4. The Beginning of Belonging

**ISABELLA**

At the age of thirteen, my life was upended. My mom rejected my dad…her fated mate and, within a month, she was mated to Alpha Jonathan. That day, I gained a stepfather. Standing beside him was a boy, Maximilian. 

He was my age but taller, with striking green eyes and a presence that seemed to wrap me around. His handsomeness made me nervous, and I got the feeling that he did not like me. No one liked gaining step siblings. So why would he be any different? After all, my mom was taking his mom’s place.

Before we arrived at the Black Mountain packhouse, Mom had warned me to behave. She made it clear that if I caused trouble, she’d send me back to my father. And I feared him more than anything…his anger, his fists, his cruelty. So, I clung to her like a lifeline, determined to stay invisible, just as she demanded.

For a week, I barely spoke, avoiding everyone including Maximilian. Though we attended the same school, I didn’t dare approach him. 

Then one day, Mom dropped a bombshell.

“I can’t take care of you anymore, Isabella,” she said bluntly, her eyes devoid of warmth. “In my new life, I don’t have room for you.”

Her statement was a slap to my face, but the worst was yet to come.

“You have two options,” she continued. “Go back to your father or go to live with your uncle.”

I was terrified. I did not want either of them. I didn’t want to return to my father's abuse, but my uncle…whom I’d only met once when I was very young did not share any memories with me. 

Still, I had no choice. My father was abusive and dangerous so I chose my uncle.

When he arrived to pick me up, his smile sent a chill down my spine. It was creepy. His hand on my back felt wrong. Very wrong. My instincts screamed at me to run, to beg my mom to let me stay. But when I turned to her, she had already walked away, her attention fully on Alpha Jonathan.

It was over. She did not want me back. Tears welled in my eyes, but I forced them back. My uncle grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the car. His grip was firm, and I stumbled as he dragged me along.

All my hopes shattered and I knew my life was done from that moment on. When out of nowhere, another hand grabbed mine. The grip was sudden, and possessive. 

I turned, startled, to find Maximilian. 

Our eyes met, his piercing green ones locking onto mine with an intensity that froze me in place.

“Say it,” he murmured.

He spoke to me for the first time that day. Even wanting to, I could not get my voice to get out of my throat due to fear. And I did not understand what he meant so I remained mute even though I was shaking and cold. 

His gaze didn’t waver, and his grip on my hand tightened slightly. “Say it,” he repeated, his voice firm.

Before I could process his meaning, my uncle gave me a hard yank, nearly pulling me off my feet. “Let’s go!” he snapped, his tone impatient and harsh.

The fear I’d been holding back surged forward, breaking through my walls. My lips trembled as I looked at Maximilian, the only person who was holding me back from the darkness. 

“Save me…” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The next second was a blur.

One moment, my uncle was standing there, gripping my arm. The next, he was on the ground, completely still. My wide eyes darted to Maximilian, who stood between me and the lifeless form on the ground.

It took a moment for my brain to catch up. Maximilian had moved so quickly, his foot connecting with my uncle’s head in one swift motion. It was over before I could even scream.

Maximilian turned to me, his towering frame blocking the sight of my uncle’s limp body. My heart pounded in my chest as he leaned down slightly, taking my hand into his and slowly taking me back into the house. 

“Since you asked me to save you, I am your protector,” he said, his voice low and steady as he glanced over his shoulder at me, “And what I protect becomes my possession, Bella.” 

My name sounded so soft, so intimate on his lips. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I never felt that way before. 

From that day on, he became the first and the last person to ever call me Bella.

At that moment, I realized I wasn’t alone anymore. Maximilian had saved me. And in doing so, he had claimed a part of me. He had become my heart. 

And now eighteen years old, I wanted him to claim my body as well. I stripped off my dress, leaving on my bra and panties. 

Pushing him gently back onto the bed, I climbed on top of him, my fingers trailing over his muscled chest. His skin was so warm, flushed red, and radiating heat. Maximilian’s body tensed under my touch, his overwhelming and intoxicating scent filling the room, even to someone like me. 

Slowly lowering myself, I rested my hips over his arousal. He was already so hard.

“Ahhh… fuck…” Maximilian groaned as my core brushed against him, separated only by layers of fabric. My heart pounded in my chest as I looked down at him, blindfolded and completely vulnerable beneath me. He was desperate, needy…wanting me.

My hand roamed down his chest, slowly sliding toward his pants. Heat radiated against my palm as I rested it over his bulge. His cock felt rock-hard, straining to break free. I wanted to see it. I wanted to see all of Maximilian. Nervously licking my lips, I reached for his zipper. I had never seen a man’s hard cock before, and my pulse quickened at the thought. When it finally sprang free, my breath hitched.

It was long, thick, and flushed a deep red, fully engorged and leaking. My throat went dry at the sight. Wrapping my fingers around him, I felt it twitch and pulse in my hand.

“Uhhh…” Maximilian groaned, his lips parting as I began to slowly stroke him. His panting and groaning sent a wave of heat rushing through me, awakening something deep inside. My core ached with need, and I rolled my hips over him, pressing my damp panties against his hardness.

Pre-cum leaked from his tip, smearing against me as I stroked him more firmly, circling my thumb over the sensitive head. Maximilian froze for a moment before his hands slid up my thighs, his touch sending shivers across my skin. My lips parted as his fingers found the edge of my panties, tracing the outline of my pussy and clit.

A flush of heat spread across my skin, my nipples hardening under the thin fabric of my bra. Shame and excitement mingled in my chest. I had always imagined him touching me this way, but the reality of it was so much more than I could have ever imagined.

Suddenly, he slid my panties aside with a finger, and before I could process it, his finger was inside me. 

“Ahhh…” I gasped, the sensation was overwhelming. My body trembled as pleasure shot through me, leaving me breathless. Was this really happening? Maximilian’s finger moved slowly at first, sliding in and out of my wetness, then picking up a rhythm that made my head spin. 

His manhood was so thick, so hard, that my fingers couldn’t fully wrap around him. The thought of taking him in my mouth or feeling him inside me made my heart race even faster. But at that moment, all I could do was lose myself in the moment, in the heat and intensity of Maximilian’s touch. His fingers curled inside me, igniting sensations I never knew I could feel, and I was helpless to resist him.

Suddenly, he slid another finger inside me.

“Ah…” I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle the noise. My pussy betrayed me, though, making lewd, wet sounds as I began to drip uncontrollably. My hand instinctively tightened around his cock, gripping him as his long fingers found spots deep inside me that sent electricity radiating through my belly.

What was this feeling?