Ylva's fingers sent bolts of electricity along the expanse of his hardened abdomen, eliciting the gentlest of gasps from the alpha's parted lips. He stopped where he was, allowing her to explore the dips and hard lines of his muscles with her fingertips. He couldn't find the words to describe what he felt as he stood there looking down at her, and wondered if perhaps there was something unique about her, something unknown to him, something unknown to Antony. Had the usurper known of any special qualities Ylva held deep within her blood he would have used those as a selling point, another reason to accept the beautiful wolf as a gift to Valko and his pack. But whether Ylva was something more than wolf, Valko couldn't say.<br/><br/>“Ylva—” he began, but he was cut off by the she-wolf's words, quietly pushing him away, at least verbally. It seemed even she didn't have the desire to pull herself from him completely, and Valko watched carefully as her palm came to rest over his beating heart. “My hunger whispers to me,” he said gently, reaching out to touch her cheek with the tips of his fingers, rough and calloused. “I do not understand what it is,” he admitted, “but your touch both sates and ignites a yearning in me I cannot define. That you feel this too is... comforting.”<br/><br/>He smiled as she explained herself, shaking his wet head. Droplets ran down the sides of his throat as he chuckled. “I do not fear the eyes of the curious,” he countered. “We are wolf. For us, there is no more pleasurable experience than enjoying a lover's body beneath the moonlight.”<i>Except perhaps a particularly exhilarating kill</i>, he thought, though he couldn't decide which sensation pleased his inner beast more thoroughly. In that moment, both sounded analogous to euphoria. Despite this desire, Valko could feel the eager animal in him calm. He breathed in slowly, closing his eyes as Ylva's hand grew heavier on his chest. It was pleasant and soothing, like burrowing beneath a pile of furs on a snowy winter night.<br/><br/>Her voice pulled to him again, encouraging him to open his eyes. The desire to take her was further quieted by the reminder that she still didn't feel safe, and as alpha it was his job to calm her fretting mind. “There is no safer place within the pack than with its alpha,” he agreed. “Once we have set up a new space for you, and you are comfortable with the Kriki wolves, you are welcome to leave. But for now... you should stay with me.”<br/><br/>Valko placed his hand on Ylva's wrist, removing the palm from his chest. He lifted up her fingers, staring before pressing his lips against them, kissing each digit one by one. He growled his appreciation against her hand, sending low, deep vibrations through her bones.<br/><br/>“Come,” he instructed, dropping her hand and pulling away once he had finished his gentle ministrations. “My dwelling is situated in the middle of pack territory. My father believed a good alpha should be available to his pack at all times, open and honest with himself and his activities. He built our home with his own hands.”<br/><br/>Valko returned to the river's edge, shaking the remaining water from his hair while letting the cool night air dry the rest of his body. He collected his clothing from the dirt but did not bother dressing, handing over Ylva's pretty slip once she followed.<br/><br/>The alpha's home was a long, rectangular building set into the ground and made of wood, with walls covered in a layer of peat to keep out the wind and chill. It stood approximately twelve feet high, larger and taller than any of the more modest homes encircling it, with a roof covered in living, wild greenery. Hunks of moss crept to the edge of the roof, threatening to spill over as Valko led Ylva inside.<br/><br/>A fire was already burning in the middle of the home, set into a deep pit. One of his wolves must have anticipated their need for warmth that evening. Although there were no windows, the space felt wide and open, with only two doors leading off into separate rooms. The rooms had been constructed for privacy, though Valko rarely spent time in there. The alpha had even moved his bed out into the common space, a large wooden hand-carved frame with a stuffed mattress on top, covered in a pile of animal skins and linens.<br/><br/>“There is another bed set up in the spare room to the left,” he explained, not wanting Ylva to think she had to sleep next to him after politely suggesting they not indulge their instincts. “But you're welcome to rest wherever you like,” he added quickly.<br/><br/>Valko tossed his dirty clothes into a woven basket before walking over to the fire, letting the warmth of the flames wash over his long limbs. “If you have any special requests for your home, please let me know. I want you to feel comfortable here. As a daughter of alphas, I will see you receive everything you need. Your position merits respect.”<i>Respect Antony denied you.</i>