Chapter 130 A New Discovery
Emilia’s POV
I woke up tangled in the sheets. I must have drifted off again.
"Emilia." Eve stirred at the back of my mind, soft. Careful. "Something’s shifting. You should be ready—"
"Let me guess, "I cut her off, biting back a grin. "You’re about to start crooning about our mate again. How his scent is perfect, how Ryder’s the best wolf". Since she’d woken, Eve had been about as subtle as a lovesick teenager.
"Awake?" Sebastian’s voice came from beside me, low and amused. Propped on one elbow, he leaned over and kissed me softly.
I did what I’d done all morning whenever Eve got mushy. I shut the link and sank into the kiss instead.
So I never heard the rest.
"What time is it?"
"About noon. Hungry? We should get up and have lunch."
"Okay." I nodded and tried to sit up, immediately regretting it when the ache between my legs reminded me exactly how enthusiastic Sebastian had been. Multiple times.
He gave me a knowing smirk. "Want me to carry you?"
The smugness in his tone made me want to smack him. His voice had this teasing, lazy quality that was completely different from his usual self.
"I can walk just fine, thank you," I said primly, grabbing my nightdress from beside the bed and slipping it on. I got out of bed carefully, put on my slippers, and headed toward the bathroom with as much dignity as I could manage.
Which wasn’t much, considering I was basically waddling.
I turned on the bathroom light and grabbed my toothbrush, tucking my hair behind my ear. As I brushed my teeth, I started feeling sleepy again. Maybe we could just skip lunch and sleep for another few hours...
"Still sleepy?" Sebastian’s voice came from right behind me, making me jump. His arms came around me, hands on the sink, trapping me against the counter. Then he leaned in close, his lips brushing my neck in a way that definitely wasn’t innocent.
I could see him in the mirror, watching me with those green eyes as he kissed along my neck.
"I’m sleepy," I mumbled around my toothbrush, foam in my mouth. Then I felt his hands start to wander and my eyes widened. "Sebastian!"
"Yes?" he answered calmly, like he wasn’t being a total pervert right now. "I’m right here."
"You’re impossible..." I tried to reach for a cup to rinse my mouth, but his hands were making it hard to focus. "You’re so mean..."
"I know," he said, and then he lifted me onto the counter. His voice dropped lower, rougher. "I want you."
Oh no. I could already feel him pressing against me, and my body was still recovering from last night. "It really hurts..."
He held my waist, his breathing getting heavier as he bit my earlobe gently. "It’ll feel better soon. The pain will fade..."
Despite my protests, my body was already responding to him. Damn the mate bond and its stupid biology.
"Okay, stop crying," he murmured, pulling my finger from where I’d been biting it and kissing it gently. He turned me around to face him, kissing away the tears at the corners of my eyes.
Then he paused, his forehead resting against mine. "I know last night was... intense. I know it’s a lot for you. But Emilia, do you have any idea how long I’ve been holding back?"
I blinked at him. "What?"
"You’re my fated mate," he said, his voice tight. "You’ve been walking around in front of me for months. Do you know how much willpower it took not to touch you? Not to claim you? Now I can finally do whatever I want. I can’t control my desire for you anymore."
The raw honesty in his words sent heat through my whole body. And honestly? Last night had been pretty damn amazing for me too. Being with your fated mate, the connection, the intensity... it was natural. Normal. And I wanted him just as much.
"Well," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck, "I guess if you put it that way..."
His eyes darkened, and then he was kissing me hard, lifting me properly onto the counter. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he got into position, and then he was inside me and I was gasping, clinging to him.
Being an Alpha, Sebastian had stamina that was honestly unfair. He held me easily, moving me on him as he thrust up, and I buried my face in his neck to muffle my moans.
When he finally came inside me, I thought we were done. But then he started moving again and I had to put my hand on his chest.
"No," I panted. "We need some self-control here. No more."
I could see the disappointment in his eyes, but he backed off and carefully pulled out. "Alright. But tonight..."
"We’ll see about tonight," I said, pushing him away with a small smile.
After lunch, Sebastian took my hand and we headed to the Eiffel Tower.
Standing under it, I ran around like an excited child, checking it out from every angle.
"Do you want to take a photo?" Sebastian called out, pulling a camera from his bag.
"Yes!" I hurried over to him.
He snapped several pictures of me, and I posed dramatically, making silly faces until he was laughing. Then I grabbed his arm. "It’s boring if it’s just me. Let’s take one together."
"Alright."
Sebastian walked up to a passing tourist, a middle-aged man with kind eyes. "Excuse me, could you help us take a photo?"
"Of course!" the man said cheerfully in French-accented English.
As Sebastian handed over the camera, I decided to test something. I focused on the stranger, opening my mind the way I always did when I wanted to hear someone’s thoughts.
Nothing.
Frowning, I tried harder, reaching out further. Still nothing. Not even a whisper.
My heart started racing. I pushed my awareness out as far as I could, trying to pick up any thoughts from the people around us. The tourists, the vendors, anyone.
Silence.
My reading ability... it was gone.