Page 23 of Alien Charming (Alien Wolf Tales #3)

CHAPTER 23

S unlight poured through the windows, painting golden patterns across the bed as Elli woke. She stretched lazily, a languid contentment spreading through her limbs. The sheets still held Seren’s scent—woodsy and wild, with an underlying muskiness that made her heart race. She reached across the bed, but found only empty space where his warmth should have been.

She sat up, blinking away sleep, and spotted him by the window. His broad shoulders were silhouetted against the morning light, tension evident in every line of his powerful frame. He stood perfectly still, staring out at the forest beyond, his hands braced against the windowsill.

“Good morning,” she said softly.

He turned, golden eyes finding hers across the room. Something flickered in their depths—concern, perhaps even fear—before he schooled his expression.

“Did you sleep well?” His voice was low, controlled.

“Better than I ever have.” She smiled, pulling the sheet around her as she slipped from the bed. “Is everything all right?”

He nodded once, but the gesture lacked conviction. His gaze returned to the window, jaw tight.

She padded across the room, then hesitated before touching him, suddenly uncertain. Last night his passion had been overwhelming, his need for her matched only by her own desire. Now, in the harsh light of morning, doubt crept in. Did he regret claiming her?

“Seren?” She placed her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”

His muscles tensed beneath her fingers. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“I think I do need to worry, if it concerns you.” She moved to stand in front of him, forcing him to look at her. She studied his face, noting the tightness around his eyes and the rigid set of his jaw. Something was troubling him. She reached up to touch his cheek, marveling at how natural it felt to do so.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” she whispered.

Seren caught her hand and pressed it to his lips. “I’ve made a decision.”

Her heart stuttered. “What decision?”

He pulled another one of his shirts over her head, then guided her to the small table near the kitchen before he started pacing.

“I’m abandoning the trade alliance with the village,” he said finally.

She blinked, trying to process his words. “But… you’ve worked so hard for it. Your people need?—”

“My people need an alliance built on mutual respect, not with those who would treat one of their own with such cruelty.” His voice deepened, a growl threading through his words. “Your aunt disgusts me. The way she’s poisoned the village against you, how she’s treated you all these years…”

“Seren, you can’t throw away months of work because of me.”

“I can and I will.” He knelt before her, taking both her hands in his. “You don’t understand what I witnessed yesterday. After you fled, I confronted your aunt. The things she said about you…” His amber eyes flashed dangerously. “No one speaks of my mate that way.”

Her chest tightened. Part of her was thrilled at his protectiveness, but another part worried about the consequences.

“The alliance isn’t just about trading goods,” she said carefully. “It’s about peace between our peoples. Something bigger than just us.”

“Nothing is bigger than us,” he insisted. “Not anymore. Besides, there are other villages, other potential allies who haven’t been corrupted by someone like your aunt.”

That still meant that her village—her home for all her life despite its coldness towards her—would suffer without this alliance. And Seren’s pack needed the stability it would bring.

“Seren,” she said softly, squeezing his large hands in her small ones, “I understand your anger. Truly I do. No one has ever defended me the way you have.”

His eyes softened at her words, but the determined set of his jaw remained.

“But this alliance isn’t just about my aunt,” she continued. “It’s about all the families in the village who need what your people can offer. The children who’ve never had enough to eat during harsh winters. The elderly who need the medicines your healers can provide.”

She tightened her grip on his hands, tugging him closer.

“And it’s about your pack too. You told me yourself how important this alliance is for them—for stability, for resources, for a future where they don’t need to live in isolation and fear.”

His expression darkened. “The village disrespected you.”

“Some did,” she acknowledged. “But not all. Agatha helped me. Tessa and Bella and Scarlett have always been kind. There are good people there who don’t deserve to suffer because of my aunt’s cruelty.”

She released one of his hands to touch his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw.

“The leader I’ve come to know—the one who watches over his pack with such dedication, who works tirelessly for their welfare—he wouldn’t abandon a chance for lasting peace because of one greedy woman.”

He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. When he opened them again, uncertainty had replaced some of the anger.

“You’re asking me to continue working with the female who hurt you,” he said roughly.

“I’m asking you to be the leader I know you are. The one who sees beyond personal grievances to the greater good. The one who taught me that sometimes we must be strong enough to do what’s difficult, not just what feels right in the moment.”

He sighed, but she could tell he was listening to her.

“And there’s something else,” she added, remembering the conversation she’d overheard. “My aunt said something about a pass through your territory—a pass to the northern settlements. She intended to control it, but everything else she said made sense. It could be a profitable option if you were willing to allow it.”

To her shock, he started to laugh.

“A pass? Is that what she called it? I’m almost willing to let her have it, just for the pleasure of seeing the expression on her face when she realizes it’s unusable.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s not exactly a pass. It’s a road that once led to a grand estate.”

“Does the road still exist?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps, but no one uses it. It’s Malrik’s territory.”

“Malrik?”

“He owned the estate—still does, I suppose—but he succumbed to his beast side a long time ago. He remembers enough to know that it’s his territory, and he will defend it. I don’t believe your aunt would enjoy that encounter.”

“I suppose not,” she sighed. “I thought it might be a good bargaining chip.”

He frowned into the distance for a minute, then nodded thoughtfully.

“How about a compromise? I won’t call off the trade alliance yet, but I won’t participate in any further negotiations, at least not yet.”

“You’re just going to put it off?”

“For a little while. I want Korrin to do some investigating first.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s very good at finding out things that people prefer to keep hidden. It could give us an advantage.” He flashed a wolfish grin at her and she noticed that his fangs had grown.

She stroked his jaw, feeling a subtle difference in the bone structure.

“Your beast is showing,” she whispered, shaking her head when he started to pull back. “You don’t need to hide him from me. Will you show him to me?”

“I don’t want to frighten you.”

“You will never frighten me, Seren, and he’s a part of you.”

He hesitated, then nodded and stepped back, releasing her. His body began to change, shifting fluidly from male to beast. It should have frightened her, but instead she only felt awe at the beauty of his transformation. Fur sprouted across his skin and his features elongated, his eyes becoming a deeper, more vibrant gold. He remained upright in a curious amalgamation of male and beast. His body towered over her, and excitement shivered down her spine.

“Afraid?” he growled, his voice rough, but she shook her head, reaching out to stroke the silky grey fur.

His hands closed over hers, except they weren’t hands exactly. The palms were broader, the fingers shorter but tipped with gleaming white claws, but they held her with the same exquisite gentleness. She reached higher, exploring the pronounced angle of his jaw. His mouth was not exactly a mouth either, but she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to it.

“I love this part of you too,” she said softly.

He growled again, and then he was carrying her back into the bedroom. His claws made quick work of the shirt she was wearing but didn’t even scratch her skin.

“Claim?” he growled.

“Yes.” She tilted her head, exposing her neck, and his fangs scraped the sensitive flesh before he drew back.

“Mine,” he growled, and his fangs pierced her skin.

The brief pain was quickly replaced by a wave of pleasure so intense she cried out, arching against him, her body shuddering in helpless ecstasy as he roared his triumph.

When the world finally returned, they were curled together, his arms wrapped around her. He was mostly in his Vultor form again, although his fangs and claws were still extended.

“Thank you,” he said when she smiled up at him. “From both of us.”

“I didn’t expect it to be so…”

“Overwhelming?”

“Enjoyable,” she corrected, and his eyes began to glow.

“Just wait.”

She gave him a puzzled frown, but before she could ask what he meant, he bent down and licked the mating bite. Arousal shot through her body so quickly she felt dizzy.

“What was that?” she gasped, her body trembling.

“I am attuned to your needs,” he explained. “The enzymes will accelerate healing and provide pleasure as they do.”

“Pleasure?”

“Intense pleasure,” he corrected, and proceeded to prove it.