Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 70: 70

Stunned, I couldn’t keep my eyes away from his muscular, firm ass. The silver light shone against his bronzed skin, a beacon rising before the alpha. The muscles in his back were tensed from the cold he tried to ignore.

He stepped into the water and continued forward, up to the middle of the lake, which covered him from the waist down.

He waved his hands in the water, moving his body from side to side, playing with it.

“I’m waiting for company, Sava. What’s it going to be?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

My more rational side told me he had lost his mind. The cold didn’t hit us like it did humans, yet it was still uncomfortable. But the other side, the one of a foolish and utterly deluded wolf, urged me to go to him.

I bit my lower lip and took a deep breath, contemplating while battling with myself and the feeling that stirred in my chest when I heard him use my nickname for the first time.

Screw it!

It wasn’t just about keeping him company but about reinterpreting his memories of the lake. He was trying to move on and leave the past behind. It was the lake where he last saw his destined mate, with her throat torn apart. The image must have been horrible and traumatic.

He was here, with me, inviting me, even if indirectly, to create good memories. I loved the place, always had, from the beginning, even before I knew the truth of what had happened. I wanted it to be as good for him as it was for me.

Besides, it was thanks to the sound of the water that we met. It was because of it that I got close enough for him to smell me, for him to track me.

He meant so much more than we imagined and held more secrets than we could dream of.

And now, it would carry new memories.

I let my coat fall from my arms and began to undress quickly, all under his scrutiny. Despite the cold, I felt warm from the attention I had from the alpha.

The icy breeze prickled my bare skin, making me shiver. I trembled, finishing removing my boots and socks from my feet. I raised my face and stared at him.

I didn’t feel shame or the urge to cover myself when I noticed the malicious gleam in his gaze, nor when I saw the way he seemed to admire every inch of my body.

The ground was cold beneath my feet. I walked, forcing one step at a time toward the lake. The water was as cold as ice, but not even that could stop me. Ignoring the pounding of my heart, I kept my gaze on Fenrir as the water embraced me, rising higher and higher until it stopped just below my breasts.

He smiled.

“I thought you wouldn’t have the courage.”

“And I thought you wanted company.”

He touched my face with the back of his hand. His skin was warm, a pleasant contrast to mine, which was cold.

“It would be very lonely in this lake, on Samhain night, if you didn’t want to join me,” he murmured.

I ran my tongue over my lips.

“I hope you have a great idea for warming me up before I freeze to death,” I gasped.

He slid his hands to my waist and pulled me against him. I felt his hard cock against my stomach, and a smile curled my lips.

He had been affected by me, and that was more than satisfying.

“Yes, I have some very hot plans,” he whispered, twirling my hair with his right hand, lifting my neck, and planting kisses on my cold skin. “So hot that the temperature of the lake will feel like a blessing.”

I held onto his shoulders and threw my legs forward, wrapping them around his muscular waist. I would never understand how his skin stayed warm despite the mild temperature and icy water.

He spun me in his arms, swinging me around the water. He sighed and pressed his forehead to mine.

“Have you ever participated in a Samhain before?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“No.”

“And what did you think?”

I chewed my cheek, thinking.

“Do you want the truth? I love all Dăneşti parties. I like how people are warm, happy, and fulfilled. How they respect each other. I love how they always sing songs about the pack with pride.” He stepped back to look at me. “In Crepúsculo and Eclipse, the parties weren’t like that. They were for the members’ entertainment and... to entertain the males. I only went because of Hunter when he invited me. My father never let me go alone; he always forbade it. It was... nice, but nothing like here.”

“I like keeping the old traditions, preserving the past. And I know my people approve; they get excited whenever one of the festivities is coming up.”

I laughed.

“After I saw Alexandra, Mihaela, and Nicoleta spend the whole day carving wolf figurines, I’m sure of it.”

“It’s a good custom,” he whispered, planting a kiss on my forehead. “And you’ll always have the freedom to attend all the parties. You’re not in Crepúsculo anymore. Here, no member is forbidden from anything involving the pack.”

“Except going into another territory?”

He nodded.

“Except that.” He licked his lips. “Wandering around is beyond my limits as a leader. It’s a law from the elders, and all orders derived from them are supreme and must be followed to the letter. That’s how we maintain harmony in the Carpathians.”

“It seems to work,” I commented.

“Yes. No alpha interferes in another’s business, so there are no conflicts. We follow the elders’ commands and keep the peace that way.”

I chewed my lower lip, reflecting on broaching a topic I was very curious about, but knew could be dangerous territory. Fenrir might not react well and could retreat, turning back into the bitter male I once knew. But... if I didn’t ask and never knew the answer, it would kill me little by little.

“I need to ask something, but you might not like the question,” I revealed.

He fixed his eyes on me, analyzing every fleeting reaction on my face.

“I’m listening.”

I shuddered, nervous. My stomach flipped, and my palms began to shake as a layer of sweat mixed with the water droplets.

“I... um... want to know why you never mated with Catalina,” I whispered, forcing myself to say the words. Something changed in his gaze, just as I feared it would. His pupils dilated, and the silver around them became more intense. A vein pulsed at the side of his neck, and the muscle in his jaw tightened.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll understand,” I continued, feeling a small buzz within me. “No problem.”

His breath became tense, condensing the air with more force.

“I didn’t mate with Catalina because I didn’t want to make my enemies hers,” he said after a moment. I gasped, surprised, not expecting an answer. He added, “In my view, she would have been taking unnecessary risks, and mating wasn’t mandatory for a couple. Here in Dăneşti, most do it, but there’s no obligation, it’s a choice.”

I slid my nail along the bare skin of his shoulders, strumming the muscles.

“You thought she might be risking her life?”

He nodded.

“Just like you are, since you arrived here.”

“But the risks are because of me,” I retorted. “Hunter was already after me long before I came to you.”

“In the past, things were different, Savannah. I’ve said there were hunters around, but they were killed. Besides them, there were the wood traffickers, who entered the forest to exploit the resources. We also killed them, one by one. Back then, with the freedom to come and go, the risks of invasion were higher. They knew some things about us, and the mating ritual isn’t a mystery to anyone. If I had mated with Catalina, I would have linked my life to hers, and it would have been much easier for them to go after her to try to hurt me.” He swallowed hard. “That would also make her a prisoner. With her life at risk, linked to mine, she wouldn’t be able to be free, to roam the Carpathians unimpeded.”

I stared at the dark, starless sky, reflecting on what he had said.