LUXURIA.
The world felt unsteady. My head was light, my body weightless, as though I were drifting between reality and something far less tangible.
My eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the soft glow of the room. Everything around me was familiar-the scent of embers and musk, the dark tapestries, the heavy warmth of the space.
Parthe’s chamber.
Our chamber.
A tremor ran through my chest. I was home.
And if the figure sitting in front of me was truly who I thought he was…
My throat tightened, my vision blurring as I stared at him.
My heart leaped, but not out of fear. I was finally safe. Away from Rorden. Because, if this was truly Parthe sitting in front of me, it meant one thing He had saved me from Rorden.
I couldn’t remember anything about how I ended up in Parthe’s pack or chamber, but I was grateful I did.
“Luxuria…” Parthe called in that voice I had been longing to hear for so long now.
It seemed like a dream to me.
A sob slipped past my lips. My chest ached with the force of it.
My vision blurred as warm liquid trailed down my cheek. “Parthe? Is this… Is this really you?” my voice trembled as I stretched out a hand to touch his face.
Rorden was an AshBlood wizard who could take the form of anybody he chose. I wanted to be certain this was truly Parthe.
His breath hitched, and then-his hand closed around mine, pressing it firmly against his cheek.
“My love,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I am here. You are safe. With me.”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
His eyes glistened. A single tear slid down his cheek, disappearing into the rough stubble along his jaw.
Was this truly real? Was Parthe actually… Crying?
My chest squeezed, torn between disbelief and relief. I tried to sit up-only for a sharp, jarring pain to rip through my abdomen, forcing a strangled gasp from my throat.
His reaction was instant.
“Luxuria-” He reached for me, gently guiding me back against the bed.
A new fear struck me, colder than anything else.
The pups.
My pregnancy… Why was I feeling this pain in my abdomen?
No.
My hand flew to my stomach, pressing against the slight swell beneath my palm. My breathing turned ragged.
“I’m… my pups… I-” My voice wavered as panic clawed its way into my chest. “Rorden-”
“Shhh,” Parthe whispered, cupping my face, his thumb brushing away my tears. His hands trembled with his desperate grip, “They’re fine, Luxuria. Our pups… They’re safe.”
A choked sob wracked through me. “They-”
“You didn’t lose them,” he murmured, his lips ghosting over my forehead, his breath warm against my skin. “You just need to rest, love.”
I sucked in a shaky breath, still cradling my stomach as his words sank in.
Parthe exhaled sharply, a small, nervous smile flickering across his lips. “I told you, didn’t I?” His voice broke again with emotion. “I told you you’d carry my pups.”
More tears fell from his eyes.
Parthe.
My Parthe.
I had never seen him cry before. Never seen his walls crumble so completely.
Before I could find my voice, he leaned down, his arms wrapping around me, holding me so tightly, as if afraid I would disappear.
The moment his body enveloped mine, warmth flooded through me. His scent-warm cinnamon, musk, and something distinctly him-filled my senses, grounding me to this moment.
I buried my face in his shoulder, my fingers clutching at the fabric of his tunic. I had missed this. Missed him. The safety of his touch, the way he made me feel fragile and protected all at once.
I clung to him, my fingers curled tightly into the fabric of his tunic as though letting go would make this moment vanish. His warmth surrounded me, his body tense yet trembling against mine.
Parthe never trembled.
But now he did.
His breath came in shallow, uneven bursts. His chest rose and fell beneath my cheek, and when I lifted my head to look at him, I saw the raw, unguarded man beneath the monster he had always been.
Tears streaked down his face, his coal-black eyes swimming with something I had never seen in them before-remorse.
“Luxuria…” His voice cracked. He pulled away just enough to cradle my face in his hands, his thumbs grazing my damp cheeks. “Please, forgive me.”
The words shattered something inside me.
I gasped softly, my lips parting, but no words came. He hardly ever asked for forgiveness from anyone. Never acknowledges the pain he inflicted on people. But now, here he was, falling apart right in front of me.
His head bowed, his forehead pressing against mine. His breath was warm and ragged. “I don’t deserve it. I know that. I have done horrible, unforgivable things to you.” His voice was thick as if he were choking on his own words. “I hurt you, pushed you away, treated you like you were nothing. And yet-you still survived… You even carried my pups. You still…” His breath shuddered. “You survived me.”
My heart squeezed painfully, and the tears I had been holding back fell freely. “Parthe…”
“I don’t deserve you,” he whispered, his grip on me tightening as if afraid I would slip through his fingers. “I don’t deserve them-our pups.”
I could feel the tremor in his hands as they moved to my stomach, barely touching it, as though he feared he might break me if he pressed too hard.
“I wasn’t worthy of you, Luxuria.” His voice was hoarse like one who had swallowed gravel. “I am still not. But I need you to know this-I will never, never be that man again.”
A sob tore through me.
I had spent so many nights wishing to hear these words from him. So many nights curled up, wondering if he would ever see me as his mate anymore after what Rorden had done to me, which made him banish me.
And now-he was breaking. For me.
“I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that I can be better,” he vowed, his lips brushing over my forehead, then my temple. Soft and reverent. “That I can be the mate you deserve. The father our pups deserve.”
He pulled back, his gaze searching mine desperately. “I don’t want to just be forgiven, Luxuria. I want a fresh start. With you.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Will you give me that chance?”
I let out a broken laugh, shaking my head as more tears spilled over my cheeks.
“I wanted this,” I whispered, my fingers grazing his jaw, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my touch. “For so long, Parthe. I wanted you to see me. To want me.” My breath hitched. “And now, hearing you say this, I just-” My words died as a sob tore through me.
I managed to sit up, even when he tried to stop me. I had to.
I pulled him closer, burying my face against his chest, gripping him, and he held me tighter.
“I love you,” he whispered against my hair. “Gods, Luxuria, I love you. And I am so-so sorry. I’ll never lose you again, I swear.”
I pressed a trembling kiss to his collarbone, breathing him in, letting my lips linger. “Don’t just say it,” I murmured. “Show me.”
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me impossibly closer. “I will,” he swore. “Every day. For as long as you’ll have me.”
And for the first time in a long, long time, I believed him.