Ethan’s POV

​The silence that followed my confession was heavy, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing. Rebecca’s jaw dropped, her sea-blue eyes searching mine with a mix of shock and desperation.

​"You’re lying," she whispered, though I could see the realization already dawning in her gaze. She was looking at my stance, the raw authority in my eyes, and the way my wolf’s power rippled under my skin—things she had mistaken for a warrior’s strength. "You can’t be... he’s supposed to be... I was told..."

​I didn’t let her finish. I leaned in and captured her lips again, but this time, the kiss was deep, claiming, and filled with a terrifyingly beautiful certainty. I was marking her soul before I ever touched her skin with my teeth.

​"I am Alpha Ethan," I growled against her lips, letting my true aura flare out—the heavy, golden weight of a pack leader. "And now that you know... do you still plan on running from me, Princess?"

​Her strength seemed to vanish. She broke down, her forehead thudding against my bare chest as she let out a sob of pure relief. She wrapped her arms around my waist, clinging to me as if I were the only solid thing in a world that had just turned upside down.

​"I thought I was losing you," she choked out through her tears. "I thought I was going to be forced into a bed with a stranger."

​I pulled her closer, my heart fluttering in a way I didn’t think was possible for a man like me. "You were really going to do it," I murmured, stroking her blonde hair. "You would have ruined your reputation, your throne, and your name... all for a bond with a man you thought had nothing to give you but his love."

​She pulled back slightly, her face flushed and her eyes shining with a fierce, honest light. "I don’t care about status, Ethan. I don’t care about crowns or alliances. I wanted you. I felt the pull the moment I saw you across the field. If being with you meant being a nobody, then I would have been a nobody for the rest of my life."

​My chest tightened. She was perfect. After years of wondering if I’d ever find someone who saw me and not just the Alpha title, here she was—willing to burn her world down just to stay by my side.

​A playful, curious look crossed her face, and she wiped a tear away. "What if I really were just a maid?" she asked softly, her voice testing me. "What if I weren’t the Princess you needed for your pack’s future? What then, Alpha?"

​I didn’t even have to think about it. I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. "The second I smelled you, the marriage with the Princess was dead," I said firmly. "I would have walked into that hall tomorrow, canceled the treaty, and faced the war just to keep you. I would choose you over the crown, the pack, and my own life every single time."

​She blushed a deep, beautiful red, a small smile finally tugging at her lips. "Too bad I’m the Princess, then," she teased, though her voice was thick with emotion. "I guess you get to keep your kingdom and your mate."

​She threw her arms around my neck again, hugging me so tightly I could feel every curve of her body pressed against mine. "Where have you been?" she whispered into my skin. "I’ve waited so long for this... for you."

​I buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of roses and woman. "I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice thick with a year’s worth of loneliness finally fading away. "I’m so sorry for finding you this late. But I promise you, Rebecca... I’m never letting you go again."

​I pulled back just enough to look at her, my eyes dark with a different kind of hunger, but I forced my wolf to stay back. I needed to do this right.

​"Come on," I rasped, my voice thick with the restraint I was forcing on myself. "Let’s go inside."

​Before she could even take a step, I hooked my arms under her knees and back, lifting her into my arms. Rebecca let out a soft gasp that turned into a radiant smile, her arms instinctively winding around my neck. I carried her out of the training yard, her blonde hair spilling over my arm like silk.

​As we entered the mansion, the world seemed to go silent. Servants froze in the hallways, and guards snapped to attention, their eyes wide with shock at the sight of their Alpha carrying a girl dressed in a messy maid’s uniform. But none of them dared to speak. Not a single remark or whisper followed us. My aura was a warning: she is mine, and I will tear apart anyone who questions it.

​I took her straight to my private chambers and kicked the door shut. I gently sat her down on the edge of my bed. Rebecca stood up after a moment, her sea-blue eyes wandering over the room until they landed on a large, framed portrait of my wolf, Jax.

​She walked over to it, her fingers trembling as she ran a hand over the painted fur. "He looks so beautiful," she whispered.

​Inside me, Jax purred, leaning into the mental image of her touch. He was already hers. She turned back to me, her face flushed with heat, and draped her arms over my neck, pulling me close until our chests were flush.

​"I want you, Ethan," she breathed, her lips inches from mine. "Right now."

​God, I wanted her too. Every muscle in my body was screaming for me to throw her onto the mattress and claim her until the sun came up. But I couldn’t—not like this. I had to do things the right way. More than that, she was a virgin, and I didn’t want her to remember her first time as a frantic encounter while she was still dressed as a servant.

​"I can’t make love to you tonight, Rebecca," I said, my voice strained. I saw her eyes fall, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face, so I stepped even closer, my hands sliding down to grip her hips. "But I have other ways to make you feel how much you belong to me."

​I leaned down, my nose brushing against hers. "I’m going to worship every inch of this body until you’re shaking, baby. I might not be able to mark you or sink into you just yet... but I’m going to make sure that by the time I’m done, you won’t be able to think about anything but me."

​I reached for the hem of her gown again, my eyes locked onto hers. "Are you ready?"