Page 43 of Stripe for the Picking
She's woven herself into my world so completely.
As he heard the soft rustle of fabric from the bedroom, a wild idea crystallized in his mind with startling clarity. His tiger stirred with absolute conviction, pushing him toward a decision that should have terrified him but instead felt like the most natural thing in the universe.
Do it. Claim her completely. Make her yours forever.
Rylan strode into his office and knelt before the titanium safe hidden behind his photography books. His hands trembled slightly as he input the biometric code and retrieved the small velvet box he'd never imagined touching.
His mother's ring. The one piece of her legacy he'd sworn to save for his fated mate.
This is insane. We agreed to keep our relationship secret until after the Trials.
But as he stared at the elegant platinum band with a rare Nova Aurora crystal that shifted from blue to silver in the light, his tiger's certainty overwhelmed every logical objection.
I can't wait another moment. I need her to know exactly what she means to me.
He closed the ring box and returned to the bedroom to change into his suit. Within minutes, Wren emerged from the bathroom. She wore a flowing emerald dress that highlighted her curves and made her skin glow like moonlight. Her dark hair fell over her delicate shoulders in soft waves, and Rylan suddenly forgot how to breathe.
Beautiful doesn't even begin to cover it.
"You look like a masterpiece," he said, his voice thickened with emotion.
"Thank you." She smoothed the fabric nervously. "You clean up pretty well yourself."
Rylan glanced down at his charcoal suit and green tie, then back at her radiant face. His new life stretched before him—filled with laughter, passion, and the kind of joy he'd never believed possible. The man who'd once considered love a weakness now understood it was the greatest strength in the universe.
I was such an idiot for resisting this.
They left his apartment and approached his sleek hover bike parked in the residential parking lot. The vehicle's glass dome retracted as Rylan helped Wren settle into the passenger seatbehind him, her arms soon wrapping around his waist and sending heat through his entire body.
As they lifted off and soared toward the city's edge, Rylan glanced back at Wren's wonder-struck expression. The setting twin suns painted the landscape in gold and crimson, while the pink ocean stretched endlessly beneath them.
Tonight, I'm going to tell her I love her. Tonight, I'm going to ask her to be my wife and mate forever.
The ring box felt warm against his chest as they flew toward their destiny.
NINETEEN
WREN
Wren's arms tightened around Rylan's waist as their hover bike soared through the evening sky, the wind whipping through her long dark hair despite the vehicle's protective dome. Below them, the landscape of Nova Aurora spread out like a living painting—the twin suns casting everything in molten gold and deep crimson, while the endless pink ocean stretched toward the horizon in shimmering waves.
This place is literally heaven,she thought, her heart swelling with wonder.And Rylan is my dream come true.
After their triumphant day—dominating the first round of the Protocol Trials and her impossible creation of that revolutionary firewall that saved Defense Nexus—she felt drunk on success and possibility. The emerald fabric of her dress fluttered against her legs as they banked toward the city's edge, and she couldn't suppress the giddy smile that curved her lips.
Seven days ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop complaining about my boring life. Now look at me.
The rooftop restaurant materialized ahead of them, perched on the edge of a crystalline tower that caught the dying light like a prism. Wren recognized it from her tour with General Kael, but tonight it looked transformed—fairy lights strung betweenfloating platforms, the glass dome overhead revealing the star-studded sky as the first moon began to rise.
"Rylan," she breathed as he guided them to the landing platform. "This is magical."
He helped her dismount off his bike, his large hands steady on her waist, and the contact sent those familiar tingles through her body. The charcoal suit he wore made his blue eyes look impossibly deeper, and the green tie brought out flecks of emerald that matched her dress.
God, he's gorgeous. How is this man mine?
"Only the best for my mate," he said softly.
Inside the restaurant, Rylan spoke quietly to the hostess—a graceful woman with silver hair and kind eyes who led them to a private elevator. As they rose toward the rooftop, Wren noticed the nervous energy radiating from him.
