Alpha's Atonement

Hellfire of the Past Part 2

Natalie’s POV

Seeing Nicholas shift into his wolf shattered the version of the world I’d been clinging to. I had spent my whole life fighting to be normal, but watching him, I realized he lived with a raw, undeniable purpose. He had so much power, yet he carried it with such a crushing weight. His words—my sacred self—echoed in my mind.

He was only wearing a pair of low-slung jeans, the denim clinging to his hips. Looking at his torso was like looking at a masterpiece carved from granite. He was perfectly sculpted—broad shoulders, powerful arms, and a six-pack that rippled with every breath he took. He had the most magnificent, toned, and fierce body I had ever seen, a physical testament to a century of survival.

"If we are done ogling," Nicholas said, a trace of a smirk playing on his lips, "then let’s head back. The sun is about to set." I looked away shyly, suddenly conscious of just how long I’d been staring.

As usual, he walked me back to my suite. The silence in the hallway was heavy, charged with the kind of electricity that precedes a storm. I bit my lip, my nerves frayed and my body expecting his touch again. The "human" logic was gone; there was only the pull.

He stopped at my door and looked at me with somber, searching eyes. "I hope I was able to show you my world today. I wanted to draw you a bit closer," he said, his voice dropping to a low, intimate register. "Tell me, Natalie... what do you see me as?"

I looked up at him, truly seeing the man behind the crown. "You are remarkable," I told him softly. "Kind, and truly inspiring. Thank you for bringing me into your world."

Nicholas stepped into my space, his heat radiating off him. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, we were breathing the same air. He brought his mouth closer to mine, stopping just inches away, hovering there to see my reaction. He was giving me the choice. I leaned in, my mind going completely blank as the last of my defenses crumbled.

He crashed his lips into mine with a hunger that was borderline feral. One of his hands tangled in the hair at the nape of my neck, holding me steady, while his other hand traced down my thigh. With effortless strength, he lifted me, and I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him as close as possible.

The kiss deepened, turning from a question into a demand. He began to suck on my bottom lip, his tongue teasing mine, and a jolt of pure electricity shot through me. I could feel the resonance of his pressure deep in my core—a low, vibrating thrum that settled right in my vaginal walls. My heart raced, and my body felt like it was melting into his.

When he finally released my lips, I was the one to pull him back, desperate for more, my hands clutching his bare shoulders. I didn't want the air; I wanted him.

After a few breathless minutes, he finally pulled away, his forehead resting against mine. We were both gasping for air, our pulses erratic.

"Good night," he whispered breathlessly.

He set me down and turned to leave before his self-control snapped entirely. I stood in the doorway, my lips swollen and my body aching, watching him walk away.

Nicholas POV

I walked down the corridor, the taste of her still lingering on my lips, my skin humming with the memory of her legs wrapped around my waist. I felt ecstatic. She had kissed me back—not with hesitation, but with a hunger that matched my own. It meant she didn't fear me anymore. She had seen the beast, and she had still reached for the man.

Novartis was practically howling with joy inside my mind, his mental tail wagging so hard it made my head spin. Mate. Ours. I could have stayed there all night, losing myself in the scent of her skin and the softness of her mouth. I was already feeling the pulsating erection of my d**k, a mounting pressure that told me exactly how much my body wanted her. But I held back. I wanted more than just a physical claim; I wanted her love, in whatever human way she could muster.

The moment was shattered by a sharp, authoritative tug in my mind.

My study. Now. My father’s mind-link was cold and uncompromising. I let out a low, frustrated growl. Reluctantly, I turned away from the memory of Natalie and headed toward the Royal wing.

When I pushed open the heavy doors to his study, the atmosphere was thick with tension. My father sat behind his desk, looking every bit the King, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he slid a thick, weathered file across the table toward me.

"I need you to investigate this," he said, his voice level.

I frowned, looking at the charred edges of the documents inside. "The fire at the Research Facility? This happened years ago, Father. Why are we digging up ashes now?"

As he began to recount his conversation with Samuel Castellanos, the air in the room seemed to vanish. He told me about Professor Linden, the corruption in the lab, and the targeted suppression of Natalie’s bloodline.

By the time he finished, my blood was boiling. Novartis bared his teeth, pacing behind my ribs, wanting nothing more than to come out and break the bones of anyone who had ever laid a finger on our mate’s DNA.

Someone had tried to "fix" her. Someone had tried to steal her heritage before she was even old enough to know it. Someone was the reason she was away from me all these years.

"Samuel believes Linden might have faked his death," my father added, his eyes meeting mine. "If he’s alive, he’s a ghost with the power to castrate this entire kingdom."

I gripped the edge of the desk, my jaw was locked so tight it ached. My role as the Prince and my instinct as a mate had finally collided.

"I’ll get right on it," I rasped, the blue in my eyes flaring into a dangerous, electric glow. "If Linden is still breathing, I’ll find him. And I’ll make sure that this time, there won't be enough of him left to start a fire."

I turned on my heel and walked out, the mission clear. I wasn't just protecting a kingdom anymore. I was hunting the man who tried to break the woman I loved.