Chapter 0338

The wooden stairs creak beneath our feet as we ascend toward Victor's room. My pulse quickens with each step, and I find myself filling the silence with nervous questions. Though I'm no longer afraid to complete our bond, the unknown still sends shivers down my spine.

Most girls learn about intimacy from their mothers or friends. But my mother was too broken by my father's betrayals to speak of such things. Then she died when I turned sixteen, leaving me with no one to ask. So now, standing on the precipice of this moment, I grasp for distraction.

"Were these always the Alpha's quarters?"

Victor's fingers tighten around mine. "No. The ranked wolves' rooms were originally on the opposite side of the packhouse." His voice darkens. "I couldn't stomach sleeping where my father or Jerome had. So I moved our warriors here and turned the other wing into guest quarters—though after today's revelations, I suspect it's housing displaced families now."

He pushes open the door, revealing our sparse sanctuary. My gaze traces the bare walls, the functional furniture. Victor's arms encircle me from behind, his breath warm against my neck. "Once the pack's finances stabilize, you can redecorate however you—"

I spin in his embrace, pressing a finger to his lips. "I love that we're building this life together. That every choice, every possession will be ours. Not yours. Not mine. Ours."

His nose brushes mine in an affectionate nuzzle. "Do you have any idea how perfect you are, Isolde?"

The tender kiss he gives me melts my apprehension. When he pulls back, his question hangs between us: "Are you ready?"

Suddenly, confidence surges through me. I step back, fingers working the buttons of my blouse. Victor's eyes turn molten as I command, "Take off your clothes."

He obeys without hesitation, stripping with predatory grace. My breath catches at the sight of him—all corded muscle and primal intensity. Aurora purrs approval in my mind as I shed my remaining garments.

When I take his hand and guide it between my thighs, his nostrils flare. "Does this feel like I'm ready, Alpha?"

The honorific ignites something feral in him. His growl vibrates through my core as he withdraws his glistening fingers, sucking them clean with a groan. "Like wild honey," he rasps.

"On your knees."

To my surprise, he drops instantly. I lift one leg over his shoulder, fingers tangling in his dark hair. "Taste me."

He devours me like a man starved, hands gripping my hips with bruising possessiveness. The world narrows to his wicked tongue and the building pressure in my core.