Chapter 1528
Lucy stepped into his arms without a word. She fit perfectly, her body molding to his like a long-lost melody returning to the first verse. Her head rested on his chest, and her voice was barely a breath. "It wants us to love. Deeply. Openly. Freely."
Rose circled behind them, her fingers grazing along Lucy’s back, then slipping down Jude’s spine. "It feeds on our connection. Not to drain us - but to grow."
Layla approached next, barefoot and glowing in the moonlight. "I keep seeing that tree when I close my eyes. Even when I’m awake. It’s inside me now."
"It’s inside all of us," said Grace, her voice soft, dreamy. She came to stand beside Layla, their hands linking.
Jude glanced around. The others were circling too, slowly, wordlessly. Not predators. Not prey. Just women who had given in to something ancient and full of promise. His wives. Changed, but still his.
Sophie didn’t join right away. She lingered at the edge, eyes flickering over the group. Jude caught her gaze and reached out a hand.
Her hesitation cracked, and she stepped forward, letting him pull her in.
Emma was the last. She didn’t speak, but when she moved, it was like she’d been moving all along. Her arms slid around Lucy from behind, their bodies enclosing Jude between them, soft skin pressing through thin fabrics.
No one gave a command. No one asked permission. It wasn’t needed.