11. Celina
ELEVEN
CELINA
The drive back to Osias’s mansion passed in comfortable silence, their fingers intertwined on the center console as streetlights painted golden patterns across the Ferrari’s interior.
Celina found herself stealing glances at his profile, still processing the magnitude of what she’d agreed to at dinner.
Moving in together.
Seven days ago, she’d thought Osias Fellan was untouchable. Now she was committing to sharing space with him permanently, and the decision felt impossibly right.
Maybe because we’ve already been living together, she reasoned as he turned into his circular driveway. This is just making it official.
The past week while her security gate was being repaired had given them an unexpected trial run at domesticity.
They’d fallen into rhythms that felt decades old rather than days fresh.
Morning coffee theft—his was genuinely better than hers, though she’d never admit it.
Evening movie marathons where she invariably ended up crying at animated films while he provided running commentary that made her laugh through the tears.
Strategy sessions for A Promise to Keep that turned into passionate debates about character motivation and authentic storytelling.
She didn’t want to lose any of it. But more than that, she wanted to keep building on it. But there was one final barrier between them, one piece of him she hadn’t seen yet.
Once inside the mansion, Celina kicked off her heels and turned to face him, her heart hammering against her ribs. The question had been burning in her chest for days, but she’d never found the right moment to ask.
“Osias, can I see your lion?”
Osias went completely still, his blue eyes searching her face with a burning intensity that made her breath catch. For a moment, she wondered if she’d overstepped somehow, pushed too hard too fast.
“Are you sure?” His voice held a tone she’d never heard before—vulnerability wrapped in careful control.
Does he think I’ll reject him?
The possibility that this powerful, confident man might fear her reaction to his true nature made something fierce and protective flare in her chest.
“I want to see all of you,” she said simply.
He studied her for another long moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright, let’s go to the back gardens. There’s more space there.”
Her pulse quickened as he led her through the mansion’s French doors onto the sprawling terrace. The gardens beyond were bathed in moonlight, creating pools of silver and shadow that transformed the familiar landscape into something magical.
Osias stepped off the terrace and stopped in the center of the largest clearing, his hands moving to his shirt buttons with deliberate precision.
Celina’s mouth automatically went dry as he shed his dress shirt, revealing the broad expanse of his chest and shoulders.
Then his shoes and his belt followed, his movements economical and unhurried despite the tension radiating from his frame.
When his slacks and boxers finally hit the ground, leaving him gloriously naked in the moonlight, heat flooded her veins with startling intensity.
She’d seen him nude before—had memorized every line and plane of his body over the past week—but something about this moment felt different.
Charged with anticipation and raw vulnerability.
“Step back a little,” he said quietly, his voice already carrying a rougher edge.
Celina retreated several feet, her eyes never leaving his face as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air around him seemed to shimmer, heat distorting the space like summer asphalt, and then—
The transformation was the most wondrous thing she’d ever witnessed.
His body seemed to fold in on itself before expanding outward, bones lengthening and reshaping, muscles flowing like liquid into entirely new configurations.
Within seconds, the man she loved had vanished, replaced by something magnificent and wild.
The lion was massive, easily twice the size of any big cat she’d seen in zoos or nature documentaries, and his coat was deep golden bronze that darkened almost to espresso across his powerful shoulders and spine. His mane was thick and dark, framing a face that was unmistakably regal.
But it was his eyes that stole her breath—still blue but now shot through with molten gold that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Intelligent. Watchful. Completely and utterly Osias, despite the wild magnificence of his form.
This is really him.
Celina approached slowly, not from fear but from reverence. She’d never been this close to a lion before, had never imagined the sheer presence one would command. Every instinct should have screamed danger, but all she felt was recognition.
Mine.
She reached out tentatively, her fingers brushing the edge of his dark mane. The fur was impossibly soft and warm, like silk that had been heated by summer sun. He leaned into her touch with a rumbling sound that vibrated through his massive chest.
He’s purring.
The realization sent heat racing through her entire body, followed by a wave of emotion so intense it nearly brought her to her knees. This apex predator, this creature of raw power and ancient instincts, was purring under her touch like an overgrown house cat seeking affection.
She moved her hand to stroke along his jaw, marveling at the contrast between the coarse outer guard hairs and the downy softness beneath. His golden-blue eyes drifted closed, the purring growing louder as he pressed into her palm.
Without conscious thought, Celina leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his massive cheek, and his fur smelled like cedar and wild places, familiar and exotic all at once.
This is the piece I needed to see.
Not just his lion form, but his willingness to be vulnerable with her. To show her the part of himself that was pure instinct and ancient power, trusting that she would see beauty instead of danger.
She stepped back, her hands falling to her sides as another shimmer of heat and air announced his transformation back to human form. Within moments, Osias stood before her again, naked and slightly breathless, sweat glistening on his skin from the energy the shift had demanded.
“You were breathtaking,” she whispered, reaching for his hands.
Relief flooded his features, followed immediately by something deeper and more intense. “Were you afraid?”
“No.” The answer came without hesitation. “I was in awe, not afraid.” She squeezed his fingers, anchoring them both in the moment. “But more importantly, I recognized that you were mine.”
Something shifted in his eyes—surprise giving way to hunger so raw it made her knees weak. He stepped closer, his hands framing her face as he searched her eyes.
“Celina...”
She rose on her toes to meet him halfway, their lips crashing together with desperate intensity. The kiss tasted like moonlight and wild things, like promises she wasn’t quite ready to make but couldn’t stop herself from wanting.
Before she could process what was happening, Osias had lifted her into his arms, carrying her back toward the mansion with the same easy strength she’d witnessed in his lion form. She buried her face against his neck, breathing in his scent and marveling at how right this felt.
Home, she thought as he carried her through the French doors and up the grand staircase. This is what home feels like.
In his bedroom—their bedroom now—he set her down gently and began undressing her with reverent care. No urgency tonight, just slow appreciation as he peeled away her dress and her undergarments, until she stood bare before him in the silver moonlight streaming through the windows.
He guided her to the bed, and she sank into the familiar comfort of Egyptian cotton and his scent. When he joined her, pulling her against his chest in their established position, Celina felt something settle deep in her bones.
This, she thought as his arms tightened around her. I want this for the rest of my life.
The thought should have terrified her—she’d known him for seven days, had spent years avoiding exactly this kind of emotional entanglement. Instead, it filled her with a peace so complete it was almost overwhelming.
She wasn’t ready for his mate mark yet, wasn’t ready to complete the bond that would tie them together permanently. But soon. Soon she would be. For now, this was enough. More than enough.
His heartbeat steady beneath her ear, Celina closed her eyes and let herself drift toward sleep, safer and more content than she’d ever been in her life.
Morning sunlight filtered through the bedroom windows as Celina stretched against Egyptian cotton sheets. Osias’s arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer against his chest, and she couldn’t suppress the smile that curved her lips.
Last day of filming.
The thought sent relief flooding through her veins.
No more pretending to fall in love with Braxton when the real thing was lying right beside her.
No more romantic scenes that felt increasingly hollow compared to what she’d discovered with Osias.
After today, she could focus entirely on her Oscar campaigns—both Best Actress and Best Picture—and carve out precious moments to collaborate on A Promise to Keep with the man who’d turned her world upside down in the most wonderful way.
“You’re thinking loudly again,” Osias murmured against her neck.
“Just excited to be done with this project.”
An hour later, they were dressed and climbing into his Ferrari in the garage.
Osias held her hand during the entire drive to the studio lot, his thumb tracing patterns on her palm that sent sparks shooting up her arm.
She found herself stealing glances at him, marveling at how perfect this felt.
As if they’d been together for years instead of just over a week.
How is it possible to fall this hard this fast?