Nicolas’s POV

Her scent was wrong.

The discordant note hit me the moment I stepped inside, cutting through the familiar sweetness that had burrowed under my skin since marking her. Underneath lay something sharp, artificial. My wolf stirred, a silent growl in my chest.

She sat rigidly on the bed’s edge, pale in the lamplight, the fading bruise on her cheekbone stark. Her wide eyes were fixed on the floor, tension choking the air. Then she moved. Jerkily standing, she crossed the space and walked right into me. Her arms slid around my waist, her face pressed hard against my chest, muffling a gasp-sob. She clung like I was her only anchor in a collapsing world.

I froze, mind racing, trying to reconcile the wrong scent with this desperate vulnerability. My arms hung uselessly for a beat before I deliberately wrapped them around her, pulling her slight, trembling frame tight. My hand found the back of her head, fingers tangling in her soft hair, anchoring us both.

Her huge blue eyes, swimming with unnameable emotion, met mine. Raw vulnerability punched the air from my lungs. She pushed up onto her toes, her mouth finding mine.

The sudden assault short-circuited my mind. Then instinct roared. A guttural sound tore from my chest – surprise and unleashed hunger. Questions vanished. My arms locked like iron bands, crushing her against me. Control shattered. I kissed her back with ferocious desperation, my mouth devouring hers, demanding, possessive, claiming. *Mine.*

Her gasp ignited something primal. My grip tightened. One hand slid up her spine, tilting her head to deepen the kiss; the other pressed possessively against her back, molding her to me. She yielded completely, body softening, arching. Her hands clutched my shoulders. Her breathy whimper sent heat jolting to my groin. My cock surged hard against her stomach.

I broke the kiss, forehead resting on hers, both breathing hard. Her lips were swollen, eyes dazed. The scent suspicion was a distant murmur. She was responding. "Come here," I growled, unnecessary. I claimed her mouth again, slower but no less intense, deliberate. My hand slid down her spine, over her ass, pulling her tight against my erection. She gasped, hips shifting minutely. My lips found my claiming mark, kissing it possessively.

"Nicolas—" My name was a fractured plea on her lips.

"You’re trembling," my voice rough. My thumb traced the mark, eliciting a shudder. Her pupils were blown wide. "Does it hurt?" I searched her eyes.

"No," she breathed, utterly sincere. But her breath hitched. A flicker of fear or guilt flashed before she masked it.

"Your scent," I said, gaze tracing her face, dropping pointedly to her throat. "It’s different. What have you been doing?" She held my gaze, silent.

She looked up, clear and direct. "I missed you." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

My hand fisted gently in her hair, my arm lifting her slightly as my mouth crashed onto hers fiercely. I walked her backwards to the bed, lowering her down, following, covering her body with mine. My hands slid under her shirt, finding warm skin, the curve of her ribs. She arched as my thumb brushed her breast. The bra barrier maddened me. Breaking the kiss, I trailed hot kisses down her throat, feeling her frantic pulse. Her head fell back.

"Off," I rasped against her skin. She sat up, pulling her shirt off swiftly. Pale skin, delicate collarbones, soft breasts barely contained by cotton. Beautifully thin. My hand covered her breast, feeling her hard nipple. She gasped, arching. I lowered my head, taking the peak into my mouth through the fabric. Her sharp cry, her hips lifting, the scent of her pure arousal flooding my senses – finally overpowering the chemical taint. Mine. Wet. For me. My hand slid down, popping her button, lowering her jeans and panties. She kicked them free, bare before me, legs falling open. Pale curls, glistening wetness. My cock throbbed.

I shed my clothes impatiently. Kneeling between her thighs, I spread her legs wider, staring at her slick core. A finger slid through her wetness. I tasted her. Sweet. Tangy. Perfect. *Mine.* "Look at me," I commanded thickly. Her heavy-lidded eyes met mine as I lowered my head. My tongue found her clit. She arched violently, crying out, fingers tangling in my hair, holding on. I feasted, licking, sucking, thrusting my tongue inside her tight heat. Her moans, her grinding hips – it was obliterating. Two fingers slid inside, curling upwards. Her inner walls clenched.

"*Nicolas!*" she screamed. Her body bowed, rigid, then shattered. Wave after wave pulsed around my fingers. I gentled my touch, drawing out her climax until she collapsed, trembling and gasping.

I moved up her body, my cock nudging her soaked entrance. Her dazed eyes met mine, lifting her hips in invitation. Positioning myself, I pressed against her opening. She was so tight, hot, wet. "Look at me," I growled. Her eyes locked onto mine as I pushed forward slowly, burying myself to the hilt. She gasped. I held still, deep, letting her adjust. Her walls clenched rhythmically.

"Move. Please," she whispered raggedly.

I withdrew slowly, then thrust back hard and deep. She cried out. I set a punishing rhythm. Her legs wrapped around my waist, heels digging in, pulling me deeper. The slap of skin, her desperate cries. My hand found her breast, pinching her nipple. She met my thrusts fervently. Tension coiled again. I shifted, driving deeper, grinding against her clit. Her eyes flew open, shocked. "*There!* Oh God, *there!*"

I drove relentlessly. Her second climax hit like a freight train. Her body locked, back arched, a raw scream tearing free. Her violent spasms milked my cock. Control shredded. With a roar, I buried deep and came, pulsing jet after hot jet inside her. Wave after wave of intense pleasure left me shuddering.

I collapsed onto her, forehead pressed to hers. Ragged breaths mingled. Her body trembled beneath mine. I rolled us onto our sides, pulling her close, my softening cock slipping free. Her breathing evened into sleep. I held her, listening to her breathe, her scent clean and pure. The wrongness was gone. Only Irina. Mine. Asleep. Questions could wait. I pressed my lips to her head, breathing her in, and surrendered to exhaustion.

* * *

Sunlight woke me. Warmth. Her soft weight pressed along my side. Scent: Clean skin, sleep-warm, and Irina’s sweetness. No taint. Just her. Eyes closed, I savored her presence against me. Mine. Utterly.

Then, a shift. A subtle tensing. Not asleep. Aware.

I opened my eyes. Light streamed across the rumpled sheets onto her face. She lay facing me, head propped on one arm, pale hair a tangle. Her wide blue eyes were fixed on mine.