Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 71: 71

"Do you feel guilty for her death?"

"For a long time, I denied the mating bond with her. We had several fights about it. Catalina wanted the bond above everything, even if it meant the end of her freedom. Her parents, friends, and close relatives kept pressuring me to complete it. I rejected each of them, each claim about it." He gently released me and stepped back, running his wet hands through his hair, pulling the strands back. "After much insistence and discussion, after she lost her parents and was left with no one, I decided I would bond with her after the wedding. Catalina was thrilled with that, even knowing what it would imply. It was like a wedding gift. Everything was fine, everything was ready. Then she was killed. And yes, I blamed myself back then, and I still blame myself today. If I had given in, if I had accepted, I would have felt that she was in danger, I would have gotten there in time to save her. I failed as a mate and as an alpha. I let another male invade my territory and kill my female while I couldn’t do anything."

I shook my head, denying it.

"You would be dead too, your pack wouldn't have a leader."

"I would have felt it!" he cut in, turning to look at me. "I would have felt the danger, I would have known she was in life-threatening danger. I could have prevented what happened."

I dragged my eyes to the water and stared at my reflection in it. He turned his back to me, placed his hands on his waist, lifted his face, and stared at the moon.

"I'm sorry." That was the only thing that came out of my mouth.

It wasn’t his fault, and it never would be, but he held onto too much bitterness about it, a guilt that was too deeply rooted, and nothing I said would change his mind.

"That's why I hated our mating," he whispered after a few seconds of silence. I turned to look at him, observing the stiff muscles of his back. "I hated that an unknown she-wolf made me lose control, when I had rejected the ritual for the female who shared decades at my side, helped me build the pack I lead, and was with me through an important part of my life and evolution." He shifted, making the water ripple around him, and turned back to me. "I abhorred how I desired you, even when you represented everything I hated." He walked toward me with determined steps, stopping in front of me. "And I hated you even more when I realized that no matter what I thought about the matter, the desire I feel for you will never change." I gasped, lifting my face to meet his. He gripped my neck and pulled me in, rubbing the tip of his nose against my cheek. He inhaled deeply, savoring my scent. I felt his hard cock brush against my stomach again. "Your scent... it's one of the best things I've ever felt," he sighed, kissing my temple.

I dug my nails into his hard shoulders and moved a little closer to him.

"Is this the moment for you to show me how hot you can make me?" I whispered.

I had no idea if he still wanted me close or if he would leave me, abandoning me in the lake like he had done in the forest when he found me after my failed escape attempt.

I only knew one thing for sure: I wanted him.

Mentioning Catalina, after what he had done, might not have been the best idea, but I needed the answer, I needed to know more. And he had given me that.

He smiled and gripped the hair at the back of my neck more firmly.

"You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to ask for this," he growled, bringing his hands to my ass, gripping the skin, and pulling me onto his lap. "So perfect," he sighed before dragging his lips to mine.

The kiss was urgent, deep, and possessive. A mix of tongue and teeth. His breath tasted like ţuică, a blend of cherry and alcohol.

He groaned and I gasped, not breaking our kiss, devouring each other as if we needed the touch. As if our lives depended on it.

I wrapped my legs around his waist. The tip of his hard cock brushed against my clit, and I rubbed against him, increasing the rhythm and giving myself over to the pleasure.

A growl rumbled in his chest. He reached between our bodies, grabbed his cock, and guided it to my entrance, penetrating me in one smooth movement.

I blinked and tears pricked behind my eyes at the intrusion. I was lubricated and ready, but he was too big.

He lowered his lips to my neck, scattering kisses until he reached my breasts. He sucked a nipple, swirling his tongue around it while staying still, waiting for my body to adjust and get used to the cock that invaded me.

"Fenrir," I moaned his name, throwing my head back and closing my eyes.

He shifted, pulling out before thrusting back into me. He repeated the slow movements, savoring the sensation of possessing me, of claiming me.

"Perfect..." he whispered, blowing warm breath against my breast. I shivered, my body covered in goosebumps.

I opened my eyes and looked at the sky, watching the moon reflecting on the water, turning it into a giant mirror. Thick clouds floated around it.

A small crystal of ice slid across the sky, dancing, before falling on my head. After it, more and more began to fall around us, covering every part of nature in white.

It was beautiful and... magical.

Fenrir thrust against me in a steady rhythm. The water bubbled where our bodies met, creating small ripples. I clung to him, letting out moans that echoed through the air, mixing with the howl of the wind.

I felt every inch of him invading me. Each time he hit the deepest part of me, he struck a spot that made me see stars, making them visible behind my eyes, even when they weren't present in the night sky.

"You look so beautiful when you’re being fucked," he whispered.

I ran my eyes up to him, who was staring at me with a certain... fascination. The gold shimmered in his irises, but he was in control. I wasn't fucking the beast, I was fucking the man.

I bit my lip so hard that the skin broke and a drop of blood appeared. He leaned down, licking the red liquid, healing the wound, and savoring my taste.

"Tasty," he growled.

He gripped my waist, holding my body as it bounced with each thrust of his hips. He held me in place and then thrust harder, increasing the rhythm. Hard and rough.

"Heavens..." I gasped, wrapping my fingers in his silky hair, feeling the curls around them.

The snow continued to fall around us, covering the clothes by the lake and creating a pristine white carpet.

Fenrir thrust deep, keeping us so close, holding me so tightly that it felt like he was trying to fuse us into one.

I stared at him, losing myself in his blue eyes. The brown hair had some snowflakes that made him look even more handsome than he already was.

And then I felt it."