Chapter 13 #3
"We'll be landing in Churchill in two hours," a production assistant announced from the front of the cabin. "The glamping site is ready. Northern Lights forecast is excellent for tonight. We should have clear skies."
Tori had already turned toward the window.
Her forehead rested lightly against the glass as the world outside shifted from endless white cloud to the darkening blue of evening sky. The reflection of her face shimmered faintly in the pane, soft and thoughtful.
Excitement vibrated through her. Not the sharp awareness that pulsed between us. Something brighter. Something innocent.
The realization tugged unexpectedly at my chest. She was excited about the lights.
"Have you ever seen them?" I asked. The words came out rougher than intended.
She shook her head without looking away from the window.
"Never." Her voice carried quiet wonder. "When I was a kid, I used to check out books about the Arctic from the library. The Northern Lights. Polar bears. Endless winter nights."
A small laugh escaped her. The sound softened something inside me.
"It seemed like magic," she admitted. "Like something from a fairy tale."
I pushed to my feet before I thought better of it and crossed the small distance between us. The cameras shifted. Someone leaned slightly closer. I ignored them.
The seat beside her dipped beneath my weight.
"They are not magic," I said.
Her mouth curved immediately, the teasing expression returning. "Spoilsport."
"They are charged solar particles colliding with atmospheric gases," I continued, folding my arms loosely across my chest. "Entirely scientific. Completely explainable."
She turned her head slowly then, her eyes bright with amusement.
"But," I added quietly, lowering my voice, "that does not make them less beautiful." The words settled between us.
For a moment she simply studied me. Her gaze moved slowly across my face as if she were memorizing something she might lose. "You've seen them before?"
"Something similar."
I reached for her hand before caution could intervene. Her fingers slid naturally into mine, warm and familiar. The contact sent a sharp awareness through my body, the simple touch far more powerful than it should have been.
"On Atlan we have the Veil," I told her, watching the faint glow of the window reflect in her eyes. "Bands of color that move across the sky during solar storms. They stretch from horizon to horizon like ribbons of light."
Her fingers tightened around mine.
"But I have heard Earth's lights are different."
"How?"
"More vibrant," I murmured. "More alive."
She smiled at that. A real smile. Soft. Unguarded. "I’m glad I get to see them with you."
The simple certainty in her voice settled deep in my chest. Camera lenses zoomed. The faintest hum. I heard it. She did as well. She turned away from me and stared out the window.
The glamping site was like nothing I’d ever seen before. This planet, Earth, and her people were full of surprises.
Transparent domes rose from the snow like giant bubbles frozen into the earth. Warm light glowed from inside them, illuminating plush bedding, elegant furniture, and fireplaces that flickered invitingly against the translucent walls.
Outside, freezing Arctic air sliced through my lungs with sharp clarity.
String lights draped between the domes like suspended constellations. False candles lined the pathways, their flames trembling in the cold wind. And just outside our bubble?
Roses. Hundreds of them.
Red and white blooms clustered around the entrance in theatrical abundance, ice crystals and snow frozen on every petal. They were fragile. Beautiful. Like my mate.
Tori stopped beside me, staring at the elaborate display. Her breath curled into white mist as she sighed contentedly.
Production assistants guided us to the resort’s dining area with practiced efficiency, positioning cameras along the edges of the deck. A chef appeared as if summoned from thin air, presenting course after course of carefully plated dishes while music drifted from hidden speakers.
It was beautiful. Romantic. Exactly the sort of spectacle humans expected from a night like this. From a show like this.
And I could not touch my mate.
Every instinct demanded I pull her into my arms. Feel her body pressed against mine. Bury my face against her neck and breathe in her unique scent.
Instead, I sat across the table, gripping the armrests of my chair hard enough that the wood creaked beneath my fingers.
"You look like you're being tortured," Tori murmured. Her eyes gleamed with barely contained laughter.
"I am." The answer came without hesitation.
She laughed, the sound warm and bright in the cold night air. "Poor Warlord," she teased softly. "Forced to endure a romantic dinner with his mate. How will you survive?"
"Through sheer force of will."
I leaned forward, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "When this is over… when the cameras leave…"
Her breath caught as I spoke.
"I am going to make you scream my name until you lose your voice."
Color rushed into her cheeks. "Promises, promises."
"Guarantees."
She opened her mouth to answer, mischief sparking in her eyes— Then she froze. Her head tilted back. The teasing expression vanished.
"Egon."
The way she said my name made something inside me tighten. I followed her gaze.
The sky had transformed.
Green ribbons of light stretched across the darkness, moving slowly as if guided by invisible currents. Waves of color pulsed outward—violet, pink, flashes of gold—merging and unraveling in silent, breathtaking patterns.
The Northern Lights.
My female was right to want to see them. They were beautiful.
Tori pushed back from the table. Her chair scraped across the floor as she moved toward the railing.
The glow bathed her in shifting colors, emerald light brushing across her skin, reflecting in her wide eyes.
"Oh," she breathed. Her voice softened with pure wonder. "Oh, it's…" She could not finish the sentence.
I rose and stepped beside her, wrapped a heavy parka around her shoulders.
The cold air bit against my skin, but I barely noticed it. My attention remained fixed on her. The way her lips parted. The way the moving lights danced across her face.
Even my beast was humbled by the beauty before us. I would never forget the way my mate looked in this moment. Ethereal. Too beautiful to be real.
"It's like the universe is putting on a show," she whispered. "Just for us."
"It is showing off."
She glanced at me, amused. “Oh, yeah?”
"Trying to impress you. Just like me."
Her laughter broke free again, bright and effortless. And something deep inside my chest finally loosened.
For the first time since Derek's threat, the beast grew still. Because my mate was standing beside me beneath a sky made of living light.