Page 17 of Mated By Sunrise

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Rochelle stirred, her body slowly waking to the sensation of heat against her skin. It was the sun rising. That occasion was typical enough. But there was something else—something unfamiliar.

This morning, she wasn’t alone.

The realization settled over her, slow and gentle like the sunlight itself. For so many mornings after the full moon, she had woken up by herself. She’d either run from the hotel room before dawn, wanting to maintain her distance. Or Caleb had left, knowing she preferred to wake alone. But today was different.

Caleb’s arms were wrapped around her, his body warm and solid, his steady heartbeat a comforting rhythm against her back. Rochelle took in the moment, the sensation of the bond between them pulsing softly, steady and sure. It felt right. She felt settled—like something inside her had finally clicked into place.

She smiled to herself, her body sinking deeper into the warmth of Caleb’s embrace. The scent of him wrapped around her like a protective shield. She felt safe. She felt secure. She felt loved.

A flicker of responsibility tried to nudge her—work. She was supposed to be at the bank soon. She was going to be late if she didn’t get up.

The thought drifted away like a leaf on the wind. Rochelle couldn’t bring herself to care. Not today. Not when this was the first morning she had woken up in Caleb’s arms, fully with him. Their bond finally accepted.

She tilted her head up, feeling the warmth of his breath against her hair as she settled more comfortably into him. Caleb stirred behind her, his arms tightening around her as if he sensed her thoughts of leaving. He pulled her closer.

Rochelle turned her head just enough to meet his gaze. There was a question in his eyes—uncertainty mixed with hope, as if he wasn’t quite sure what this morning meant. His amber eyes, still a little heavy from sleep, flickered with something that made her heart squeeze.

Instead of answering, she leaned up and kissed him softly. Her lips brushed his in a slow, tender caress. Caleb kissed her back, his grip on her tightening, his lips warm and sure. When they pulled apart, his eyes searched hers, still waiting, still questioning.

“I’m going to be late for work.” Her voice was low, as if speaking too loudly might break the magic of the moment.

A shadow of something crossed his expression—hesitation, a flicker of doubt? Rochelle realized with a pang of worry that he might think she was telling him to leave, to go back to how things used to be. Just one night, that’s all it had ever been with them. One night, and then back to the distance, back to the routine.

But not anymore.

She lifted her hand and cupped his face. Her thumb brushed against the rough stubble on his jaw. Caleb’s gaze softened at her touch, his breath stilling as he waited for her next words.

“Walk me to work?”

His eyes brightened in surprise. It was like watching the sunrise after a long winter's night. The corners of his lips pulled into a smile. The hesitation that had darkened his expression just moments before melted away. He looked at her with a kind of happiness that made her heart swell.

She had mostly seen him in the moonlight before now—his wolfish features sharpened by the silvery glow of the full moon. But here, bathed in the warm light of the morning, he looked different. Softer, more open.

“Yeah,” Caleb murmured, his voice warm and husky. “I’d love that.”

He gazed at her like she was his entire world. She had never imagined she’d want this—waking up with someone, sharing the small moments of life. But now, with Caleb, it felt inevitable, like she had been waiting for this all along without realizing it.

She smiled and pressed another soft kiss to his lips before pulling back slightly. “Good,” she whispered, snuggling deeper into his chest, unwilling to move just yet. “Because I’m not planning on waking up without you again.”

Caleb’s arms wrapped tighter around her, his voice a low murmur against her hair. “I don’t plan on letting you.”

They lay there for a while longer, the sun rising higher in the sky, casting golden light across the room. The bond between them was alive and humming with a sense of rightness. It was no longer something to resist, to deny. It was part of her, part of him, and it filled her with a quiet, profound happiness.

The morning air was crisp and cool against Rochelle’s skin as she and Caleb walked side by side down the quiet street. Despite her later than usual start, the town was just beginning to wake up, the soft light of the rising sun casting a golden hue over the rooftops. The lingering scent of dew and earth filled her lungs, mingling with the faint trace of Caleb’s familiar scent—pine,wood smoke, and something warm and comforting, uniquely his.

Their hands were entwined, her fingers laced with his. Though they’d walked together before, it had never been like this. Not openly, not with this weightless sense of belonging. She glanced sideways at him, the warmth of his presence anchoring her in a way she hadn’t expected.

As they strolled, the streets slowly filled with the familiar sounds of the town coming to life. The clang of shop doors opening, the distant chatter of people preparing for the day ahead, the scent of freshly baked bread from the bakery they passed. Everything felt brighter, sharper, as if the world itself had shifted just slightly.

Maybe it had. Or maybe it was just her.

For years, she had fought this—fought him. She had convinced herself that accepting the bond would mean giving up a part of herself, losing the independence she had worked so hard to maintain. She had built walls around herself, around her career, believing that allowing Caleb into her life would somehow diminish who she was.

But now, as they walked through town, their fingers intertwined for everyone to see, it didn’t feel like an end to her independence. It felt like the beginning of something more. She glanced up at Caleb again, the steady strength of him beside her, the quiet confidence in his stride, and realized maybe she didn’t have to choose.

She could still have her career, couldn’t she? She could still be the woman she had always been, ambitious, driven, focused. Caleb wouldn’t stand in the way of that. He wasn’t an obstacle. He wasn’t trying to hold her back. He never had. He'd always let her have her way.

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