My body was on fire, my panties drowning, and I needed Shadow to do exactly what his words were promising. I wanted him on his knees. Easing the ache that no one else in the world could except my beast.

“I love you,” I told him.

His hands came up to cup my breasts, his power holding me against him. “I am honored to be your mate.”

He was still avoiding the L word, but somehow what he did say felt like the same thing. Or stronger. Because for a being like Shadow, honor was everything.

I’d expected him to take us into his room again, but I should have known that conventional sex wasn’t Shadow’s jam. He wasn’t into weird shit like cucumbers in my lady parts, but he also never headed straight for a bed.

We ended up in a part of the lair I’d never been to before, and it was here that Shadow’s power fully released me, allowing me to turn on the spot to take it all in.

Pushing past the comfy-looking couches, I was immediately captivated with the view. “Windows,” I whispered. I hadn’t known that any parts of this lair had windows, but here we were, surrounded by the most beautiful night sky I’d ever seen. There were stars, scattered outside of the twenty-foot-high paned glass, seemingly so close, I felt like I could reach out and touch them.

“Is this real?” I breathed, feeling overwhelmed and awed, standing on the edge of the universe. It reminded me of Faerie, but in a way, far more intimidating.

“Does it feel real?” he asked, his hand sliding across my side as he pulled me into him.

I nodded, finally tearing my gaze from the stars so I could look up at him. “For the first time in my life, everything feels real.”

His eyes held me, the intensity there enough to draw forward my soul as he cupped my face. It wasn’t in Shadow’s nature to be soft, not in touch or mannerisms, but as he pressed his lips to mine, it was with the gentlest of pressures. He turned me so that both of his hands held my face, cradling it like I was precious, and maybe this was the point my heart finally burst.

The kiss started slow, a sensual sweep of our tongues. There was no rush—we had no reason to hurry this night—and in that, we savored every taste. Of course, we hadn’t actually had personality transplants, so it was no surprise that within minutes, hormones kicked in and that slow, romantic kiss turned more passionate.