Luna. Chapter 107

(Lyra's POV)

I needed a hot bath.

The river water had been cold, and even though the desperate craving for Kael's touch had eased, my body still felt strange. Different.

"I'm going to take a bath," I announced when we got home.

"Good idea," Kael said. "The ritual can be draining."

Dad and Asher were already asleep. The house was quiet.

I gathered my things and headed upstairs. Ran the water as hot as I could stand it. Added some lavender bath salts that were supposed to be relaxing.

They didn't help.

The moment I sank into the hot water, something else started building inside me.

Not the desperate need for contact. This was different.

Warmer.

More focused.

I tried to ignore it. Concentrated on washing my hair. On scrubbing the river smell off my skin.

But the feeling just got stronger.

My skin was hypersensitive. The water felt like silk. Every movement sent little shocks of pleasure through my body.

This was not normal.

I got out of the tub quickly, wrapped myself in a towel. But that didn't help either. The terry cloth felt amazing against my skin.

Too amazing.

I was in trouble.

A soft knock on the bathroom door made me jump.

"Lyra? You okay in there?" It was Aria.

"Aria? What are you doing here?"

"Kael called me. Said you might need to talk to another female werewolf."

I opened the door a crack. She was standing in the hallway looking concerned.

"Can I come in?"

I let her in, keeping the towel wrapped tightly around myself.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Strange. Different than before. Not the burning need, but..." I trailed off, embarrassed.

"But what?"

"Everything feels... intense. Physically intense."

Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Oh. That."

"That?"

"You're entering heat."

My jaw dropped. "I'm what?"

"Heat. It's normal for celestial wolves. We can cycle into heat at any time, not just during mating season like regular wolves."

"But I just went through the primitive impulse period."

"That was your body needing general contact with your mate. This is your body wanting... specific contact."

I stared at her. "Specific how?"

She gave me a look. "Come on, Lyra. You're a grown woman. You know what heat means."

"But I just finished the ritual. I thought the worst was over."

"The ritual stabilized your bond. But celestial wolves have very active libidos. Especially newly bonded ones."

I sank onto the edge of the tub. "How long does it last?"

"Depends. Could be a few hours. Could be a few days."

"And the only way to make it stop is..."

"Sex with your mate. Yes."

I buried my face in my hands. "This is insane."

"It's biology. Natural biology."

"There's nothing natural about this."

"Lyra, you're a werewolf now. A celestial werewolf. Your body has needs that human bodies don't have."

I knew she was right. Logically, I understood.

But emotionally, I felt like I was losing control of my own body.

"What if I don't want this?" I asked quietly.

"Do you not want it? Or are you just scared?"

I thought about that. About the way my body was responding to everything. About the way I'd felt when Kael carried me. About the way he'd looked at me when I'd accepted the bond.

"I don't know," I whispered.

"That's okay. You don't have to know right now." Aria sat down next to me. "But Lyra? Don't fight it just because you think you should. Your body knows what it wants."

"What if what my body wants isn't what's best for me?"

"What makes you think they're different things?"

I didn't have an answer for that.

"I should get dressed," I said finally.

"Good idea. And Lyra? Talk to Kael. He'll understand what you're going through better than anyone."

She left me alone in the bathroom.

I got dressed quickly. Soft cotton pajamas that felt like torture against my sensitized skin.

Everything was too much. Too intense.

I needed...

I needed Kael.

Not because my body was demanding his touch.

Because I wanted him.

I'd always wanted him.

Maybe it was time to stop fighting that.