Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 89: 89

She didn't feel anything to suggest otherwise. There was no heat, no sense of desperate need to be fucked, and my wolf seemed calm and satisfied. Not at all like before.

I ran down the stairs, desperate to feel the breeze on my face and breathe in the fresh air after being locked inside for so long. Fenrir followed closely behind, his eyes burning into the back of my neck, still concerned about the duration of my heat.

I pushed the door open without a second thought.

The snow fell in small ice crystals, swirling through the air. The white landscape of the forest vibrated before me, making me blink and adjust my eyes to the brightness.

"Missed the fresh air?" Fenrir whispered, leaning in behind me.

"Didn't you?"

He shrugged.

"As attractive as this landscape is, the one I had for the past three days is at the top of the list of the most beautiful things I've ever seen," he murmured, planting a kiss on top of my head.

A silly smile spread across my face. My wolf purred, making the sound escape me and pulling a smug laugh from Fenrir.

I snorted, rolling my eyes.

I moved forward, jumping off the balcony and landing on the soft snow-covered ground.

"Oh my God!" Andrei's voice came from my right. I turned to him, pressing a hand to my chest. "I can't believe we're seeing the lovebirds."

"I thought we were going to have to send someone to rescue them in the meantime," Alexandra mocked, stopping beside her brother. She looked me up and down. "How are you? Need some ointment?"

My face heated up so much I thought I might explode from embarrassment.

"Is it risky to get close to you?" Anton asked, stepping closer as well.

I heard more footsteps and spotted Nicoleta.

"Can I go clean the house?"

Fenrir put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.

"How's everything in the village?" he asked, ignoring the teasing.

"They missed the leader," Andrei replied.

"And what did you tell them?"

Anton ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.

"The truth. We told them Savannah's wolf went into heat early and that you had to stay with her, fulfilling your role as her mated companion."

The air caught in my lungs.

Wow, this was wonderful. Not only did our friends know we’d been locked inside having sex like animals for the past few days, but the entire pack knew too.

"Any issues in the meantime? No invasions?"

Andrei shook his head.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. We also haven’t figured out who the traitor is; no one acted strangely."

Fenrir let out a breath.

"I doubt they'll act again, at least not soon. Whoever it is knows we’re aware of them. If they’re smart, they won’t take any risks."

"I think the same as you," Anton agreed, shaking his head. "I think, for a while, we’ll be at peace."

"I'll kill Hunter before he thinks about attacking us again," Fenrir snapped. "He can't and won't be a threat for the rest of our lives."

I swallowed hard.

"You... you’re going to him?" I whispered, feeling my insides twist with fear.

It wasn’t fear for Hunter’s death, because I wanted that, it was fear for Fenrir, for his safety. I couldn’t even imagine it.

He pulled me tighter into his arms, as if he noticed my fear.

"Yes, and I’ll bring his head back as a gift for you."

"How romantic," Alexandra mocked. "A lovely and totally natural mating gift."

Andrei laughed.

"Very much in Fenrir’s style."

I still wasn’t completely convinced; fear had lodged itself deep within me. Hunter was a demon, a bastard, a damned traitor. He had already taken so much from me, and I wouldn’t accept him taking more. Fenrir and the Dăneşti wolves were my family.

The alpha pulled me away from them, toward the forest.

"Savannah and I are going for a walk." He looked at Nicoleta. "The house is free for you, just don’t go into my room, no matter how messy it is. Savannah made a nest there, and we don’t know how she might react if anyone touches it."

I furrowed my brow, processing how stupid that sounded.

"I think it’s better to stay away," I murmured.

The desire didn’t come from me, but from my soul, from my wolf. She still had a certain... obsession with that mess, with the nest she had made. If Nicoleta touched the bed, I wasn’t sure how she would react.

Maybe heads would roll, and we didn’t want that.

Alexandra laughed.

"It’s been a while since I heard about wolves building nests."

"Me too," Andrei agreed.

"I’ll stay away from the room, as you wish," Nicoleta said, waving and heading toward the house entrance.

"And you all, keep an eye on the village and everything happening around it," Fenrir ordered the others.

I heard their laughter as we walked away, still talking about the damn nest I’d built. I ignored the jokes and the fact that the whole pack knew what I’d been doing the past few days.

We walked in silence through the forest, getting far enough to have some privacy. The heads of Hunter’s wolves on the stakes were frozen, and their smell wasn’t as unbearable anymore. We crossed the boundaries of the Dăneşti lands.

"Where are the guards?" I asked, not hearing any of them or smelling anyone nearby.

"I ordered them to keep their distance for a while," he murmured, kicking the snow. "To give us privacy, I thought you’d prefer it that way."

I gave him a look and smiled.

"Yes, I prefer that."

It had been a long time since I’d shifted, and having some privacy to enjoy the moment would be nice. I was happy Fenrir understood that and had thought of everything.

He stopped and turned to face me.

"This spot is good," he said, pulling down his pants. "I’ll hunt too. I don’t know why, but my wolf feels the need to hunt something to feed it."

"It must still be related to the heat."

He nodded, finishing undressing.

I took a few steps back, moving away from him, and watched. His body trembled all over, his eyes flickered, turning golden. His nails became claws. A layer of gray fur appeared on his body. The sound of bones cracking and breaking echoed in the air. He dropped to his knees in the snow, growling as his spine curled, marking the skin of his back. His arms and legs contorted. His face elongated, and his teeth turned into sharp fangs.

The first transformation hurt, it felt like death. The others became a little better, but none of them were completely painless.

I stared at him, enchanted, as his body shifted into an animal. A huge gray wolf stood before me, like a real creature from fairy tales. I could feel his power radiating, crackling around us. The power of a very powerful alpha male.

He fixed his golden eyes on me and approached. I extended my arm, touching the soft, warm fur with my fingertips, gasping.

"Your wolf is beautiful," I whispered, rubbing it without taking my eyes off him, fascinated by his animal.

Fenrir stuck out his tongue and licked my hand, as if approving my compliment.