The walk back to the palace was punctuated by the rhythmic crunch of gravel and the distant, fading sounds of children's laughter. The sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the sky in bruised purples and burnt oranges, but the atmosphere between Selene and Megan was light- lighter than it had been since Selene first stepped foot into the Lycan Capital.
Megan was staring at her phone, her thumb scrolling rapidly, a wide, mischievous grin splitting her face. "You're an absolute sensation, you know that?" she chuckled, nudging Selene with her shoulder. "You're all over the media. Every pack-link, every social stream. It's a literal wildfire."
Selene blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "I am? But I was just at the park. I didn't see any cameras."
"You don't need a professional crew when you have a thousand proud parents with smartphones," Megan giggled, turning the screen toward Selene. On the display was a high-definition video, likely taken by one of the mothers on the benches.
It captured Selene in her royal blue silk, hair wild and windswept, leaping off the wooden fort to chase a laughing "dragon."
The caption read: Our Queen doesn't just rule; she plays.
"In our world," Megan explained, her voice softening with genuine respect, "royalty is usually something seen from a distance. High balconies, tinted windows, armored motorcades. No adult- certainly no high-ranking Luna or Queen, gets down in the dirt to play 'Princesses' with the pups. They just watch from the sidelines. But you? You were right in the thick of it."
Selene looked at the video, watching herself weave a ribbon of shimmering water through the air for the kids. "Is it bad? Does it make me look... undignified?"
"Goddess, no," Megan said, stopping in her tracks to look Selene in the eye. "It makes you look human. It makes you look like a mother to the pack. It's the best PR this kingdom has had in three centuries. And trust me, Leo is probably watching this on a loop right now, smiling like a complete and utter idiot."
When Selene reached the Royal Suite, the heavy oak doors slid open with a whisper. The room was bathed in the warm, honeyed light of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the plush rugs.
She didn't have to look far to find him. Leo was sprawled across the massive, fur-covered bed, his back against the headboard and his shirt discarded somewhere on the floor. His eyes were glued to his tablet, and just as Megan had predicted, his face was transformed. The hard, jagged lines of the ruthless Lycan King had melted away, replaced by an expression of such raw, goofy adoration that Selene felt her breath catch.
A soft, melodic giggle escaped her lips. Leo's head snapped up, his emerald eyes locking onto hers. He didn't look embarrassed; he looked enchanted.
"Did you have fun, my love?" he asked, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that seemed to vibrate in the very air of the room. He set the tablet aside and sat up, patting the space between his legs.
Selene walked toward him, her movements fluid and graceful, and stepped into the cradle of his thighs. His large, scarred hands immediately found her waist, his fingers splaying across her skin as he pulled her flush against him. He buried his face in the soft curve of her belly, inhaling deeply, his shoulders finally losing the tension of the day's war meetings.
"I did," Selene murmured, running her fingers through the thick, dark silk of his hair. "I didn't realize everyone was watching."
"The whole kingdom is boasting about their 'Attentive Queen,'" Leo mumbles against her skin, his voice muffled but warm. "They love you, Selene. They see the heart I saw the first time I saw you. They love you almost as much as I do."
He pulled back, guiding her to sit on his lap. He looked at her with an intensity that felt like a physical weight, his hands tightening possessively around her waist. "Actually, scratch that. No one could match the love I have for you. It's a mountain, little wolf. It's an ocean."
Selene's heart felt like it was expanding, pushing against her ribs. She leaned in, nuzzling her nose against his, her voice a soft whisper.
"Your love certainly knows no bounds, my big bad Lycan King."
"You're damn right it doesn't," he growled playfully, his lips finding the sensitive cord of her neck.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The lightheartedness of the park vanished, replaced by a thick, electric tension that made the fine hairs on Selene's arms stand up. Leo's kisses were no longer just affectionate; they were hungry. He began to trail a path of fire from her jawline down to the hollow of her throat, his tongue tasting her skin with a reverence that made her head fall back.
"Oh-" Selene let out a low, shaky moan as his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive spot. Her fingers tightened in his hair, tugging slightly.
"Hmm, don't do that," Leo muttered, his voice dropping an octave into a husky, predatory register. He continued his assault, leaving small, blossoming love bites along her collarbone.
"Then... don't do that," Selene countered, her breath hitching as she tried to suppress another moan. She could feel the heat radiating from him, the sheer physical power of the man she had tamed.
"I don't want to stop," Leo whispered. His hand, large and warm, began to slide up the length of her thigh, his palm skimming the silk of her dress. The touch ignited a trail of sparks in her blood, a primal response she could no longer deny.
When he nipped at the junction of her shoulder and neck, a low, guttural moan escaped her. She felt him harden beneath her, the physical evidence of his desire pressing against her hip. The realization didn't scare her; it emboldened her.
"You should stop," she teased breathlessly, though her body was leaning into him, seeking more.