*Jared*
My heart stuck in my throat as I approached Eliza.
She stood with a Royal Guard. I could tell he was asking her to dance.
I strode toward her quickly, ready to intervene. I just knew that the mont she saw , she wouldn’t accept a dance from soone else. Even without the mate bond, the connection between us was stronger than anything else she could feel for anyone else.
I kept my eyes on her as I approached, knowing she’d feel my presence. We’d always shared such a deep, profound bond and nothing could get in the way of that... not even so handso guard that she seed to know.
My wolf snarled a little, angry that Eliza was speaking to another man. There was a part of that wanted to rush over and push him out of the way.
I wasn’t there to make a scene though. I was there to reclaim her heart. If I made a scene with him, it would only push Eliza away more.
After talking to Xander in his study, I realized how right he was. Eliza needed to prove sothing to her, so I had to make sure everything I did was about her, not my own jealousy.
Eliza’s eyes flicked toward quickly. She looked back at the guard and then paused. Slowly, she turned her entire head toward .
The mont our eyes t, the entire world changed. I felt like everyone and everything fell away and only the two of us existed.
I knew Eliza felt it too because she turned away from the young guard and her entire attention was on . Inwardly, I felt satisfied that she practically forgot about the other guy. But I kept my focus on her.
My heart hamred in my chest as I stared at her. The music faded away, all the glittering lights and the party was a distant mory.
There was only Eliza and my beating heart. I imagined that her heart was beating in ti with mine as I got closer.
Her dress was absolutely stunning, giving her an elegant and poised look without being flashy or overbearing. I did love her in the color green. It made think back to a party in the garden at my pack house where she’d worn a similar color. And boy, did she wear it well....
Gasping, Eliza threw herself at . Tears flew from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I pulled her close, burying my nose in her neck.
I ran my hands along her back, feeling her smooth, warm skin.
Her stomach pressed against mine, making my abdon quiver. I ran my hand through her hair, massaging her scalp gently. Breathing in, I inhaled her sweet scent. It flooded through my nose and into my veins, taking over from the inside out.
She fit perfectly in my arms and I knew she belonged there.
I brought my lips to her ears. “I missed you so much....”
Eliza gasped. She pulled back and looked into my eyes. She still had tears in her eyes.
Guilt swelled inside of as I saw her tears. I knew they were tears of joy, but it still saddened that she was going through such strong emotions because of .
“I missed you too,” she whispered back, licking her lips.
“Co dance with .”
“Yes... anything. I will follow you anywhere.”
Grinning, I pulled her gently onto the dance floor and took her in my arms again. I looped one arm around her waist, holding her as close as possible so I could feel her stomach brushing against mine. I put my other hand on the back of her neck, cradling her body to .
“I love you, baby. I shouldn’t have let you go....”
“Just hold ,” she whispered back.
Her hands clung to my shoulders like they were the only thing that anchored her to this world.
Every possible emotion washed over . I was overjoyed at seeing her, relieved that she was alright, sad that I’d let her go, and filled with so much love and appreciation for her that I never wanted to let her go again.
As I held her in my arms, so many thoughts ran through my head.
Had Eliza always been this beautiful with her curving hips and her unruly hair? Even when it was tad for an event like this, it was wild and had a life of its own, just like Eliza was.
Eliza let out a small whimper.
I tipped her head up and looked deeply into her eyes. They were glassy with so much emotion.
I leaned in and kissed her puffy, red lips. Instantly, a spark passed between us and Eliza tightened her arms around . She kissed back with such vigor and passion. I cradled her, swaying back and forth to the music while I kissed her sweet lips.
Our connection felt completely rejuvenated. My wolf was soothed and calm now that I had Eliza in my arms again.
When our lips parted, I pressed my forehead to hers, thinking of all the things I wanted to tell her. We had so much to discuss but I couldn’t ruin the mont.
The soft music was perfect, as was the way our bodies moved together in such synchronicity. I worried that if I moved now, it would break the spell between us.
I wanted to know everything about what she’d been through since we parted ways–all the good and the bad. I wanted to take the bad from her and show her that it didn’t matter if we were separated by distance, because I’d still thought of her every single day.
For the mont, all I could do was hold her in my arms and enjoy the way she felt.
We were together again, finally. That was all that mattered.
Eliza’s body relaxed against as we danced. She leaned her weight on my chest and let out a soft, happy sigh.
Silently, I told myself that I would never let her go again. Eliza was the most important thing in my life and I would always protect her and our child.
I felt like a horrible husband because I hadn’t been holding up my end of the vows. But we were back together now, and I’d spend the rest of my life making it up to her.
As many thoughts were running through my head, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. We danced in beautiful, peaceful silence, just holding each other, completely lost in our embrace and togetherness.
I felt like Eliza and I were one, hearts beating in unison, bodies moving together. There was no longer a division between where I ended and she started.
When the song wound down, I reluctantly stopped dancing with Eliza. That dance had been pure bliss, and I never wanted it to end.
We pulled apart but before Eliza could say anything, I took her hand and led her outside to the gardens.
Like the ballroom, the garden was decorated with twinkling golden lights. There were a few fountains running, the water sparkling in the little lights.
Pathways had been cleared and were lined along the borders with glowing lights that lit up the flowers and plants just enough to see them in the dark.
Several other couples were in the garden, whispering to each other and enjoying the romantic setting.
I wanted to talk to Eliza in private, so I pulled her down a garden path. She didn’t resist or speak. I had a feeling that she also felt like speaking too soon would break the magical spell between us. I clutched her hand firmly, keeping her close.
It was a cool night, filled with the scent of night-blooming flowers.
We found a secluded bench and I sat down, pulling Eliza onto the bench beside . An electric charge shot between us.
She gasped and moved a little closer to . A shiver ran through her and I slipped my suit coat off, draping it around her shoulders.
I put my arm around her, tucking her against my body. She snuggled up to and sighed.
“Eliza.” I murmured her na.
“Jared.”
My na on her lips sent a bolt of electricity down my spine. I grabbed her hand and squeezed, tightening my arm around her shoulders at the sa ti.
“I know we have a lot to talk about.”
“Do we have to have the talk?” Eliza shifted and looked straight into my eyes.
I couldn’t fully describe what I saw in her eyes. It was a mixture of sadness and regret, but also love and devotion, a desire to move forward and forget about our complicated past.
I cupped her cheeks and kissed her quickly on the lips.
“You have no idea how much it ans to that you ca after ,” she whispered against my lips.
I chuckled lightly. Xander had been right. All she needed was for to show her a big gesture of how much I cared and how much I wanted her.
For a mont, I didn’t know what to say. I saw a little white, night-blooming flower nearby and I plucked it from the garden. Turning back to Eliza, I tucked the flower behind her ear, pinning so of her hair back with it.
Her cheeks turned rosy red and she looked at her lap, worrying her hands.
“So much has happened since we were last together. I have so much to tell you.”
“I know. And I have so much to tell you too but....”
I placed a hand on Eliza’s stomach. Her words trailed off and she smiled lightly.
“When I heard you had fallen ill, it was a real mont of clarity for . But I want you to know that I missed you every minute of every day that we weren’t together.”
Eliza threw her arms around my neck and hugged fiercely.
“I missed you too, so much that sotis, I thought I couldn’t breathe. That’s why I don’t want to talk about everything yet. I just want to be here with you, enjoying this mont.”
I brought my arms around her again and pulled her as close as I could on the bench. Her body was warm and soft, her arms around the perfect comfort. I couldn’t fathom how I’d ever let her walk away.
Even when she rejected , I should have gotten on that boat with her and followed her to the Light Realm. I should have been more sensitive to her desire to help her cousin and her fears about staying in the Dark Realm with Hestia on the loose and the dangers to our child.
But she was right. For now, I just wanted to hold her and feel her around and enjoy our reunion.
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