Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 58: 58

POV Fenrir Dăneşti

I knelt by her side and pulled her into my arms, holding her close. She didn’t groan when I turned her onto her back, laying her across my lap. That was good—it meant she was healing fast, that she was getting better.

"How are you feeling?" I insisted, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Much better," she replied, but her lips trembled.

"What the hell were you doing in the middle of the forest?" I roared, the weight of desperation consuming me.

A broken sob escaped her lips.

"I was… I was… trying to mark the territory."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Marking territory for Hunter? Is that what you wanted? For him to find you? Is he the one you think about when you suddenly get sad?" I shouted, failing miserably to hide my anger and resentment.

I hated that she still had feelings for him, that she still cared about that bastard after everything he had done to her. But most of all, I hated that she still planned a future with him.

She swallowed hard and shook her head. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, catching the light as she moved.

"This has nothing to do with Hunter."

"Then what does it have to do with, Savannah?" I bellowed. "Because every chance you get, you wander off alone into the forest. I just can’t understand why you haven’t run off to him yet, because you’ve had plenty of opportunities."

"Because I don’t want to run to him—I want to run from him."

"By wandering around alone?"

She took a deep breath, as if deciding whether or not to tell me something.

"I have a sister," she revealed, and I saw relief shine in her blue eyes.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

She straightened up, nestling closer against me.

"I have a younger sister. Her name is Selena, and she fled with me on the day of the disaster. When she found me in the forest, we had separated because of my heat. I distanced myself from her, afraid the wolves would find me by my scent. Selena is only twenty years old; she hasn’t gone through the transformation yet, so they can’t detect her like they do me."

The information caught me off guard.

"And why didn’t you tell me this before?"

"I was trying to be accepted in Dăneşti, to create a home for the two of us. I didn’t say anything about her because I didn’t trust you. I didn’t want you to use her against me as a weakness, the way Hunter tries to, by chasing her."

I traced idle circles on her arm with my thumb, a slow, involuntary caress.

"You were looking for your sister," I stated, pressing my lips together. "That’s why you came to mark territory, why you get sad sometimes."

It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway:

"Selena is my only family, the only one I have left. It’s my duty, as her older sister, to ensure her safety and find a home for us both. She lost everything, just like I did."

I wasn’t sure what I felt about her revelation—relief, knowing it wasn’t Hunter she thought of when she got sad, or anger, knowing she didn’t trust me enough to share such important information.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"Because I was afraid you’d hunt her down. She can evade Hunter’s males, but what guaranteed she’d escape yours?"

"The worst I would have done was bring Selena here as a prisoner too, but only to keep her safe with me. Our lives are intertwined, and I can’t allow you to leave. If I’d known about your sister, I would have turned her into a Dăneşti."

"And that’s exactly why I never said anything. Selena has a chance to be free; I would never want her to be a prisoner like I am."

I rubbed the back of my neck, breathing heavily.

"Why are you telling me this now? What changed?"

"I… I don’t know," she stammered, confessing in a whisper.

She sat up, blinking slowly as if testing her body. She made a move to stand. I pressed a hand to her back, helping her up. Her legs were strong, steady beneath her as she looked at me.

"There’s something wrong with me," she admitted.

I scanned her, looking for any visible wounds, but there was nothing except the bite mark on her neck. My wolf stirred restlessly, unsettled by the evidence of another male’s claim on our mate. I held my breath, trying to keep control.

"You’re not bleeding."

She shook her head, swaying as if dizzy.

"It’s not that," she denied, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "Something’s wrong inside me, like… like everything is wrong."

She blinked, and then the green light of emeralds flooded her eyes, consuming all the blue.

"Savannah?"

She raised her fingers to the injured neck, touching it, and shuddered.

"The mark. Take this mark off me!" she screamed, curling into herself as if the bite on her neck caused her unbearable pain. "Take it off me. Take it! Now!" she repeated, hissing the words, begging for it.

I felt my beast take over again. One moment, she was in front of me, and the next, I had her pinned against the trunk of a tree.

"I can’t take too much of your blood; you’ve lost enough tonight."

"Just get this damn mark off me. It’s burning. It feels wrong and improper."

I nodded, gripping her chin, tilting her head to expose the pulsing vein. I pressed a kiss to the curve of her jaw and licked her skin, cleaning the dried blood staining it.

I inhaled, catching the scent of that cursed male. All my blood boiled. If he weren’t already dead, I’d have killed him at that moment.

A low growl rumbled through me. The roar of possession, a primal rage over what was mine, what belonged to me, being marked by another. Of all the offenses that could be inflicted upon a mated male, this was the gravest.

I opened my mouth and clamped my teeth around the skin of her neck, over the old bite, reclaiming her as mine. Savannah moaned—not in pain or dissatisfaction, but in the purest pleasure.

I swallowed her blood, tasting like honey, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

The words echoed in my mind repeatedly, like a mantra.

The anger dissipated, replaced by lust. I needed to mark her, but above all, I had the most primal and urgent need to claim her. She was my mate, my omega. She belonged entirely to me.

I didn’t take much blood, pulling my mouth away from her neck. The new mark gleamed, the skin around it red and swollen. And now, she finally smelled like me—every pore, every inch of her body.

I pulled back to look at her. The fear, pain, and hatred had faded, replaced by something raw and carnal. Her pupils were dilated, and the gleam in her eyes was pure desire.

"Please, I need..." she begged, rubbing her thighs together. "I need you, I need to feel you completely."

I inhaled, catching the scent of her arousal.

A wolfish smile stretched across my face.

"I’ll fuck you, as you're asking me to, little wolf," I panted, brushing my thumb over her plump lips. "But you also need to mark me. I want my scent on you, completely, just like when we mated. And it’s not just my wolf who feels this need—I feel it too."

She blinked, clearing the haze of lust.

"Why?"

"Because you’re mine," I declared. "And I want every male within miles to know it."

"If I mark you, will you fuck me?"

My smile widened.

"With absolute pleasure," I confirmed.

It wasn’t just my animal that wanted this—I wanted it, too. It was a primal, urgent feeling. I had killed a Vanóia pack male for touching her, for removing my mark from her neck, for weakening my scent on her even though it lingered. I wanted and needed anyone who came near to know exactly who she belonged to.

Her fangs elongated, her eyes pulsing a vivid emerald green. A feral smile spread across her face. She grabbed the back of my neck, threading her fingers through my hair, and rose onto her toes, bringing her mouth closer to my neck. Her warm breath brushed against my skin before I felt her teeth sinking into it. The pain was minimal, quickly replaced by the purest pleasure. She drank from me, swallowing in long, deliberate gulps.

I pressed her firmly against the tree trunk, planting one hand on the rough surface while keeping the other on her waist. The pleasure was absolute. The scent of her arousal filled the air, and my cock throbbed painfully hard against my pants.

I let her mark me, take my blood. My pupils dilated, and heat coursed through my veins like liquid fire.

I lasted only a few seconds before removing the hand on her waist, sliding it between her legs and tearing away the flimsy silk shorts she wore.

She released my neck, turning to face me. My blood glistened on her lips and dripped down her chin.

"Perfect," I murmured, grabbing her by the nape and pulling her to me, kissing her as if she were the very air I needed to breathe.

The taste of our mingled blood fused into one. Our tongues moved in sync, her fingers sliding down my arms, tracing every muscle, every inch of skin.

I ripped her pajama top apart, turning it into shredded fabric that floated to the ground. I gripped her ass, digging my fingers into the soft, warm flesh.

Mine.