~~Fenrir’s POV~~

When I first sensed our mate bond, I thought it was a mistake. A mere human? The Moon Goddess must be playing a joke. I’m Fenrir Lycaon, Alpha King of the Silvermoon Pack, the biggest, strongest, and most feared pack on the continent. I’ve fought wars, built empires, and spilled blood without blinking. And yet here I was, staring at a fragile girl in a wedding dress, feeling my wolf howl inside me like a lovesick pup.

Her scent hit me first. Sweet. Flowery. Like a garden in full bloom after rain. It was the kind of smell that filled your chest and stayed there. Even now, with her lying on my lap, that scent was stronger, more real than anything else in the room. I didn’t want to breathe it in, but my body did anyway, like I had no choice.

When she fainted in front of my car, I scooped her up without thinking. I brought her here to this hotel room to see if the bond was real, to test myself. I told myself I’d keep my distance. But the moment she opened her hazel eyes, the moment her soft body brushed mine, I knew. The boner in my pants confirmed it. The Moon Goddess had given me a mate. A second chance. But not just any mate…a human.

Werewolves lived among humans, blending in. But only a few knew. And sometimes some humans try to hunt down werewolves for sport or hatred or whatever sick cause. I hated them for killing my first mate, Evelyn, ten years ago. I lost her to a sneak attack from humans. Hunters slipped into our fort, masked their scent, and killed her before I could even fight back. She was my heart. My world. My everything. I buried her with my own hands, and after that day, I swore never to forgive humans. Never to trust them. Never to let one close to me again.

I’ve slept with women since then. Rough, hard, empty. But I could hardly ever get hard totally and couldn’t spill. I was never satisfied no matter how well the woman knew her game, and I couldn’t impregnate them with a child to bear me. My body wouldn't let me.

The part of me that wanted life, legacy, and softness had died with my mate. Or so I thought. Then two weeks ago, I dreamed of a girl. She was running through a garden, smiling widely at me, my mark on her neck. The Moon Goddess doesn’t show visions for nothing. I knew what it meant. A second chance, mate. My only chance at an heir before my line ended and time ran out. This was my only shot at fixing what had been broken for a decade.

I just didn’t expect her to be human.

I looked down at her now, still trembling from what had happened earlier, her wedding dress clutched in her fists. Her eyes were hazel and wide, looking up at me like she didn’t know whether to run or stay. She was the girl from my dream, no doubt. But every time I looked at her, I saw the faces of the humans who killed my mate. Rage and want battled inside me. I hated her for being human, but still, I burned for her for being mine.

She suddenly stood up from my lap, bunching up her dress with shaky hands. She headed for the door, like she had just remembered where she was, who I was, and the situation we were in.

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Bear me a child.”

She froze, her back stiff, then turned slowly, eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?” she said, half confused, half amused.

I stood up, my shadow falling over her. I’m tall, bigger than most men, my frame built for fighting, but right then I didn’t feel powerful. I felt desperate. I would never be able to love her. I couldn’t. Every time I looked at her, I’d see the humans who took my mate from me. But I didn’t need to love her. I just needed her to carry my heir.

I took a few steps forward. She backed up until her back hit the wall. A dead end.

“Give me a year,” I said. “Bear me a child and I’ll give you everything you ever wanted. Gold. Money. Fame. Whatever.” My voice was flat and proud, like a deal being struck. Humans loved things like that. They loved shiny promises. And I had plenty to give.

But to my shock, she straightened her back and glared at me. “I don’t need them. And I’m not interested in whatever sick statement you just said now. You’re not as hot as you think you are.”

She tried to move past me, but I caught her hands and pinned them above her head with one hand. Her pulse beat fast against my fingers. I leaned in, close enough to feel her breath.

“I think you’re lying,” I murmured, a smug smile tugging at my lips. “I can smell how badly you want me right now.”

Her breath came in shaky bursts. She tried to turn her face away, but she couldn’t hide the flush in her cheeks. Her scent grew sweeter, thicker. My wolf inside me howled with hunger.

I trailed my fingers slowly down her side, from her waist up to her neck. Her skin erupted in goosebumps under my touch. “See the way every hair on your body is standing up just from my touch? You might try to resist, but you won’t last.”

“I… you…” She tried to speak, but only a small sound escaped her throat. Her soft little moans made my pants tighter. Any more and even I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back.

“Mate. Mate!” My wolf barked inside me, but I pushed him down. Not yet. Not like this.

I forced myself to pull away, letting her go. She stumbled a little, clutching her heart like she had just run a marathon.

“You’re different from them,” I said quietly, watching her. She blinked at me, confused.

“You’re not materialistic,” I continued. “If you don’t want money or fame… what do you want? Ask anything, and it’s yours. But in exchange, you give me what I asked.”

For a moment she just stared at me like I was insane. Then I saw it: the spark in her eyes, the wheels turning in her head.

“Anything?” she repeated.

I nodded, curious despite myself.

“I want your blood,” she said.

I stilled. “My blood?”

She nodded again. “Yes. I have an immune disorder. That’s why I was coughing earlier. But when you gave me your blood… I felt different.” Her voice was soft, full of awe. “I don’t know how that’s possible, but it’s true. Your blood is like an antidote.”

I had given it to her on instinct, thinking maybe it could save her. Sometimes when your mate is dying, your blood can pull them back. But I never thought it would work on a human. Yet here she was, standing stronger than before.

“And in return,” I said slowly, “you agree to bear me an heir. You know that means you’d have to live with me. A total stranger.”

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “It might sound funny, but you’ve been more compassionate to me than my own family. They’re the real strangers. I’ll gladly take any chance that gets me far away from them.” Her voice cracked a little. She sounded broken.

Then she looked at me with those hazel eyes, and I saw that even her body felt drawn to me.

She felt it too. The bond. Even though she was human.

“But,” she added quickly, “after I give birth for you, I’ll leave. We’ll only co-parent. I want to explore the world. All my life, I’ve been tied to the inside of a building, but not anymore. That ends with this.”

I nodded and stepped closer to her. She swallowed hard, her body tense but not moving away.

“Alright then,” I said, using my hand to lift her chin to face me fully. “But I want you to know something. This arrangement means we’ll be intimate often. And I don’t just have sex. I fuck. Hard and rough. Are you sure you can handle it?”

She clenched her fists, eyes locked on mine. “Y…yes. I’m in.”

A slow smile spread across my face. The first real smile in years. My wolf purred inside me. Finally.

“Alright,” I said. “So what’s next?”

She let out a shaky sigh. “My wedding is tomorrow. And I think I've just found a new groom.”