Anaya let out a gasp, her steps coming to an abrupt halt. She wasn't sure if the view in front of her was real or another hallucination but it looked breathtakingly beautiful. Tall, lush green trees, their branches twisted and tangled, crowded the blue sky and disappeared beyond reach. Her eyes remained transfixed, following every sway and swing of the branches, watching the way the leaves and flowers glistened as if bathed in bronze, and she knew it was not just the morning breeze.

The trees were dancing. For real.

"This is the dancing forest," Icarus whispered, confirming what she'd already guessed.

She faced him, her eyes wide and full of wonder. "Can the trees sing as well?"

"No." He laughed and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together as they crossed the stone bridge that separated the dancing forest from his favourite spot. "The trees can distinguish between the good and the bad. Good is welcomed by dance and bad is buried beneath the earth."

"Seriously? Is that possible?"

"What do you think?"

She turned around to find the forest completely still, with not a single twig moving anymore. "Wow," she said, her voice sounding breathy. "Does it mean we are good people?"

"I think so. We wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Has the forest killed anyone?"

"More than you can imagine."

"Then, um, did you want to test me?"

He shook his head, squeezing her hand. "I trust you. We are going to my favourite spot, and this is the only route."

"Favourite spot?"

"It was built for Meredith Vasilios, and thereafter the royals who descended the throne received the cottage as a gift."

Anaya's eyebrows knitted as she thought hard, and finally, as if a light bulb lit up in her mind, the name clicked in. "The first werewolf Queen, who left her mate for God."

"Yeah, Her late Majesty, although I don't think that story holds any truth."

Before she could ask him any more, he stopped in front of a carved stone wall, staring at it in silence. Anaya was taken aback by its sheer beauty, but her eyes did not linger on it for long as she looked around, then back at him, frowning. "Are you sure this is the right path?"

"What do you see?"

Her frown deepened at his peculiar question, but she answered him anyway. "Werewolves playing with their mates in the woods under the moonlight?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, but take a closer look. This is a hidden door. Do you think you can open it?"

"Huh, impossible." She scrutinized the wall and paused when her eyes zeroed on the amulet around the werewolf's neck. It was similar to the one Icarus had worn on her coronation. She traced the pattern with her fingertips and said, "I have seen this before—" Words died in her throat and what came out was a gasp as the wall began to tremble. She wrenched her hand away and staggered, colliding with Icarus.

He caught her in his arms and they both watched the wall slide to the right, displaying a world Anaya could not even imagine in her dream.

Her eyes swept across the field of flowers, which had more hues than the rainbow in the azure sky. She took a step forward, her fingers brushing over their velvety petals. The waterfall was even more magnificent. It looked like a melted sheet of aluminium as it swished down with full force, hitting the rocks and stones and foaming into a lather at the surface of the lake. Everything seemed to have a relaxing effect on her. She wasn't sure if it was the surroundings or there was something else. It felt almost too real to be true.

"Pinch me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Icarus leaned down and grazed her exposed neck. Her pulse spiked in response.

"Okay, I am not dreaming." She shuffled a few steps away to break contact with him. As if her cheeks weren't already red, he had to grin in such a way that made her blush even more. "Uh, are we going inside?"

"Gimme a second." He shifted his gaze to the wall, which bore the same carving as the other side. He pressed the amulet, and the wall slid shut, concealing the existence of the cottage from the outside world. Anaya thought it was cleverly designed. No one would notice the amulet unless they looked very closely, and even then, who would think of the wall as a door?

They walked along the narrow pebbled path that led to the front of the wooden cottage. Icarus unhooked the latch and pushed the door open, gesturing for Anaya to go first.

She did a 360-degree twirl with her eyes, admiring the lovely interior. It was so much more than she had expected. The ceiling was covered in wooden panels, with a row of square lights running from one end to the other in the centre while the floor was draped in a grey woollen rug. The bed was enormous, and there were drawers on either side of it with lamps in the shape of the moon. An iron swing near the window provided a view of the garden. She proceeded to the other two doors and opened them to reveal a bathroom and a kitchen. After she was satisfied with her inspection, she slumped on the bed and looked at Icarus. "You come here often?"

"Only when I have a lot on my plate." He closed the distance between them and plopped down next to her.

She turned to face him. "It's peaceful." He nodded, rubbing slow circles on her cheek with his thumb. "When was the last time you were here?"

"Before we met."

"That explains why it's clean."

"Are you calling me a mess?" His eyebrow arched. "You may be surprised, but no one is allowed here."

"Are you implying that you clean this place?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing is. I just can't imagine you scrubbing the cottage."

"Because of my title?"

"Maybe. Or because I haven't seen you do it."

He pecked her nose with a smile. "Dad told me to keep this place a secret, so I handle the cooking and cleaning whenever I stay here."

"Woah. Why?"

"We don't want our enemies to infiltrate it."

"Makes sense." Anaya nodded, understanding the significance of the dancing forest and the hidden entrance. They'd be dead even before they could touch the werewolf king. "Does your mom know about it?"

"Yeah. We are allowed to reveal it to our mate and first-born."

"Only the first-born? Wait. Your siblings don't know about this cottage?"

"No." He shook his head. "I know because I am the heir to the throne."

That struck odd to her. "Oh."

"It's almost time for dinner," he said after a beat of silence while getting out of bed. "Come, I'll show you my cooking skills, and you can decide if I'm a husband material."

She stared up at him, her smile slipping from her face. "Husband?"

"Hmm." He grabbed her wrists and hauled her to her feet. They were eye-to-eye as he moved closer, his breath teasing her mouth. "Mates are for a lifetime, you get it, right?"

She swallowed, nodding as her throat closed up. "I do."

He smiled and kissed her, letting go of her hands to curl his fingers in her hair and wrap his arm around her midriff. Her eyes fluttered shut just as he pulled her flush against his chest. She melted, drowning in his warmth, and nothing else mattered but him at that moment. She liked it. She wanted him, all of him, and more of him. It was the same for Icarus. The tingles that soared inside him told him as much. When she moaned, all breathy and low, he knew he was a goner.

"Anaya," he groaned, pulling back to nuzzle his face in her neck as the urge to mark her crowded his senses.

She opened her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair. "We can eat later."

"Yeah?"

"Mmmh."

He raised his head and amber eyes glazed with desire stared at her. His fingers trailed down her spine, unzipping her dress in the process. He pushed the sleeves off her shoulders and arms, letting the dress fall and bunch around her ankles. She stepped out of it and peered up at him through her eyelashes, trying to decipher his thoughts from his countenance. Did he want her as much as she wanted him? He wrapped his hands around her waist and drew her close, caressing her skin until it caught on fire. 

"Wait." She put her hand on his chest to stop him when he kissed her. "You are fully clothed."

"You want me to take them off then?"

She nodded with a bashful smile. He pulled the T-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor before reaching for his jeans. It did not take much time before he stood naked in front of her, and she couldn't help but let her eyes wander, drinking in the way he was built.

He pushed her backwards, so she was lying on the bed, and buried his face between her thighs. Every touch, every kiss, and every stroke ignited heat within her, coursing through her like hot liquid that melted her to mush. Then he was on top of her; their flesh pressed against each other like flowers in a book, capturing her lips with a fervour that matched hers, and it wasn't long before he was sinking inside her. That was when time stopped and everything faded away. He cherished her slowly as if they had nowhere else to be, showing her all the things he loved about her. The brush of his fingertips felt like he was whispering words to her soul, scribbling unthought poems on her body. When he marked her, she couldn't stop the loud cry that escaped her lips. It was a moment of pain and pleasure as she reached the high she'd been desperate for, and he was there with her not seconds after.

Later when he tucked her in his arms, and she rested her face on his chest, sliding her arms around his torso, he knew in his heart that she was his and will always be.

Reading his thoughts, she smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, my darling."