calm down. Don’t rush her.

But even he couldn’t lie...he wanted the same thing. He wanted her so badly it hurt.

Before he could gather his breath, he felt movement beside him.

Something warm and soft.

Without a single sound, she slowly rolled toward him and rested her head beside his shoulder. As if her body moved on instinct and found peace only in his space. Her cheek brushed his skin, her breath warm against his neck.

Aeron completely froze.

Then slowly, afraid she might pull away, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her waist. His hand rested on her hip, steady and careful. She fit against him perfectly.

Selene whispered, voice small, "Forgive me... for the past."

Aeron’s entire chest clenched. The way she said it...soft, trembling, filled with emotion...hit him straight in the heart. He turned his head slightly, trying to see her face in the dim room.

"Why?" he said quietly. "Why are you saying that? You didn’t do anything wrong. We are the ones..."

He truly didn’t understand. She had every right to hate them, fear them, and push them away. She had never done anything to hurt them. But here she was, apologizing to him... seeking comfort from him.

Her words squeezed something inside him.

He lifted a hand and gently touched her chin, guiding her face up until her eyes met his.

"You never have to say sorry to us," he whispered. "Not for anything."

Their eyes locked.

The moment stretched, warm and intense.

So intense, his breath caught in his throat.

And then Aeron broke.

He leaned down and captured her lips.

Finally.

His heart exploded the moment he felt her mouth under his. All the restraint he had been holding back cracked like dry stone. Her scent, her warmth, her soft gasp...everything hit him at once and drowned him.

He didn’t even think.

He just kissed her. It was deep, hungry, and desperate. All the years of longing poured straight into that kiss.

And the most shocking thing was Selene didn’t resist.

She kissed him back.

Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer. Her lips moved against his with equal heat. Aeron’s mind went blank. He didn’t know who moved first, but suddenly she was on top of him, their bodies pressed together as if they had been waiting their whole lives for this moment.

He held her waist firmly, not letting her slip even an inch away, kissing her like he had been starving for her...because he had.

He didn’t care about control anymore.

He didn’t care about distance.

He didn’t care about anything except her mouth on his.

Her kiss.

Her touch.

Her warmth.

And for the first time ever, Aeron felt like he was breathing properly.

They pulled back from the kiss at the same time, both breathing hard.

Selene’s eyes were hazy when she looked at him.

Aeron almost forgot how to breathe. Everything inside him...wolf and man...reacted to that look. It was the kind of look he had dreamed of for years.

His hand stayed on her waist. He couldn’t move it even if he tried. The warmth of her skin under his fingers felt like it burned straight through him.

He was starving for her.

And from the way her chest rose and fell, from the faint tremble in her lips, she wasn’t any different. Her body leaned toward him without thinking. Her pulse fluttered in her throat, fast and unsteady.

They were mates.

They’d been fighting this bond for almost a year. No wolf could keep calm after that.

And now she was sitting on top of him...close enough that he could feel every small movement she made, close enough that her breath kept brushing his jaw. Aeron felt himself losing control, inch by inch.

Selene swallowed, her eyes flicking down his face before returning to his. Heat climbed up her neck. Her legs tightened for a second...an unconscious mistake...because she forgot where exactly she was sitting.

Aeron’s breath hitched.

His fingers instinctively tightened around her waist, steadying her, holding her in place. He was one second away from losing every ounce of restraint he ever had.

"Selene..." His voice came out low and rough. "Can I... kiss you again?"

She looked at him as if her heart was already in his hands.

Then she nodded...small, soft, but completely certain.

Something in Aeron snapped.

But before he could lean in, her hands shot up, cupping his face, and she kissed him first. Not gently. Not hesitantly. But with a desperate, aching need that told him everything she wouldn’t say aloud.

Her whole body leaned into him, trusting him completely.

Aeron’s self-control shattered.