Working alongside Valko over the next few weeks had become the absolute highlight of your routine. The initial nerves had completely melted away, replaced by a comfortable, easy rhythm. Today, however, things were a bit quiet. You stared at your monitor, noticing a lag in the incoming data feeds from the Association. Having less work was a nice change of pace, allowing you to catch up on some lingering administrative tasks, but the silence in the room was palpable.
You jumped slightly as a large, heavy warmth suddenly clamped down on the top of your head. Before you could protest, Valko’s big hand gently tilted your head back, forcing you to look up at him. Even upside down and looking at him from this ridiculous angle, it irritated you just how fiercely handsome he was.
Valko smirked down at you, the tips of his sharp fangs flashing. "I have an idea."
You let out a soft huff. "Dangerous, but go on."
"We're running low on data, correct?" he asked, his deep voice rumbling.
He finally released your head, but instead of stepping back, his hands gripped the back of your rolling chair. He leaned down, bringing his face incredibly close to yours, trapping you in his space. "Wanderers tend to be attracted to certain areas of interest. Like cities... and deep woods."
You narrowed your eyes at him, sensing a trap. "Where exactly are you going with this, Chairman?"
"I know some woods we can go to," he murmured, his eyes flashing with amusement. "We can watch the Wanderers in their natural habitats."
"You want to go to the woods?"
You lifted your head, spinning your chair around completely to face him properly. "For like... a few days?"
He smirked, giving you a firm nod. "That's right."
You hummed, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, actually, sounds like a good idea. We can go, observe them from the field, and come back."
"Come back?" Valko tilted his head, a chuckle vibrating in his chest. "Oh, no. We'll be staying over."
Your jaw dropped slightly. "Staying over? Here? At the office?"
He shook his head, a look of pure mischief crossing his face as he casually slid his hands into his lab coat pockets. "Nope."
"Wait..." A sudden realisation hit you, and your eyes widened. "Are we... sleeping in the woods?"
"Camping, yes," Valko confirmed, his plush wolf ears giving a tiny, excited twitch. "Do you camp?"
You nodded slowly. "I do. I've done it a few times."
He hummed a satisfied laugh, his chest expanding. "Great. Then we'll do that. I'll organise everything. You just worry about yourself."
You swallowed hard, your pulse quickening at the intense, predatory glint that suddenly took over his eyes. He looked less like a tech genius and a lot more like a wolf who had just successfully lured his mate right into his territory.
"Sure," you gulped, hoping he couldn't hear how fast your heart was suddenly beating.
You finished your shift and went home that evening, fully expecting to meet Valko back at the office the next morning to head out. However, the universe, and your eager boss, had other plans.
The next morning, just as you were finishing up breakfast, a firm knock echoed through your apartment. You opened the door and blinked in sheer shock. Valko stood on your welcome mat with a brilliant, blinding smile. He had completely discarded his stiff corporate suits. Instead, he was wearing a tight, black, sleeveless turtleneck compression shirt. Without his jacket or sleeves, his towering, muscular physique was on full display, every broad line of his shoulders and the thick contour of his arms completely visible.
His eyes dragged down your figure, taking in your light summer camping clothes. "Look at you," he murmured, his voice deepening as a dark smirk spread across his lips. "With your legs out."
You looked down at your exposed legs, suddenly feeling very bare, then looked back up at his teasing expression. "Maybe I should go put on some trousers..."
Before you could step back, Valko’s massive arm snaked around your waist. He pulled you flush against his chest, his high body heat radiating right through your clothes. "No changing," he rumbled gently, his warm breath fanning across your ear and sending a delicious shiver down your spine. "You look perfect."
"Thank you..." you whispered, your cheeks burning.
He gently guided you back inside your place. "Do you have everything?"
"I have my phone... do I need anything else?"
Valko shook his head. "No, I have everything prepared. Just lock up and let's head out."
"Got it." You nodded, turning around to quickly finish up.
As you moved around your apartment, washing up your breakfast dishes, turning off the lights, and making sure everything was locked away, Valko followed you like a shadow. Within minutes, the confined space of your apartment filled with your scent, completely overwhelming his sharp senses. To his inner wolf, this was pure heaven.
While your back was turned, the sophisticated CEO completely vanished. He began wandering around your living room, picking up a stray cardigan you had left on the back of a chair and taking a deep, blissful sniff of the fabric. He moved to your shelves, curiously picking up one of your favourite collectables to examine it, but his large hands clumsily fumbled. The mighty alpha briefly panicked, a look of pure terror crossing his face as he barely caught it before it could shatter on the floor. He quickly set it back, clearing his throat and trying to look casual.
You walked back into the living room, slinging a light backpack over your shoulder. "Valko? What are you doing?"
"Just looking," he said smoothly, acting as if he hadn't almost caused a minor disaster. He wrapped his arm right back around your shoulders, steering you toward the door. "Let's head out."
The journey in Valko’s luxury car took hours. With his gentle blessing, you ended up curling up in the passenger seat and napping for most of the ride. When you finally arrived at the edge of the deep woods, Valko insisted on carrying the vast majority of the heavy camping gear himself. He led you down a winding woodland path, eventually veering off into a completely private, hidden clearing tucked under the shade of a massive ancient tree, right beside a crystal-clear lake.
The two of you worked together to pitch the camp, but once the structure was up, a sudden realisation hit you.
There was only one tent. It was incredibly cosy, which meant you were going to be sharing a very enclosed, intimate space with a literal apex predator.
You forcefully pushed the rising blush down and tried to focus on the actual mission: observing the local Wanderer data. Leaving the main camp, you set up your high-tech cameras and automated EonCore bots near a known Wanderer tracking zone. It was fascinating to watch the creatures move through the wild, and Valko stayed glued to your side the entire time, his sharp intellect guiding your observations.
"Sun is setting soon," Valko mumbled, his eyes shifting from the monitors to the sky. "Wanna watch?"
You gripped your handheld camera tightly. "Mm, yeah. I'd like that."
Before you could ask how he planned to get a good view, you let out a sharp squeak as Valko suddenly scooped you into his arms. With impossible strength and agility, he leapt straight up into the sturdy branches of the massive tree above. He sat you down safely on a thick branch, keeping his heavy arm securely locked around your waist to keep you anchored against his side.
Being out in his natural element meant he could no longer hold back his instincts. His plush wolf ears were fully popped out, twitching contentedly in the evening breeze, and his thick, fluffy tail had uncurled. As you sat together, his tail slowly slid around your waist, resting over your lap like a warm, protective blanket. The sheer amount of heat and his intoxicating scent rolling off him made you feel completely dizzy.
"Nice, right?" he asked softly.
Your heart was racing a million miles an hour against your ribs. "The sunset is lovely," you hummed, staring out at the vibrant oranges and pinks bleeding across the sky.
Valko looked down at you, completely ignoring the sunset in favour of admiring your face. "We should do this more often," he murmured, his voice soft and filled with a deep affection. "Admiring the sun... and the nature around us."
You looked up, meeting his warm eyes. "Yeah. I'd like that."
The two of you sat in a peaceful, comfortable silence as the last rays of the sun finally dipped below the horizon, completely vanishing. In its place, a blanket of brilliant stars began to blink into existence, surrounding a luminous, silver moon. Seeing the night sky unfurl over the lake was magical. You couldn’t help but admire the shifting beauty of the forest, the way the daylight birds faded out, replaced by the deep songs of the night, nature coming to life.
A low, deep chuckle vibrated against you, cutting through the quiet. "Cold?" Valko asked softly.
You looked down at your bare arms and legs, noticing the goosebumps forming as the crisp night air rolled over the lake. You let out a small shiver. "Oh. A little, yeah. Guess we'll have to head down and start that fire, huh?"
"Hold on." Before you could even think about climbing down yourself, Valko’s massive, sleeveless arms wrapped securely around you. He pulled you tight against his chest and stepped off the branch, dropping down to the forest floor with impossible grace. "I'll make sure you stay warm."
"Thank you," you breathed. Clinging to him like this felt natural now. He was so incredibly warm, his thick fur ears brushing lightly against your hair, and he smelled so good that a small, secret part of you desperately didn't want to leave his hold.
Valko gently set you down on a comfortable camping chair before reaching into the gear and handing you a thick blanket. "Stay warm and watch the master work."
He turned back to you and gave you a confident, playful wink. You couldn't help but roll your eyes, a fond smile tugging at your lips. "Master, huh? You got any credentials to show for that title?"
"What are you talking about?" Valko laughed, a rich, booming sound as he gestured down to his own hyper-toned, powerful frame. "Look at me."
You openly eyed him, letting your gaze linger on his broad shoulders and the tight compression shirt. "I'm looking, and I ain't seeing any credentials, Chairman. You just look like a wolf CEO to me."
He crouched down by the stone fire pit, gathering the kindling. "Wolves belong in the woods."
You leaned forward, resting your elbows on your thighs as you watched him work. "But you're always tucked away in a corporate office."
"That's because you're there," he murmured. Valko paused, looking over his shoulder directly at you. In the dim twilight, you could see those striking golden-yellow eyes glowing with a soft, intense warmth, and a light, boyish blush was dusting his cheeks as he smiled.
Your breath hitched, your heart doing a sudden backflip at his honesty. But before you could even attempt a witty response, WHOOSH!
The kindling caught a sudden, massive gust of oxygen, and the fire roared to life with a fierce, dramatic explosion of light. Startled by the sudden blast of heat, the great, terrifying Alpha leader let out a tiny yelp and fell straight backwards onto his bum. His plush wolf ears instantly pinned flat against his head in shock, and his big, fluffy tail swished wildly in the dirt as he scrambled to look composed.
You stared at the blazing fire, then at the billionaire CEO sitting flat on the ground looking bewildered, and burst into a fit of loud, unstoppable laughter.
"Well!" you gasped out between giggles, wiping a tear from your eye. "You certainly made me eat my words! That is an incredibly impressive fire, Valko."
Valko huffed a little, an amused, attractive smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, little bunny," he murmured, pushing himself up from the dirt and stepping back over to your chair. "Just you wait."
You tilted your head back, looking up at him. "Oh? Are you expecting me to mess up?"
"There's still time," he teased.
You hummed a laugh as he crouched down directly in front of you, bringing those glowing golden-yellow eyes level with yours. "Evil wolf."
"I am," he whispered, his smirk widening.
You couldn't resist. You reached your hands out of your blanket and playfully fussed his wolf ears, scratching the base until a soft, helpless smile broke across his face. Valko unconsciously turned his head, pressing his nose against your wrist to take a deep, grounding sniff. You had gotten so used to his constant scent-checking by now that it just felt natural.
"I'll make dinner," you offered, shifting in your chair.
He looked up at you through his dark lashes. "Are you sure? I can do it."
"Well," you chuckled, gesturing behind him, "when your tail wags as hard as it does at the mere thought of me cooking, I think I should be the one in charge of the stove."
Valko let out a dramatic groan, glancing over his shoulder at his big, fluffy tail, which was currently sweeping the dirt in happy, rapid circles. "Traitor," he muttered to his own appendage. "Constantly giving me away."
Slipping off your seat, you gathered the fresh ingredients and aromatic spices, tossing them into a camping pot over the fire. You let the flavours deepen and fuse with the meat, filling the night air with a mouthwatering aroma. While it simmered, you and Valko sat close together by the crackling flames, chatting, laughing, and sharing stories. The cosiness made it feel less like a business research trip and more like a real couple on a romantic getaway.
Once it was ready, you served up the plates, sitting close enough that your shoulders brushed. You watched him closely as he took his first bite. "Is... is it okay?"
Valko nodded vigorously, his eyes lighting up. "It's incredible. Who knew a little bunny like you could cook like this? Guess this wolf doesn't need to teach you a single thing about meat."
You reached over and playfully pinched his cheek, wiggling his face back and forth. "Cheeky."
He let out a low laugh, completely melting into the touch and nuzzling his jaw affectionately against your palm. "I am. So, keep rubbing my cheek."
"I gotta eat, Valko," you tickled his cheek one last time before pulling away.
You pouted at him. "Bossy."
His golden eyes softened with pure adoration as he watched you eat. "I am."
After finishing up, Valko insisted on cleaning the dishes, leaving you to relax. Before long, a heavy, comfortable tiredness began to wrap around you. You sat together by the dying embers for a bit longer, your hand lightly petting his ears and caressing his cheek as he contentedly nuzzled into your side. Noticing your eyelids lagging, Valko knew it was time to move to the tent.
"We should rest," he mumbled gently against your hand, his voice thick with a sleepy, deep care. "It's been a long day."
You hummed in agreement, sleepily shuffling over to the cosy tent. You climbed inside, found your sleeping bag, and curled up, already hovering right on the edge of dreams. Outside, you listened to the quiet rustling of Valko checking the perimeter and putting out the fire before he unzipped the tent and crawled in. He zipped the flap shut, plunging the space into darkness, and settled into his own bag.
For a while, the tent was completely still. But as the midnight chill rolled over the lake, the quiet fabric of your sleeping bag began to rustle as you started to shiver.
Valko’s voice calling your name cut through the dark, deep, sleepy, and heavy with protective instinct. "Are you cold?"
You rolled over to face the silhouette of his massive frame. "Yeah. It's really cold tonight."
He shifted closer, his glowing yellow eyes seeing you perfectly clearly in the pitch-black. "I have an idea. We can join our sleeping bags together. I run very hot... but only if you want to."
You gave a hard, nervous gulp, but the sheer chill in the air made the choice easy. You nodded in the dark. "Yes. Let's do it."
Valko moved with practised, efficient grace. He unzipped both of your bags and zipped them together into one large, shared space. To him, this was an absolute dream come true. To not only sleep next to his fated mate, but to share a sleeping bag? His inner wolf was howling with joy.
Before he could even find the words to ask you to move closer, you eagerly slipped across the space, pressing your cold body completely flush against his massive, radiating chest.
Valko’s breath hitched, and he instantly wrapped his arms securely around you. One large hand cradled the back of your head, pulling you securely into his shoulder, while his other hand gently rubbed your back to chase away the chill.
"You should be heating any moment now," he murmured softly into your hair, his chin resting on your head. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Thank you so much," you whispered, inhaling deeply against his chest. He was so incredibly warm, so impossibly soft, and he smelled absolutely lovely. He didn't just smell like cedarwood anymore; he smelled like home. Like a safe, loving house you come home to in the dead of autumn and winter after an exhausting day. He was everything you wanted, and everything you needed in life.
"I'm glad," Valko murmured, his voice wrapping around you like a blanket. "I'm always here for you."
He leaned down slightly to check on your face, but the intense heat, comfort, and his touch had already lulled you into a deep, peaceful slumber. Sensing your even, relaxed breathing, a wave of happiness washed over him. Knowing that he could give you this much comfort was everything he had ever wanted.
Every single day, he was getting closer to you. This trip had been a massive leap forward, and as he held you tight in the dark forest, the billionaire werewolf smiled, completely content to hold his fated mate for the rest of the night.
