Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Perfect Defender
Victoria
There was something reverential in the way he slowly removed my clothing—the torn blouse first, his eyes darkening at the sight of dried blood where glass shards had grazed my shoulder. A growl rumbled in his chest as he bent to kiss the small wound, his tongue darting out to taste my skin in an instinctively wolfish gesture.
"These scratches should have healed already," he noted, his brows furrowing with concern.
"My wolf side is still developing," I reminded him, shivering as his fingers traced patterns along my collarbone. "I don’t heal as quickly as you do."
The reminder of my mixed heritage—once a source of shame—now seemed to kindle something protective in him. "We’ll need to be more careful until your transformation is complete," he murmured, pressing gentle kisses along each small injury as if his touch alone could heal them.
My jeans came next, his powerful hands easing them down my legs with deliberate slowness,left in only my matching black bra and panties
"Turn," he commanded softly, his finger making a circular motion. I complied, letting him examine my back, his intake of breath telling me he’d found more evidence of the attack. "Christ, Victoria," he whispered, his fingers tracing what must have been a bruise forming where I’d been thrown against a wall during our escape.
"Battle scars," I attempted to joke, looking over my shoulder at him.
"Never again," he vowed, pressing his lips to the bruise. "No one touches what’s mine."
The possessive declaration should have bothered me—I’d spent my life fighting for independence—but instead it sent a molten heat through my veins. In this moment, I wanted nothing more than to belong to this man completely.
I turned in his arms, reaching behind to unclasp my bra. His eyes tracked the movement hungrily as the garment fell away, revealing my breasts to his heated gaze. Without breaking eye contact, I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of my panties and slowly pushed them down my thighs.
"Your turn," I whispered, suddenly emboldened by the naked desire in his eyes.
A wolfish smile curved his lips as he straightened, towering over me. There was something deliberately provocative in the way he removed his clothes—the bloody shirt first, revealing the sculpted planes of his chest and abdomen, marked with scars that told stories of battles won. His belt came next, the leather sliding through the loops with a soft hiss that made my mouth go dry with anticipation.
When he finally stood before me, gloriously naked, I couldn’t help but stare in appreciation. Leo was all power and controlled strength, his body honed to perfection, his arousal impressive and unashamed as it jutted proudly toward me.
"See something you like, little wolf?" he teased, though the strain in his voice betrayed how affected he was by my gaze.
"Everything," I admitted honestly, reaching out to trace a finger down his chest, following the trail of dark hair that led to his impressive manhood. "I want all of you, Leo."
He caught my hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss my palm in a gesture that was somehow more intimate than any sexual touch. "You’ll have me, Victoria. Every part. But first—"
With surprising gentleness, he guided me back onto the bed, arranging my body against the pillows before settling beside me. His hands resumed their careful exploration, checking each scratch and bruise as if cataloging the injuries he would avenge.
When his examination reached my thighs, his touch changed, becoming less clinical and more sensual. His fingers trailed along the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, drawing ever closer to where I was already wet and aching for him.
"Please," I whispered, no longer caring about pride or restraint. After facing death, all I wanted was to feel alive in his arms.
His body covered mine completely, the delicious weight of him pressing me into the mattress as his hands tangled in my hair.
I arched against him, desperate for more contact, more friction. He responded by wedging his thigh between my legs, giving me something to grind against as his mouth blazed a trail of kisses down my neck to my breasts.
When his lips closed around one sensitive nipple, I cried out, my hands clutching at his shoulders. He lavished attention on first one breast then the other, his teeth grazing the peaks just enough to send shivers of pleasure-pain racing through me.
"Leo," I gasped, my hips rocking against his thigh instinctively. "I need—"
"I know what you need," he promised, his voice a dark velvet rumble against my skin. His hand slid between us, fingers finding my center with unerring accuracy. "So wet already," he murmured appreciatively, circling my most sensitive spot with maddening precision. "Is this all for me, little wolf?"
"Yes," I breathed, my head falling back as he slipped one finger inside me, then another, stretching me gently. "Only for you."
He worked me with practiced skill, his thumb maintaining pressure on my clit as his fingers curled to find the spot inside that made stars explode behind my eyelids. All the while, his mouth continued its assault on my breasts, my neck, returning occasionally to swallow my increasingly desperate moans.
Just as I felt myself approaching the precipice, he withdrew his hand, ignoring my whimper of protest. "Not yet," he said, his voice strained with his own restraint. "When you come, I want to be inside you."
He shifted, positioning himself between my thighs, the blunt head of his cock nudging at my entrance. Despite my arousal, I tensed slightly—he was considerably larger than my limited experience had prepared me for.
Leo noticed immediately, his expression softening as he braced himself above me on his forearms. "Look at me, Victoria," he commanded gently. When our eyes met, he continued, "I won’t hurt you. We’ll go slow."
True to his word, he entered me with exquisite control, giving me time to adjust to each incremental stretch. The discomfort I’d feared never materialized—instead, there was only the incredible sensation of fullness, of completion, as if some missing part of me had finally been restored.
"Mine," he growled as he seated himself fully within me, his eyes flashing with primal possession. "Say it."
"I’m yours," I whispered, wrapping my legs around his waist to draw him even deeper. "And you’re mine."
Something fierce and satisfied flashed in his eyes at my claiming him in return. He began to move then, setting a rhythm that started gentle but quickly built in intensity as we both surrendered to the need burning between us.
Each thrust drove me higher, pleasure building in waves that threatened to overwhelm me. Leo’s control was slipping—I could feel it in the increasing urgency of his movements, see it in the tension coiling in his powerful shoulders.
"Let go," I urged him, digging my nails into his back. "I want all of you."
His eyes flashed amber at my words, his wolf rising to the surface. With a growl that vibrated through my entire body, he flipped us over in one fluid motion, positioning me above him.
"Take what you want, little wolf," he challenged, his hands gripping my hips.
Power surged through me as I set the pace, rolling my hips and watching pleasure transform his features. Ava reveled in the dominance he allowed me, even as we both knew he could reassert control at any moment.
When I felt myself approaching the edge, Leo must have sensed it. His thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves between my thighs, circling with deliberate pressure that had me crying out his name. My release triggered his own, his powerful body arching beneath me as he roared his pleasure, hands holding me firmly against him as we rode the waves together.
Afterward, he cradled me against his chest, one hand lazily stroking my back while our breathing returned to normal.
"Are you all right?" he asked, brushing sweat-dampened hair from my forehead.
I smiled, feeling languid and thoroughly claimed. "Better than all right."
"We’ll find them," Leo promised, reading my thoughts. "And we’ll end this threat once and for all."
I nestled closer to him, drawing strength from his certainty. Whatever Marcus Grimwood had planned, whatever secrets still remained hidden, I wasn’t facing them alone anymore. I had an Alpha at my side—my Alpha—and together, we would reclaim what was mine.
The Moon Goddess herself couldn’t have chosen a more perfect defender for her daughter.