Page 18 of Asking Fur Trouble

“Skydiving? You’re taking me skydiving?” But she didn’t pull away from him as they walked toward the gleaming aircraft. “Are you sure about this?”

“Trust me. It’s better than staying on the ground your whole life.” He held her gaze, challenging her again. “You said you wanted adventure.”

TWELVE

Charov materialized a sleek jumpsuit from a compartment near the plane, holding it out to her. The black fabric matched his own with subtle Mavac Territory insignia embroidered at the collar.

“Put this on over your clothes. It’ll keep you warm up there.”

She took it, running her fingers over the material. “It feels different than anything we have on Earth.”

“Thermal-regulating nanofabric. One of the perks of dating royalty.” He winked, reveling in how that blush spread across her cheeks.

He watched as she slipped into the jumpsuit, the material hugging every delicious curve of her body. His bear growled with possessive satisfaction at the sight. When she zipped it up, he stepped forward to adjust her collar, deliberately letting his fingers brush against the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Perfect,” he murmured, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his touch.

Oberon, his best friend and head bodyguard, waited for them at the aircraft stairs.

“Your Highness,” Oberon nodded. “The weather conditions are optimal. I’ll meet you at the Basin landing zone after your jump.”

“This is Oberon,” Charov told Bess. “Best pilot in the territory and the only man I trust with both our lives.”

“That’s reassuring,” Bess said, extending her hand to Oberon.

Oberon’s stoic expression softened slightly as he took her hand. “First time jumping, Miss Campos?”

“First time doing a lot of things this week,” she replied with an unexpected spark. “First interstellar travel, first alien planet, first royal dinner. Why not add plummeting from the sky to the list?”

Charov’s chest swelled with pride. She had more fire in her than she let on. His bear approved.

Inside the aircraft, Charov guided Bess to a seat alongside the viewing window. As they climbed into Nova Aurora’s stratosphere, he watched her face transform with wonder. The dual suns cast a golden-crimson light across the mountain ranges below, illuminating the crystalline lakes that dotted his territory.

“It’s breathtaking,” Bess whispered, pressing her palm against the glass.

“Wait until you’re free-falling through it,” Charov replied, securing her harness to his with practiced movements. “Believe me, there’s nothing like it.”

When they reached jumping altitude, Oberon’s voice came through the intercom. “Opening bay doors, Your Highness.”

The floor beneath them slid open, revealing the vast expanse of sky. Wind whipped through the cabin, and Charov felt Bess tense against him.

“Still game?” he asked, his mouth close to her ear.

She turned and stepped closer to him, their lips inches apart. “Absolutely.”

He secured her tightly against his chest, their bodies pressed together in an intimate embrace. Her curves fit perfectly against his hard frame, and his bear roared with pleasure at her proximity.

“Three,” he counted down, feeling her heart race against his chest. “Two.” He tightened his grip around her waist. “One.”

They plunged into the open air, and Charov’s spirit soared. The rush of wind, the breathtaking view of his kingdom below, and the warm body of a beautiful woman pressed against him—this was living. But something was different this time. The thrill was heightened, the colors more vivid, and the sensations more intense.

Bess’s laughter rang out, pure and uninhibited, as they cut through the clouds. She wasn’t cowering or screaming in terror—she was reveling in it, arms outstretched like wings, embracing the free fall with a joy that matched his own.

“This is incredible!” she shouted over the rushing wind, her green eyes wild with excitement.

In that moment, watching her come alive in his arms thousands of feet above his kingdom, Charov felt something within him shift. This wasn’t just another adventure. This was connection—raw and real.

His bear knew it before he did.Perfect mate.

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