CHAPTER 41 #3
“... Keep going,” Lenore said. A gentle scoff escaped Edmund, but his eyes stayed soft.
“And then you talked—and stars—I was already yours then.” Edmund moved closer, stopping until only a few inches remained between them.
“Lenore, I’ve never met someone so... so cute.
” He turned his head, lifting a fist to his lips as his eyes narrowed in deep embarrassment.
“You could say the sweetest things even when you’re the one in need of help.
You’ve… been gentle and caring in spite of it all.
There’s a warmth to you that I—I wanted to stay close to.
It kept me more than just warm—it made me whole. ”
Lenore pressed her hands against her hot cheeks. She could only let out a flustered whine—a noise that somehow made Edmund turn more flushed.
“Everything you did,” he murmured, “the more I learned about you—the more I couldn’t stop loving this scared little bunny that took over my life just like that.”
“A bunny?” Lenore shook her head, laughing in disbelief. “Wasn’t that the first animal you hunted for me?”
“It was,” he said with a light chuckle. “And here you are—soft and delicate as that creature was, but… I just want to hold you instead. You’ve made me go completely against my nature.”
He slowly reached out, running his fingers through her hair, reveling in the soft silky touch of her silver tresses. His voice fell to a gentle whisper. “I love you.”
In a burst of boldness, Lenore took hold of his hand, bringing it close to her lips, causing Edmund to inhale sharply. She looked up at him through her thick eyelashes, her expression coy. He stared back, absolutely enthralled. “And whose scared bunny am I?”
“Mine,” he barely whispered. His hand wriggled out of her grasp to cup her cheek. “All mine.”
Lenore leaned into his touch, the softness of her cheek rubbing against his calloused palm, his thumb gently tracing circles on her cheek.
“I’m yours,” she murmured. “All yours.” The heat of their skin enveloped each other, and she wanted so badly to bury her face in his chest, to be surrounded in that addictive scent of his.
Lenore let out a surprised squeak as she felt Edmund’s hand grip the small of her back, pulling her taut to him. Her hands shakily placed themselves against his chest, reveling in being able to touch him.
Edmund looked down at her and admired her openly from head to toe. Lenore fidgeted underneath his gaze, closing her eyes shut in flustered embarrassment when he said, “You’re so beautiful.”
“Your honesty is going to kill me now.” Lenore threw her face against him. She could hear his heart beating hard and fast, an echo of her own. She giggled quietly. “Go back to being you.”
“This is me—I’m dying just as much with you. I feel like I’m rotting from the—the sugary… whatever this is.” Edmund groaned. “And at the same time… I don’t know if I’m even doing a good job right now.”
“You are,” came back Lenore’s muffled response. “It’s making me really, really happy.”
“Good. That makes it all worth it.” Edmund hesitated, breath shallow. “And even if it makes me want to crawl into a hole from saying this out loud, I want... I want to hear if you love me too.”
“Oh, Edmund…” Lenore whispered as she looked up, gaze full of adoration. She smiled softly, reaching up to touch his flushed cheeks. “I won’t lie that you’ve been rough around the edges—”
“Ugh. I didn’t know how to react half the time,” Edmund muttered. “This is all new to me. And I didn’t want to scare you off by telling you off the bat that you’re my fated mate.”
Lenore giggled. “Thank you for being considerate—just like how you’ve always been, in your own special little ways. You’ve protected me. Although, it would’ve been nice to hear more of an obvious hint from you!” She poked at him teasingly. “But you made all these changes easier for me. Edmund, I…”
“Yes?” he softly prodded.
“I’m so glad I became a werewolf... because I got to meet you.” Lenore wrapped her arms tight around him. “I love you.”
A long, strangled sound left Edmund as he looked up into the sky, overwhelmed by her words. His hands were on his face, hiding his flustered visage. Giddiness fluttered through Lenore, and she nuzzled her head against him.
Edmund slowly lowered his arms, only to suddenly hoist her up onto the balustrade. A small gasp of surprise escaped her, eyes wide as Edmund drew close. His eyes flitted downward, as if to muster up more courage. When he looked back up, their faces were barely an inch apart.
His thumb brushed against her lips, and he hesitated, shy of his own want. “Can I kiss you?”
“I would love that, very much,” Lenore replied breathlessly.
Edmund leaned in, closing the distance between them. His lips met hers, shyly at first, a ghost of a touch between each other, before he pulled her tight, giving in to his longing for her. Their kiss deepened, overflowing with every emotion they’d kept hidden until now.
Lenore’s arms wrapped around his neck, melting into his embrace, and into the love that treasured her, where she felt safer than anywhere else.