The sun had yet to rise when Althea stirred on the bed. She slowly opened her eyes, only to realize she was tightly wrapped in Gavriel’s embrace. One of his arms was draped possessively around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest.

Both of them were still bare beneath the blanket after the passionate night they had shared. The thick covers were the only thing shielding them from the cool morning air, yet neither of them felt the chill.

Their bodies were pressed close, skin against skin, sharing warmth in a way that made the world outside feel distant and unimportant.

Gavriel’s arm rested securely around Althea’s waist, holding her as if even in sleep he refused to let her drift away. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, the lingering heat of him wrapping around her more effectively than any fire in the hearth.

Being tangled together like this was warmth enough.

A soft smile curved her lips. She shifted slightly, and his hold instinctively tightened.

“Sleep more,” Gavriel murmured against her ear, his voice thick with sleep.

Althea turned in his arms to face him. His eyes opened gradually, still heavy, but the moment they focused on her, they softened.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.

She inhaled deeply, then gently cupped his face with both hands. Her thumb brushed along his cheek as if memorizing the feel of him.

“Can I hang out today with Tristan and Melva?” she asked softly.

Gavriel’s expression soured almost instantly.

Althea pouted.

“How come you’re so possessive?” she teased gently. “Tristan is my close friend.”

Gavriel released an exasperated sigh and shifted onto his back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before looking at her again.

“I understand that,” he said. “And I trust you. I do. But I do not like the way he looks at you.”

She tilted her head slightly.

“He still has not moved on,” Gavriel continued bluntly. “He likes you more than just a friend. Anyone with eyes can see that.”

Althea smiled faintly.

“I already knew about his feelings,” she replied softly. “You remember... I could read his thoughts before.”

Gavriel’s gaze sharpened, but he remained silent.

“It was never selfish,” she continued. “It was genuine. He respected my decisions. He never tried to manipulate me. All he ever wanted was for me to live well and be happy. That is the kind of love he had for me.”

She rested her forehead lightly against his.

“And he is happy now. Truly. But I want to reassure him. I want him to see with his own eyes that there is nothing left to worry about.”

Gavriel studied her face carefully.

She held his gaze intensely before adding in a softer tone, “I want him to know how genuinely happy I am now.”

Her fingers slid down to rest over his heart. “How you are already my home.”

The possessiveness in Gavriel’s expression shifted into something deeper. Something vulnerable.

He pulled her closer again, pressing his forehead against hers. “You speak as if I could ever stop you,” he muttered.

Althea smiled. “You would try.”

He huffed quietly. “I would.”

She brushed her lips softly against his, not teasing this time, but reassuring.

“I always belong with you,” she whispered.

Then she shifted and moved over him, her hair cascading around them like a curtain.

Gavriel’s hands instinctively settled at her waist, his eyes darkening as he watched her.

She leaned down and kissed him again, slower now. Tender and certain.

She felt the way his breath deepened beneath her, the restrained hunger he had kept in check for her sake. She knew her husband well by now. For a man like Gavriel, restraint did not come naturally.

Yet for her, he had bent. He had softened. He had learned patience. And she loved him all the more for it.

Her lips traced along his, lingering, coaxing. She kissed him with gentle heat, with promise, with quiet gratitude. When their mouths parted, her forehead rested briefly against his.

“You have been good,” she murmured softly. “Let me take care of you.”

The growl that rumbled low in his chest was barely contained.

His hands tightened at her waist, but he did not flip her over. He let her lead. Let her choose the pace. Let her show him that this was freely given.

The blanket shifted as they moved closer, their bodies fitting together naturally, familiarly.

She licked and gently sucked his lower lip, then his upper one, before slipping her tongue inside to deepen the kiss. She felt his arousal against her as she swallowed his muffled moans.

Slowly, she began to move against him, rolling her hips in a steady rhythm as she guided him into her, taking him inch by inch with deliberate, unhurried desire.

Gavriel’s control thinned with every slow kiss, every gentle sway of her hips. He closed his eyes briefly, surrendering to her touch, to her warmth, to the certainty that she was his and he was hers.

Althea moved slowly as she rode him, savoring every second. She loved every part of him, taking him fully, guiding her movements with deliberate pleasure. She never broke their kiss. Their lips stayed locked together, swallowing each other’s muffled moans as her hips continued their steady rhythm.

Gradually, her pace quickened. What began as slow and tender grew deeper, harder, faster. Their bodies moved together in perfect sync, rising and falling as one while the first light of dawn slipped through the chamber, painting their tangled forms in the warmth of the coming day.

Soft moans filled the bedchamber until their bodies trembled and jolted together, reaching their peak at the same time.

Althea gasped for breath as the waves of pleasure slowly faded, her body relaxing as she collapsed against Gavriel’s firm chest. His heartbeat was still racing beneath her ear, his arms instinctively tightening around her as they both tried to steady their breathing.

But then something shifted.

A strange sensation twisted in her stomach. It came suddenly, sharp and unsettling. Her warmth drained in an instant as her stomach churned violently, as if it had flipped upside down.

Althea stiffened.

Before she could stop herself, she pushed up abruptly, nearly stumbling on the bed as nausea rushed through her. A hand flew to her mouth as she fought the sudden urge to throw up, her entire body tense with the unexpected wave of sickness.