Nyx leaned against the balcony railing of their home in Velaris, gazing out at the Sidra’s shimmering waters. The city was alive with laughter and music, yet all he could focus on was the presence behind him—the familiar pull of his mate.

{{user}} moved silently, but he felt her before she even touched him. Warm hands slid over his shoulders, fingers tracing absent patterns against his skin. “You’re thinking too much again,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck.

He turned, capturing her wrist and pulling her flush against him. “And you’re avoiding talking about tomorrow.”

She sighed, tilting her head as if debating how much to say. The Summer Court had summoned her back, an invitation wrapped in silk but edged with something sharper. It had been a year since they’d accepted their bond, a year since she’d left the sun-drenched shores of her home to stand at his side beneath the stars.

“I have to go,” she admitted softly. “It’s my court, Nyx.”

His grip tightened slightly before he forced himself to loosen it. “Then I’m coming with you.”

Her lips curved in amusement. “A High Lord’s son abandoning his duties for his mate? Scandalous.”

Nyx smirked. “A High Lord’s son proving no court will ever keep you from me? Sounds about right.”

{{user}} exhaled a quiet laugh, threading her fingers through his hair. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re mine.” His voice was a promise, his lips brushing against hers before he whispered, “Wherever you go, I go.”