River:
"I believe you."
The mont the words left my mouth, I saw the change in her imdiately. Her shoulders softened, her lips parted in relief, and her entire face looked like a weight had been lifted.
The fragile tension that had been wrapped around her like a shield began to lt away, and I realized then that this was what she had been waiting for. Not just my forgiveness, but my belief in her.
She took a deep breath, and a small and delicate smile stretched on her lips. "Thank you. Really." Her eyes were almost moist as if she’s trying to hold back tears. "And I’m really sorry for what-"
Before she could spiral further, I finally gave in to the instinct I had been fighting for far too long. My hand moved of its own accord, brushing gently against her temple, trailing down the soft curve of her cheek. Her skin was warm beneath my fingertips, so warm that I almost forgot myself and lingered longer than I should have.
And the way her breath hitched... it nearly undid .
But I forced myself to pull away, even though my body scread against the separation. My wolf snarled in protest too, but I ignored it, telling her softly, "You don’t need to apologize anymore, Evaline. I have accepted it. I have forgiven you."
She blinked at , her eyes shimring as though my words were so rare gift she had never thought to receive. The mont was too heavy, too fragile, and if we stayed in it any longer, I knew my restraint would shatter. So, I broke it the only way I could.
"Do you want to swim so laps with ?" I asked suddenly, pretending the shift in topic was effortless.
Her head jerked up, startled by the suggestion. "What?"
I smirked at her confusion. "Swim with . Or..." I leaned back slightly, letting mischief tug at my lips, "... do you want to race?"
Her eyes widened, and for a second, I thought she would decline. But then, to my surprise, she darted forward in the water, already swimming before throwing her voice back at .
"Sure!"
I laughed. She had cheated.
Pushing off the wall, I followed her, though I kept my strokes slow at first, watching her. She wasn’t the fastest swimr in the world, but she moved with a kind of determination that made my chest swell.
She reached the other end first. She slapped the pool wall with her palm and turned to grin at with an expression so bright it nearly stopped my heart.
"I win!" she declared, her amber eyes sparkling with playful triumph.
I let out a huff of a laugh. "You cheated."
Her grin widened. "Says the loser."
That laugh... it was infectious. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear it until now. So, for the next round, I slowed my pace deliberately, letting her reach the wall first again. She squealed in victory, her joy radiating so strongly it drew in like a moth to fla.
We swam a few more laps like that, her laughter filling the air, her energy wrapping around until the tension between us was nothing but a mory. Finally, she stopped near the far wall, her back resting against the smooth tiles, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths.
I made my way toward her, intending to rest beside her and maybe tease her about her unfair victories. But as I neared, sothing mischievous sparked inside . Without warning, I sent a splash of water directly at her.
Her scream echoed through the pool chamber. "River!"
I smirked, already bracing for retaliation. Sure enough, her hands cut through the water, sending waves splattering against my chest. In seconds, we were locked in battle, laughing, shrieking, splashing like children who had forgotten the world outside existed.
Then, before she could launch another wave, I lunged forward, catching both her wrists in my hands. Water was dripping down her arms, her skin slick and warm under my grip.
She gasped, frozen as I held her close. The laughter died on both our lips, replaced by a silence that vibrated with sothing entirely different.
Sothing heavier. Stronger.
She was pressed against now, her nearly bare body molding against mine, separated only by wet fabric. My throat went dry instantly once again , and my pulse thundered in my ears. I swallowed hard, struggling to keep my composure as her wide eyes lifted to mine.
In a slow, deliberate motion, I pushed her gently back until her spine t the pool wall. She didn’t resist, didn’t look away.
My hands still held her wrists, but I shifted, releasing them so I could steady her waist instead. The urge to claim, to touch, to keep... everything within scread louder than it ever had.
And then I did what my wolf had been urging to all along. I lifted her. My hands slid firmly around her waist, hoisting her up onto the ledge so she sat at my eye level, water dripping down her body, making her look like so ethereal vision I didn’t deserve to touch.
Her breath ca uneven, soft and rapid. "River... what are you doing?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, threaded with nervous anticipation.
I tilted my head, a small smile tugging at my lips though my own heart was racing wildly. "You still haven’t answered my question."
Confusion flickered across her face. "What question?"
I leaned closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of her skin beneath the chlorine, close enough to see every fleck of gold in her eyes. My voice was low, edged with the sa intensity I felt gripping .
"The one from truth or dare," I reminded her. "Have you started liking ?"
Her lips parted, but no sound ca out. Her hands clenched at the edge of the wall beside her thighs, as if grounding herself from the storm of emotions that question stirred inside her.
I waited, every muscle in my body taut, every instinct hanging on the edge of her answer. I wasn’t sure if I was bracing for rejection again or daring to hope for sothing more.
But whatever she said next... I knew it would change everything.
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