Page 88 of Knot Happening

"That was incredible," she says as we make our way out with the crowd. "Heartbreaking and beautiful and just... incredible."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I tell her, and I mean it completely. Watching Belle discover opera has been better than any performance I've ever seen.

"Theo, that was life-changing. I had no idea I was missing something like that."

We're outside now, walking slowly toward where I parked the car, neither of us seeming eager to end the evening. The night air is cool and crisp, perfect for walking, and Belle has taken my arm again like it's the most natural thing in the world.

"Can I ask you something?" she says as we reach the car.

"Of course."

"Why did you really choose La Bohème? Out of all the operas you could have picked?"

I consider the question, weighing how honest to be. "Because it's about people who choose love even when circumstances are against them. Even when it's impractical or dangerous or likely to end in heartbreak."

"And you think that's romantic?"

"I think it's brave," I say simply. "I think choosing to love someone despite the risks is the most courageous thing a person can do."

Belle stops walking and turns to face me fully. In the dim light from the street lamps, her face is soft with something that might be wonder.

"Is that what you think we're doing?" she asks. "Choosing love despite the risks?"

"I think I already chose," I tell her honestly. "The night I sat with you through your heat, I chose. Everything since then has just been waiting for you to choose too."

Her breath catches, and her scent shifts to something warm and open and utterly trusting. "Theo..."

"You don't have to say anything," I tell her quickly. "I know this is complicated, I know there are still things we need to figure out..."

"Shut up," she says softly, and then she rises up on her toes and kisses me.

"Belle," I say, my voice rougher than I intended. "I need you to know something. What I feel for you... it's not just pack instinct or alpha protectiveness. When I held you during your heat, when I helped you through that, it wasn't duty. It was the most natural thing I've ever done because you're..."

I struggle to find the words. "You're everything I never knew I was looking for."

She looks up at me, her eyes soft and understanding. "Theo..."

"I've spent so many years keeping people at a distance, keeping myself controlled and contained. But with you, I want to let you in. I want to share all the parts of myself I've kept hidden."

My thumb traces along her jawline. "You make me want to be vulnerable."

Her breath catches, and I can see the exact moment something shifts in her expression.

I lean down slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away, until my lips are barely brushing hers. "Can I kiss you, Belle? Really kiss you?"

Her smile is soft and certain. "What are you waiting for?"

The kiss is soft at first, tentative, like she's testing the waters. But when I respond, when I bring my hands up to frame her faceand kiss her back with all the carefully controlled want I've been carrying, she melts into me with a sound that's half sigh, half surrender.

She tastes like champagne and possibility, like everything I've been waiting for without knowing I was waiting. Her fingers curl into the front of my shirt, pulling me closer as her mouth opens under mine. When I trace her lower lip with my tongue, she makes a small sound that goes straight through me. Her scent surrounds me completely, vanilla and honey and something uniquely Belle that makes my alpha instincts sing with satisfaction.

I kiss her deeper, slower, memorizing the taste of her, the way she responds to every touch. Her hands slide up to tangle in my hair, and when she tugs gently, I can't suppress the low growl that rumbles in my chest. She shivers against me, pressing closer, and I realize I could spend eternity just like this just lost in the warmth of her mouth, the softness of her skin, the way she fits perfectly against me.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard. Her lips are swollen, her eyes dark with desire, and the scent of her arousal mixed with that vanilla sweetness makes every protective, possessive instinct I have roar to life.

This is what coming home feels like. This is what all those years of searching were leading to.

When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, she rests her forehead against mine and smiles.

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