Viktor’s kiss flicked the same switch that had been thrown in the living room while I had been watching him sleep. I couldn’t explain it, why his scent suddenly grew so intoxicating, or why his hands felt like fire as he tugged at my waist to pull me closer. My wolf, so docile until that moment, stirred with a vengeance, as if angry with me for denying its urges earlier. That restless, almost pleading behavior was becoming all too familiar to me.

It reminded me of that short span of time we’d stolen in his car. I knew how he kissed now, and eagerly tipped my head so the kiss we shared could grow deeper. His tongue was hot in my mouth as he explored, teasing and licking and oh god what was he doing to my head? I was dizzy, but it was a pleasant fog which had descended over me. There was no fear of my pack, no instinct for disgust and hatred; there was just me, and Viktor, and the heat which was boiling over between us.

I reached my hands up, pulling his hair out of its knot at the back of his neck so I could tangle my fingers in the soft strands and pull just enough to make him groan. His grip on my waist tightened, his teeth pulling at my lower lip. I sighed into it, leaning my full weight against him, letting it take it. Despite my desperation to be strong, independent, I was finding a pleasant relief in submitting myself to Viktor.

He pulled away just enough to speak, his panting breaths hot against my face. “Tsuki,” he purred my name, his fingers claws against my sides for a moment as he obviously struggled to contain himself. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Hm?” It was a throaty sound, my head tipping to the side.

“Damn,” he swore, his mouth finding mine in another hungry kiss before he could produce words again. “Your pheromones, Tsuki. Last time… is nothing compared to this. How in the hell-”

“Does it matter?” I asked, stretching up to skim my lips along the line of his jaw. It made him shiver, and I delighted at the sense of pride that gave me. I was still amazed by the way this made me feel: strong, confident, my fear and doubt finally drowned out. “Enjoy it. I am.”

Viktor hissed in a breath, pupils blown out as he looked down at me. “You are… dangerous,” he muttered, and it made me grin. “I need to know, Tsuki. How far?”

My breath stuttered in my throat, heat blooming over my face. He was asking me- holy shit. “I… don’t know,” I admitted, hearing the hint of vulnerability in my voice.

Viktor held his breath for a moment before nodding. “Alright. We’ll take it slow, then. Let me know if I do anything you don’t like, okay?”

“Okay,” I breathed, a little overwhelmed by how he was treating me. Kind, gentle, demanding nothing even as he asked for everything. It struck me again how unreal he was, like a dream I would wake up from to find myself back in the clutches of the pack that didn’t value me at all.

Viktor smiled, the expression less sweet when his eyes were burning. He kissed me again, slow and thorough, and I shivered when his hands inched under my shirt. Trails of fire traced across my skin as he explored, his touch feather light and teasing me into a racing heartbeat. His mouth left mine to drop kisses down my neck as he tugged lightly at the hem of my shirt. I nodded a breathless acknowledgement, and he tugged my shirt over my head to drop to the kitchen floor.

Fear crystallized in my mind for a moment. I’d seen him shirtless, and he was… perfect. Chiselled from stone. I was nothing like him. Small, skinny, and scattered with scars from the abuse of my pack. There was a ring of deep scarring along my neck close to my collarbone, low enough that the collars of most shirts hid the majority of it, from when they had put a pronged dog collar around my neck when I was little and desperate to escape the pain; it was the worst of the scars, and I covered it with one hand, looking away in shame.

Viktor made a soft noise, his hand settling over mine to gently pull it away. He pressed kissed to my fingers, and the shock of it made me look back to him. “It’s okay,” he hushed. “It makes me hate them, not you. What they did to you is… unforgivable. I can’t even imagine how they must have hurt you. You were so strong, Tsuki.”

I made a strangled noise. “I’m not,” I said, my voice trembling. I’d let them hurt me for years without fighting back, rolling over for them and taking whatever they dealt me because I was weak. Pitiful. A burden to Neo and my father.

“You are,” Viktor argued, a fire in his eyes. He lifted me, bringing a shocked squeak from my throat as he set me atop the counter. It put us near to the same height, making it easier for him to reach as he kissed the scar I had been so ashamed of.

I shuddered, hands tangling in his hair tightly. “V-Viktor! What are you-”

“I can’t help but be angry,” he muttered, hands on my waist keeping me from wiggling away. “How dare they mark your skin? You suffered so much. I hate seeing it. I should be the only one leaving marks on you.”

My eyes widened at the low, unearthly tone to his voice; he was speaking with his wolf, a child of the stars claiming territory. My wolf keened in my mind, quivering with anticipation, understanding the situation better than I did. I knew it had to be increasing the strength of my pheromones, and Viktor’s soft groan proved it. It struck me with the strangest urge to apologize, but all that came out of my mouth was a gasp as Viktor’s teeth scraped along my skin.

I couldn’t do more than cling to him, giving trembling moans as he teased my skin, working his way along that nasty scar and leaving soft colored marks over its length. Covering the mark of my pack with his own. It had a satisfied smirk on his face as he leaned back enough to survey his handiwork. His gaze lifted to my face, his wolf clear in his eyes. “Mine,” he thrummed out the word.

The things that did to me- I hadn’t known it was possible to feel that way. Not just the fire pooling low in my body, but the pleasure, the confidence, the pride. “Prove it.” The challenge fell from my lips before I could stop it- if I even wanted to. Did I? Did I really want to put an end to this, this feeling? The answer was obvious in the way I eagerly met Viktor halfway, clashing with him and demanding much more than he gave.

Viktor yanked me forward on the counter, settling himself between my knees; I was happy to wrap my legs around his waist, bringing us closer than before. There was nothing in my mind except that moment, us, the way I felt as I yanked his shirt over his head to feel his skin against mine. His skin was hot, and I treasured the way he shuddered under the touch of my hands. It was gratifying to know I affected him just as much as he affected me.

It had me restless again, a needy sound crawling from my throat. “Viktor,” I whined his name, trying to get closer and finding it created a delicious friction between us as I ground forward against him.

He growled a soft warning, gripping my hips tightly to stop me from moving and dragging another whine from my lips. “Don’t tempt me, Tsuki.”

“Viktor… please,” I begged, squirming in his grip.

“What? What do you want?”

I knew what that was; he was asking for permission. Making sure I wasn’t doubtful. It threw me into a frenzy, knowing how much he cared about me. He was my alpha, carefully taking my needs into account, and it was unbelievably attractive. I never thought I’d be so happy to feel controlled as he held me in place and waited for my answer. No, not controlled- treasured, protected, loved.

It left me with only one answer to his question. “More,” I pleaded, bringing back the memory of being tangled with him in his car. But there was no ringing phone this time, no meeting to attend. We had all the time in the world. “More, Viktor. Give me anything, anything you want, just give me more.”

“Yes,” he breathed the word, yanking me tight against him as he backed away from the counter. “I’ll give you everything.”

Thank god. I was a trembling, needy mess- but Viktor didn’t seem to mind. He even seemed to enjoy it, taking me apart with his mouth as he carried me to his room. Viktor was all hunger and passionate demand, driven by an inescapable desire I understood completely. We both wanted it, needed it. I could take anything he gave me and more, and delighted in the way he lost himself just as much as I did. My alpha, my Viktor, coming undone in my arms as he melted me into a mess of crying moans.

It was perfect bliss, and I didn’t know how I had survived so long without it.