Epilogue #2
He lifts me easily and carries me toward the palace. “Good. Because you’re going to need that strength for what’s coming."
I know what he means. Our mating ceremony is in three months, when winter arrives. I’ll officially become the crown princess and eventually the queen. The responsibilities that come with that title still terrify me, but tonight—tonight I feel like maybe I can manage them.
Maybe I’m stronger than I ever imagined.
As Lucian carries me through the corridors toward our chambers, I catch glimpses of myself in the polished surfaces we pass. I look different somehow. More confident. The scared girl who ran from the Silver Stone Pack is gone, replaced by someone who belongs here.
I’m still not remarkable in my own eyes—just a healer’s daughter who got extraordinarily lucky. But as I look up at the man carrying me, as I feel the steady warmth of our bond, I realize that maybe remarkable isn’t what matters.
What matters is that I’m loved. Completely, utterly, forever loved by this incredible man who chose me when he could have had anyone. What matters is that I have a new family who accepts me, a purpose that gives my life meaning, abilities that can help protect the people I care about.
“I love you,” I whisper against his throat as he sets me down in our chambers. Still wrapped in the blanket, I look up at him, my body humming from the run and the bond between us.
“My queen. My mate. My everything,” he murmurs, brushing his lips over mine in a kiss that’s slow and reverent, like he’s savoring the taste of me.
The weight of his words sinks deep, making my throat tight. I kiss him back, letting myself melt into him, my hands sliding up his bare chest just to feel the steady beat of his heart. He’s warm everywhere, his scent grounding me in a way nothing else ever could.
When he pulls back, his blue eyes search mine, and there’s so much tenderness there that it almost undoes me. “You were incredible tonight,” he says softly. “Seeing you run…I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder.”
I’m still catching my breath when his fingers trace my jaw, lingering at my chin. “And now,” he murmurs, voice dropping lower, “I want to show you exactly how much I appreciate my mate.”
The tone change is subtle but unmistakable—still threaded with warmth, but heavier now, like velvet wrapping around steel.
His thumb brushes my mouth, and I open my lips for him without thinking. “Good,” he says, approval curling through his voice. “Always so ready for me.”
The blanket slips from my shoulders, and his gaze follows the path of bare skin down to my thighs. “Lie back for me, Astra,” he says, still gentle, but there’s an edge beneath it now—a hint of the command I know is coming.
When I obey, he joins me on the bed, his mouth finding mine again, the kiss slower this time, teasing. Every brush of his lips, every slide of his hand over my waist feels deliberate, coaxing me deeper into him until my pulse is frantic and my thoughts are gone.
Only when he has me exactly where he wants me—soft and pliant beneath him—does he let that dominance surface fully. “Now,” he murmurs, gaze locked on mine, “you’re going to let me take my time with you…and you’re not going to move unless I tell you.”
I lie back, the blanket pooling at my sides, and Lucian lowers himself over me, bracing his weight on his forearms so his body cages mine without crushing me.
His mouth brushes mine once, twice, unhurried, like he has all the time in the world. His lips taste faintly of the night air, and I sigh into him, my fingers playing in the soft hair at the nape of his neck.
“You’re warm,” I murmur.
“I always am with you,” he says softly, his eyes fixed on mine. The honesty in them makes my chest ache in the best way.
For a moment, it’s just us breathing together, the world quiet except for the faint rustle of the blanket and the distant sounds of the night outside our window.
Then his gaze drops to my mouth, and something shifts—slightly, but enough to make my pulse kick. His thumb strokes my lower lip, and I feel my eyes close. “You’re trembling,” he says, voice lower now.
“It’s not from the run,” I admit, trying to control my breath.
A small, knowing smile tugs at his mouth. “I know.” His tone is silky smooth, warm yet warning all at once.
He kisses me again, deeper this time, his tongue teasing mine until I’m chasing the taste of him. His hand slips down over my ribs, across my waist, stopping just above the place that’s throbbing for him. The tease is maddening, and he knows it.
“Patience,” he murmurs, and when I try to shift my hips toward his hand, he presses me back into the mattress with a quiet growl. “You’ll take what I give you, when I decide to give it.”
The change is gradual but undeniable now. It is still threaded with affection, but his voice has taken on that dangerous edge that makes me ache.
He slides down my body, his mouth tracing over my collarbone, then lower, until he’s nipping gently at the swell of my breast. The sharp sting pulls a gasp from me. “Lucian—”
“That’s it,” he says, kissing the spot. “Say my name when you need me.”
His hand cups me fully, thumb brushing my nipple until it hardens. The sensation zips straight through me, making me arch into him. His tongue replaces his thumb, warm and slow, before he moves to the other side to give it the same treatment.
By the time he trails kisses down my stomach, my legs are already falling open for him. He settles between them, his hands sliding under my thighs to spread me wider. The cool air hits me, and I shiver. He smirks. “Sensitive tonight.”
“Lucian—”
“Not yet.” His lips hover a breath above where I want them, and his eyes lock on mine. “I want you desperate.”
It doesn’t take long. Every slow pass of his mouth, every deliberate stroke of his tongue, is calculated to keep me teetering on the edge without pushing me over. I’m panting, my fingers in his hair. My hips try to move, but his grip keeps me pinned.
When my whimpers turn into pleas, he pulls back just enough to say, “Beg.”
“Please,” I gasp. “Please, I want you—”
That’s all he needs. His mouth and fingers work together in devastating rhythm until my orgasm rips through me, leaving me shaking and clinging to him.
I barely have time to catch my breath before he’s moving up my body again, his mouth claiming mine while his hands hook behind my knees.
He folds me in half easily, my thighs pressed to my chest, his body caging me completely. His cock presses against me, hard and hot, and my breath catches.
“Now,” he growls, lining himself up. “You’re going to take all of me, and you’re going to feel me for days.”
When he pushes in, it’s deep—so deep I cry out—and his answering groan is pure satisfaction. He doesn’t move right away, letting me feel every inch of him before he starts to thrust, slowly at first, then harder, his dirty words in my ear making my head spin.
“You feel that? That’s me, buried so deep you’ll never forget I was here. Mine, Astra. Always mine.”
My chest heaves, my lips parting on a ragged breath. My mind is foggy, and when Lucian pulls out, I can’t help the sharp shiver that runs through me at the loss.
Before I can catch my breath, he flips me onto my stomach, the mattress dipping under his weight.
“Hands above your head,” he orders, his voice deep and unyielding. “Don’t move them unless you want me to tie you down.”
Heat floods me at the command. I obey instantly, crossing my wrists on the pillow, my back arching in silent invitation. I feel his gaze on me—hot, possessive—before he kneels between my legs, pushing them apart. The rough drag of his palm over my slick folds makes me gasp.
“Still wet for me,” he murmurs, his voice dark and satisfied. “Greedy little thing.”
Two of his fingers slide inside me, slowly and deliberately, curling in a way that makes me bury my face in the pillow with a soft moan. He presses his palm harder, the obscene sound of my own arousal filling the space between us.
“You hear that?” His words are a low growl against my skin. “That’s the sound of a good mate who knows her place.”
I can’t think, can’t speak—I can only move, rocking helplessly against his hand. The sensation builds until I’m shaking, and then he pulls his fingers free, replacing them with the thick head of his cock.
When he pushes inside, it’s agonizingly slow, stretching me until I feel every inch of him. My nails claw at the sheets as he grinds deep, rolling his hips, refusing to give me the fast, hard rhythm I crave.
“Beg for it,” he growls.
“Please…” The word is nothing more than a breath.
“Not good enough.” He pulls back until I’m nearly empty before slamming into me, the force jolting my entire body. “Tell me exactly what you want me to do to you.”
My voice is shaky and raw. “I want you to fuck me. Hard. I want you to make me come.”
His fist tangles in my hair, yanking my head back so his mouth is at my ear. “You’re going to come when I decide, not before. You understand?”
“Yes,” I pant, my pulse hammering in my ears.
He lets go and starts moving—sharp, deep thrusts that make me moan loudly. His hand snakes around and finds my clit, rubbing hard, fast circles that leave me whimpering, my thighs trembling.
“That’s it…Take it. Take every inch. You were made for this—for me.”
I’m so close it hurts, every nerve in my body strung tight. His chest presses to my back, his voice a command I can’t refuse. “Come for me, little wolf. Now.”
I break, the orgasm tearing through me so hard I cry out, my body clenching around him in pulsing waves. He doesn’t stop—thrusting through it, dragging it out until my legs are shaking and my breath is coming in harsh gasps.
When he follows me over the edge, spilling deep inside me with a guttural growl of my name, I finally go limp.
He stays inside me, one hand gripping my hip, the other resting under my stomach. His voice is low, rough, and full of approval when he murmurs, “That’s my girl.”
My wolf rumbles in contentment, the sound vibrating through my body from the inside out.
I can still feel Lucian pulsing inside me, the heat of his release seeping into every part of me.
My body is molten, my limbs heavy and useless, but I don’t care.
I don’t want to move—not when he’s still wrapped around me like this.
Lucian’s chest presses against my back, and his lips brush my shoulder in a kiss that’s softer than anything that came before. “Breathe, love,” he whispers.
I realize I’ve been holding my breath, and I let it go. Then, I inhale deeply, the scent of him—wild, warm, utterly him—filling my lungs. My racing pulse starts to subside, though my body still hums from the high Lucian wrung out of me.
When he finally eases out, I whimper softly, my body instinctively tightening like it wants to hold him there. He runs his palm down my spine in slow, soothing strokes, calming me.
“You did so well,” he says, the praise curling low in my stomach. “Took everything I gave you…and you’re still here, still mine.”
Before I can answer, he’s sliding off the bed and disappearing into the adjoining bathroom. I hear the faint sound of water running before he returns, a warm, damp cloth in his hand.
“Spread your legs for me,” he says, still gentle but with a note of command I can’t ignore. I obey without thinking, heat rising in my cheeks as he cleans me slowly, carefully, like I’m something precious.
Every stroke of the cloth is followed by his palm or fingertips—soft, grounding touches meant to keep me tethered to him. When he’s done, he tosses the cloth aside and pulls one of his shirts over my head, the fabric engulfing me in his scent.
“There,” he murmurs, looking down at me with clear enjoyment. “Perfect.”
He scoops me up and moves me to the center of the bed as though I weigh nothing. The moment he lays me down, he follows, tucking his body behind mine, one arm looping firmly around my waist.
His hand rubs my belly lazily. Every touch is deliberate—slower now, not meant to ignite but to remind me that even in the aftermath, I’m his.
“I can’t feel my legs,” I mumble, and he chuckles low in my ear, the sound deep and smug.
“That’s the point,” he says, pressing another kiss to the side of my neck. “I told you you’d feel me for days.”
My wolf gives a satisfied growl at his words, curling up inside me like she’s content to stay here forever. I let my eyes fall shut, my cheek pressed to the pillow, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat at my back lulling me into a dazed calm.
He stays like that for a long while, holding me, his scent wrapped around me like a blanket. And just before I drift off completely, I feel him murmur against my hair—so quiet I almost think I imagined it—
“My mate. My queen. My forever.”