Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 123: 123

I woke up in the middle of the night, my chest rising and falling rapidly, and my hair sticking to the skin on the back of my neck.

Panic spread through me like embers in my blood, corroding me from the inside.

I sat up in bed, my heart racing and a scream lodged in my throat. I only felt calm when I looked around and clearly saw where I was.

At home.

Fenrir stirred beside me and pulled me to him, planting a kiss on the top of my head. I smelled his distinctive scent, but there was something even more soothing about it than usual.

"It's all right, it was just a dream."

Hunter might be dead, but he wouldn't stop haunting me. I felt the weight of the freedom his death had brought me, but I couldn’t forget everything I had endured with him during those days.

Fenrir continued exuding the scent, pheromones, like a forest after the rain. It was a soft, comforting aroma.

I swallowed to wet my parched throat.

"Now I know it was," I admitted. "It feels like you’re doing something to me."

"Nothing will get to you. Not ever again, little wolf." He brushed his nose through my hair. "Just as I exude a scent to arouse you or instill fear in my enemies, I’m exuding one now to calm you."

I liked it, loved the scent he was releasing. It was so incredible I could spend hours just taking it in.

"This is good," I whispered, letting out a trembling sigh through my nose. "I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same as I was before," I admitted.

"Some traumas leave deep wounds. I don’t expect you to be the same, not after all you’ve been through. I just want you to be certain that I will never allow anyone else to threaten your life. You and our pup are safe; you’re home."

"That’s how I feel, by your side."

"That’s all I want for you."

I smiled and nestled against his chest.

"Can you hear it? Can you hear his heart?" I asked, needing reassurance that he was okay.

The image of Hunter slitting that pup’s throat was etched in my mind, and I would never be able to erase it, even if I wanted to. His cruelty knew no bounds; nothing had stopped him, not even a shred of morality.

"Strong and fast, like the wings of a hummingbird," he murmured, his breath brushing my hair.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my stomach growled loudly.

"And hungry, too."

He laughed.

"Come on, let me feed you." He swung his legs off the bed and stood, pulling me up by the hand. "If you want to wait here…"

I shook my head instantly.

"I’d rather go with you."

"All right."

The house was warm despite the harsh winter outside. Clinging to Fenrir as if our bodies were glued together, I descended the stairs beside him, absorbing every detail of the home I had missed so much in the past days.

The fire in the fireplace still crackled faintly. Fenrir approached it and added more wood, feeding the flames. I turned on the lights, illuminating us.

I pulled out one of the stools and sat, watching him.

"Besides hunting, you’ve never cooked for me."

"I’m not very good at it," he admitted. "But I can make grilled cheese sandwiches. Will that do?"

I pretended to ponder.

"Hmm… that’ll do."

He moved skillfully around the kitchen, gathering everything he needed to prepare our midnight snacks.

I bit my lip.

"Did you feel what happened to me while I was with Hunter?" I asked nervously.

He assembled the sandwiches on the counter across from me and raised his eyes to mine.

"I felt fear, and I sensed some physical traumas." His hands clenched into fists on the counter. "What did he do to you?"

I shook my head.

"He didn’t touch me the way you’re thinking." He relaxed a bit, though the vein in his neck throbbed. "He beat me when I provoked him. He threatened me and hurt me, but not enough to kill me—at least not until he decided to perform the ritual." I swallowed hard. "He killed a pup in front of me. An innocent pup, defenseless, unable to fight for its life." I squeezed my eyes shut as tears spilled over and my stomach churned. "He did it for the ritual… and because I begged for the pup’s life."

"He did it because he was a monster, Sava. Hunter had no scruples. He didn’t care about anyone but himself, just like your father. Caspian handed his child over without a second thought the moment it was convenient for him."

I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Do you think I’ll ever recover from all of this? Sleep peacefully? Be alone?"

He placed the bread on the pan, pressing it down with a spatula to toast both sides.

"When Catalina died, I isolated myself from the world. I needed to be alone, clear my head, think straight. It took me years to attend a council meeting again. I never got over failing her, just as I won’t get over failing Anton. These are wounds I’ll carry to my grave, but I’ve learned to live with them."

"How?" I whispered.

He placed the sandwich on a plate and set it in front of me, gesturing for me to eat.

"One day at a time," he repeated the words he’d said earlier. "Only time heals wounds, even the deepest ones. You may not move on, but you’ll learn to live with your scars."

I took a bite of the sandwich, moaning as the taste of melted cheese hit my tongue. Fenrir smiled, proud of himself.

"You’ve been through so much in the past days, little wolf. It’s normal to feel this way," he said, toasting his own bread. "And about your fear of being alone—did you forget that will never happen again?" He raised his face to look at me, raising an eyebrow.

A foolish smile spread across my face.

"The pup."

He nodded.

"If not him at your side, it’ll be me, or Alexandra, or Mihaela, Andrei, or Nicoleta. We’re a family."

I sighed, swallowing one bite after another, genuinely hungry.

"All that’s missing is my sister."

"We’ll find Selena. Now that Hunter is no longer a threat, you don’t have to worry as much."

"I know, but I still need to find her. She’s my sister, and she’ll soon go through her first transformation. She can’t be alone during such an important moment."

"I promised I’d find her, and I’ll keep my promise."

I finished my sandwich and pushed the empty plate toward him. I placed a hand on my stomach, stroking it, feeling satisfied and full.

"You’ve never told me about your family."

He placed our plates in the sink and leaned over the counter, bracing his hands against its edges. He was shirtless, and the movement made the muscles in his abdomen tighten.

"There’s not much to tell. I never knew my parents and don’t remember them. The elders raised me for as long as I can remember."

I gasped.

"Do you think they abandoned you?"

"Maybe."

"I’m sorry."

He scoffed.

"You don’t need to be. The elders raised me well, just like the other alphas. They gave us territory and power."

"A pup once told me that if the elders die, everyone dies."

Fenrir laughed.

"There’s a legend that says if the elders die, our world will end in flames. The pups love to scare each other with it."

"Is it true?"

He shrugged.

"In our world, how can you tell what’s real or not?" he retorted, giving me a pointed look.

"You’re right," I agreed with him.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the defined muscles of his stomach or his large, toned arms.

I licked my lips, staring at him.

My core tightened, and my panties dampened with my arousal.

Fenrir’s pupils dilated, and his nostrils flared as he caught the scent. His gaze fixed on me, flecks of gold appearing in his irises.

"What do you think you’re doing?" he hissed quietly.

"I’m not doing anything at all."

Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or the days we’d spent apart, the fear of losing him, or the longing for us. I didn’t know; I just knew I wanted him badly.

I felt my arousal seep from my core.

"That doesn’t seem like nothing to me," he growled threateningly, his arm muscles flexing.

I bit my lower lip.

"If I ask, very sweetly, for you to f*** me, will you?" I asked, looking up at him through my lashes.

A low rumble emanated from his chest.

"Only if it’s really safe for you."

"I’m fine."

"Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes, exhaling impatiently and rubbing one thigh against the other.

"Yes, I am."