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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

ALPHA

I wake with her pressed against me, and it only takes a second for my body to respond to her. For five days now, the omega has been at the height of her heat, and she’s been insatiable. She’s had very few lucid moments that weren’t filled with desperate need and wanton lust, each plea for my knot, and to fill her with my seed. She woke and sated my primal need to rut her, driven by the desire to take her every way imaginable—on her hands and knees, against the walls, with her half asleep, and I even woke up to her riding me, too. My cock has barely left her tight, wet heat as I’ve filled her over and over again.

Even now, with the intensity of her heat subsiding, she’s still my perfect omega, her body curled into mine like we’re two pieces of the same puzzle. I brush a strand of hair from her face, marveling at the perfection of her features. She’s my absolute dream mate, down to the finest details, and it’s been … everything.

Everything I could’ve hoped for, and nothing I’ll ever allow myself outside this room. This is where it stays. Where it has to stay. My reality outside these walls doesn’t allow for this kind of connection.

I should move—should put some distance between us and give her the space she needs to rest—but I can’t bring myself to. The feel of her against me, her body warm and relaxed for the first time in hours, roots me in place. Her scent still lingers in the room, but it’s softer now, less desperate, more inviting. It wraps around me, so soothing, and my wolf is utterly content.

She stirs against me, her head nestled into the crook of my shoulder. Her lashes flutter open, and the hazy remnants of sleep leave her blinking up at me. There’s no fear in her expression, no tension in her body—just curiosity and calmness.

“How long was I out?” she murmurs, her voice soft, a little hoarse from her heat.

“A couple of hours,” I whisper. “You needed it.”

This is the very first heat I’ve ever participated in, and while I’m well-versed in the mechanics of it, actually participating in one is way more intense than I expected. I’d been worried before we started, but once we did? Instinct took over.

She’s perfect.

Her brow furrows slightly as she shifts, propping herself up on one elbow to look at me more fully. “Is it over?”

I nod. “Your fever broke. The worst of it has passed.” I can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “You made it through your first heat.”

She sighs, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Good. I thought I was going to combust halfway through.”

A soft chuckle escapes me. “You and me both.”

Her cheeks flush, and I wonder if it’s from embarrassment or leftover heat. “Thank you,” she says, her voice quieter now. “For staying. For … everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” I shake my head. “It’s what I’m here for.”

“Is it?” She tilts her head to study me. “Was this your first time, too?”

I hesitate, caught off guard by the question. But there’s no use lying. “It was.”

Her lips part slightly in surprise, then she nods slowly, like she’s processing the information. “Guess that makes two of us.”

For a moment, we sit in the comfortable quiet, her fingers absently tracing patterns on the blanket between us. Finally, she speaks again. “So, what now? Do we just … go back to pretending this never happened?”

I glance down at her, at the vulnerability in her expression, and my chest tightens. “We’ll sleep.” I tug her closer. “And in the morning, we’ll figure out the rest.”

She tilts her head, considering my words, then nods. “Okay. But you’re not leaving, right? Not until morning?”

“No.” I can’t help the small snarl that escapes me. “Not until morning.”

A purr tumbles out of her, and the prettiest blush colors her cheeks as she realizes what she’s done. “Sorry,” she mumbles, ducking her head against my chest. “Guess my wolf is still a little needy.”

I cup her cheek, tilting her chin up so I can see her eyes. “I love hearing you purr. Never apologize for that. It means you feel safe with me, and that’s all I want, Omega. For you to feel safe and cared for.”

She shifts back down, settling against me once more. Her breath warms my chest as her arm drapes across my stomach, and for the first time in years, I feel completely at ease.

The future might be a tangled mess, but for tonight, I’ll hold onto this. To her. Because this moment—this peace—is enough.

And in the morning, when reality creeps back in, I’ll have to let her go.

My dream girl.