{"A lifetime mate isn't just someone you love—it's someone you grow with, laugh with, fight beside, and never let go."}
The water clung to our skin in silver beads as we stepped onto the mossy stone. Moonlight painted the forest in soft whites and greys, and everything around us seemed to hold its breath. There was something sacred about this place at that moment. Rolan handed me his cloak, and I wrapped it around my shoulders as he ran a hand through his damp hair, the long strands falling back like ink in the night. He looked different now. Still wild, still powerful but calmer.
Like the fire had finally found a place to rest. We sat side by side on a flat rock beneath a thick willow, our legs still brushing from the closeness in the water. I leaned into him, my temple resting against his shoulder.
"I want to tell you something," I said after a long moment of silence.
His arm slid around my waist. "I'm listening."
