Page 2 of The Wolf

“You do realize that almost everyone here has supernatural hearing, correct?”

She pulls the pillow over her head, whining, “I’m not leaving this bed for the rest of my life then!”

I chuckle. “It’s fine, I’m just messing with you. Nobody really cares. I’ve learned to tune it out, and they do the same. Let’s go get you some breakfast.”

“No, thank you. I’m staying right here.”

I yank the pillow out of her grasp and throw it across the other end of the room. “Baby, come on! Everyone’s dying to formally meet you at last.”

“Fine,” she agrees unwillingly, though I can tell she’s excited. “But I need to take a bath first. You don’t want me to go meet your entire family dripping with your cum, do you?”

“Just the way I like you.” Sinking my teeth in my mark on her neck, I hump between her legs once more.

“You’re impossible!” Amused, she pushes me out of the way—or tries to, at least—so I make some room for her to slip out of my embrace. Sitting up, she looks around the room and shakes her head.

“What is it?” I ask, rolling onto my back and trying to cool off.

“I can’t believe it wasn’t a dream. I mean, this whole week…” Her voice trails off as she gasps. “It's been only a week!”

“Well, a little longer for me.” I kid, though it might be a risky move. I’m still not sure whether she forgave me for stalking her.

She looks at me over her shoulder, her magnetic sapphire eyes glossed over with emotions. Reaching my hand, I gently cup the side of her face, stroking her rosy cheek with the pad of my thumb. I doubt she’ll ever fully grasp the magnitude of my feelings for her… or how losing her the other day, even for a brief moment, shattered me into pieces that I’m still trying to gather.

“I know. It feels like a whole lifetime has passed,” I tell her, much more considerate, as I straighten up to lick her favorite spot behind her ear, letting my breath linger against her skin.

She places a few sweet kisses along my muzzle, whispering, “Can you give me a human moment?”

“I’ll be waiting in the grand dining hall. After you leave the chamber, go two levels down the staircase and cross the corridor to the west wing. Call me if you get lost.”

I get up and head to the door, but her laugh stops me mid-way. “So, you guys just walk comfortably like this?”

“What?” I turn to face her. She’s only being funny because I know for a fact that the tuft of fur growing in my groin is enough to cover my sheath where my cock is safely concealed. “It’s not like I stroll around with my dick out.”

“You sure about that?” Cocking her head, she arches her brow at me.

“It’s just easier.” I shrug. “And again, nobody cares. Being naked—or copulation itself, for that matter—is natural to us. Humans tend to be conservative about it, but if you’ve been a furry creature for centuries like me, you become partially the animal.”

“Can I walk naked, too?” she asks, almost as if challenging me. “It would be so much easier—”

“Julia, put your fucking clothes on,” and with that, I leave the room to give her some space.

As Julia’s laughter fades, my delirious smile lingers, but the pull of reality is already gnawing at the edges of my mind. The instinct to stay here, to claim her again and again, clashes with what I know is waiting downstairs. Every fiber of my being craves nothing more than to be with her, but I can’t afford to ignore the responsibilities that come with being a leader.Not now, not after everything we've fought for.

With a deep breath, I make my way to join the others, following the familiar murmur of conversation that halts the moment I step inside.

“Wow.” Edwin’s cackle breaks the silence, his grin wide and obnoxious. “She really popped your wolf cherry, huh?”

My jaws tighten, muscles coiling. “Do you want me to slash your throat, little brother?” I bite back, my voice edged with a simmering threat.

My sex life—or lack thereof—has been a running gag amongst them for a while now. I knew this shit was coming. I could smell it miles away.

Clara rolls her eyes, amused but trying to stay neutral. Penny giggles from her seat, not even bothering to hide it, while Katia only offers a bored glance, as if she couldn’t care less about the recurring joke.

“Be nice to each other,” Farah interjects, her tone the usual mix of scolding and affection.

She’s been the glue holding us together since our parents died, stepping into a motherly role she never asked for but has somehow grown into—probably because it was as therapeutic for us as for her since she is unable to have children of her own. It just stayed this way ever since, even when her patience wears thin.

“Fine,” Edwin replies, waving it off with an exaggerated sigh like he’s doing everyone a favor. Then, his expression shifts, getting more serious. “But Alex, we need to have a sit-down. There are pressing matters that can’t be put off any longer.”

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