Hesperia's POV:
Even after I'd finished my food, I still hadn't heard him eating—not a single chew, crunch, or scrape of utensils. The silence on his end was almost unnerving. So that probably meant that instead of eating food... he was going to feed from me again, right?
The thought sent a cascade of shivers down my spine. That sensation—the heat, the connection, the way my body had responded—the memory alone made the butterflies in my stomach erupt in a flurry of anxious fluttering. I didn't want to seem eager.
But I was. Strangely, undeniably, I was.
I wanted to feel that again.
But Alastor had gone quiet. Not a word, not a breath, not even a faint rustle to hint at his position. I tilted my head, trying to catch the subtle direction of his scent, attempting to trace the direction of his pheromones like I had before. Normally, it was easy. They came from one place, focused, firm.
Not this time.
His scent was everywhere—permeating the room like smoke from a slow-burning fire. It curled around my body like an invisible blanket, it settled on my skin with a weight that was both warm and possessive. A tingling sensation rippled across the nape of my neck.
And then—
I was falling.
Not from a height, but backwards, onto something soft and warm—the cushions of the bed, I realized, just as a rush of breath escaped me. And before I could recover, lips claimed mine.
Soft. Demanding. Scorching.
Oh…
The heat pulsed through my veins instantly. My mind scattered, replaced by that overwhelming presence of him. The press of his mouth devoured mine, the commanding slide of his tongue seeking entrance and then plunging inside with the dominance of an Alpha. He tasted like cinnamon and smoke, wild and untamed. His grip around me tightened and every inch of my body screamed with a strange kind of anticipation.
But what startled me even more than the kiss was the bold slide of his hand—it glided down my side, igniting a trail of fire even through the silk of my dress.
And then—
Rip.
I froze. My hands pushed against him, sudden and uncertain. He paused immediately, lifting himself just enough to let me breathe. My chest rose and fell, air rushing in shallow, quick pulls.
"W-what did you do?" I managed to ask, my voice trembling.
His answer was a whisper against my ear, gravelly and low. "Unboxing my prize."
What?
A dozen thoughts tried to fight for dominance in my head, but none could withstand the wave of heat that rose inside me.
I swallowed.
After being marked, it was obvious for Omegas and Alphas to spend their first heat and rut together. It was... expected. Natural.
The elders had explained the bond intensified during these times—desire became instinct, and instinct became law.
"Are you... going into Rut?" I asked, voice small.
"Hm?" I heard the hum of his voice before I felt him move, pulling me upward with ease. My body followed without resistance, as if it had already given up on questioning him.
His fingers found the zipper at the back of my dress and slowly dragged it down. Each tick of the zipper's teeth undoing felt like a drumbeat against my heart.
"A-Alastor?" I breathed.
"Yes, darling?" he replied smoothly, his tone so casual it sent another wave of flutters straight through me. That endearment—it made me feel like I was his. No…it reminded me that I was his.
I clenched my hands together, nerves firing through every inch of me. "Are we... going to do it?"
There. I'd said it.
He didn't respond right away. Instead, he rested his hand on the small of my back, drawing circles into my skin, giving me time, maybe. I wasn't sure if the silence made it better or worse.
"Do what?" he asked, a playful lilt to his voice. I could practically hear the smile he was wearing.
My cheeks burned. I hated how he made me feel so exposed and yet so safe all at once.
I bit my lip. His hand traced higher, barely grazing the curve of my spine.
He finally whispered, low and close to my ear, "Have sex?"
My face erupted in flames. "Y-yes."
There was a pause. And then he asked again, gently this time, seriously, "Do you want to?"
I hesitated, biting my lip harder. "I... I don't know. Will it hurt?" I asked honestly. I couldn't pretend I was prepared. I wasn't. I knew how to have sex.
But….I didn't know what Alpha rut truly entailed. The rumors back in my pack said it was intense, overwhelming. Painful. Especially the first time. But was he really in Rut? I thought Alpha's became all frenzied…he didn't seem that way right now.
Although, even if he wasn't….did it matter? It wasn't like I could say no, right? He was my mate. That made it his right.
"In the beginning it might," he murmured, now trailing soft kisses along the sensitive skin of my throat. I shivered. "But I will try to make it painless. After that... it'll feel really good."
Like the bite, I thought. That had started sharp and unbearable, but ended with a rush of something entirely... different.
Still, a knot twisted in my stomach.
"Do you want me to stop?" he asked again, his voice lacking the teasing edge this time.
I shook my head slowly. "You're my mate now, right?... It's your right."
As soon as the words left my lips, he stilled. Completely. The air between us shifted.
Then, with the gentleness that surprised me, he pulled back. His hands left my skin, and the loss of warmth made me involuntarily reach forward. I felt... dejected. The tingling sensation was gone.
I liked that feeling.
"Darling," he sighed, brushing hair from my face. "Just because I'm your mate doesn't mean I have any right to your body. If you say no, I stop. No questions. No hesitation. I promise."
I blinked. My heart stuttered.
"Even... during your Rut?" I asked, needing to be sure.
He chuckled softly. I heard the rasp of it in his chest more than through my ears. Maybe I sounded foolish, but I didn't care.
"Anytime. Any moment. If you feel uncomfortable, I stop. No exceptions."
There was a pause, and then, that teasing edge crept back in.
"But..."
"But?" I prompted.
"Don't tell me to stop just because you feel embarrassed or shy," he said, and I could practically hear his grin.
My face flushed hotter. "But... I can't help it. It feels strange."
He chuckled again. "Well then, how about we do it so many times that you stop feeling shy?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Flabbergasted.
This guy...
Shameless. Completely, utterly shameless.
Even Gareth or the Alphas back in my pack, who were known for being bold, weren't this open.
But somehow, because of that—his honesty, his lack of pretense—I felt like I could trust him.
Maybe that was what made the difference.
I reached out slowly, fingers tracing upward until they found the sharp line of his jaw. I rubbed gently, feeling the light stubble beneath my fingertips.
He didn't pull away.
So I leaned forward, heart pounding, and took the leap.
I kissed him first.