Talia's POV 
We had done the unthinkable! Pushed past that boundary, far past it. I felt free, really free. I was tired and exhausted and spent, but definitely well spent. It's worth it all over and over again. Kael was really gentle. Far more gentle than I thought he would be. He was sweet and kind, and sought consent for almost every other thing he wanted to do. It was a very beautiful sight. He looked so fucking vulnerable I wanted to pin him against the wall and go down on him again. 
I feel so proud when I think about how his hands shot up immediately when I took him in. His eyes rolled up like he had lost control of them.
  “Thank you.” he said, breaking the silence. We were just basking in each other's warmth, naked. 
  “For what?” I asked. I don't know what he expected me to feel, but somehow it stung me.
  “That.” I know what he was referring to. “It was beautiful.” He added, stroking my chin. 
  “You make it sound like I was offering some service.” I said and I inched away from him towards the wall. 
  “I'm sorry.” He sat up and looked at me. “I didn't mean it that way, it's just… I'm, I'm sorry, no excuses.” He said and smiled. I fell into the temptation to run my finger over his upper lip. 
  “There's something else.”I prodded him to continue what he broke off. 
  “Nah.” He replied immediately, shrugging it off. His broad chest was greatly distracting, but I was also enjoying the moment. 
  “I want to hear it.” I was firm, but soft. Running my finger lightly over his lip and maintaining eye contact
  “I have not done this since Isla.” He confessed, his gaze now fixed on his feet. 
  “I can't put a date on it for me, but it really does feel like forever.” I replied to him. I instantly felt his muscles release. “And the best ever.” I added with a shy smile. 
  “What would you think if I said I loved you?” He asked. He was sitting up now and looking straight at me. 
  “I would think your blood hasn't fully circulated yet.” 
He burst into a full throaty laughter, his Adams apple bubbling up and down, his head was thrown back as he couldn't stop laughing for more than a full minute. When he finally got control of himself, his eyes were water logged and glistening. 
  “I knew you were such a savage.” He said again and burst into laughter, more controlled this time
Then he was quiet. I low-key wanted him to still ask the question, so I'd know if he was being honest, or really just wanted to lie to me. But he was still quiet, his eyes fixed on me. 
  “I'm serious though,” He continued. My hopes shot through the roof. I felt the butterflies in my belly swarm up and down. “I mean it.” He said again. 
  “Are you asking for my permission to love me?” I asked, making sure my tone passed how ridiculous I thought it was across. 
He took my leg into his lap and started rubbing. I love foot rubs. And he was just so good at it, I did not want him to stop, and he saw it. 
  “You know that's not what I'm saying.” I disregarded my already building reservations. “There's something I want to tell you, but I fear you may find it weird.” He continued. 
One more thing?! I was struggling to contain my heart in its cage. 
It wasn't easy. What else now. At least before he was smiling, but he wasn't anymore. 
  “I know what must be running through your mind. So whether you want to hear it or not, I'll say it.” He was still massaging my foot, and so I just kept mute and fixed my eyes on him. “Sometimes, I make the mistake of relating with you like I did with her…” He paused and looked me in the eye. Now, everything I felt had begun to double. Was he actually just attracted to Isla’s body and not me? Was he trying to get close to me so he could be in her, my body?
  “She was, well, what you would call meek. Definitely not as opinionated as you.” He continued, smirking. “She was more docile. I guess all those contributed to how she easily adjusted to not having me in her life.” His face was surprisingly straight. Or maybe a balance between hurt and contentment. I was honestly surprised, and maybe proud of myself for having that effect on him. 
  “I'm sorry.” I said. 
  “You don't have to be.” He said dismissively. “That's all in the past now, isn't it?” He raised my foot up to make it easier for himself, but I did not see it coming so I winced. “Sorry.” Kael apologized, feeling bad. 
  “How are you?” I asked. I took one of his hands off my feet and was rubbing it. He enjoyed it and just stayed still, staring at me, barely blinking. 
  “Haven't seen better days in a while now.” He said truthfully. And it made me smile. I had broken through him. Looking back, it seemed like something that would never have happened. The rogue Alpha, who's also rumored to be a lycan, the feared Kael, falling for me. I felt proud. He looked like such a scared little kid. I wanted to lay his head on my chest and rub his worries away, but that's certainly not possible. 
  “There would be more like this.” I replied. I immediately saw his face light up like a billion candles had been placed in the room like this. His excitement was genuine. I loved being the one who made him happy. 
  “Promise me.” He begged, his eyes glistening like a cute puppy. It made me laugh out loud. It was my turn now, 
  “I don't make promises.” I replied, teasing him. He let out a playful growl and scrunched his face into something that was supposed to to show he was angry, it only made him look funnier. “Alright, alright. Let's see how it goes?” I said, reaching for a compromise. 
  “That's a polite ‘no’. I got it.” He didn't look pissed or annoyed, just straight faced. 
  “What am I even promising?” I asked him. 
  “A lot of things. Let's start with getting rid of that damn wall you've built all around.” His eyes were looking at everything but me, and I know he was probably holding his breath waiting for a reply. 
  “Deal.” I said. Running the foot he was massaging up and down his body.