The night air was crisp once the sun had descended behind the rugged mountain peaks. As they had trekked higher and higher, the path had become steeper and the dense forest had grown thicker. Yet, Lev hardly felt any fatigue blanketed between his mate's presence and his rich, alluring scent.
Now that Leo was getting to stretch his legs, switching between human and wolf, deep in the mountains with Aleksandr and his pack, he realized that maybe it was something he had always secretly desired. As a wolf he had played with his mate while they were trekking, chasing him and getting chased, nipping his mate's wolf and climbing him from behind. He had utterly safe and free, as if he were floating on air, running on wind.
Aleksandr seemed to have no trouble keeping up with him even while keeping the pack in order, guiding the wolves along on the path for camping. Aleksandr had already scent-marked Leo so much that at times, when Leo was trotting behind while his mate was leading at the front, someone from the pack just casually slowed down to wait for Leo to catch up with them. It made Leo feel included and showed just how caring everyone was in his mate's pack.
Finally, as dusk painted the sky with shades of orange, pink and purple, the pack reached the shores of Krasnyy Lake on Mt. Ruskell. Its shimmering waters reflected the fading light, creating an enchanting sight. Leo stood on the shore, taking in the mesmerizing view.
Leo could hear the pack shuffling behind him and turned his head just in time to catch the guys racing past him towards the shore. Loud splashes and cheers surrounded him as the wolves jumped in the lake and howled. Some of them had already shifted back to their human forms while some were still shaking their wet fur.
The scene in front of him was loud, rowdy and boisterous.
Leo loved it. He had never felt so free anywhere else before. Not even with Jake and the guys. He had grown used to their company thanks to their interactions in the university but the the roars and snarls mixing in with the shrieks and laughter of the pack pierced his soul in a startling manner. It was almost as if he could pick apart the voice of each and every member in the pack. It made him want to run and jump in the water to join in the fun, as well.
Leo realized it could be because of his mate. He could be feeling this affection towards the pack he had just met because his mate was feeling it. And because Leo was connected to his mate now. Better than before. In a way that allowed him to better pick up on his mate's senses and emotions. Their mate bond must have grown stronger.
He looked around for Aleksandr and found him a little further ahead near the bank, staring at him already. He had shifted to human and was standing there in his underwear, looking like a gorgeous sculpture carved by a Renaissance artist. Aleksandr nudged his head towards the water, silently urging Leo to jump in the water.
Except Leo had one thing to do first.
Maybe it was the night creeping in, the adrenaline of hiking up a mountain on a full moon night, the loud noises of his mate's pack or maybe it was just his wolf being all omega for his alpha.
But just as he had run away from Aleksandr before, this time he wanted to run towards him.
So he did.
His wolf bolted toward his mate, instinct and longing propelling him forward. Mid-sprint, Leo shifted, fur giving way to skin, power merging into his human form, just in time to leap into Aleksandr's waiting arms.
Aleksandr had already sensed Leo's intent. He moved swiftly, effortlessly, closing the distance. Then, those arms, two pillars of raw strength, all muscle and heat, wrapped around Leo's waist, catching him midair as if he weighed nothing at all.
Leo's legs instinctively locked around his mate, breath catching as their bodies met. In that suspended moment, there was only one word echoing in his mind, fierce and certain: mine.
My Sasha.
Aleksandr held him there, suspended effortlessly in his arms. Their bodies pressed so close Leo could feel the steady, pounding rhythm of his mate's heart. His own was racing, wild and unrelenting, each beat screaming for the man holding him.
Their eyes met—Leo's wide with need, Aleksandr's dark with something deeper, more primal. Then Aleksandr leaned in, slow but sure, as if savoring every second of the anticipation. Their lips brushed once, a teasing ghost of contact, before Aleksandr claimed him in a kiss that left no room for doubt.
It was fire and hunger, a clash of need and knowing. Leo melted into it, fingers tangling in Aleksandr's hair as he pressed in closer, desperate to feel more. The kiss deepened, tongues meeting, exploring, tasting. Aleksandr growled low in his throat, the sound sending shivers down Leo's spine.
Everyone else faded. Everything else disappeared from Leo's mind. Leo had never been so bold as to openly make-out with someone in front of an audience but at that moment, in Sasha's arms, he couldn't have cared less. A tiny part of him even liked the fact that his mate was claiming him with his lips.
Leo's hands roamed over Aleksandr's shoulders, the muscles rippling beneath his fingers, firm and unyielding. Aleksandr pushed him gently back, his grip possessive, reverent. Their bodies molded together perfectly, like two halves snapping into place.
When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Leo's lips were kiss-swollen, his eyes glazed with desire.
Aleksandr's voice was rough, almost a whisper against Leo's skin. "You're mine."
Leo smiled, panting softly, forehead resting against his mate's. "As you are mine."
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It's a little short, I know, but I couldn't wait to share it.
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