Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 119

Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Foreign Scents

Victoria

The golden light of late afternoon had begun to soften, casting longer shadows across the beach. Leo’s warning about returning before sunset echoed in my mind.

"I really should get going," I said to Nicos, who was carefully cleaning his brushes. "My husband will be wondering where I am."

Nicos nodded, though disappointment flickered across his expressive face. "Of course. But the offer stands for another sitting. This painting is good, but I feel there’s more to capture about you, Victoria."

"I’d like that," I admitted, surprising myself. "But our schedule is... flexible. I’m not sure exactly when I’ll be free."

He seemed to consider this, then brightened. "How about this? When you know you can come, text me about two hours before. That will give me time to set up properly." He gestured toward his easel. "Good light is everything, and I’d want to be ready for you."

"That sounds perfect," I agreed, taking the small business card he offered. His cell number was scrawled on the back in blue ink, already slightly smudged from his paint-stained fingers.

As we said our goodbyes, Nicos reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips in an old-world gesture that felt at once charming and slightly presumptuous. "Until next time, my American goddess."

I gently extracted my hand, aware that Leo would detect even this innocent contact. "Goodbye, Nicos."

Walking away, I could feel his eyes following me up the path. The wolf inside me—Ava—stirred uneasily.

*He sees something in us,* she whispered. *Something others don’t.*

"He’s just an artist," I murmured under my breath. "They see the world differently."

*Be careful,* Ava cautioned. *Not all dangers come with fangs and claws.*

The walk back to the villa gave me time to collect my thoughts. I felt lighter somehow, as if the simple act of making my own choices—even small ones like sitting for a painting—had lifted a weight I’d carried so long I’d forgotten it was there. Yet alongside this newfound freedom was a twinge of guilt for not telling Leo the whole truth about my day.

As I rounded the final bend, my heart quickened at the sight of him. Leo stood at the entrance to our villa, golden in the setting sun, his powerful frame outlined against the whitewashed walls. The moment he spotted me, his entire body seemed to relax, though he maintained his casual pose leaning against a pillar.

"Cutting it close, little wolf," he called, his voice a mixture of relief and restrained possessiveness.

I quickened my pace, suddenly eager to close the distance between us. "I kept my promise—still daylight."

When I reached him, Leo pulled me against his chest in one fluid motion, burying his face in my hair and inhaling deeply. I melted into him, savoring his familiar scent and strength.

"You smell like salt and sunshine," he murmured, but then he stiffened slightly. "And something else."

I pulled back to meet his gaze, deciding honesty was the best approach—at least partial honesty. "I met some locals. Explored the marketplace. Walked on a different beach."

His nostrils flared subtly as he processed the foreign scents clinging to me. "Someone touched you." It wasn’t a question.

"A vendor shook my hand," I said lightly, omitting Nicos’s more gallant gesture. "And I bumped into a few people in the crowded market. Nothing worth mentioning."

Leo’s eyes narrowed slightly, but instead of pushing, he bent to capture my lips in a kiss that quickly deepened from welcoming to claiming. His hands slid possessively down my back, drawing me flush against him as his tongue sought entrance. I responded eagerly, my body instantly remembering its hunger for him.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Leo pressed his forehead against mine. "I missed you," he admitted, vulnerability flickering briefly across his features. "Ronan was restless the entire time you were gone."

"I missed you too," I said softly, tracing the line of his jaw with my fingertips. "But Leo, it was amazing. I’ve never just... wandered without purpose before. Never explored somewhere new on my own terms."

His expression softened. "Tell me about it. Everything."

We moved to the terrace overlooking the sea. As the sky transformed through shades of orange and pink, I described the marketplace, the foods I’d tasted, the conversations with locals—carefully editing out my encounter with Nicos. I told him about connecting with the ancient olive trees.

"The trees here have such different energy than the forests back home," I explained. "They feel wiser somehow, more patient. Like they’ve seen empires rise and fall and consider it all just a blink in their long lives."

Leo listened intently, his eyes never leaving my face. "Your connection to the natural world is extraordinary, Victoria. "

As I finished recounting my day, I turned the conversation to him. "What about you? What did the big bad Alpha do while his mate was off exploring?"

Something flickered across his face—so brief I might have imagined it. "Business calls, mostly. Shadow Pack doesn’t run itself, even from halfway across the world."

"That sounds boring," I teased, reaching for my wine glass. "No skinny dipping in the private pool? No wild parties with the local wolf pack?"

He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Nothing so exciting."

I studied him over the rim of my glass. "You’re not telling me everything."

Leo’s expression turned carefully neutral. "Some pack matters are better not discussed during honeymoons."

"I thought we were past keeping secrets," I said quietly.

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