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He'll be raised with discipline and structure, but also with the knowledge that emotions are gifts, not weaknesses. He'll know what it means to be chosen, not just placed.

The thought carried the heavy weight of her own childhood wounds, now transformed into determination to give their son everything she'd never had—security, unconditional love, and the absolute certainty that he belonged exactly where he was.

Jade turned slowly in Raikar's embrace, her movements deliberate despite the rounded weight of their son pressing against her ribs. The blue balloons drifted overhead like scattered pieces of sky, but her focus narrowed to the man whose arms encircled her—this Alpha who'd become her anchor, her match, her everything.

Six months ago, I couldn't imagine trusting anyone this completely. Now I can't imagine existing without him.

Without hesitation, she rose on her toes and captured his mouth with hers.

The kiss started gentle, a sweet acknowledgment of their shared joy, but quickly ignited into something that spoke of jungle nights and desperate claiming, of a bond forged in fire and tested by trials that should have destroyed them. Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer as his large palms framed her face with the reverence of a man worshipping at an altar.

Around them, the clan erupted in cheers and whistles, but Jade barely registered the sound. This kiss was a declaration—to their people, to the universe, to themselves. They were nolonger two independent warriors learning to coexist. They were partners, equals, a force that could weather any storm because they'd chosen to weather it together.