The sun was dipping low in the sky, casting an orange glow across the lake. The soft breeze carried the sweet scent of flowers as it brushed over our skin, but all I could focus on was Aria, our mate.

She stood between us, her cheeks flushed, her breathing uneven as the tension thickened around us.

Leo and I exchanged a glance, a silent agreement passing between us.

Tonight, we would claim her fully, body and soul. And here, on the soft grass beside the lake, under the twilight sky, we would make her ours.

“Lie down, baby,” I whispered to her, guiding her down gently.

She looked up at...