*** Eamon's POV
Straight to the point. I love it.
"A demonstration would be more helpful," I tease, wrapping my arm around her waist from behind, slow and deliberate. She has no idea what she's about to see, but she's at ease now, and it's best to keep it that way.
"Watch," I instruct, gesturing to the mirror before resting my cheek against hers.
I can tell she's intent on watching me in the reflection. "You're looking at the wrong person, love," I coo, feeling her relax back into me at the endearment.
She gets the hint and refocuses on herself, though her eyes wander back to me as I start to nuzzle her neck, sliding my lips down her skin toward the mark.
I can feel the goosebumps rise on her skin; they mimic the electricity I feel within myself as I inch closer to my target.
She's closed her eyes a little, tilting her head back and to the side, giving me better access...
"Tsk tsk," I slide my hand int
*** Eamon's POVThe room is bathed in the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the window, casting a silver sheen over the bed. I lay behind Liliana, my body curved protectively around hers. My arm drapes over her waist, and my lips hover just above the mate-mark on her neck, where the faint, fiery pattern now glows almost imperceptibly. The air is thick with the scent of her, a heady mix of warmth and something uniquely Liliana, something that makes Fenri restless yet content.I press my lips to the mark, feeling a surge of energy as the bond between us pulses with life. This mate-mark is more than just a symbol; it's a connection, a bond forged by the Moon Goddess herself. It signifies that we are destined for each other, our souls intertwined in a way that is both ancient and sacred.My breath is warm against her skin as I whisper, "This mark... it’s the Moon Goddess’s way of binding us, of marking us as mates. Some of us wait lifetimes to find our mates, Liliana. It’s powerful
*** Liliana's POVEamon’s words washed over me, each revelation like a stone dropped into a pond, sending ripples through my mind. The mate-mark, the Moon Goddess, the bond that tied us together... it was surreal, like something from a Joseph Campbell lecture. I could feel Eamon’s lips against the mark on my neck, and with every touch, a warmth spread through me, igniting something deep inside.He thinks I’m a witch and wolf, I mused, trying to wrap my mind around the idea. My life had suddenly turned into a fantasy novel. At least it's the ‘adult’ kind, my inner mind teases.But then there was eyes, the speed, and yes, the mind reading. The way he seemed to know my thoughts before I even spoke them. It was unsettling, yet... comforting in a way I couldn’t explain. He understood me, saw me in ways no one else ever had, not even John.Eamon chuckles and it takes me a moment to realize he’s heard my thoughts.“What does this mean for my life now?” I found myself wondering aloud. “What
*** Liliana's POVI awake with a start, sitting up so fast that the room spins slightly, a woozy reminder of last night’s intensity. My head feels light, my throat dry. I make a mental note to start keeping a water bottle next to my bed—I’m clearly dehydrated from the night’s activities. But the dizziness is the least of my concerns as I quickly become aware of the emptiness beside me.Eamon’s scent lingers, but it’s faded, enough to tell me he’s been gone for a while. The light filtering through the blinds is still soft, early morning, but the cold space beside me confirms it’s been at least an hour since he left. A dull ache settles in my chest at his absence, an emptiness that feels oddly profound.At some point last night, Eamon explained how mates can ‘scent’ each other, a concept that seemed abstract at the time but now feels so visceral. His scent reminded me of petrichor, that distinct, earthy smell that comes after a heavy rain, particularly on a cold fall day. I’ve always lov
*** Eamon’s POVThe moment I left Liliana’s bed, the warmth of her body still lingering on my skin, regret hit me like a freight train. The softness of the sheets beneath me, the subtle scent of honeysuckle and lemongrass clinging to the pillow—everything in me screamed to stay. But duty pulled me away, and now, sitting across from my PI, with his BO saturating the air, that regret is magnified tenfold."We found the store owner," Kirk begins, his voice pulling me back to the present. His tone is serious, laced with the kind of gravity that tells me he's onto something. "They deny any hidden security," he pauses, a faint smirk playing on his lips, "but..."I lean forward, my interest piqued. "But?"Kirk meets my gaze, his expression unreadable. "We may have a new link between yesterday's murder and other crim
*** Liliana's POVGeesus, finally done. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been hunched over my desk, my body frozen in that same position for what felt like hours. My shoulders ached, and my neck was stiff. But at least I had finished. The presentation was clean, concise, and to the point. I’d stripped away all the extra fluff and left a solid narrative arc with a hook that would grab the audience’s attention from the start. Delivering content in a conversational tone has always come naturally to me, but this time, my nerves had made it challenging to set a realistic pace. Now, I’m in a good place. I can spend the weekend practicing my timing, rewatching my old TED minis, and making sure I’m leaving enough room for audience engagement.As I finally peel myself away from the desk, I’m hit with a wave of stiffness that almost pins me in place. My legs protest as I straighten them out, and I realize just how “old” I feel. With a groan, I manage to push myself upright, my joints popping a
*** Eamon's POVThe moment Kirk’s message pings on my phone, I’m not surprised. The warrant came through, just as I expected. We’ve got 72 hours of surveillance on the owner’s house and the three business locations tied to our case files. It’s a solid lead but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re only scratching the surface.My gut tells me the store owner isn’t human. I’ve had my suspicions from the beginning, and the more I dig into the details, the more convinced I become.Despite owning multiple businesses, the owner doesn’t show any signs of being affiliated with human-organized crime. It’s almost too clean, too perfect. There’s something else going on here, something deeper, and I’m determined to find out what.The three businesses in question—a café, a convenience store, and a donation center—don’t fit the usual mold either. They have a certain vibe to them, one that’s hard to pinpoint but impossible to ignore.There’s an unusual mix of Rogues from all species patronizing these
*** Eamon's POVApprehension hits me like a punch to the gut as I turn onto Liliana’s street. By now, at this distance, I should be able to sense my mate. I should feel the pull, the warmth of her presence, but there’s nothing. It’s a hollow void where there should be a connection, a gnawing emptiness that gnashes at the back of my mind.As I park in front of her building, I catch sight of the lights on in her apartment window. It’s a small relief, but it does little to ease the dread creeping up my spine. All my senses tell me she’s not there. Not in the way she should be.Could I be overreacting? Could she have simply gone out? Sure, it’s possible. But something doesn’t sit right. Reaching out, I try to feel her, sense her emotions through the ether. Still nothing. It’s like she’s vanished, her essence wiped clean from the air. The absence gnaws at me, pushing me out of the car and up toward her building faster than I intended.I take the stairs two at a time, my instincts screaming
*** Fenri's POVEamon has always been steady, a rock in the storm, but finding Liliana this way has filled him with a tension and fear that I can taste, raw and bitter. An there’s something else… a faint presence Eamon is not aware of yet, yet it’s there all the same, pushing against the edges of my consciousness. I can feel… her wolf, like a caged animal testing the bars, but she’s not fully here yet. Not fully awake.I push forward, closer to the surface, urging Eamon to stay calm, to hold her. We’re all connected now, the mate bond keeping her wolf from slipping away entirely. The mate bond has created room for her within Liliana.“Come forward,” I call out to her, my voice firm but gentle, coaxing. “You’re not alone anymore, Eamon and I are here for you.”There’s a hesitation, a moment of silence, and then I feel her.“You?” I feel the question almost as much as I hear it.“Yes, me.” I coax.“Fenri,” my tail wags at her acknowledgment.I’m bombarded with a myriad of visions that