Chapter 3 Garrett

I shut the door behind us with the heel of my shoe. Then I set Natasha down gently at the foot of the bed.

For a brief moment, we simply looked at each other. My gaze dropped, while hers searched mine.

We took in each other's scent, almost like wild creatures.

The Alpha in me recognized his mate, and the Consort in her recognized her Alpha.

She was the one meant for me. I knew it deep in my bones, and so did she, even if Natasha had spent years refusing to admit it.

At the same instant, we reached for each other.

We kissed passionately, like two people who had been kept apart not just for months, but for years.

Years... Long, bitter years.

A flash of anger flickered in my eyes.

She should have always been mine.

Only mine.

My hand, once cradling her cheek, drifted down her elegant neck until I reached her nape, lifting her smooth hair away.

There, my fingers found that mark that never failed to enrage me.

Brent's mark. My cousin's.

It was a tattoo. A skull.

Miquiztli. The symbol of death from our homeland, Colombia.

He had used a symbol of death to tie his alpha mate to himself. That alone showed how little Brent understood about souls that were truly meant to be together. He never grasped the depth of the bond between an Alpha and his Consort.

For him, Natasha was nothing more than a tool. A way to boost and steady his Alpha strength.

But a Consort was so much more. She was the soul of her Alpha's heart. The guardian and protector of his sacred flame. They needed each other to survive. When an Alpha finally found the one meant for him, they fit together in a way that could never be forced.

Brent and Natasha never had that. Not even close.

They were never meant to be together.

She belonged to me, Brent-do you hear me? She was always meant for me.

For a moment, I felt tempted to leave that tattoo visible while I made love to her, just so Brent would feel it. So he would know I had finally claimed what was rightfully mine.

But then I remembered what that would mean. Brent would seek revenge on Natasha, or he would challenge me to a fight to the death. If I killed him, I would earn the right to have Natasha by force. That was not the way I wanted it. I did not want to stake my claim through violence and blood. Those days had long since passed for our people. Only those who had lost their way still resorted to such things.

We had evolved. We were meant for something greater.

With a cynical smile, I traced the skull tattoo with my nail. As I did, a low sound slipped from my lips-a small, rough click of my tongue.

With my lips pressed to those of my beautiful Consort, I savored the fresh intimacy between us. My hand traveled down her spine and came to rest on her lovely behind.

Natasha trembled under my touch. She sensed the break from her Alpha at once.

Startled, she pulled away from my mouth and stared up at me, a small gasp slipping out.

The constant shadow of fatigue she had carried ever since Brent marked her had vanished from her eyes. Her scent, too, grew even more alluring. That faint bitterness that had always clung to her, likely Brent's mark, was gone.

An Alpha's scent would always linger on the mate he had marked, or after their time together. But tonight, Natasha was free. She was finally able to choose me.

Her lips parted in amazement. She could hardly believe what she was feeling, and I knew why. By severing that delicate link between her and her Alpha, I had shown her a side of myself she had never seen before.

Yes, Natasha. I was not just any Alpha-I was one of divine blood.

My bloodline reached all the way back to the very first Alphas. We were direct descendants of the First Beings, the ones who walked this earth long before humans ever appeared.

That made me stronger and infinitely more dangerous than a regular Alpha like Brent.

Without shying away from what I was, I leaned in close and explained in a low, rough voice, "Just for tonight..."

For all my strength, I could not truly sever the tie between her and my cousin. I could only weaken it, or block it for a little while. That was the best I could do.

Suddenly, Natasha was filled with questions. I could see the curiosity burning in her eyes, pushing aside every other thought.

She wanted to know how powerful I truly was.

She wondered where my ancestors had come from. Did the First Beings really emerge from the Amazon, as the Elders always claimed?

Natasha had never realized the Alpha bloodline in the Cortez family ran so deep. Now, she was hungry for answers.

A crease formed on her brow as she thought aloud. "But if that's true, why are Brent and you the only ones in the family who inherited the supernatural alpha gene? And if you are a divine Alpha, doesn't that mean Brent is, too?"

A headache started to pound behind my eyes. My commanding voice slipped out without meaning to.

"Natasha!"

She fell silent at once, wide-eyed, as if startled in the wild. I immediately regretted it, so I gently wrapped my arms around her waist, drawing her close and brushing her lips with mine to make it right.

"Not now," I murmured. "Tomorrow, I'll answer everything you want to know. All right, my love?"

I refused to let her protest, closing the distance and silencing her with another kiss.

Natasha's arms wound around my neck as she answered my kiss with her own. Our bodies pressed so tightly together that she could feel my arousal against her belly through the sharp trousers I wore tonight. She shivered in my embrace as I let my hand slide down her back, lifting her leg and setting it against my hip, letting me grind against her in a way that was both instinctive and sensual.

She matched my movement, arms tight around my neck, rising on her toes to rub her warmth against the hardness pressing at her through my pants.

We moved against each other, the heat between us fierce and wild, our hearts burning until it seemed we might be consumed.

Natasha nuzzled her cheek against my chest, and I buried my face in her soft hair, drinking in the intoxicating scent of her desire.

Suddenly, I pulled away, unable to wait any longer.

I did not bother with slow undressing. I tore her dress from her in one swift motion.

Natasha seemed too frustrated by the ruined dress to bother covering herself, her body now laid bare before me.

Her indignation faded almost instantly, because in the next moment she hurried toward me, tugging at my clothes with just as much impatience as I felt. I was only halfway through loosening my tie when she started tearing my shirt open, popping the buttons off and scattering them across the floor.

Natasha was done pretending to be shy. Her wild, passionate spirit took over as she pulled the shirt off my shoulders, her eyes widening as she stared at the tattoo covering my forearm, curling up over my shoulder, and spreading across my right chest.

Quetzalcoatl. The feathered serpent.

It was the symbol of my family, the one passed down through my mother, the one I had always claimed as my own.

The serpent was inked in shades of green, its ruby eyes watching her with an almost sentient spark, as if it was pleased to witness my union with my Consort at last. The Alpha's tattoo was alive- an outward sign of the sacred bond we shared with the First Beings, who once roamed this earth and taught us its secrets.

Mine was even more special. The ritual ink used to make it followed the ancient method of those spiritual ancestors, a tradition the Alphas still honored.

Natasha could feel the power pulsing from my tattoo, the way it seemed to breathe with supernatural life. For a moment, she could only stare, caught in a spell of fascination.

I took off my shoes, letting her look as much as she wanted. I guided her hand to my chest, giving her the chance to touch me. Natasha let out a soft gasp of surprise, her fingers moving over the tattoo, tracing every intricate line and detail.

The quiet sound of my belt buckle echoed through the room as I undid it, slowly sliding it from the loops of my pants. Her hand traveled down from my chest, following the dark trail of hair to where the fabric stretched tight.

Natasha bit her lower lip, then leaned in close, moving with a slow, sultry grace.

She unzipped my pants and eased them down.

Kneeling in front of me in her delicate black lace underwear, she looked up, her gentle eyes fixed on the bulge in my boxers. She moved slowly, never looking away, as she pulled my boxers down, freeing my arousal, which sprang up, rigid and eager.

Natasha ran her tongue over her lips, staring at the swollen, flushed tip, so ready to finally be inside her.

With a slow, reverent touch, she wrapped her hand around the base of my shaft and guided it to her lips.

At first, she kissed me softly, treating me with care and adoration. I leaned over her, watching the devotion in her expression as she tasted me for the first time, her tongue exploring with a hunger that took my breath away. Her eyes widened, and she savored every stroke, as though she were sampling something exquisite.

It truly was our first time sharing such closeness, and together, we lingered in that new intimacy.

I had always kept my distance from Natasha, but all of that belonged to the past now.

At last, she took my length into her sweet, heart-shaped mouth, and a deep moan of pleasure escaped me. My hand settled gently on her head while she lavished attention on me, and I barely touched her, only caressing the silky strands of her hair.

I refused to force her or give in to the urge to push for more. The Alpha within me craved dominance, wanted to claim her fully, to command her to surrender and take everything from her. But I had sensed, even through her silence, just how harsh Brent had been with her in the past. I would never be like him. I would not be one of those Alphas who cared only for their own satisfaction, cruel and thoughtless.

So I held back the wilder side of myself. Natasha was the keeper of my soul. The true heart of my world. I would never do anything to force her, not now, not ever.

I had promised myself long ago to treat her like a queen. To never deny her anything, and above all, to never force her into anything she did not desire. I could have-after all, I was a Divine alpha.

I possessed a gift unlike any other.

With a single word, I could bring crowds to their knees.

With a single word, I could awaken alphas to supernatural life.

Natasha quickened her pace, drawing another deep, satisfied growl from my throat.

It was becoming harder and harder to resist.

To keep control.

To hold back the wild creature inside me that was desperate to break free.

I wanted to take her, to lose myself in that primal heat.

If this kept up, I knew I would not last.

"My love..." I whispered, my voice rough with longing.

Natasha shivered when she heard those words of love. She looked up at me with such innocence, my arousal still in her mouth.

She had no idea what she did to me.

She never truly understood-at least, that was what I believed.

I reached for her shoulders and gently urged her to stop.

"If you keep going, I'll climax."

But I wanted our first release to happen inside her.

Natasha rose slowly to her feet, letting go of me with obvious reluctance. Without wasting a second, I caught her by the shoulders and kissed her deeply, tasting myself on her tongue and breathing in the scent of her arousal. My hand slipped between her thighs, caressing her through the delicate lace that was already drenched with her excitement.

It was like a fresh wind feeding the sacred fire inside me, making the blaze burn so hot it threatened to consume us both if we waited any longer.

I gave a sharp tug and slid her panties to the floor. Natasha must have been just as desperate as I was, because she immediately started tearing off the lacy demi-bra she wore.

Soon, her chest was revealed to me, her small, firm breasts lifted toward me so beautifully. They were perfect-neither too large nor too small. Just right for my hands and mouth.

I wanted them. I was desperate to taste them.

But an even stronger need surged inside me- the need to be inside her. I could see the same hunger burning in her eyes. Her breasts could wait. We had the whole night ahead, after all.

I took her by the shoulders and pulled her onto the bed, making her tumble backward. Gripping my arousal, I moved closer to where she lay, ready to claim her. But then I stopped short.

Damn it! I didn't have a condom.

It had been so long since I brought anyone back to my room that I hadn't even thought to grab a condom before leaving Orlando.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked timidly from the bed.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I admitted that I had forgotten to bring protection. "But I'm sure Royce has some. Just wait, I'll-"

"There's no need!" Natasha interjected quickly. Then, in a much softer voice, she looked away and admitted, "Brent and I have tried for a long time... but the doctor said I was..." Her words trailed off into a faint whisper.

A tightness gripped my throat. My Consort was infertile. We would never have children of our own.

For me, a man who already had a daughter born outside of marriage, it was not a devastating blow. But for Natasha-who adored children, and especially as a woman of our kind-it was heartbreaking. Among alpha consorts, infertility was an unspoken wound. Non-dominant alpha women often dreamed of being chosen as soulmates, guardians of the sacred flame, and bearers of an alpha's children. For Natasha, this was a secret hope-a calling she had never spoken aloud. To carry the child of her chosen alpha.

Sensing her discomfort, I decided not to dwell on such a painful subject. Instead, I knelt on the bed, feeling the mattress dip beneath my weight, and gently slid my hand between her thighs. I spread her legs apart, taking in the sight of her soft, dark curls and the sweet wetness that told me how much she wanted me. My need to taste her was fierce, but at that moment, the urge to be inside her was even stronger. The ache in my body was almost unbearable. Still, I promised myself I would take my time with her later. I would savor her, lick and tease her until she trembled with pleasure, not once, but over and over again.

I stroked her gently, never breaking our gaze as she looked back at me, feeling the force of my desire.

Tonight, my sweet Consort, I was determined to make her forget every harsh word or cruel act Brent had ever used to make her feel unworthy-especially for something as heartbreaking as not being able to give him children.

As if she sensed what I was thinking, Natasha spread her legs wider, inviting me in. I eased one finger inside her, then another, carefully making sure her tightness was ready to receive me.

Her body arched, trembling with every movement of my hand. Just before she could reach the edge, I withdrew my fingers, wanting us to experience that first climax together.

Leaning over her, I kept my eyes on hers while I guided my length between her soft, slick folds, letting her feel the heat and promise of what was about to come. I pressed closer, our faces almost touching.

My arms trembled, muscles flexed on either side of her delicate body, as I fought to enter her gently, giving her all the tenderness she deserved.

Tonight, I intended to cherish every inch of her flawless body.

Her soul would come to me in time, but tonight, our bodies had their own demands.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment, I leaned down to her left breast and bit her firmly, as if I wanted to leave a mark.

But that was impossible, and we both knew it.

The Alpha in me was driven by something deeper-irrational, wild, and hopelessly possessive.

Natasha's body arched beneath me, lifting her chest so I could sink my teeth deeper into her soft flesh.

Like a child at its mother's breast, I bit down and tasted the faint copper tang of her blood.

Natasha's hand tangled in my hair, holding me tightly to her heart.

For one fleeting moment, she belonged to me completely, and I belonged to her. In that instant, we were the only souls in the universe.

When I felt her reach the height of pleasure, I let go too, crying out her name with everything in me-the name of the one who was always meant for me.

Natasha!