82: Emma

I woke to thunder. Not the storm kind that rattles windows and splits skies, but the steady, relentless rumble of Theo's heart beneath my cheek. It crashed against my eardrums like waves breaking on rocks, each beat so distinct I could almost taste the copper and salt of his blood pushing through chambers and valves. His chest rose and fell beneath me, the rush of air through his lungs a windstorm in my ears. I'd never heard anything so beautifully invasive in my life.

"Your heart is really loud," I grumbled, pressing my palm against his warm skin. "Your breathing is really loud. Why are you so loud?"

The vibration of his chuckle resonated through my bones before I even registered the sound. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my bare shoulder, each touch sending shivers across nerve endings that suddenly seemed wired directly to my spine.

"There's your enhanced hearing, my Queen," he murmured, his voice a rich, dark velvet that made my toes curl. "You'll get used to it."

I lifted my head to look at him, the morning light threading gold through his dark hair. His amber eyes watched me with amusement and something deeper, something that made my newly sensitive skin prickle with awareness.

"Oh fuck," I whispered as a new realization hit me. "Can I hear the guards outside breathing or am I just imagining that?"

The steady inhale-exhale from beyond our doors wasn't my imagination – three distinct patterns of breath, accompanied by the occasional shift of weight from one foot to another. I could hear the rustle of fabric when one of them moved, the soft click of a throat being cleared.

Theo's lips quirked upward. "You're not imagining it. Some of the guards on our rotation do tend to breathe very loudly."

I sat up suddenly, the silk sheets sliding across my skin like a thousand whispered promises. "This is weird."

"What is?" Theo propped himself up on his elbows, the sheet slipping down to reveal his chest. Even in the dim light, I could count each individual hair, see the subtle variations in skin tone, the network of veins beneath.

I bit my lip, trying to organize the sensory assault into words. "Everything is just... more. You smell different." I leaned closer, inhaling deeply. Beyond his usual scent of pine and mountain air was something else – layers of complexity I couldn't begin to name. "Your heart is SO LOUD, and I feel like I can feel every thread in the sheets."

My fingers traced the pattern in the fabric, feeling each fiber, each intersection where one thread crossed another. It was overwhelming and fascinating all at once.

Theo chuckled again, the sound vibrating through the mattress beneath us. "I guess I've taken my enhanced senses for granted my whole life."

"Mine have always been better than a lot of other werewolves," I said. "Perks of being a True Alpha and all that, but this is something else." The difference was like comparing a whisper to a shout, a candle to the sun.

He reached out, his fingers warm against my skin as he cupped my face, turning me to look at him. The sensation of his palm against my cheek sent a flutter through my stomach that had nothing to do with enhanced senses and everything to do with the man before me.

"Your eyes are brighter, my Queen," he said softly, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone.

I raised one eyebrow. "Now I've got to look in a mirror."

I rolled out of bed, misjudging my new speed and strength and nearly tumbling to the floor before catching myself. Theo's laughter followed me as I all but skipped to the bathroom, eager to see what changes his royal blood had wrought in me.

I swung the door open too forcefully, my hand clenching around the handle. The metal gave way with a crunch, cracking under my grip. I froze, staring dumbly at the bent brass in my palm.

"Well," I said, examining the damage, "this is going to take some getting used to."

Theo appeared in the doorway behind me, still laughing. "I've broken my share of door handles over the centuries. Don't worry about it."

I stepped into the bathroom, drawn to the mirror above the marble sink. My reflection caught me off guard, familiar yet altered in subtle ways that made my breath catch. My dark brown waves seemed glossier, my skin almost luminous in the soft bathroom light.

"Is that really what I look like now?" I whispered, leaning closer to the mirror, watching my own eyes widen in surprise.

Theo appeared behind me, his hands settling on my hips, warm and possessive through the thin fabric of the oversized shirt I'd slipped on. His reflection smiled at mine, his height allowing him to rest his chin on top of my head with ease.

"You're even more beautiful in person," he said, his voice low and sincere.

I glanced up at him, studying his amber eyes before returning to my own reflection. "You say my eyes are brighter... they're closer to gold than green."

It was true. The green I'd known all my life had shifted, infused with amber-gold that made them almost glow in the bathroom light. Not entirely changed, but transformed – like moss streaked with honey.

Theo shrugged, his hands sliding around to my stomach, holding me against him. "My bloodline typically has amber-gold eyes that are blue and purple in Lycan form. Maybe that gold has bled over to you."