Page 203 of Star Claimed Omega
Soleil often fell asleep, lost in them and inhim, tangled with his limbs, with little evidence where she ended and Santi began.
Between sessions of lovemaking that left her breathless and boneless, she slept safe, deep, and undisturbed.
When they woke, they bathed together in a sunken stone bath that filled with flower petals; she sank into it, eyes closed, sighing at the indulgence.
Santi lit floating candles and made love to her in the tub, her body gliding over his beneath warm water.
Once they left their suite, their attendants provided state-of-the-art spa services.
Soleil got scrubbed, soaked, kneaded, oiled, and tended to for five days, treated with sacred care.
She got wrapped in sea kelp and exfoliated with crushed sapphire salts, massaged by warm-stone hands until her bones forgot the language of tension.
Every meal was a work of art: citrus-dusted croissants that melted on the tongue, cream-rich tagliatelle flecked with midnight truffle, and wine that glowed like garnet when held to the light.
At night, wrapped around each other in the opalescent suite, Santi rested his forehead against hers and rasped.
‘I love you, Soleil. I treasure all of you. The broken, the brave, the terrifyingly beautiful. Never forget that.’
It took a moment for her to absorb his words, then she glanced up at him, tears slipping down her cheeks.
‘Santi, I’m not sure yet I deserve it. But I so appreciate you giving me the space to find myself again, to breathe free, to feel safe. To be held. Even when I never asked for it.’
He kissed her again, then grinned. ‘It was my plan, all along, to cherish you. From the instance you came up on me in the showers onThe Sombra, and I wanted to throw you up in the shower andfokkyou to oblivion. Perhaps even from the moment I caught sight of you at the ammunition depot when you gave me so much sass.’
She laughed, burying her head in his chest. ‘Fokk, I’d almost forgotten our fateful first meeting.’
‘I was so gone, lusting after your classy, sassy, and a bit bad-assy self. You’re freakin’ worthy of my heart and soul,’ he rasped, cupping her face and tilting it up to him. ‘Until the end of time.’
34
Chapter 34
SOLEIL
Mid-morning sunlight streamed through a bank of high, trailing clouds, paintingThe Sombra’slake in soft gold and muted teal ripples.
A light breeze rolled over the water’s surface, stirring the long grasses and sending slender reeds swaying at the shoreline’s edge.
The earthy scent of pinewood and wet soil lingered in the air.
Soleil walked beside Zev, her pace unhurried as the gravel path curved along the lake’s quiet edge.
This was her third psionic therapy session with the Signet pack’s witty, dashing, and dark-skinned member.
He was broad-shouldered and distractedly handsome, but beneath the charming mask, the winks, and drawled sarcasm, Zev was mystical, psychic, and intense.
He was also thePsiof the Signet pack, their spiritual anchor.
His role wasn’t to break bones like Kaal or draw blood like Santi; it was subtler, deeper as the pack’s enforcer of balance, of spirit, and identity.
He helped his pack mates navigate trauma, emotional fractures, and their connection or disconnection to the lycan soul within.
Now, it was Soleil’s turn.
In soft linen pants and a thick wool-knit wrap slung over her shoulders, her arms folded across her chest, her steps steady.
She kept her gaze ahead as they strolled along.
