Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Rosa

Victoria

Sunlight poured through the tall windows, scattering across the white sheets and illuminating the grand bedroom like liquid gold. I stirred with a soft groan, every muscle in my body stiff and sore. The bed was impossibly soft, and yet I felt as if I’d been run over by a truck—or more accurately, by a six-foot-three Alpha who knew exactly how to break down every wall I’d built.

I shifted carefully, the soreness a deep, lingering ache that radiated from my core down to my trembling legs. Moon Goddess, I thought, pressing a hand to my churning stomach. The memories of last night came in flashes: Leo’s weight pinning me to the mattress, his hands gripping my hips with possessive strength, the way he had slowed when he realized I was shaking, his deep voice whispering that he would never take more than I was ready to give.

Heat flooded my face as I remembered my own shameful surrender. I had been the one to beg him in the end, breathless and desperate, so long as he didn’t kiss me—because kissing felt like too much, too intimate, too final. And he’d agreed, his lips roaming everywhere else, driving me to the edge of madness.

A firm knock on the door made me jolt. My heart leapt into my throat.

"Victoria?" Leo’s voice rumbled through the door, deep and smooth, carrying that unshakable authority that curled around my spine like a leash. "Are you awake?"

I scrambled upright with a wince, my thighs protesting. My hair was a tangle around my face, and I spotted the shirt crumpled on the floor where I’d kicked it off the night before. "J-Just a minute!"

When I opened the door, Leo filled the doorway—impossibly broad, his chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of someone fresh from a run. He was dressed in a fitted black athletic shirt, damp with sweat and clinging to every hard line of his torso, and dark joggers that hung low on his hips. A sheen of sweat glistened along his neck and collarbone, and a few strands of dark hair were stuck to his forehead.

His eyes swept over me slowly, lingering for a heartbeat on my bare calves before returning to my face with a faint, knowing curve to his lips.

I blinked, caught completely off guard. He looked like he’d just finished a brutal morning workout—and yet he stood there like it was nothing, not a hint of fatigue in sight.

How was that even possible after everything he did last night?

I stepped back instinctively, letting him into the room, still slightly dazed by the sight of him.

"You’ve been running?" I asked, my voice a little breathier than I’d intended.

Leo stepped inside, he nodded, casually wiping his forehead with the hem of his damp shirt, unintentionally—or very intentionally—flashing a glimpse of his chiseled abs.

"Five miles," he said, as if it were nothing. "Then weights. Just a light session."

I stared at him, wide-eyed. "After last night?"

He arched a brow, lips twitching into a half-smile. "You say that like I’m supposed to be tired."

"You’re not?" I asked, genuinely baffled.

He shrugged, taking a step closer. "Wolves recover fast. Especially Alphas." His voice dipped slightly. "You’ll learn that soon enough."

My cheeks flushed, and I quickly turned away, pretending to fix the edge of the blanket on the bed. "You make it sound like I’m going to be tested on it."

Leo chuckled, the sound low and warm behind me. "Not unless you want to be."

I rolled my eyes, but the smile tugging at my lips betrayed me. "Is everything a flirtation with you?"

"Only the things that matter," he said smoothly.

I turned around, crossing my arms over my chest. "And what exactly is it you think matters?"

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at me—really looked. His gaze softened, the usual intensity giving way to something quieter, steadier.

"You," he said simply.

"Next time," he murmured, low enough that I barely caught it, "I’ll make sure you can still walk in the morning."

"Leonard!" I squeaked, my face flaming.

He chuckled, the sound a rich vibration that slid under my skin like silk. "We have a busy day ahead," he said. "I’m going to shower first. Once you’re ready, go downstairs and have breakfast. My Beta and Gamma will be coming to meet you."

The knot in my stomach tightened. I hugged my robe closer, the fabric suddenly feeling too thin against the weight of my nerves. "That... sounds overwhelming," I admitted.

"They need to see you," Leo said simply. "And you need to know them if you’re going to stand at my side."

Instead, he let his hand fall and stepped back, his jaw tightening as if he were holding himself in check.

"Get dressed," he said, his voice a shade rougher now. "Something formal but comfortable. "

I nodded quickly, trying to ignore the way my heart was thundering against my ribs. "O-Okay."

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