78
~Elara's POV
After a while, the water play slowed.
My legs started to feel tired, heavy in that good way, like after a long laugh. The waves brushed our ankles, softer now, almost shy. Lira bent down and splashed one last time, then laughed and wiped her face.
"Alright," she said, breathing a little hard. "That's enough."
Ronan groaned loudly. "Enough for you," he said. "I was just winning."
"You were slipping," I teased. "I saw you."
He laughed and shook his head. "Lies. Pure lies."
Lira crossed her arms and gave us both a look. "We need to go back," she said. "If we stay any longer, the Alpha will punish Ronan and me for taking his beloved princess out so late."
I stopped smiling for a second. "Beloved princess?" I repeated.
Lira looked at me like it was obvious. "You," she said. "Who else?"
I rolled my eyes, even though my cheeks felt warm. "You both need to stop treating me like a baby," I said. "My parents already do that enough."
