The apartment was quiet, save for the faint rustle of curtains in the morning breeze. Kaein leaned against the counter, steaming mug in hand, the warmth radiating through his fingers. The scent in the air was heavier than usual — a rich, intoxicating blend of gardenia and faint metallic hints that made his chest tighten. Lior's pheromones were already thick, signalling the beginning of Lunar Day.
He felt it first in the small, electric brush of air as Lior emerged from the bedroom, bare-chested, hair tousled from sleep, the light catching the curve of his muscles and collarbone. Every step he took across the hardwood floor was deliberate, fluid, controlled — a predator contained only by willpower and love.
"You're… awake," Lior murmured, voice low and warm. His gaze swept over Kaein, pausing at the broad line of his shoulders, the taut curve of his spine, and the subtle rise and fall of his chest. The tension coiled in Kaein's Alpha instincts, responding instinctively to the Lunar pull.
"I couldn't sleep," Kaein admitted, voice rough with anticipation. "The scent… it's already heavy."
Lior's lips curved into a faint, predatory smile. "Good. You should feel it… you should feel me." He closed the distance, letting his warmth brush Kaein's side. "Today, you're mine in ways you've never been before."
Kaein shivered, inhaling deeply. The mingling of pheromones was intoxicating, primal. His hands instinctively reached for Lior, tracing the strong line of his back, memorizing the heat and power beneath the skin. "Every part of me is… yours," he whispered.
Lior's hand cupped Kaein's jaw, tilting his head to press a soft kiss to the temple. "And I… will guide you. Not rush you. But I will claim you," he murmured. The voice was husky, low, carrying the weight of desire and command intertwined. "Feel me. My scent, my touch… let it ground you."
The first day was a slow, deliberate dance. Kaein allowed himself to lean into every brush of skin, every soft kiss, letting his Alpha heat rise but trusting Lior to temper it. The pheromones thickened in the air around them, pulling him into submission, yet a delicate balance kept both grounded. Each touch was sensual without being urgent, teasing without being harsh.
Lior's fingers traced along Kaein's shoulders, down his sides, lingering over the small of his back, mapping his curves as though committing them to memory. "Do you feel it?" Lior whispered, lips grazing the sensitive skin behind Kaein's ear. "The pull… the fire?"
"Yes," Kaein breathed, eyes fluttering closed. "Every second."
By midday, the apartment became a private world of shared breath and quiet movements. They prepared a small breakfast together — Lior brushing fingertips against Kaein's arm as he handed him a cup of tea, Kaein's hand pressing into Lior's warmth when their eyes met. Even folding laundry was intimate: their fingers brushing, the scent thickening, subtle whispers of longing exchanged with soft laughter.
The second day brought tension in a different form — anticipation. The pheromones were heavier now, Kaein's instincts pushing against Lior's controlled restraint. He leaned into Lior on the couch, pressing his forehead against his chest, inhaling the scent of gardenia and warmth. "I… I don't know how much longer I can wait," he whispered, voice trembling slightly.
Lior pressed a thumb to Kaein's chin, tilting his face up. "Then don't wait," he murmured, lips brushing Kaein's slowly. "But remember… control. I won't let you burn yourself before you're ready." The kiss deepened, languid, a soft exploration rather than a claim — yet the underlying dominance threaded through every touch.
Kaein shivered, pressing himself closer. His hands threaded through Lior's hair, tracing the muscles of his back, feeling the subtle rise and fall of breath under his palms. "You make it… impossible to resist you," he gasped, voice rough. "Even when I try…"
"I know," Lior whispered, lips brushing down his jaw, trailing to the collarbone. "And I love that you can't. That every instinct of yours answers mine. That's what this day is for… to show how completely we belong to each other."
The third day began with quiet domesticity, the briefest of morning routines: coffee, lingering touches, the brush of lips as they passed by each other in the kitchen. Yet even these mundane moments were charged, sensual, and deliberate. Every glance was measured, every brush of hands meaningful. Kaein's Alpha instincts were strong now, responding to the invisible call of the Lunar, yet tempered by Lior's guiding presence.
"I'm going to the office for a while," Kaein murmured after breakfast, his hand still resting on Lior's shoulder. "But… stay near. Don't leave. I… can't bear the thought of not feeling you."
Lior's grin was soft, teasing, and possessive. "I won't. Every corridor, every step, every chair you sit on… I'll be there, in your mind, your scent, your body." He pressed a lingering kiss to Kaein's temple, then the side of his neck. "Even when you're away, I'm with you."
Kaein's chest tightened at the words, every pheromone pulse making his need for Lior sharper, more insistent. He finally gave a small nod, letting Lior guide him out of the kitchen, pressing a kiss to his lips — long, slow, filled with both desire and reassurance.
The rest of the day was a careful tension between anticipation and routine. Kaein attended lectures, grading, and meetings, all while feeling the ghost of Lior's scent clinging to him. Each step, each movement carried the memory of soft lips and teasing touches from the past two days. And each breath reminded him that the permanent marking — the ritual of surrender and claim — was drawing near.
When Kaein returned that evening, Lior was waiting, lounging against the apartment wall in casual, intimate repose. His gaze met Kaein's immediately, eyes dark with anticipation, a subtle flicker of possessiveness in the depths. "You're home," he whispered, the single phrase carrying more weight than words could hold.
Kaein's knees weakened slightly at the sight of him. "Yes," he breathed, stepping closer. Their fingers intertwined naturally, as if no day had passed. "And… I've missed you."
Lior's lips brushed against Kaein's forehead, then nose, then lips — slow, seductive, teasing, leaving a trail of warmth that made Kaein's body respond instinctively. "Missed me?" he whispered. "I've been here all along… feeling every part of you respond to me, even from across the halls of your office."
A shiver ran through Kaein as he leaned into the touch, pressing his chest against Lior's. "You… you know me too well," he murmured. "Every instinct, every thought… I can't hide anything from you."
"And I don't want you to," Lior said softly, lips brushing along Kaein's jawline. "I want all of you… every thought, every need, every part of your body and soul. That's what Lunar Day begins… to remind us of how perfectly we fit together."
They spent the evening in a delicate, simmering dance of touch and tease — skin brushing skin, lips tracing lines along collarbones and shoulders, hands exploring curves without urgency, but charged with the electricity of anticipation. Kaein's Alpha instincts responded in waves, each tempered by Lior's gentle but commanding presence. Every kiss, every whisper, every brush of lips or hand was a rehearsal for the days to come.
Finally, as the night deepened, they collapsed together on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Fingers threaded, noses brushing, whispers of soft promises filling the room. Kaein's voice trembled as he spoke, "Tomorrow… tomorrow it begins fully. And I…"
Lior pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him with a smile that was both teasing and possessive. "Shh… tomorrow will come. Tonight… just feel me. Just be here. Be mine… as I am yours."
The first three days of Lunar Day had begun — anticipation, sensual tension, pheromonal pull, and intimate bonding weaving their bodies and hearts together. The permanent marking was approaching, and the next chapter would bring the culmination of desire, dominance, and surrender — the ritual of ownership and devotion that would leave no part of them untouched, physically or emotionally.
Kaein closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against Lior's chest, inhaling the scent, feeling the warmth, and allowing himself to sink into the tension of what was to come. The anticipation made every nerve alive, every breath heavy, every heartbeat sync with Lior's. And as they drifted into a shared, uneasy sleep, the first wave of the Lunar pull promised that the next two days would be far more intoxicating, far more permanent, and far more consuming.