"Home isn't where you begin, it's where you choose to stay, with the one who makes the wild feel safe."
FENRIS AND THARION
The sea was calm, for once, and waves rolled gently along the coast, washing the pale sand like fingers combing through silk. The air was warm, thick with salt and blooming with the scent of pearl-root and mist blossoms. Somewhere in the distance, gulls cried above the cliffs. I sat on a flat rock, legs drawn up, eyes on the horizon. The Pearl Castle shimmered behind us, basking in the morning light like a sleeping dragon at peace. And for the first time in years… so was I.
"Still brooding?" Tharion's voice came from behind, low and amused. A moment later, I felt his arms circle my shoulders, his chin resting lightly on my head. "You're going to ruin my illusion of you as a carefree rogue of the sea."
I leaned back into him, smiling. "I was never carefree. Only untethered."
"Ah." He pressed a kiss to my temple. "There's a difference?"
