Page 72 of Lycan King's Claim
"Wait, you're not staying? Where are you going?" Sienna asks, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"To give you two some privacy," Javier responds with a sly smile, disappearing into the depths of the garden.
Sienna turns her attention back to Anna, running her fingers through our daughter's soft curls while I fumble with the ring box, trying to keep it hidden from view. My heart pounds in my chest, a storm of emotions threatening to drown out the songbirds above before becoming the only thing I can hear.
"No, eat the watermelon, not the rind," Sienna coos as I watch her try to convince our daughter the pink mushy stuff tastes better.
"Maybe she is teething, she seems content on eating the rind, and she is drooling so much, aren't you baby girl?" Sienna babbles.
"Show me those gummies," she tells Anna, prying her little lips apart to gaze inside her mouth as she hunts for toothy pegs as she calls them.
Grabbing my wine glass, I gulp it down before pouring another and drinking that too. "Are you okay?" Sienna asks me, handing me a napkin. "You're sweating up a storm, maybe you're catching a cold," she says, her brows furrowing.
"We can catch a cold, right?"
"Catch rabies, that's about it," I blurt out like a fool. Sienna watches me warily, dragging Anna closer like she is worried I am about to turn savage and eat our daughter.
"Perhaps we should pack up and head inside, I can call the doctor for you," she tells me, reaching for the picnic basket.
"Sienna," I begin, my voice barely more than a whisper. She lifts her gaze to meet mine, and at that moment, I know I can no longer hide from the truth, or I may just throw it up with nerves. "I love you more than anything in this world, and I want to spend the rest of our days together."
"You say that like we haven't got many left?" she chuckles. "We have eternity together, Xandros," she laughs.
"Exactly, which is why I want you to marry me?" I tell her and her laughs cut off.
"I want to make sure it is eternity with you at my side and me at yours, Sienna. How it should have been from the start, I want to know that for the rest of eternity you're mine, only mine," I whisper the last part, afraid she'll one day get annoyed at me and my waning sanity, my possessiveness knows no bounds not when it comes to her, but neither does my love.
Her eyes widen, brimming with tears that seem to shimmer like liquid silver under the sun's gentle touch. After what feels like an eternity, she nods, her voice trembling as she whispers, "Eternity with you by my side sounds like a dream come true. Yes, Xandros. Yes, I will marry you."
My heart soars at her answer, and I can't wait to place the ring on her finger. But first, I lean in and capture her lips with mine, pouring all my love and passion into the kiss. Sienna melts against me, her hands tangling in my hair as she returns my passion with equal fervor. My body hums with desire as I deepen the kiss, unable to get enough of her.
We break the kiss, panting for air, and I take out the ring from its box, holding it up for her to see. "I bought this ring ages ago, hoping for the day when you would agree to be mine forever," I tell her.
Sienna's eyes widen in surprise as she gazes at the beautiful diamond ring in my hand. "It's stunning," she whispers.
"Only half as stunning as you," I say with a grin before slipping the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly, like it was made for her, just like we were made for each other.
41
The soft, rhythmic breaths of baby Anna are a soothing lullaby, lulling her into a peaceful slumber. With gentle fingers, I adjust the thin blanket over her, ensuring her little toes are tucked in. My heart swells with an indescribable warmth.
I never thought I would be here to enjoy these moments. I believed wholeheartedly that once she came along, Xandros would give up and move on without me, that she would call someone else Mom, that I would be a distant memory.
So this feeling right now is one of relief, one of gratitude, one of love. Being a mother, it's a feeling that's new, yet feels as ancient as time itself.
With one last glimpse of my daughter, I pull my hands back and my eyes catch sight of my ring glinting under the soft lights when I hear the shower turn on. Leaving her nursery, which was once our walk-in closet, I move toward the bathroom, the distant sound of water captures my attention.
Drawn to it, I walk towards our ensuite, where the steamy silhouette of Xandros stands behind the glass, completely oblivious to my ogling. The world may view him as a powerful ruler, a ruthless king, crazy, but to me, he's the vulnerable man who fears his love could shatter me. A bitter irony considering that same love is what's held me together all these months.
Without hesitation, I slip out of my clothes, the cool air causing goosebumps to spread across my skin. Stepping closer, I open the door, my eyes moving over the man I would soon call my husband. As the draft hits him, he turns, a smile on his plump lips, his wet hair falling into his eyes and cascading down his muscular chest and abs.
“Perv, are you going to stand there or come in,” he asks. I shake away my thoughts, I want nothing more than to run my hands over his chiseled body, to feel his hands on mine in return. Yet, he's barely let me touch him, fighting his own desires and rejecting mine out of fear of triggering me or hurting me.
The warmth from the shower envelops me as I step in, but it's Xandros' surprised gaze that truly ignites a fire within when my hands instantly move to his chest.
Before he can articulate the thoughts swimming in his amber eyes, I press my lips against his, effectively silencing him. His chuckle vibrates against my lips as he captures my wandering hands and pushes me back slightly, water droplets from his hair cascading down on us.
“It's not our wedding night yet?” he teases, attempting to lighten the mood.
