Alpha Nathan's POV

We slept, or what should I say, my angel, Isabella, fell asleep, but I couldn't. I was so comfortable next to her and the way she snuggled close between my arms, her soft breathing creating a gentle rhythm against my chest. That's why I didn't sleep - how could I close my eyes and go into the darkness while I was watching the sun next to me? Her skin glowed in the moonlight streaming through the window, and every small movement she made sent waves of contentment through my entire being.

I would be so stupid if I even blinked. I knew that at some point I should sleep - I can't stay awake for the rest of my life, after all. But I knew that I shouldn't do it that night. Not when I had this perfect moment, this perfect woman in my arms. Every second felt precious, like holding onto something that might disappear if I wasn't careful enough.

It was a long night; we had so much fun playing and making love to each other. We loved everything and worshiped every moment together. Every touch felt electric, every kiss felt like coming home, every whispered word between us felt like a sacred promise. I memorized the way she sighed when I touched her neck, the way her eyes fluttered closed when I kissed her forehead, the way she smiled when she thought I wasn't looking.

I even licked and kissed her tiptoes! I swear I never did that before in my entire past life, but it was clear to me that I might keep doing that for the rest of our lives together. Everything about her fascinated me - from the tips of her fingers to the arch of her feet. I wanted to worship every inch of her body, to show her how completely and utterly she owned my heart and soul.

I waited patiently for her to wake up; I didn't even move or go to the bathroom so I wouldn't wake her or disturb her deep, peaceful sleep. My arm was getting numb from being in the same position for hours, but I didn't care one bit. Watching her peaceful face, the way her eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks, the way her lips curved slightly upward even in sleep - it was worth any discomfort. This was better than any throne, any power, any treasure in the world.

She stretched her arms slowly and gently, then yawned softly, but she shut her mouth immediately when she saw me next to her, staring at her with complete adoration and love. She smiled in embarrassment, her cheeks turning the most beautiful shade of pink I'd ever seen.

"Aw, sorry for that," she whispered softly, her voice still husky from sleep. "I'm sure I look absolutely messy and my hair is all tousled and probably sticking up everywhere, and my makeup is probably smeared all over my face and-"

I ran my fingers through her silky hair, marveling at how soft it felt, and leaned down to sniff the lovely scent that was uniquely hers - like wildflowers and vanilla and something purely Isabella. "I love it," I murmured against her ear, my voice rough with emotion. "You're absolutely perfect, even when you just wake up. Especially when you just wake up. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life."

Then I placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips, tasting the sweetness that was uniquely hers. "Mm, yummy. Let's take a shower together, then come back to the bed and continue what we started last night," I said all of a sudden, which made her widen her eyes in complete surprise.

"What? Again?" she asked, her voice filled with amazement and a hint of disbelief. "Nathan, we barely slept at all last night. Aren't you tired? Don't you need to rest?"

I smirked and licked the corner of my mouth with my tongue, feeling playful and absolutely intoxicated by her presence. "Yes, again and again and again. But if you don't want to, then-" I faked an annoyed face and started to pull myself from the bed, knowing full well she would stop me.

She quickly grabbed my arm to pull me back, her grip surprisingly strong. "Oh, it's okay! I didn't mean I don't want to. I just thought you have important Alpha duties to do today. Don't you have meetings or pack business or something like that?"

"Are you kidding me?!" I laughed, the sound coming from deep in my chest. "What could possibly be more important than being with my mate? What could be more important than holding you, kissing you, making love to you?" I sighed and pulled her tightly against my chest, kissing her forehead with all the tenderness I possessed. "You are my life, Isabella. You are everything to me. You are my whole world, and you would be my death if I ever lost you."

She gasped and raised her head to look at my suddenly serious face, her eyes wide with concern and confusion. "Your death? Nathan, what do you mean by that? You're scaring me a little."

I nodded solemnly and squeezed her closer to me, as if I could somehow merge our bodies into one. "Yes, don't you understand that I would literally die without you? Don't you know that I would kill anyone who tried to hurt you? I would burn down the entire world to keep you safe. I would start wars, I would destroy everything and everyone if it meant protecting you."

She shyly shook her head, clearly shocked by my intense but completely truthful words. "No, I didn't know any of that. I honestly thought you only enjoyed the physical side of things with me. Like it was just about the sex and the mating bond. I thought maybe you were just having fun with me."

That hit me like a physical blow to the chest, but I knew she didn't mean to hurt me. I was actually glad that she finally voiced what had been bothering her deep down. But it still hurt terribly to know that she didn't fully understand the depth of my love for her, the way she completely owned my heart and soul.

"Isabella," I said softly, cupping her face in my hands. "What we have is so much more than just physical attraction. Yes, I love making love to you - it's incredible and perfect and mind-blowing. But that's just a small part of what I feel for you. I love the way you laugh, the way you think, the way you care about others. I love your strength, your kindness, your beautiful heart. I love everything about you."

I helped her stand on her feet, admiring the way the morning light caught her curves, and then I sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Do you want to meet my parents?" I asked her completely out of nowhere, the words surprising even myself.

She narrowed her eyes in confusion, tilting her head slightly. "I thought your parents were dead! You told me they died years ago in some kind of accident or something."

I smiled sadly and nodded, my heart heavy with the weight of our family's secrets. "Yes, we're going to visit their grave," I said simply, watching her reaction carefully.

"If you don't mind, it's absolutely okay with me. Sure, I would love to pay my respects to them, even if it's just at their resting place. I want to thank them for raising such an amazing man. But-" she hesitated, biting her lower lip nervously.

She paused, and I gestured encouragingly for her to continue. I wanted her to know everything about me, even all my hidden secrets and the parts of my past that I'd never shared with anyone else. I wanted complete honesty between us.

She swallowed hard and asked, "Your Luna mentioned yesterday that Mila is adopted. Is that right? I mean, you both love each other so much as siblings, the bond between you seems so incredibly strong, so how did that happen exactly?"

"You want to know how I can love her so much even though she's not related to me by blood? And why my parents adopted her when they already had me as their heir?" I rephrased her question to make sure I understood what she was asking.

She nodded eagerly, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Yes, exactly. The bond between you two seems deeper than most biological siblings I've known. It's really beautiful, actually."

I leaned against her chest and sighed deeply, breathing in her comforting scent. "Okay, here's something that will completely shock you - I'm adopted too, actually. But absolutely no one knows about it except you now. You're the very first person I've ever told this secret to, and I'm trusting you with something that could change everything if it got out."

Her eyes widened in complete surprise, her mouth falling open slightly. "What? You're adopted too? But you're the Alpha! How does that work?"