Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow

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~Tempest's POV~

"Absolutely," Koda said with a grin, handing me a piece of bread. I took it and bit down, humming in appreciation. It was surprisingly good.

We talked about meaningless things at first—memories from when we were younger, small stories from missions we'd been sent on separately. He made me laugh so much my sides hurt.

But then it shifted.

Koda turned serious, his gaze dropping to the blades of grass he was plucking. "I missed you," he admitted finally, voice low.

I swallowed around the sudden lump in my throat. "Koda…"

"You don't have to say it back," he said quickly. "I'm not here to force you. I just want you to know. No matter how long it takes, Tempest, I'm here. And I'm not leaving."

The sincerity in his eyes stole the breath right out of me. I didn't know what to say. Not yet. My heart wasn't broken—it was healing. But healing took time.

Still, I reached out and touched his hand where it rested against the blanket.

His fingers curled instantly around mine.

For a long time, Koda and I stayed like that, no words needed and when the sun began to dip low, casting the world in shades of gold and crimson, he finally turned toward me.

And without rushing, without asking, he leaned in. His lips brushed mine—soft, tentative, patient.

My heart skittered wildly in my chest.

I didn't pull away.

His hand came up to cradle my cheek, deepening the kiss slightly. It wasn't hungry or demanding. It was warm and honest—hopeful even.

When Koda finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine.

"We'll figure it out," he whispered.

I nodded, closing my eyes.

Maybe we would.

Maybe for once, the world wasn't ending around us—and I could just let myself have this moment and I let myself believe it.

The sunset melted deeper into the horizon, dyeing the sky in a sea of crimson and gold.

The warm glow lit Koda's face, highlighting the strong lines of his jaw, the softness in his eyes. His thumb brushed back and forth across my cheek like he was memorizing the feel of me.

Neither of us spoke for a while, we just sat there appreciating nature in silence.

Koda pulled back slightly, just enough to look me in the eye. "Tempest…" he murmured, almost unsure for the first time since he'd shown up today.

I tilted my head, searching his expression. "Yeah?"

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Can I… hold you? Just for a while."

My heart twisted at the way he said it. So raw. So careful.

I didn't trust myself to speak. I simply nodded. He should have known he did not need my permission yet I was glad he was being gentle with me.

It was something only Ryland did.

Koda exhaled a shaky breath, relief flickering across his face, and he shifted until he could lay back against the blanket. He opened his arms wide silently inviting me.

With my pulse thudding in my ears, I curled into him.

His arms came around me immediately, wrapping me in a safety I hadn't realized I'd been craving so desperately.

His scent wrapped around me and settled deep in my chest.

I laid my head against his chest, right over the steady beat of his heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Koda ran his fingers lightly through my hair, slowly. I closed my eyes, letting the motion lull me into something that felt dangerously close to peace.

Minutes—or maybe hours—passed like that. Time didn't seem to matter until his voice rumbled through his chest. "You always fit so perfectly here."

I smiled softly against his shirt. "Maybe you're just biased."

"Maybe," he whispered. "But I don't care."

The hand in my hair slid lower, tracing the curve of my spine slowly, reverently. His touch wasn't rushed or demanding. It was reassuring and made something inside me crack open.

Without really thinking, I turned my face up toward him. His eyes met mine—so open, so full of longing it almost hurt.

Before either of us could talk ourselves out of it, he leaned down again. This kiss was different from the first.

Deeper. Hungrier.

Still careful, still gentle—but burning with a need he couldn't hide. A need I didn't want to deny anymore.

I parted my lips under his, letting him in. His hand cupped the back of my head, tilting me closer, deepening the kiss until I felt the world spin slightly.

I clutched at his shirt, pulling him down with me as I sank deeper into the blanket.

Koda moved with me, careful not to crush me, but desperate all the same. His kisses trailed from my mouth to the corner of my jaw, down the side of my neck, where he paused, just breathing me in.

"Goddess, you smell like rain and fire," he whispered, voice hoarse.

I gasped softly as he kissed a sensitive spot just beneath my ear.

My fingers found their way into his hair, threading through the soft strands, holding him closer.

He shifted, his body half over mine now, the heat of him seeping into me through our clothes. Yet Kodanever pushed, never crossed the line. He was waiting for me to set the pace.

"Koda…" I breathed, unsure of what I wanted to say. Warning? Invitation? I didn't know.

He pulled back just enough to see my face.

His hand brushed over my cheek, my jaw, my lips, tracing them like he couldn't believe I was real.

"We don't have to rush," he said softly, thinking that was my worry as he rested his forehead against mine. "Not tonight. Not until you're ready."

Tears stung the backs of my eyes from the overwhelming tenderness of it all.

I nodded as words seemed to fail me. I didn't think I deserve such goodness anymore after how Koda, Ryland and I ended but here he was, telling me I was worth it.

He smiled and kissed me again, softer this time, slower, pouring every promise between us into it.

When he pulled away again, he shifted us so I was resting more securely against his side. His arms stayed wrapped around me protectively, like he would fight off the entire world if it so much as dared to come close.

I tucked my face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in as I let myself fall a little more.