The water laps around us as I shift in his lap, uncertain but drawn to his heat like a moth to flame. “I don’t understand.”
His growl vibrates through me as his hands tighten possessively. “When I look at you, I see power waiting to be unleashed. I see curves that make my wolf want to howl.” He presses his forehead to mine, our breath mingling. “I see a mate who needs to be shown her own worth.”
“How?” The word is barely a whisper, but it hangs in the steam between us.
His lips brush mine, teasing. “By proving that every part of you is precious to me.”
The steam curls around us, making the moment feel dreamlike, detached from reality. His hands move over my skin beneath the water, discovering places that make my breath catch. When he finds a particularly sensitive spot at my waist, I arch instinctively, my body responding without permission from my mind.
“See?” His voice is rough with approval. “Your body knows what it wants. No hesitation.”
“It’s not that simple—” But my protest dies as his mouth finds my throat, teeth grazing the claiming mark. The sensation shoots straight through me, making my toes curl.
“It is that simple.” Power pulses through our bond. “You’re mine now. My mate. My woman. My wolf.” His hands tighten possessively on my hips. “And I protect what’s mine.”
“Even from your own pack?” I ask, thinking of the doubts I felt—still feel even now—through our bond during his confrontation with his wolves.
He pulls back enough to meet my eyes. “If necessary. But they’ll learn.” His smile holds predatory promise. “Wait until they see what you can do. What we can do together.”
“And that is?”
“Change everything.” He catches my bottom lip between his teeth, then soothes the sting with his tongue. The contrast makes me gasp. “The old ways are dying. The civilized packs grow weaker with each generation. But us?” His hands slide up my back, pulling me closer until I can feel every hard plane of his body against my softness. “We’ll show them true power.”
The conviction in his voice makes me shiver. Or maybe it’s the way his hands move over my skin, claiming every inch they touch. I should be terrified of this feral alpha with his blood-soaked reputation. I’ve seen what he’s capable of, felt his savage joy through our bond as he tore apart his enemies. Yet instead of fear, I find myself melting into his touch, craving more.
“First,” he growls against my lips, “you need to finish cleaning my wounds. Then I’m taking you back to our den.” His eyes promise things that make heat pool low in my belly.
My heart thunders against my ribs. This is the Shadowmist alpha, the most feared wolf in five territories.
And yet...
The way he touches me is nothing like I expected. His hands move over my curves with reverence, not disgust. Where my old pack saw only weakness, he seems to findbeauty. It makes my head spin—this contrast between his savage reputation and the gentle way he traces my softness.
But can I trust it? Trust him? Hours ago, he claimed me in violence. Now he speaks of pleasure, of worth, of change. Part of me wants to believe him, to sink into the heat of his touch and let myself be claimed in every way he promises.
Another part remembers years of shame. What if he changes his mind once the thrill of claiming me wears off? What if my gift isn’t enough to make up for my weaknesses?
Through our bond, I feel his response to my doubts—a surge of possessive protection that makes me gasp. His hands tighten on my hips, and I realize he can’t just smell my fear, he can feel everything I’m feeling. Every fear, every longing, every hesitant spark of hope.
“Stop thinking so hard, little mate.” His voice is rough silk against my ear. “Feel instead.” His mouth finds my claiming mark, and power surges between us like a living current. “Feel how much I want you. How perfectly you fit in my hands. How right this is.”
And Icanfeel it—his desire burning through our bond like wildfire. Not just for my gift, but for me. All of me. My curves, my softness, even my human form that can’t shift. He wants me with an intensity that steals my breath.
“Turn around,” he murmurs, nuzzling my neck. “Let me wash your hair.”
The simple request catches me off guard. This isn’t the savage claiming I expected. His fingers are gentle as they work through my dark strands, massaging my scalp with unexpected tenderness. No one has done this for me since I was a child, before my wolf failed to emerge.
“Your thoughts are too loud,” he rumbles behind me. “I can feel them spinning through our bond.”
“I’m not used to...” I gesture vaguely at his hands in my hair, at the way he handles me like I’m precious instead of broken. “People being gentle with me.”
“Gentleness?” His laugh is dark honey. “The Shadowmist Pack isn’t known for it. But a mate deserves careful handling.” His fingers find a knot in my neck, working it loose with firm pressure. “At least until she’s ready for something... rougher.”
Heat blooms in my cheeks at his tone. Through our bond, I feel his satisfaction at my response, the way my body betrays my interest despite my uncertainties.
His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. The hard planes of his body make my softness feel somehow right instead of wrong. Like we’re two pieces of the same puzzle, finally clicking into place after years of trying to fit where we didn’t belong.
“Everything about you calls to my wolf,” he murmurs against my ear. “Makes me want to protect and possess in equal measure.”
