83: Emma

I felt a stirring within, Artemis pushing gently at the edges of my consciousness, curious and eager to see these changes for herself. I closed my eyes, relaxing the barrier between us, letting her come forward enough to see through my eyes.

When I opened them again, the mirror showed the change – my pupils dilated, and the irises transformed into a stunning gradient that started with Artemis's original yellow near the pupil, blending outward into green, then brightening to a vivid blue with a distinct purple tinge at the outer edge. Like dawn breaking over a forest lake.

"That's definitely going to take some getting used to," I murmured, blinking as I let Artemis recede, the colours shifting back to the new gold-green that now marked me as Theo's mate.

Theo's lips pressed against my forehead, the gentle pressure sending tingles down my spine. "I'm glad your eyes haven't completely changed," he said softly. "Artemis's eye colour is spectacular."

Inside my mind, Artemis rolled happily, tongue lolling out at being complimented by our mate first thing in the morning. Her joy bubbled through me, a secondary emotion layered over my own.

I smiled up at him, this man who saw and appreciated both the human and wolf parts of me. His eyes darkened as they met mine, and he leaned down, closing the distance between us. His lips found mine in a kiss that started gentle but quickly kindled into something hotter, hungrier.

I broke away reluctantly, my breath coming faster. "We should probably go have breakfast and at least tell our families before the rest of the Kingdom." The thought of facing everyone with this new development was both exciting and daunting. A week ago, I'd been just Emma Maxwell, sister to Alpha Elijah, returned to the Blood Moon Pack after years away. Now I was mated to the Lycan King himself, my body and senses transformed by his royal blood.

Theo chuckled, his breath warm against my temple. "Yes, probably. We can have breakfast with just them in one of the private rooms."

I nodded, already imagining my brother's reaction. Elijah would be happy for me, but also protective – wanting to make sure I understood the implications of being bound to royalty.

"I'll get someone to fix the bathroom door handle too," Theo added with a laugh as he moved toward the shower.

I rolled my eyes, turning to switch on the water. Steam began to fill the large glass enclosure, and I pulled Theo's shirt over my head, dropping it to the floor. His sharp intake of breath made me smile – some reactions required no enhanced senses to detect.

The water was perfect when I stepped under the spray, hot enough to loosen muscles but not scald. Moments later, the shower door opened and closed as Theo joined me, his hands immediately finding my waist, turning me to face him.

Water sluiced between us, making skin slide against skin as we moved together. His hands were everywhere – tracing the curve of my spine, cupping my breasts, fingers tangling in my wet hair. Each touch sent sparks through my sensitive nerves, magnifying sensations I thought I'd grown accustomed to in the past week.

I explored him in turn, fingertips mapping the hard planes of his chest, the ridges of muscle at his abdomen. He felt different under my touch – every texture more distinct, every subtle shift in his breathing more obvious. When my hand slid lower, wrapping around him, his groan reverberated through me like distant thunder.

The ordinary ritual of washing became something else entirely as we slid soapy hands over each other's bodies. What began as cleaning became caressing, and caressing became claiming. His fingers found me first, drawing circles that made my knees buckle, my back arching as I leaned against the cool tile wall for support.

"Theo," I gasped, his name a plea and a prayer.

He answered by lifting me, his strength making it effortless. My legs wrapped around his waist as he pinned me against the shower wall, the contrast between the cold tile at my back and his burning heat at my front sending shivers through my entire body.

When he pushed into me, I cried out, my enhanced senses making every nerve ending sing. I could feel everything – the precise point where our bodies joined, the tension in each muscle as he held me, the quiver in his breathing as he fought for control.

"Emma," he whispered against my neck, his voice rough with desire. "My Queen."

We moved together, finding a rhythm as natural as breathing. Water streamed over us, steam clouding around our bodies like a veil. His hands gripped my thighs, holding me secure as he drove deeper, each thrust building the pressure coiling low in my belly.

With my new senses, I could hear the quickening of his heart, smell the musk of his arousal mingling with mine, feel the slight tremble in his arms that told me he was as close to the edge as I was. It was overwhelming, this intimacy laid bare by senses too sharp to miss any detail.

"I love you," he said against my lips as my body began to tighten around him.

The words pushed me over the edge, pleasure crashing through me in waves that seemed to go on forever. I clung to him, gasping his name as the sensation peaked and broke, leaving me trembling in its wake.

"I love you too," I managed as he followed me into release, his body tensing and then shuddering against mine.

We stayed like that for long moments, foreheads pressed together, breathing settling into sync as the water continued to pour over us. His amber eyes met mine, holding a depth of emotion that made my chest ache sweetly.

This was it, I realized. This was the reality I'd never dared to imagine – finding not just a mate, but one who saw me, respected me, and loved me completely. The changes to my body, to my senses, were just physical manifestations of the deeper transformation that had begun the moment Theo entered my life.

In the quiet aftermath, with his heart beating against mine and our breath mingling in the steam-filled air, I knew that whatever challenges lay ahead – whatever trials awaited us with imprisoned ministers and pending trials – we would face them together.

King and Queen.

Mates.

As he carefully lowered me back to my feet, keeping me steady until my legs remembered their purpose, I smiled up at him.

"Ready to face the day, Your Majesty?" I asked, my voice still slightly breathless.

His answering smile was like sunrise breaking over the mountains. "With you? Always."