74: Emma

He moved willingly, stepping between my legs as his hands found my hips. The new position brought us eye to eye, his body fitting perfectly against mine. I wrapped my legs loosely around him, drawing him closer as I reclaimed his mouth.

This kiss held nothing back. My fingers threaded through his hair as his tongue swept past my lips, exploring, claiming. A growl—a sound no human could make—rumbled in his chest, the vibration traveling through my body where we pressed together. His hands tightened on my hips, fingers digging in just enough to send sparks racing up my spine.

The world narrowed to sensation—the heat of his mouth, the strength in his hands, the solid warmth of him against me. I lost track of time, lost in the pleasure of finally giving in to what we both wanted.

A throat cleared somewhere behind us, followed by a muffled conversation. Without breaking our kiss, I registered the sound of the balcony door opening, then quickly closing again. Theo smiled against my lips but didn't pull away, one hand sliding up my back to tangle in my hair.

"Your Grace," a deep voice said from inside, just loud enough for us to hear, "the King and Queen requested a private moment. Perhaps you can return in fifteen minutes?"

I broke away from Theo with a gasp, my cheeks heating as the realization struck—the royal guards had seen us. Had likely been watching over us this entire time. Embarrassment flooded through me as I pressed my forehead against Theo's chest, hiding my face.

Theo chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest against my ear. His hand stroked soothingly down my back.

"They're paid to be discreet, my Queen," he murmured, amusement colouring his tone. "And to anticipate the needs of the royal family, even when those needs aren't explicitly stated."

I groaned, the sound muffled against his shirt. "But that means they saw us..." I couldn't even finish the sentence, mortification making my skin burn hotter.

He laughed again, gently tilting my chin up to meet his eyes. "Yes, Emma, they did." His thumb brushed across my lower lip, still sensitive from our kisses. "But they'll act as if we were simply out here talking and enjoying the view. It's their job to protect our privacy, not just our physical safety."

I buried my face against him again, feeling the blush spread down my neck. "I'm not used to having an audience," I mumbled against his chest. "In the pack, at least people have the decency to howl or make noise before they interrupt something private."

"You'll get used to it," he said, his tone gentle despite the amusement lingering in his voice. "The royal guards are like furniture—always present, rarely acknowledged, and completely invisible when you need private moments."

"Furniture doesn't have eyes," I grumbled.

Theo laughed, the sound vibrating through me where we touched. He cupped my face in his hands, forcing me to look up at him. His expression softened as he took in my flushed cheeks, his thumbs stroking along my cheekbones.

"You're adorable when you blush," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

I narrowed my eyes, scowling up at him even as traitorous warmth bloomed in my chest at his words. "I am not adorable. I am fierce and deadly. I'm an alpha wolf, for crying out loud."

"The fiercest, deadliest, most adorable wolf queen in history," he agreed solemnly, though his eyes danced with mischief.

I shoved at his chest, but he didn't budge, just captured my hands in his and brought them to his lips, pressing kisses to my knuckles. The tenderness of the gesture dissolved my irritation, replacing it with something warm and dangerously close to contentment.

"We should go back inside," I said reluctantly. "They're probably wondering where we disappeared to."

Theo nodded, stepping back just enough to help me down from the wall. As my feet touched the ground, he kept hold of my hand, our fingers intertwined. Before we could move toward the door, he pulled me close one more time, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Thank you," he whispered against my skin.

"For what?"

He smiled, his eyes sincere. "For loving me. For letting me love you. For making the impossible suddenly possible."

My throat tightened with emotion. A week ago, I couldn't have imagined standing here with him, couldn't have dreamed that my life would change so dramatically. Yet somehow, despite the chaos and danger that had brought us together, despite the centuries of prejudice between our kinds, we had found each other.

"We should really go back," I said, my voice husky with feeling.

He nodded, squeezing my hand once before leading me toward the balcony doors. As we stepped back into the warmth of the hotel, I caught the subtle nod of acknowledgment from the royal guards stationed by the entrance. Their expressions remained perfectly neutral, but I could have sworn I saw the corner of one guard's mouth twitch upward.

I fought back another blush, lifting my chin with all the dignity I could muster. If I was to be their queen, I would need to learn to carry myself with confidence, even when I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.