"Heaven. It'd be heaven, getting' you for one minute while on my way to hell." -Trent Lawson (Give Me a Reason)

Waking up to the sight of Alessandra smooshed against a pillow with her hair in disarray is a sight I will never get tired of. Every morning she has a new sleepy face. Sometimes it's a little open with a trickle of drool leaking out and other times she has a cute duck face that she denies having no matter how many pictures I show to her as proof.

As the sunlight trickles in, I'm grateful for a night of no nightmares. It's hard to smile and laugh with Alessandra in the morning when images of her corpse taunt me at night. Oftentimes, I ask myself if this was a good idea. What if it's not actually a vision from the past and rather a manifestation of the future? The mere thought of it seeps terror into my bones.

After tucking Alessandra in (she always loses the blanket in her sleep), I walk into the kitchen and pack up the cooler I brought. With some fresh ice in the cooler and all the beach essentials in my backpack, I'm ready to spend some quality time with my mate under the sun.

Time to wake the beast.

Alessandra walks next to me with her toes digging into the sand.

Large sunglasses hide her beautiful eyes and her hair is in a low bun at the nape of her neck. The scent of sunscreen wafts off of both of us as we search for the perfect spot on the beach.

"Can you believe there is no one at the beach? Are they crazy? It's a wonderful day and the waves are gonna be epic," Alessandra asks.

"I rented the beach houses surrounding us and it is a private beach reserved for guests so," I say with a shrug.

"That's why you were so okay with me wearing this!"

"This" refers to her small bikini that has me salivating, no lie.

"Sweetheart, I'm not going to tell you what you can and cannot wear. If someone tries something you can handle it or I can, whatever you wish."

"You're so cute sometimes," she responds with a little smile.

"I prefer the term sexy but I'll take it."

"Come on, we have to get in the water before all the good waves are gone," Alessandra says as she grabs my hand and drags me along.

We don't have wetsuits on, but cold water is not usually a problem when you're a werewolf.

The sun's rays catch Alessandra's hair and eyes in the best way. She paddles into the water with her board and I follow after her.

As I'm walking back to shore, a huge burst of salty water hits my face and goes up my nose. I immediately start coughing as a mischievous giggle meets my ears.

"Not funny, amore," I say as a burst of coughs follow.

"Oh shoot, are you okay Zane?"

Alessandra goes to touch my shoulder as comfort and I quickly swipe my hand through the water, sending it straight to her face.

"Oh, you are so dead!"

She jumps on me, taking us both down into the shallow water. We probably look like idiots fighting in the water but I'm having a great time.

"Okay, okay, truce! Jeez, you are a competitive woman," I offer.

"That's what losers say."

"Who you callin' a loser?"

She crosses her arms and stares me dead in the eye.

I run at her like I'm going to tackle her but capture her in a fireman hold.

"Zane! Put me down!"

"Nah baby, that's what a loser would do."

I walk us back to our spot on the beach and lay her down on the large blue beach towel I packed. Water drops cover her body and her curly hair sticks to her skin and bikini. I drop a kiss to her lips, planning on making it a quick one, but her arms wrap around my neck and keep me against her. Our lips move in sync as our hands fly around. Her hands trace my abs while mine caress her thighs.

"It should be illegal to have this many muscles," she says against my mouth as her hands explore my back. A grin breaks out on my face.

"All for you, baby."

I trail my mouth down to her neck leaving soft kisses as I go. Slowly, my lips drag down to the white fabric of her bikini which I tug down to expose her breasts. Her nipples are hard as a rock, begging me to suck them. I swirl my tongue around one before capturing it in my mouth. Her head falls back as she pushes her chest against my mouth.

I bring my hands up to cup her breasts as I make my way lower to her pussy. Smooth skin meets my lips as I begin to feast on my favorite meal.

"Zane," she whimpers as I suck on her clit while squeezing her tits.

I go slowly, switching from gentle licks to swirls that drive her mad. Her thighs squeeze my head and her hips jut upward trying to create more friction and reach the release she so desperately wants. My hands abandon her chest to grasp her hips and hold her in place. The unintelligible sound that escapes her tells me that she is frustrated. It makes me laugh.

"Patience, little wolf. I know what you need."

She's about to grumble again when I start licking her clit and fingering her pussy. Her wetness coats my fingers as I push two in. I go deep, stopping when her pussy reaches my rings, only to pull out and push back in again. Her moans get louder, each one making my dick so hard it's a miracle I don't come in my trunks.

I'm just about to give her the most earth-shattering orgasm ever when she stops me.

"Stop," she gasps out.

I stop, retracting my fingers and looking at her with worry.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm peachy, but I want to come with you inside me, so will you take off your swim trunks and get in me already?"

"Always so demanding," I say with a smile before following her instructions.

I line myself up to her opening. The head of my cock looks angry, ready to explode but I want to take it slow and savor this moment where we aren't alpha and luna or Lorenzo and Rosanna, just Zane and Alessandra, two people who might get arrested for public indecency.

Using my hands, I guide my cock from the bottom of her pussy up to her clit which makes her moan. I rock back and forth slowly, not pushing into her tight heat but rubbing myself against it.

She looks so beautiful. Her face is full of pleasure and a little red from the sun. Her hair is a mess from the ocean water but she still looks gorgeous. For a second, I just stare at her, taking in my mate who I'm so lucky to have and never plan on letting go of.

I lower my head and kiss her. Our lips mash together as our tongues get entangled and then I push into her, inch-by-inch. She chokes out as a gasp once I'm buried to the hilt.

Before Alessandra, I never knew sex could be so intense. It's not just a chase for pleasure, it's a connection between two people that goes beyond our reality.

I pull out before pushing back in, keeping my pace slow. She meets my thrusts with her own, pushing her clit against my pelvis to create the perfect sensation.

"Zane," she moans out as I give it to her harder, each thrust reaching deep.

"Fuck, you take me so well."

Her moans get louder and louder. Under the burning Southern California sun, I watch her body convulse as she comes harder than I've ever seen her do before. Her pussy clenches my dick so tight, I'm sure I'll see stars. With one more pump, I'm coming inside her, coating her insides with my semen.

We're both panting and sweating as I collapse on top of her. Her arms wrap around me as we catch our breath. I bury my head in her neck, simply enjoying the moment. Her hands rub my back, tracing random patterns.

I push up off of her and stay in a plank as I stare at her.

"What?" she giggles, as I continue to stare at her like a freak.

There's been this feeling in my heart that seems to amplify by the day. It started in her room on her eighteenth birthday, the day we discovered we were mates, but I think it's always been there since we were little kids who didn't know the horrors life would throw our way.

It hurts to be away from her. It hurts to think of life without her. My best moments are with her by my side whether it be lounging around in bed and talking about anything or traveling down the coast for a date.

My dad told me I demanded to take baby Alessandra home when I saw her as a kid. He claimed it was because a part of me always knew that she'd be mine one day, that we were meant to be together.

Forever.

"I love you," I blurt out. I'm so shocked the words left my mouth that my eyes visibly bulge.

I've known that I love Alessandra for a while now but saying it feels like more somehow.

Her eyes soften and her hand comes up to cup my cheek.

"I love you too."

Then we kiss some more.