Chapter 286: The Morning Ride

Zahliver’s POV

I stole a quiet glance over to my right side, unable to help the slow, satisfied grin tugging at the corners of my lips.

Vivian had her hand lifted up into the air, catching the bright morning light filtering through the car windshield. Her eyes sparkled with pure delight as she stared down at the engagement ring like it was some breathtaking, ancient relic like she had just uncovered a hidden treasure map carved out of starlight and diamonds.

"It is so beautiful..." she whispered softly, her voice sounding far away and dreamy.

I honestly doubted she even remembered that I was sitting right beside her in the driver’s seat; she was completely lost in her own head, completely absorbed in the magical moment. And honestly, that was perfectly fine by me.

Because I was the sole reason behind that radiant glow shining across her expression. The joy was practically radiating right off her skin, spilling out like warm morning sunlight. I could feel the gentle dance of her soul through our bond, her spirit bright and effervescent. My chest swelled with a heavy, protective pride, and I straightened up slightly in my seat, filled with quiet satisfaction that I had made my mate, my soon-to-be wife, this indescribably happy.

My little storm cloud.

Truth be told, I had been remarkably reluctant to leave the quiet beach house this early in the morning. I would have gladly stayed wrapped up in those soft bedsheets and holding her close for as long as she would let me. But Vivian had insisted that we needed to make today "productive." I suspected that her sudden burst of ambition had a lot more to do with her itching curiosity about all the wrapped presents waiting back home than any real desire for daily efficiency.

Still, how could I ever say no to her when she looked at me like that? I simply humored her wishes.

Yet, being trapped in this small, enclosed car with her right now? Pure torture.

Worse than torture, honestly. Everything about her pulled at my senses in overwhelming waves her sweet scent still clung stubbornly to my skin, to the leather passenger seats, and to the very air I breathed inside the vehicle. Even after spending a long night worshiping every inch of her body, I felt anything but satisfied. If anything, the deep craving had only sharpened, growing sharper and heavier in my chest.

And that was just me. My inner beast? He was positively ravenous.

All he wanted to do was coil her around us again. To feel her warm skin against mine, soul pressed to soul. And he was not even trying to be subtle about it. I shifted uncomfortably against the driver’s seat, darting a quick glance downward and grimacing inwardly at my own lack of composure. The sheer lack of self-control I had around her was nothing short of humiliating and I could not even bring myself to blame my own willpower. Not when she existed looking like absolute perfection right beside me.

The car came to a smooth stop at a red traffic light. I turned my head to look at her again, and the breath caught entirely in my throat.

She had not bothered to do much with her dark hair this morning, just raking her fingers through the messy strands a few times, but she still looked completely luminous. There was a soft, half-smile dancing lightly across her lips, like she was secretly savoring some delicious memory. The golden morning light touched her smooth face like a gentle lover’s caress, painting her pale skin with a warm glow that made her seem almost ethereal.

From where I sat, I could see the soft curve of her cheek, and I could vividly remember what it felt like to have my lips pressed against it. To cup her face gently in my hands, to kiss away every fleeting thought that dared try to distract her attention away from me.

Her dark eyelashes cast delicate shadows over those rich brown eyes eyes that somehow always managed to completely disarm my walls. Eyes I never seemed to stop falling into.

But it was not just Vivian’s physical beauty that had me utterly enthralled.

It was her entire essence.

The way her brilliant mind worked, the way she felt everything so deeply and passionately. The way she actively allowed herself to be with me completely unguarded, open, and raw.

I had not fully realized it at first, not truly understood its weight. But over time, I saw it clearer than anything else in this world: when Vivian was with me, she did not put up psychic shields. She did not hide behind mental walls or veil her private thoughts from me. Even when she tried to act playfully coy, trying to sneak something past my notice, she was still so wonderfully honest in her core. So transparent.

And that terrifying reality gripped my heart.

Because it was not just simple trust she was handing over to me. It was something so much deeper than that.

It was an intimacy on a level I did not even know how to properly name. It was soul-deep vulnerability. A profound kind of surrender that no human words could ever truly do justice to.

And she gave it to me so freely.

I knew right then that I would gladly burn down every single world that ever tried to take that bright spark away from her.

I could not stop watching her at all.

Vivian sat right beside me in the passenger seat, still completely enchanted by the intricate silver ring shining on her finger, as if it held all the ancient secrets of the universe. Her eyes sparkled with child like wonder, her lips parted slightly, lost entirely in her own smal little world. I honestly did not even think she remembered I was sitting right next to her.

And that was completely fine with me. More than fine.