Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, painting golden streaks across the room where Kaein and Lior still lay entwined. The heat of the night had subsided, leaving behind the lingering warmth of bodies pressed together, the subtle scent of pheromones lingering in the air like a private signature of their union. Kaein stirred first, eyelashes fluttering as he opened them to see Lior's face inches away, calm, serene, yet carrying that undercurrent of desire only an engaged Lunar could radiate.
"Morning," Kaein murmured, voice husky from sleep and the lingering warmth of the previous night. His lips brushed against Lior's jaw, playful yet intimate, letting the tip of his tongue tease lightly along the edge.
Lior's eyes fluttered open, a low, throaty hum escaping him as he captured Kaein's lips in a lazy, yet possessive kiss. "Morning, my Alpha," he whispered, fingers tracing the line of Kaein's shoulder, the familiar pull of dominance soft but firm. "Sleep well?"
Kaein's hands roamed over Lior's chest, memorizing every curve, every line. "Better… with you." His lips trailed along Lior's neck, inhaling, tasting, teasing, the pheromonal pull between them already thickening, heavy with desire. "Still… mine?"
"Always," Lior murmured, rolling slightly to pin Kaein gently beneath him, the weight of Lunar dominance pressing with both tenderness and claim. "Forever… I'll make sure you know it. Every day. Every moment." His lips brushed Kaein's collarbone, teeth grazing lightly in a teasing, seductive rhythm that made Kaein shiver and moan softly.
The morning unfolded slowly, languidly. Lior's touches were gentle yet possessive, fingers brushing along Kaein's ribs, hands cupping his hips, kisses trailing in a deliberate path from neck to shoulder, down the chest. Kaein's response was instinctive—arching, yielding, the Alpha instinct to surrender to his Lunar's dominance almost as natural as breathing.
"I can't…" Kaein whispered, breath hitching as Lior pressed close, the scent of gardenia thick and intoxicating. "I… feel… everything…"
"Good," Lior murmured, letting his hands wander slowly, teasingly, until Kaein gasped and pressed into his touch. "Feel it… every part of you. You belong to me now… and I belong to you. Knotting isn't just ritual—it's your essence, your surrender… your trust."
Hours passed with quiet intimacy, soft touches, lingering kisses, and whispered words of desire and ownership. When hunger nudged them, Kaein dragged Lior into the kitchen, laughing softly as they navigated breakfast together. Floured fingers brushed accidentally over hips, hands lingered on shoulders, and soft murmurs of flirtation filled the room as sunlight streamed through the windows. Even Witty, their white cat, wove between them, batting at a stray ribbon and leaping onto Kaein's lap, breaking the tension with innocent mischief.
"You're such a tease," Kaein murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Lior's temple as he passed behind him to grab coffee mugs.
"And you love it," Lior replied, lips brushing Kaein's hairline as he set a mug down in front of him. "You can't hide it, Alpha. I see it in every shiver, every glance… every tremble when I touch you."
Their morning continued in a blend of domestic warmth and simmering desire. They fed Witty together, shared coffee, and even as Kaein organized papers for his upcoming seminar, Lior hovered close, leaning on his shoulder, brushing lips along the edge of his neck. Every touch, every whispered word was a reminder—bonded, knotted, intertwined.
Later, preparing for the week ahead, Kaein packed a single suitcase for his seminar at another college, the campus some distance away. Lior insisted on accompanying him as much as possible, wanting to remain close, a visible yet gentle possessive presence. Kaein allowed it, leaning into the embrace, savoring the weight of his Lunar's arms, the pull of pheromones that made concentration difficult and longing constant.
"You know," Lior murmured, brushing a thumb over Kaein's knuckles as they waited for the elevator, "I want to be near you… all the time. Even when work calls. Even when the world tries to pull you away."
Kaein smiled, leaning against him, inhaling the intoxicating blend of scent and warmth. "I know," he whispered. "And I want the same. But… I have to go. For the seminar. I have to face… them."
"Then I'll be there," Lior murmured, lips brushing the side of Kaein's neck in a fleeting, tantalizing kiss. "Even if it's just my presence… my scent… my claim… you'll never feel alone. Not for a second."
The journey to Kaein's seminar felt long, but every glance, every touch, every subtle brush of their fingers against each other kept their bond vivid, alive, charged with latent desire. At the hotel near the seminar, Lior's insistence on staying nearby created a mix of comfort and delicious tension, his clinging era emerging subtly—the Lunar instinct to keep the Alpha close, to protect, to possess.
Evenings were spent in quiet intimacy. Kaein's papers and presentations lay scattered on the table, but Lior hovered close, fingers occasionally trailing along Kaein's arm, lips brushing the nape of his neck, teasing murmurs of possession slipping past his lips. "You're mine," he whispered, voice low, not the commanding dominance of the bedroom but the soft, seductive insistence that made Kaein's pulse flutter. "Even here. Even now. Even surrounded by others… no one else matters."
Kaein's focus wavered, thoughts half on his seminar, half on the warmth and subtle intensity of Lior's touch. "You… always…" he whispered, eyes closing as Lior's fingers traced patterns along his back. "I… need you…"
"You'll have me," Lior replied, pressing a soft kiss to Kaein's temple, hands weaving possessively yet tenderly along his side. "Always. Every second I can be near you, I will. You belong to me, Alpha… and I'll make sure you feel it."
Even in these simple moments, the intensity of knotting, of pheromonal pull, of their entwined instincts created a charged atmosphere. It was domestic, it was intimate, yet it was undeniably erotic in the subtle ways—the way Lior's fingers pressed just enough to excite, just enough to remind, just enough to claim; the way Kaein's body shivered instinctively in response; the way Witty weaved between them, oblivious, adding innocence to their private storm.
Later, as night fell over the distant campus, they shared a quiet dinner, their touches lingering between bites, murmurs brushing lips in fleeting, tender kisses. Every moment carried a weight of anticipation—Lunar desire, Alpha surrender, knotting instincts simmering beneath the surface.
"I can't stay away from you," Lior whispered later, as they lay side by side on the small sofa, hands entwined. "Even a week… feels like too long. My body… my mind… everything pulls to you. You're mine, Kaein. You've always been, even before this bond."
Kaein's thumb traced soft circles over Lior's hand, inhaling his scent, closing his eyes. "And you… you're mine," he murmured. "Always… my Lunar… my anchor… my home."
Even amid work, travel, and responsibilities, the undercurrent of desire, the lure of possession, the sweet tension of pheromonal pull created a continuous, living intimacy. They weren't just lovers—they were bonded, knotted, entwined, every glance, every touch, every whisper a continuation of the permanent claim, a rehearsal for the deeper bond of knotting yet to come.
As they prepared for sleep, bodies pressed close, the subtle anticipation of Lunar day and permanent knotting simmered beneath the surface. The week apart from Kaein's apartment would test restraint, desire, and dominance, yet every second together—even fleeting—reaffirmed their irrevocable bond. The faint scent of gardenia and wisteria mingled with their pheromones, lingering in the air as a silent promise:
No matter the distance, no matter the days apart, no matter the trials ahead… they were bound, they were knotted, they were irrevocably, undeniably, each other's.