Chapter 126

Claire's POV Monday morning light streamed through the penthouse windows, painting golden stripes across Theo's muscular back as he stood at the kitchen island, preparing coffee with the same methodical precision he brought to every aspect of his life. The domestic scene should have felt mundane after the earth-shattering revelations of our mating bond, but instead it filled me with a contentment so profound it made my chest ache with happiness. The bond hummed between us like a living thing, a constant stream of warmth and connection that made even the simplest interactions feel charged with meaning. When he handed me my coffee mug—prepared exactly the way I liked it, with cream and just a touch of honey—our fingers brushed, and the contact sent sparks of awareness through both our systems that had nothing to do with physical attraction and everything to do with souls recognizing their perfect match. "I've been thinking," Theo said, settling beside me on the leather couch with his own