Clarissa's POV
I trembled as his warm breath fanned across my skin, his lips tracing gentle paths over my body. For this one night, I wanted to be selfish. I had never craved another person's touch as much as I craved Dante's at this moment.
He moved with a deliberate slowness that I deeply appreciated. Being inexperienced, the rush of sensation was almost overwhelming. My body ached for him, a deep, pulling heat that made me feel finally complete, not just as a woman, but as the Luna of his pack.
"Don't stop, Dante!" I gasped when he momentarily pulled away. His touch was the missing piece of my life, and if I had the choice, I would spend every remaining day in his embrace.
"Relax, I am all yours," he murmured. His voice was laced with a sincerity that made me fall even harder. Suddenly, I felt a desperate urge to please him in return, though a flicker of doubt crossed my mind, could I ever make him feel as good as he made me feel?
The sound of tearing fabric signaled that the final barriers between us were gone. I felt a wave of shyness, but it was eclipsed by the joy of being vulnerable with him. He was my first, and I hoped with everything in me, he would be my last.
However, he suddenly paused, his gaze fixed on me with an unreadable expression.
"Do… Don't you like it?" I stammered, my heart sinking. The silence made me feel exposed and uncertain.
"You are perfect for me," he whispered. The words echoed in my ears, bringing a flood of relief. Since my parents had passed in that tragic accident two months ago, Dante had been my only anchor. The Moon Goddess had given him to me for a reason, and I wasn't ready to let go. I closed my eyes, imagining our future. Strong Alpha sons and fierce she-wolves. As long as we were together, nothing else mattered.
Dante's POV
I loathed myself for the kindness I was showing my enemy's daughter. But I knew one wrong move could ruin years of planning. I had to endure this. Once the mating was sealed, her reputation would be mine to break. She would be as worthless as the bloodline she came from.
I couldn't deny the physical pull, though. My wolf was howling, driven mad by the fact that she was our fated mate. When I looked at her, everything about her was alluring, and for a split second, my guard slipped. "You are perfect for me," the words left my lips before I could catch them.
Then, her scent hit me, the underlying notes of the man I despised. It was a cold splash of reality. If she weren't his daughter, I would have made her the most powerful Luna in history. But the Moon Goddess had cursed me with her, and I intended to make her feel every bit of that curse.
I positioned myself between her thighs, sliding home with a cautious friction. I didn't want to hurt her, not out of mercy, but because I didn't want to agitate my wolf and lose control of the play. I felt her flinch, the sharp intake of breath confirming her innocence. I was taking her last shred of dignity, and I felt a dark satisfaction in it.
Clarissa's POV
The initial sting was sharp, but it quickly faded as he paused, allowing me to adjust to him. When he began to move, it was a slow, rhythmic heat that reached every part of me. I moaned softly, grateful that I had saved this moment for my mate.
The pace quickened, turning intense and primal. His low groans were music to my ears, a sign that he was lost in this with me.
"F*ck," he growled, his hand reaching out to caress me as he pushed deeper.
"Don't stop, Dante," I whimpered, wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him closer, wanting to bridge every physical gap between us.
"You are so tight," he cursed again. Before I could catch my breath, he shifted, guiding me onto my hands and knees. A spark of fear flickered in my chest at the new position, wondering if the pleasure would turn to pain, but I trusted him implicitly. I was his, and he was mine.
"Don't worry, baby. I plan to show everyone exactly who you belong to when you leave this room tomorrow," Dante whispered. His words warmed my heart, stilling my frantic pulse. He loved me and he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I let myself sink into that assurance.
"Ahh…" I gasped as he moved behind me, his hands like iron grips on my hips, anchoring me to him.
The night blurred into a haze of exhaustion and heat. After two rounds, my eyelids grew heavy, but each time I began to drift, the jolting impact of our bodies pulled me back to the surface. By the time Dante finally collapsed beside me after two more rounds, I was beyond words. I wanted to tell him I loved him, but sleep claimed me before the first syllable could leave my lips.
I woke up the next morning with a dull ache radiating through my limbs, a soreness I wore like a badge of honor. I was finally Dante's mate, his Luna. When I found his side of the bed empty, I smiled, assuming he stepped out to handle Alpha duties. I dressed quickly, eager to begin my first day as the pack's Luna.
But the moment I stepped into the dining hall, the air turned to ice.
The pack elders and Dante's assistants were all gathered, their faces grim. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a woman sitting in the chair to Dante's right, her long hair draped like a curtain over her face. 'Why were they all still here? The ceremony is over.' I thought.
Dante didn't look like a man who had spent a blissful night with his mate. He wore a dark, stony frown. Panic flared in my chest. Had we been attacked? Was the pack in danger?
"Good morning, Alpha Dante," I said, keeping my tone formal for the elders as I took my seat to his left.
It was then that the woman looked up. My blood ran cold. It was my sister, the one who had eloped and abandoned the family years ago.
"We have been informed that you lied about the mate bond," An elder sitting near me started, his voice cutting through my confusion. "That you deceived the Alpha into your bed under false pretenses."
The world tilted. I looked at Dante, waiting for him to growl, to defend me, to roar at the elder for such an insult. But he didn't even blink.
"Without further ado," the elder continued, "you are stripped of your title. You will be relocated to the Omega quarters to begin your punishment as a servant."