CHAPTER 117: CHAPTER 117 FREEDOM

Victoria

The morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a golden glow across our tangled limbs. I opened my eyes slowly, my body deliciously sore from our passionate conquests of the villa. Leo’s strong arm was draped possessively over my waist, his breathing deep and even against my neck.

I carefully extricated myself from Leo’s embrace, padding naked to the balcony doors. The Mediterranean stretched out before me, endless blue meeting the horizon. Beautiful. Perfect. And somehow suffocating.

"Where are you going, little wolf?" Leo’s sleep-roughened voice sent a familiar shiver down my spine, but the usual heat that followed was noticeably muted.

I turned to find him watching me through half-lidded eyes, the sheet barely covering his magnificent body. Any other morning, I’d have been climbing back into bed without hesitation.

"Just needed some air," I replied.

Leo stretched languidly, his muscles rippling in a way that would normally have my mouth watering. "Come back to bed," he growled, the sheet tenting over his obvious morning arousal. "I haven’t fucked you in the master closet yet."

"Maybe after breakfast?" I suggested, reaching for the silk robe he’d bought me our first day here.

Leo’s eyebrows drew together as he sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist. "Victoria? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, just I feel—"I stepped back, needing space to think clearly. "like there’s more to experience than just these walls, amazing as they are."

Leo’s jaw tightened, a flash of hurt crossing his features before his Alpha mask slipped into place. "You’re bored of me already?"

"No!" I exclaimed, horrified at the misunderstanding. "God, Leo, that’s not it at all."

His expression softened slightly, though confusion still lingered in his eyes. "What do you need, Victoria? Tell me, and it’s yours."

I wrapped the robe tighter around myself, suddenly feeling vulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with my nudity. "I think I need a few hours to myself. To explore the island, see the town, just... breathe my own air for a bit."

A complicated array of emotions crossed his face—concern, possessiveness, and something like fear. "Alone? Without me?"

"Yes," I said quietly, holding his gaze. "Just for today."

Leo ran a hand through his sleep-tousled hair, his internal struggle visible in the tension of his shoulders. The Alpha wolf in him wanted to protect, to possess, to keep me safely by his side. But the man who loved me was fighting to understand.

"I don’t like it," he finally said, his voice rough. "But I won’t cage you, Victoria. Never that."

Relief washed through me, followed quickly by a pang of guilt at the obvious cost this concession extracted from him. I stepped forward, pressing my palm to his chest, feeling his heart pound beneath my fingers.

"Thank you," I whispered, stretching up to kiss him softly. "I promise I’ll be careful."

His arms came around me, holding me close as if memorizing the feel of me against him. "Take your phone. Keep it charged. Call me if you need anything—anything at all."

I nodded against his chest, inhaling his comforting scent. "I will."

"And be back before sunset,"he added, his tone making it clear this wasn’t a request.

I pulled back enough to look up at him, a smile tugging at my lips. "Yes,My Alpha," I teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

His eyes darkened at the title, his grip tightening momentarily. "Don’t start something you’re not planning to finish, little wolf."

"Rain check?" I suggested, running my fingers down his abs, feeling them contract under my touch.

Leo caught my wandering hand, bringing my palm to his lips. "I’ll hold you to that. Now, let’s get some breakfast in you before you go gallivanting off into the unknown."

Breakfast was a quiet affair, the tension between us not unpleasant but definitely palpable. Leo watched me over the rim of his coffee cup, his eyes following my every movement as if committing them to memory.

"You’re staring," I said, biting into a piece of perfectly ripe melon.

"I’m appreciating," he corrected, his voice low and intimate. "The way the sunlight catches in your hair. The curve of your throat when you swallow. The way you close your eyes slightly when you taste something you enjoy."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "Stop it."

"Never." His grin was wolfish. "If I’m to be deprived of your company for hours, I’m entitled to my fill now."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop my answering smile. "You’re impossible."

"I’m devoted," he countered. "There’s a difference."

After breakfast, I showered and dressed in a simple white sundress and comfortable sandals—clothes for exploring rather than seduction. When I emerged from the bedroom, Leo was waiting by the villa’s entrance, car keys in hand.

"I thought you might want a ride into town," he said, his casual tone belied by the tension in his shoulders. "Unless you’d prefer to walk the three miles in this heat."

I hesitated, torn between my desire for complete independence and the practicality of his offer. "A ride would be nice," I admitted finally. "But just to the edge of town."

The drive was short, the coastal road offering spectacular views that neither of us fully appreciated, both lost in our own thoughts. When we reached the outskirts of the charming whitewashed town, Leo pulled the sleek black Range Rover to the curb.

"Call me when you’re ready to come back," he said, his fingers drumming restlessly on the steering wheel. "I can be here in ten minutes."

"I might walk back along the beach," I said, enjoying the flash of frustration in his eyes. "The villa’s not that far if I take the coastal path."

Leo’s jaw tightened. "Victoria—"

"I’ll be fine," I interrupted, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "I promise I’ll call if I need you."

"You’d better," he growled, catching my wrist as I moved to exit the car. He pulled me in for a kiss that was pure possession, his tongue claiming my mouth in a way that left no doubt about who I belonged to. When he finally released me, I was breathless and dizzy.

"Just a reminder of what’s waiting for you at home," he said smugly, noting my flushed cheeks and rapid breathing.

I shook my head, trying to clear the Leo-induced fog. "As if I could forget."

With a final glance back at him—sitting there looking like sin incarnate behind the wheel of his expensive car—I stepped out into the sunshine and my first taste of freedom in years.