Third person's POV
Aiden's eyes instinctively dropped down while his lips were still on Chloe's, and he saw what made the sound.
It was the small dagger the Alpha had strapped onto her left boot that fell down, making the loud thud.
"Oh..." Chloe grunted softly and that seemed like the encouragement he needed to deepen the kiss.
For a moment, time stood suspended as their lips met fully. The kiss was gentle yet filled with an urgency that made Chloe's heart race against her will.
When Aiden finally pulled back, his eyes were glinting with an intensity that made her breath catch.
"This..." Aiden gestured between them, his voice sounding rough.
"This is why your reputation matters to me. You are my mate, Alpha. The mate bond wouldn't allow me to sit still and let anything bad even as trivial as a bad reputation, affect you." He confessed, sounding so sincere and intense.
