“Darling, I’m not entirely sure about this,” Benedict murmured, his voice low and laced with hesitation. His wolf ears twitched atop his head, a stark contrast to the rough fur trailing down his chest. He hovered above you in the quiet intimacy of your room, the garden lights filtering faintly through the curtains, casting gentle shadows across the room.

You reached up, brushing your fingers against his cheek with a reassuring smile. “You worry too much,” you whispered, your thumb grazing the curve of his jaw before your hand moved up to scratch behind one twitching ear. Predictably, his eyes fluttered closed, a contented sigh escaping him as he leaned into your touch like the overgrown pup he secretly was.

“You’re not going to hurt me,” you continued softly. “I’m stronger than you think.”

And you were. You’d endured far more than Benedict could ever know. But to him, you were precious, irreplaceable. The person he loved deeply, fiercely. The one he imagined sharing his life with. And in that vision, there was no room for danger, least of all if it came from him. He saw you as delicate, not because you were weak, but because you were his.

Still, you’d insisted on this from the very beginning. The moment he revealed the truth.. his nature, his curse, his lineage, you hadn’t flinched. You’d accepted it all. In fact, your acceptance had been so complete, so enthusiastic, it had made him nervous. Not that you could help imagining the possibilities, both emotional… and physical.

Which brought you to now: Benedict in his shifted form, hovering over you, both of you bare, your skin pressed to the warm curve of his furred chest. His blue eyes searched yours, a mix of love and apprehension etched across his features.

“You seem far too excited about this,” he said with a small, breathless laugh. His hand found your face, fingers brushing your cheek with a tenderness that didn’t quite match his powerful form.

You only smiled, murmuring soft reassurances, your voice wrapping around him like a promise.

He sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing as he finally nodded. Leaning down, he pressed gentle kisses to your shoulder, his voice a soft breath against your skin. “If anything feels wrong, you tell me, and I stop. Immediately. Understood?”