Page 201 of Alpha Mates

“Since you asked so nicely,” he growls before thrusting every inch back into me, making my lips fall open on a silent moan. “Goddess, Alexander. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” I say, blushing slightly before I let my lips find his.

“Next time, we’re doing it on all fours,” he growls, making me laugh.

“Can’t wait.”

Chapter 40

Aiden

The sun sets over the pack with shades of lavender and orange. Kids tear down the streets like they’ve got spare batteries, nowhere near out of energy, even though the dirt on their faces promises that they’ve been out all day.

I smile as I walk by them, and as they gawk up at me, I decide to take a detour.

Ignoring the aches in my shoulders from a day spent behind my desk, I swoop down and scoop the closest one up. The little girl squeals as I set her on my shoulders. Her friends are tugging on my clothes in seconds, and I laugh before I hoist each of them up in my arms.

I march down the street with the trio of howling passengers while neighbours grin and shake their heads.

Pack life has been my only life for the last couple of weeks, except for days like today where I have to drag myself to school first for Julian and I, but even so, it’s been great. Work didn’t feel like work when it’s what you love, and I love my pack, including the new wolves that are now mine.

The merge had gone smoother than expected. Our enlarged borders made for more than enough room, and though some wolves had been hesitant at first about crossing into former Black Moon packlands, they soon got over that.

Small gatherings helped and slowly but surely, we were sewing a new pack bond from our old threads.

The pups enjoy their ride until I reach the packhouse and set them down, only leaving me be when I promise to give them another go around tomorrow. They go running off and I head inside.

Up the elevator, to the end of the hall, and I barely open the door before I’ve got two armfuls of blonde warmth in my arms.

“Hello to you, too,” I mumble against Julian’s neck as I give him a squeeze. “What’s this for?”

“I just wanted to.” He steps back, hair a little feral, eyes bright. “I guess I’m getting clingy.”

“Getting?” I echo, and he shoves me before turning on his heel. Chuckling, I kick the door shut behind us and follow after him. “What did you get up to today?”

“Nothing crazy,” he replies over his shoulder. “I checked in with everyone who moved into a new home and then visited our stores. Both of us cleared out last winter, so we need to start early this year.”

“Ah, yes,” I sigh as I crack my neck. “Our annual cosplay of squirrels hoarding nuts.”

Julian snorts but doesn’t refute it as he slips into the kitchen. “Are you hungry, or did you eat?”

“I skipped lunch—on purpose,” I clarify and he frowns until it clicks.

“Emitt and Beckett?”

“Emitt and Beckett.”

When I’d realised our best friends were mates, I’d counted down the days until everyone else would find out.

I thought they’d slip up in front of someone else. Instead, Emitt and Beckett let the news drop in a very …openway.

Emitt’s parents were odd about certain things, and even though there was no need for a formal moon-door opening for a wolf to find their mate when they turned eighteen, they wanted precisely that for their beta son.

Julian had been a bundle of nerves the whole way to the Hall.

“Aren’t you scared? I’m scared. What if he has no mate like Beckett? What will we do then? What will he do then?” The questions never ended.

Really, I was shocked Julian even cared, given the rocky start they’d had, but he did. It was nice to know, but his concern made it harder to keep from blurting the truth.