Dear reader, first of all, thank you for getting so far. This chapter is smutty, if it's not your cup of tea feel free to skip it. :)

Dim starlight was illuminating Mila's features. Her smile was vicious, how he had never seen it before. It was a bit like that night in the woods but more intense, almost burning. 

She was touching him willingly and kissing him, leaving burning traces on his skin in the wake of her fingers. 

"I said take it off." Such demanding words in such an innocent voice. 

He obeyed without questioning anything but his sanity. It seemed a mundane gesture, how the cotton t-shirt slipped over his head and fell to the ground but it was certainly anything but meaningless in the way it felt. It was almost as if he was shedding the thick shell he had built around himself after Katharina's death and remained vulnerable in front of the eyes of that very important girl that was very ignorant of the importance she held. 

"Sit down."

He bit his lips to not chuckled at her very unusual bossy tone. Erik obeyed still holding the grin back in a smirk while his eyes were following her while she kneeled down to take off her sandals and unzipped the pretty dress, letting it fall on the ground. Her gestures were not sexy, elegant, or studied, but they retained natural grace and most of all candor. 

Terribly sweet in her own way, Mila was different from what Erik was used to. She-wolves were wild and feral and mating was reckless and many times a display of force and a fight.

Regardless, that human girl, almost a hundred years younger than him was making his heart beat infernally fast only by clumsily taking off her dress.

She came closer and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again smoothly on the lips. Erik swallowed hard. It felt like a fever dream he never allowed himself to indulge in, but her weight in his arms reminded him it was real. When he caressed her elbows in response he saw his hands trembling and smiled. After almost a century of numbness, emotions felt beautiful after all. 

"It's better like this; you are so awfully tall," said Mila with a hint of a smile. Erik smiled, sighed, and refrained from tossing her on the mattress and tearing her underwear off. Sweet torture...

*

Mila had no idea what she was doing. None whatsoever. She was certain of that. Something had snapped in her that day at the hospital with her parents' actions.

Their actions showed that there was no living person that cared about her and the feeling was crushing.

She just wanted to lose herself for a while, forget, not think...  And there was Erik, that kind of stood up for her in his weird way. It was probably not because of the goodness of his heart, but because he needed her to help him. Still, it moved her somehow. She felt so fragile and purposeless and just wanted to be held and he was there, steering something in her; something that likely millions of years of evolution make every woman feel to some extent and at some point. He made her feel safe.  

That night in Scotland, when she had that awful dream, he held her too and it set a precedent she couldn't forget. He stayed and held her and she wanted that again. More, she wanted more. She wanted to feel him more.

When their skin touched it felt almost delirious. Was it that mark thing? She didn't care. It felt good; finally something good.

"What do you want me to do, Mila?" he asked looking her in the eyes and touching her waist smoothly. 

Mila didn't really know what to answer so she said, "Whatever you feel like doing."

He smirked. That expression suited him so well and she noticed once more how handsome he was, what a beautiful color his eyes were, and how sensuous the curves of his lips looked. She wanted to trace them with her tongue so badly. There were also many other things she considered tracing with her tongue.

His kisses tasted like mint and honey and he smelled like expensive perfume and ...himself.

Expensive perfume... she didn't smell of any perfume. She likely smelled plain and human...

"I swear your smell like only heaven must smell," he said as if he was reading her mind while his hands moved along her spine in long caresses. 

"Is it that strong?" she asked insecurely.

"It is. At least to me, and I am even human today."

Mila's heart skipped a beat when the clip of her bra opened under Erik's fingers. Had never been naked in front of a man before.  The acknowledgment made her feel sudden shyness. 

What was she doing? She had no idea how these things were working.

Luckily, another overthinking attempt disappeared under Erik's lips on her torso. It was good, so so good. Touches that didn't hurt, proximity that didn't frighten her.  Apparently, he did know what he was doing.

A slight moan escaped her lips and she felt his smile against her abs while he traced with his tongue the outlines of the marking, reaching her sternum.

"Make me feel good..." she said.

*
Make her feel good? He was dying to do that. So he took his time laying her down on the bed and kissing slowly along her neck, down to her breasts, touching slowly and observing her reactions.

Her long golden hair and flushed cheeks made her irrationally attractive, at least to him...

There were so many things he felt like doing but also a lof of insecurity to not hurt her, frighten her, or make her feel anything unpleasant. It had been a long time since his first time. 

Touching her like that was something he didn't even dare to dream of not long ago.

She said 'Whatever you feel like doing'.

"This is so good..." she whispered again in a voice that sounded like purring, with closed eyes and a dreamy smile on her face, while he kissed lazily her lower abs.

If he wanted to stop he had to do it now; if things were going to go further his self-control that was anyway tested badly would disappear like dew in the morning sun.

"Are you sure you want me to continue?"

"Yes. More..." she moaned that one word shattered the restrain he had left. 

In front of his eyes was a sheer pink slip tied on both sides with pretty pink ribbons. It was one of the most seductive pieces of cloth Erik had ever seen and it became the most seductive one when he ripped the two thin satin ribbons and peeled it off Mila's body so his tongue could slide lower to give her more...

He enjoyed her panting breath and her fast heartbeat and the taste he fantasized about but didn't dare admit to himself. It was even better, so good that it made all cells in his body shudder when he felt her core pulsate under the tip of his tongue.

"Oh wow that was... my heart almost felt like bursting."

He chuckled and laid down beside her, kissing her forehead.

"Glad you liked it."

Mila looked at him and kissed him shyly on one cheek. When her hands moved over his chest, it felt like electricity was spreading from her fingertips.

"Hold me."

He complied and pulled her over so that she could lay with her head on his chest.

*
It was a new type of intimacy, not that Mila had known lots of them in her life.

It was maddening and addictive and she didn't want those moments to end; she didn't want reality, she wanted more of that delicious sin.

She was certain Erik wanted that too, at least his body because about his mind she could not be sure. 

Her brows creased a bit. She was not a kid anymore. She knew how sex worked, at least in theory... Only in theory.  Dasha said confidence is half of the key to being good in bed. Whatever you do, you have to seem confident. 

So Mila stood up from the cushions full of resolution, sat sideways over Erik's abs, and started unbuckling his belt and the button of his now too-tight jeans.

She was perfectly aware that she had no idea what she was doing. It was a bit intimidating, but if she understood something from her time with Kiril, it was that life might be shorter than she imagined one should take advantage of all there is. 

Despite his reluctance, when she slipped her hand inside his pants and touched him he closed his eyes and bit his lip.

"Fuck ... Gods... What are you doing, Mila?"

"Is it... bad?" asked Mila flustered.

"No..." A bright grin illuminated his whole face. " It actually feels pretty amazing, but if you touch me like that I don't have very much restrain left," he said continuing to smirk.

"Then don't..." said Mila smirking back and touching him again bolder, how she imagined it made sense to touch a man. "I think I want this," she continued.

And after that. She was not sure what happened next. It was extremely fast. Erik was suddenly on top of her and he took off his jeans and threw them somewhere on the ground before she could blink properly.

Then he kissed her again slowly and teasingly and touched gently her entry with his finger. It felt good. Everything he did felt kind of good. She didn't know if that was a magical creatures thing or that mark or just practice. 

"We don't have a condom," he said while licking along her collarbone. By the sound of his voice, it was only a very fleeting thought. 

"Do werewolves have STDs?"

He laughed and buried his hand in the crook of her neck. 

"No, not really."

"Then we are good. I cannot have kids," she said simply. 

He didn't say anything just kisses her.

*

It had been such a long time since he made love to somebody. When it had happened in the past eighty years it had been fucking or mating, rushed and wild, but not that time.

That time it felt natural and dipped in so much longing, the way only a mate could make you feel.

After months in which he didn't even allow himself to crave it, he finally felt all the things he forbid himself to feel. It was liberating and frightening. There was no going back, he was fooling himself thinking that he would be the same after that, that they would be the same. 

That thought was pushed into oblivion by green eyes, golden hair, rosy cheeks, and ... Mila.

As he entered her slowly he understood new types of torture. The things he felt in that moment, were so good it almost pained.

Mila whimpered slightly.

"Mila, what's wrong? Am I hurting you?"

"A bit, but it's not bad; it feels kind of really good too."

"Should I stop?"

"No, please don't."

"Thanks," he said kissing her forehead and moving slower. "Because it would probably be one of the hardest things I'd do in my life," he said inhaling sharply.

*
Her whole life had been a lot of pain with very little pleasure. Now she encountered the first example when it was reversed.

She was looking at Erik, feeling him and it was just right despite the strangeness.

The way he held her, touched her, the way he made her feel as a whole, was smothering all the pain and sorrow for an instant, exactly as she desired.

His breaths were getting heavy and she felt her thighs harden with increasing pressure. There were his eyes above her, in the most beautiful shade of green, finding hers, his smile and his body hovering ever hers, leaning against the bed frame. He was beautiful and his blissful face made her happy without question. 

Mila closed her eyes to enjoy the aftermath of whatever just happened between them. 

There was a loud crack and she startled, opening them in shock. Erik was still kneeling, bent over her with panting breath... shiny eyes, and fangs.

"Fuck..." he muttered frightened. "Mila, did I hurt you?" he said pulling out and hugging her tightly.

" No. It was good, I think," she said smiling lightheaded and touching his face. "Dasha was not exaggerating it seems..." she continued, laughing.

"You are bleeding. Christ! This is so not good. Are you sure you are not hurting? Damn it," he hissed. His fangs retracted and his eyes stopped glowing.

"Well, a bit but I guess it's normal."

"What?"

"Well, it's normal to bleed the first time."

"So you actually never...?" he asked after it finally dawned on him.

"No. Does it matter?" 

"No, but if I knew I would have been more careful," said Erik, kissing her forehead.

"You were." Mila smiled reassuringly. "What was with the fangs and the shiny eyes? I thought you are human today."

"I honestly don't know. It never happened before."

"Well, I got used to the shiny eyes and the fangs are kind of hot in a weird way," said Mila deliriously happy.

*

Then she looked at the damaged bed frame and Erik's heart broke just a bit when he saw the look in her eyes.

"I am sorry. I don't want you to be frightened of me."

"I am not. I know you would not hurt me but it is a bit unsettling to witness exactly how much power dwells in you."

That was not exactly what was unsettling Erik, but that he was not sure what he had done. It was New Moon. He was supposed to be human. He always was all the years. What happened that day? Precisely that day? And why?

It felt a little bit like he was being played and the feeling was familiar.

Would it be so bad if he indeed accidentally claimed her? The problem of every wolf acting in heat around her would be solved, and if not, he could at least have the legitimate right to sink his fangs into them for even looking at his mate. His mate...

Only recalling that night and Akin touching her made his blood boil. He was in trouble; he was so deeply and irremediable in trouble...

"Did Kiril do this too? Because the bite marks on your arm are most probably his. I will heal them tomorrow, ok? It irritates me immensely seeing them," said Erik touching the bruise on her face.

"No," said Mila, avoiding to look him in the eyes. "I am so sorry, Erik. I didn't mean to. I didn't want to do it, but he made me."

"I know. It's okay. It is just so enraging. Why didn't you run to Michael as I told you? He would have protected you and none of these would have happened."

Erik clenched his fist. He was frustrated with the whole situation but somehow he didn't want to think about it that evening. It would ruin an almost perfect moment, so he pulled Mila towards him again and hugged her tightly.

She kissed him on the cheek and he smiled.

"May I ask something?" she said.

"Try,"

"How old are you exactly?" It was an unexpectedly candid question that also made somehow sense in the situation. 

"One hundred twelve. Told you, too old for you." He winked, remembering the conversation they had some months ago.

"I think you are in great shape for your age," answered Mila smiling again.

She moved her fingers over the scars on his chest and the smile disappeared.

"Why didn't you heal these?"

"Because I don't want to forget how I got them."