Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 117

Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Freedom

Victoria

The morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a golden glow across our tangled limbs. I opened my eyes slowly, my body deliciously sore from our passionate conquests of the villa. Leo’s strong arm was draped possessively over my waist, his breathing deep and even against my neck.

I carefully extricated myself from Leo’s embrace, padding naked to the balcony doors. The Mediterranean stretched out before me, endless blue meeting the horizon. Beautiful. Perfect. And somehow suffocating.

"Where are you going, little wolf?" Leo’s sleep-roughened voice sent a familiar shiver down my spine, but the usual heat that followed was noticeably muted.

I turned to find him watching me through half-lidded eyes, the sheet barely covering his magnificent body. Any other morning, I’d have been climbing back into bed without hesitation.

"Just needed some air," I replied.

Leo stretched languidly, his muscles rippling in a way that would normally have my mouth watering. "Come back to bed," he growled, the sheet tenting over his obvious morning arousal. "I haven’t fucked you in the master closet yet."

"Maybe after breakfast?" I suggested, reaching for the silk robe he’d bought me our first day here.

Leo’s eyebrows drew together as he sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist. "Victoria? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, just I feel—"I stepped back, needing space to think clearly. "like there’s more to experience than just these walls, amazing as they are."

Leo’s jaw tightened, a flash of hurt crossing his features before his Alpha mask slipped into place. "You’re bored of me already?"

"No!" I exclaimed, horrified at the misunderstanding. "God, Leo, that’s not it at all."

His expression softened slightly, though confusion still lingered in his eyes. "What do you need, Victoria? Tell me, and it’s yours."

I wrapped the robe tighter around myself, suddenly feeling vulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with my nudity. "I think I need a few hours to myself. To explore the island, see the town, just... breathe my own air for a bit."

A complicated array of emotions crossed his face—concern, possessiveness, and something like fear. "Alone? Without me?"

"Yes," I said quietly, holding his gaze. "Just for today."

Leo ran a hand through his sleep-tousled hair, his internal struggle visible in the tension of his shoulders. The Alpha wolf in him wanted to protect, to possess, to keep me safely by his side. But the man who loved me was fighting to understand.

"I don’t like it," he finally said, his voice rough. "But I won’t cage you, Victoria. Never that."

Relief washed through me, followed quickly by a pang of guilt at the obvious cost this concession extracted from him. I stepped forward, pressing my palm to his chest, feeling his heart pound beneath my fingers.

"Thank you," I whispered, stretching up to kiss him softly. "I promise I’ll be careful."

His arms came around me, holding me close as if memorizing the feel of me against him. "Take your phone. Keep it charged. Call me if you need anything—anything at all."

I nodded against his chest, inhaling his comforting scent. "I will."

"And be back before sunset,"he added, his tone making it clear this wasn’t a request.

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