Chapter 30 : The Moment That Changed Everything LIRA We stayed there for hours .
And as I watched Caius , the way the light reflected in his eyes , the way he looked at this place like it was a secret he had finally shared with someone , I knew .
This wasnt just about the mate bond .
This was him .
I had fallen for Caius .
Completely .
When he turned to me , his expression soft , I knew he saw it too .
He lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear .
Lira .
I swallowed .
Yes ? His gaze flickered down to my lips for just a moment , and my breath caught in my throat .
The way his eyes darkened , the intensity that simmered beneath the surface of that gaze it was like he was unraveling me .
My heart raced even faster .
Do you regret it ? he asked , his voice a low murmur , as if the question had been sitting on his tongue for far too long .
I furrowed my brow in confusion .
Regret what ? He took a step closer , and the air between us seemed to crackle with something unspoken , something heavy .
He didnt need to say it for me to understand .

He was asking about us .
About this about what had happened between us in the quiet , stolen moments when I had let myself feel something more than just the bond that tied us together .
He was asking if I regretted falling for him , if I regretted opening up to him .
And in that moment , I realized , I couldnt lie to him anymore .
I couldnt keep pretending that I hadnt been falling for him the entire time .
I took a shaky breath , my mind racing , my chest tight .
But when I looked up at him , I saw it .
The same uncertainty reflected in his eyes .
The same hesitance .
He was asking the question , but in a way , he was also waiting for my answer to give him the permission he needed to let go of his own fear .
No , I whispered , my voice trembling with the weight of everything I was finally letting go of .
Not even a little .
And then it was as if a weight had been lifted .
Caius exhaled sharply , his shoulders relaxing , and I could see the tension that had been building in him ease .
It was a quiet relief , a release of something neither of us had been able to voice before .
Hed needed to hear that I didnt regret it .
That this what we were, what was unfolding between us was worth it .

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1/2 Chapter 30 The Moment That Changed Everything +15 Bonus His hand , still close to my face , lingered there for a moment before sliding slowly down my jaw , his thumb tracing the curve of my lower lip .
I felt like I was drowning in him , in the heat of his touch , in the look in his eyes .
There was no turning back now .
No more hesitation , no more walls .
For once , I didnt fight it .
I didnt pull away .
I didnt try to stop myself from falling deeper .
I let myself lean into him , my breath coming in shallow bursts .
Caius took another step closer , and this time , there was no space between us .
His chest was against mine , his heat overwhelming me .
I could feel the steady beat of his heart matching my own , the shared rhythm , as if our very souls were in sync .
Then , as if everything had led to this moment , he kissed me .
It wasnt like the last time .
The kiss before had been quick , charged with desperation , with tension , with things left unsaid .
This time , there was none of that .
There were no walls , no games .
This kiss was slow .

It was deep .
It was intense .
Like a promise .
Like something we had both been waiting for .
The world around us melted away , and there was only this only the feeling of his lips on mine , the way his arms enveloped me , pulling me closer like he couldnt bear to be apart from me for even a second .
His kiss was everything I hadnt known I needed and more .
I felt myself surrender to it , to him .
For the first time , I let myself love him .
For the first time , I stopped fighting the pull of the bond , stopped resisting the truth that had been in front of me all along .
When he finally pulled away , his forehead resting against mine , I was breathless .
My hands were trembling , my chest heaving with the rush of emotion that swirled inside me .
I- I started , but the words caught in my throat .
What could I possibly say after everything we had just shared ? What could I say that would even come close to expressing how much this moment meant to me ? He didnt give me a chance to finish, his thumb brushing across my cheek in a gentle , tender gesture .
No words are needed , he said quietly , his voice low and rough with emotion .
I know .
And somehow , that was enough .