Bonus

(POV: Sophie)

The First Night of Sophie with Albert, Before the Public Ritual.

"What's going on?" I divert my gaze from the window and rest it on Albert.

"Nothing." I try not to show.

"I may not have known you for very long, but I'm pretty sure something is on your mind." He diverts his attention from the road and looks deep into my eyes.

I sigh. I guess this is what having a mate is like. As Lina used to say, mates always know when something is wrong with their partner. I find that beautiful, cute, and romantic.

"I was only thinking about everything my sister and I have been through," I confess and turn my gaze back to the landscape outside.

"I suppose there were many battles," Albert says.

"Yes, many."

"One day, I want to hear all about them."

"One day, I'll tell you some of them." I smile faintly, still looking out of Nicollas' car window. "Ana, you..."

"I think your sister dozed off." Albert alerts me. I look at the back seat, and indeed, she's sleeping. "Today was a full day."

"Indeed." I agree.

The rest of the journey is spent in silence. Albert was lost in his thoughts and paying attention to the road, and I was lost in my memories. It's a relief that Ana and I are no longer alone in this world.

I snap out of my reverie as I sense Albert's hand on my thigh. I instinctively move my leg away from his touch. He retracts his hand, and I sense that I've made him feel awkward. But come on, we met today, and he's already touching me like that? Without even having a conversation first?

"We've arrived, Sophi," he says after a few seconds of silence following my rejection of his touch.

"Oh, right." I undo my seatbelt and get out of the car.

As I set my feet on the ground, I take a deep breath, stretch my arms above my head, and yawn. I stand like that for about thirty seconds, and when I turn to check on Ana in the back seat, Albert walks past me.

"Let me carry her," he says, reaching into his pocket. "Unlock the door." He hands me the keys and opens the back door, picking up my sister.

I follow him, since it's nighttime, I don't get a good look at Albert's house from the outside.

"The golden key unlocks the balcony gate, and the big silver one opens the front door," Albert explains.

I open the gate and then proceed to the front door. I step aside to let Albert enter first, carrying my sister in his arms, and then I follow.

As I step inside, I take a deep breath and stretch my arms above my head again. I stand like that for about thirty seconds, and when I turn to check on Ana in the back seat, Albert walks past me.

"Let me carry her," he says, reaching into his pocket. "Unlock the door." He hands me the keys and opens the back door, picking up my sister.

I follow him, since it's nighttime, I don't get a good look at Albert's house from the outside.

"The golden key unlocks the balcony gate, and the big silver one opens the front door," Albert explains.

I open the gate and then proceed to the front door. I step aside to let Albert enter first, carrying my sister in his arms, and then I follow.

Inside a bit more, everything is dark, but I can see as if I'm wearing night vision goggles. I look around the simple (not really) living room in awe, not because of the room's decoration, but because I can see in the dark.

The room is furnished with two large red sofas, a reclining armchair, a shelf with DVDs, CDs, books, and a 65-inch TV mounted on the green wall.

"The switch is next to the television," he says, heading upstairs.

"Alright." I go where he pointed and turn on the light.

"Sophie!" he shouts, and I rush up the stairs.

I sniff the air and follow it to a room in the middle of the corridor with an open door. I enter the room and help him adjust Ana on the bed.

"Ready!" we say simultaneously and laugh at that.

"Where will I sleep?" I ask, stopping my laughter.

"Over here, madame." He exits the room.

I follow Albert to a door at the end of the corridor. He opens the door and gestures for me to go in. I enter, and he turns on the light. The room has a double bed with white sheets and pillows, a wooden nightstand beside it with a picture frame on top. I approach and, from the picture, see a younger Albert with a baby in his arms. Whose baby is this?

"My sister," he says as if he had read my thoughts.

"She's beautiful. How old is she now?" I put the picture back in its place.

"Two months old."

"What's her name?"

"Stephanie."

"And where is she?" I look at him as he closes the door.

"At my parents' house, far away from here." I sit on the bed, and Albert kneels in front of me, placing his hands on my knees. I tense up at his touch. His touch is warm, pleasant, but no man has ever touched me like this, and... I lose my train of thought as I look into Albert's eyes. "What do you think of the room?" he asks.

"It's... very nice," I say, embarrassed.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes."

"Good, this is where we'll sleep." He gets up and moves away.

"Together? Both of us? In the same bed?" The words stumble out of my mouth when he starts unzipping his pants.

"We're mates. Where did you think we'd sleep?"

I don't say anything. I'm fixated on his body, now bare-chested. Don't ask me where this man's shirt is; I have no idea, nor do I care.

Albert looks at me and starts to lower his pants. I avert my gaze and feel my face flush.

"Sophie?" I look at him, and he holds out his hand to me. I take it, standing up from the bed.

"W... what are you going to do?" I ask, trying not to lower my gaze.

"I don't mind if you look at me naked.  After all, I'm yours, completely and solely yours," he whispers in my ear. And I close my eyes, but soon open them as I sense the zipper of my dress being pulled down.

"No!" I speak abruptly and pull away.

Albert stares at me as if my reaction hurt him. I swallow hard and feel my eyes welling up.

"We literally met today, it hasn't even been ten hours. We don't know anything about each other, we're like two strangers...," I start to speak, not daring to look at him, "I've never been with another man, my parents always told me to only give myself to the right man, and now..."

"I am the right mate, Sophie. The goddess of the moon herself chose me for you," Albert says and comes closer to me.

"I know, but all this is very new to me, do you understand? Only this morning, I was still a simple human, seeking a better life for me and my sister. And now out of nowhere, magically, I've turned into a werewolf, and there's a naked male in front of me trying to take off my clothes, and..."

"Shh," he places his finger on my lips, "I will undress MY mate, you are mine, and I am yours. Understand, we were made for each other. I own your body, only as you own mine, Sophi," I shiver at his words, and he smiles at my reaction.

"But..."

Albert silences me by placing his lips on mine. He starts to kiss me, and awkwardly, I return the kiss. I begin to mimic his movements, his mouth is so sweet, soft... Albert ends the kiss with a peck.

I keep my eyes closed, still absorbing the magic of having given my first kiss.

I sense the thin fabric of the dress leaving my body. Which is now fully exposed except for the white lace panties hiding my intimacy.

I shiver as kisses are left from my bust to the bottom of my belly. I open my eyes as I sense Albert's hands over my panties.

"So delicate, only like the owner," he says before abruptly tearing my panties. Making me let out a surprised scream, "Much better without them," he says and kisses my groin. I sense my face burning as if it's on fire.

I sense every drop of my blood heat up, my heart is racing so fast that I might have a heart attack at any moment.

I open my mouth in surprise as I feel Albert's lips on mine, and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. I sense butterflies in my stomach, and my hands are sweating and trembling.

Albert picks me up and lays me on the bed, ending the kiss and looking into my eyes.

"I promise to go very slowly and not hurt you. Do you trust me?"

I want to say I don't trust him, I want to push him away, I want to cry, but I can't. The wolf inside me is eager to have him, and it's influencing me.

"Yes, I trust you," I say.

Saying this, he starts to penetrate me, and a tearing pain takes over me. Causing me to bite my lower lip so hard that I taste blood.

Albert stops entering and kisses me. He starts to penetrate me again without breaking the kiss until I sense him fully inside me. Gradually, the pain subsides and is replaced by immense pleasure. Making our bodies heat up so much that droplets of sweat are already dripping.

As we finish the night, Albert lies to me on my side, and we sleep in a spooning position. I never thought my first time would be so good. All my fears and doubts have fallen away.