Music Recommendation: Beautifully Unfinished by Ella Henderson.

....

Adele walked out of her bathroom, the faint scent of lavender and steam trailing after her.

Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, with droplets slipping slowly down the length of her neck and disappearing beneath the loose fabric wrapped around her body.

She didn’t look up immediately. She felt him already from the second he walked into her chamber.

Her steps slowed in recognition. Then she lifted her gaze, and there he was.

Torak.

Seated on her bed like he belonged there. He sat there like the silence between them hadn’t stretched thin enough to snap.

Adele stopped for only a fraction of a second. Then she kept walking, unbothered, unmoved, and untouched by his presence.

"Whatever you have to say," she said, her voice even, "be quick... and leave."

Torak’s jaw tightened.

He took his leg off the bed and leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his thighs. "I haven’t seen you for five days."

Adele reached the vanity table. She gave him no response.

She picked up a spare towel and began to dry her hair. Her movements were slow, and deliberate.

"You skipped dinner yesterday," he continued. "And you skipped breakfast... and dinner today." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Adele still gave no response. The room fell into silence, but the silence was full of everything they weren’t saying.

Adele met his eyes through the mirror.

Her gaze was flat, and detached. "Is that all?" She questioned, reaching for her comb. "You should leave."

Torak frowned, something restless flickering in his expression. "You shouldn’t have seen what you saw."

Adele dragged the comb through her damp hair. "I have letters from my father to read," she said calmly. "I need privacy."

"Adele—"

"We’re not mates, Torak."

That stopped him. That stopped him completely from whatever he had intended to say.

She set the comb down calmly, and turned to face him.

"You wouldn’t even want us to be together," she continued. "You won’t want to be with someone like me... and I’m meant to be Luna."

"Don’t say that." His voice came out sharper than he intended. He hated how much she wanted to be Luna.

It killed her, and she wasn’t even seeing it.

Adele scoffed softly. She threw the towel to the floor, slowly flaming up. The sound of the towel touching the floor cracked through the room.

"Then what should I say?" she snapped, anger finally breaking through the calm. "I wasn’t the one being so comfortable with other women."

Torak stood up immediately, and shook his head.

"That wasn’t it," he said, frustration bleeding into his tone. "I feel different from what you saw that day. So much different."

Adele tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her lips curved into a smile, but there was no warmth in it. "I knew what I saw." She paused, swallowed, and then said coldly. "Also, we can’t be together."

His chest rose sharply.

"You don’t want us to be together." She added, shrugging her shoulders.

"I want us to be together so much—" His voice broke into a shout. "so much that it scares me."

Silence fell between them.

Adele stared at him. Her expression didn’t change.

She wrapped her arms around herself, holding her ground. "And what am I supposed to do with that information?"

Her tone was calm.

Too calm.

It hit him harder than anger ever could.

Torak moved before thinking.

In a flash, he closed the distance. His hand gripped her jaw, and her back met the wall due to his push.

The impact wasn’t harsh. But it wasn’t gentle either. His fingers tightened slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to hold her there.

To keep her.

His breathing grew uneven as his gaze dragged over her face, searching. "Don’t you dare do that with me." He warned.

Adele didn’t flinch. She didn’t even blink, or soften. Her eyes locked onto his, steady and unyielding. "Take your hand off me," she said.

A beat passed, and he didn’t.

"Now."

His chest rose and fell faster.

His eyes dipped—just for a second to her collarbone, to the damp fabric clinging to her skin, and to the slow movement of her breathing.

"Take your hand off me," she repeated. This time, slower, and deadlier. "You don’t want to find out what I might do to you... before news reaches my father that you were seen alone with me in my chamber."

"Adele—"

"N.O.W."

He blinked. She surprised him every second they spent together. And just like that, the fire snapped.

Torak stepped back.

His hand fell away from her. The distance between them returned. But it feels worse now. He looked at her. His expression broke. Then unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees.

Adele’s breath hitched. She blinked, and her anger disappeared immediately. It felt as if the scale dropped out of her eyes.

"Torak."

Her voice faltered. "Torak, stand up. What are you doing?"

He didn’t stand. He stayed there, looking up at her. His green eyes—usually sharp, commanding—were stripped bare.

Every ounce of pride was gone. What remained was raw, open, and apologetically heartbreaking.

"Adele..." Her name rolled out of his tongue.

The way he said her name.... It wasn’t with his Beta tone, or authority. This was him. Just him.

Her fingers curled at her sides.

And then, unwanted forbidden memories flooded in. Those unbidden, late nights, and hidden moments resurfaced.

She remembered his hands on her and her breath breaking under his touch. She remembered the way he used to kneel like this in devotion.

Her pulse spiked.

Her throat tightened.

Her fingers twitched as they remembered the feeling of threading through his hair, and holding him there or pulling him closer with his face buried just beneath her garment.

Adele clenched her hand into a hard fist.

Torak shook his head slightly.

"Adele... please."

His voice dropped. "I have to prevent a war from happening... but I can’t think properly when you act this way. You came into the castle... you threw yourself around the Alphas... and acted like you did not know me."

Her heartbeat grew louder. So loud it filled the space between them. Her heartbeat grew so loud they could both hear it.

"Stand up, Torak." Her voice was quieter now, and less steady.

He didn’t move.

Instead, he reached for her. His hands settled on her hips. His hold was warm and familiar.

Dangerous even.

And then, he pulled her closer.

Adele exhaled softly. The resistance in her body weakened. Not completely, but enough for her to give in.

Her hand lifted, almost unconsciously and slid into his hair.

Torak’s eyes shut instantly. He felt it everywhere. His whole muscles relaxed immediately.

She bent slightly, bringing herself closer to him. She closed the gap he hadn’t dared to.

Her arm wrapped loosely around his neck, and then she pulled him forward, giving his head a resting place.

She pressed his face against her bosom.

A soft breath left her lips. "Torak... you need to go."

He shook his head against her. "No." He paused, as if to give his next words a thought, then said. "What if we continue this way?" he murmured. "What if we never go to the annual ball... and never take a mate?"

Adele’s gaze drifted. Her gaze became distant. "We can’t do that."

Her fingers tightened slightly in his hair. "The only reason my father allowed me not to attend the ball before... was because he believed I’d be Luna."

Her voice softened. "I won’t be able to keep him off now."

Torak pulled back slowly. His eyes searched hers. "Then at least..." He swallowed. "Let me kiss you."

Adele shook her head immediately. "The Moon Goddess has been merciful." Her voice trembled just slightly. "We shouldn’t push her. I don’t want to be cursed."

"You’re still pure," he argued quietly. "It’d be just a kiss."

Her lips parted. "But I let you touch me." She pointed out, a bit scared.

Torak pulled closer, closing the last inch of space between them. "If she is truly the goddess of fate and love..." His voice dropped. His voice came out intense and soft. "...then she wouldn’t punish us for this."

Adele’s chest rose. Her gaze flickered between his eyes... and his lips.

It had been years.

Years of distance.

Of restraint.

Of pretending.

Slowly, she leaned forward. She leaned forward, just a little.

Torak didn’t rush her. He didn’t claim her. Rather, he moved in slowly. He moved in once, then paused.

He moved in again, then paused again.

He moved in the third time and when she didn’t pull away, that was all he needed. His hand slid to the back of her head, gentle but firm and then, he kissed her.

Adele’s eyes shut instantly.

The moment their lips met, everything unraveled. All the restraint, all the silence and all the years of acting around him so he would be fine came crashing down.

She kissed him back, soft at first, then deeper.

Torak lifted her effortlessly, carried her to the bed, sat her down, then positioned himself between her knees.

He held himself back even as everything in him pushed forward to roam his hands around her body, and claim her.

The kiss deepened.

It burned.

His hands didn’t wander but the tension in his body said everything he wasn’t doing.

Adele’s fingers gripped his collar, pulling him closer.

Torak smiled faintly against her lips. Then, he pulled back slowly and reluctantly. He wouldn’t risk her purity.

He would rather be damned to an eternity of suffering than give in to his desires and not think of her.

His forehead rested against hers.

Their breaths tangled.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Adele blinked, caught off guard. Then, she bit her lower lip, and nodded.

"I am."