Page 141 of Wisteria and Cloves
My release triggered his own. With a primal growl against my neck, Miles thrust upward one final time, his knot locking us together as he pulsed inside me. His arms tightened around me, holding me securely against his chest as we rode out our shared pleasure together. The intensity of the moment overwhelmed me, tears spilling down my cheeks as I trembled in his embrace.
"Shh, I've got you," Miles murmured, his lips gentle against my temple as he cradled me in his arms. "I've got you, Lili."
We remained connected, his knot tying us together as our breathing gradually slowed. The firelight danced across our skin, the only witness to our joining besides the stars that twinkled overhead. Miles shifted us carefully to our sides, keeping me close as we lay on the blanket, his body curled protectively around mine.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his fingers tracing gentle patterns along my arm.
I nodded, too overwhelmed for words but instead a low purr escaping my lips, causing me to startle when I heard the noise.
Miles chuckled softly, his lips pressing against my shoulder. "That's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard," he murmured, his arms tightening around me. "Your omega purr."
I felt heat rise to my cheeks, embarrassment mingling with the lingering pleasure still coursing through my body. "I didn't know I could do that," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
"It means you feel safe," Miles explained, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along my skin. "Completely content. It's rare for omegas to purr these days—most are too guarded, too stressed." His hand moved to stroke my hair, the gesture soothing and reverent. "The fact that you feel secure enough to let go like that... it's the greatest gift you could give me."
I turned in his arms, careful of our still-joined bodies, to face him fully. The firelight cast his features in warm gold, highlighting the tender expression in his green eyes as he looked down at me.
"I love you," I whispered, my hand coming up to cup his cheek. "I love you. I love Christopher…Julian, Nicolaus….I love all you so much it scares me sometimes."
His eyes softened as he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I know, sweetheart. I can see it in the way you look at us, the way you've opened your heart despite everything you've been through." His fingers traced the curve of my cheek with such tenderness it made my chest ache. "And we all love you—completely, wholly, with everything we are."
"Even though it's complicated?" I asked, my voice small in the darkness. “With my parents and…”
Miles cut me off, "When has anything worth having ever been simple?" His knot had begun to ease, allowing him to shift us into a more comfortable position while still keeping me close. "Besides, whatever they throw at us we can throw back at them three times as bad.”
I nestled against him, breathing in his scent as I gave a nod in understanding, my body going limp as my worries washed away and sleep overcame me.
Chapter Fifty
Lilianna
It was late morning when we made it back to the house. I was still smiling from my night under the stars with Miles. The memories replayed in my mind like a treasured film—the fireflies in the meadow, the way the flames had cast golden light across Miles's skin, the feeling of complete belonging as we'd lain together afterward, watching the stars wheel overhead until sleep claimed us both.
The morning had been just as perfect. I'd woken to the sound of birdsong and Miles's steady breathing, his arms still wrapped protectively around me. We'd shared a simple breakfast of fresh fruit and pastries that Christopher had packed, then spent an hour exploring the property one last time before reluctantly packing up to return home.
Home. The word felt right now, settled comfortably in my chest where before it had always been hollow.
"What are you smiling about?" Miles asked as he pulled into the driveway, his hand reaching across the console to squeeze mine.
"Everything," I replied honestly, intertwining our fingers. "Last night, this morning, the way you shared something so precious with me. I keep thinking about the fireflies and how you looked at me when—" I broke off, heat rising in my cheeks at the memory.
Miles brought our joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. "When I was buried deep inside you under the stars?" he murmured, his voice low and intimate enough to make my breath catch.
"Miles," I whispered, glancing toward the house where I could see movement through the windows. "They'll see us."
"Let them," he said simply, but he released my hand to turn off the engine. "Though I suppose we should go in before Christopher starts worrying we were eaten by bears."
I laughed, the sound lighter than it had been in weeks."Do you have bears out there?" I asked, half-laughing as I stepped out of the car and into the warm, golden spill of late morning sunshine. The gravel crunched under my boots, and I stretched my arms overhead with a contented sigh. My muscles ached in a way that felt good—earned.
Miles rounded the car with a lazy grin and grabbed our bags from the backseat. “No, no bears. Mostly deer, foxes, the occasional raccoon with a superiority complex. But they tend to avoid loud, giggly campers.”
“I wasn’t giggling,” I said, raising a brow in faux indignation.
“You wereabsolutelygiggling.” He bumped his shoulder against mine playfully as we made our way up the front steps. I reached the front door and paused, turning to look at him. He’d stopped just a step behind me, the sun catching in his hair, eyes squinting slightly in the light. He was watching me again—theway he always did when he thought I wouldn’t notice. Like I was something precious he wasn’t quite sure he deserved to keep.
“You look happy,” he said quietly, almost like he was afraid saying it too loud would break the spell.
“Iamhappy,” I replied, my hand resting on the doorknob. “I didn’t know I could feel like this. Like I’m allowed to just… exist. No masks. No pressure.”
