My heart stutters. Everything in me wants to say yes, but fear grips me. I pull back slightly, meeting his gaze.
"If I become your Luna..." My voice trembles. "Will you demand Shadow Ridge's secrets from me? Ask me to betray the pack that raised me?"
Pain flashes across his face at my doubt. His hand cups my cheek, thumb brushing my skin. "Never," he says fiercely. "I want you, Talia. Not secrets.” He takes a deep breath. "I swear to you, I will never ask you to reveal anything about Shadow Ridge. What you choose to share, if anything, will be your choice alone."
I search his eyes, looking for any hint of deception. "You promise?"
"On my life and my honor as Alpha of Darkfang," he says, voice raw with sincerity. "Your past is yours to keep or share as you wish. I only want your future."
"He speaks truth," Eira's voice whispers within me. "His heart beats only for you, not for power over Shadow Ridge. Trust him, little one."
Tears blur my vision as the last of my resistance crumbles. "Yes," I whisper, pressing closer to him. "I accept you, Alpha Lucian. Claim me."
The words hang in the air, binding us together, and Lucian’s eyes darken, his pupils dilating with primal desire. He leans in, capturing my lips again, the kiss transforming from tender to consuming, filled with a hunger that mirrors my own. His lips are warm, his tongue teasing against mine, coaxing a soft moan from my throat as his hands cradle my face.