Page 40 of Brock

Brock sat up straighter, swallowed the enormous bite of food he’d just shoveled into his mouth, and looked around at all the men.

Suzette didn’t move or breathe. It was clear Owen was suggesting with a look that they not discuss pack business in front of her.

Surprising Suzette, Brock focused on Arion. His tone was odd when he asked, “How long did it take for Jezebel to forgive you when you kept secrets from her about her own safety?”

Suzette sucked in an audible breath at the mention of her friend.

Arion winced. “It wasn’t pretty.”

Suzette was kind of proud of her friend for sticking up for herself against this massive mate of hers. If their connection was anything like the bond Suzette felt with Brock, Jezebel surely found it nearly impossible to disobey Arion.

Brock shifted his attention to his father. “Do you leave mom out of everything pack related?”

Owen sighed. “No. Of course not. You know I don’t.”

“Do you?” Brock asked Talon next. “Does your mate, Carina, sit demurely in another room while you meet with other Alphas?”

Talon smirked. “Hardly.”

Suzette was stunned. Her Daddy was sticking up for her.

Brock took another bite, chewed, and swallowed before clearing his throat. “Our mates are naturally submissive. There’s no denying that. Until yesterday, I couldn’t have begun to understand.” He gave a nod toward Elias and Damon. “When you two claim your mates, you’ll fully grasp what I’m talking about.”

Both men nodded. They weren’t boys by any stretch of the imagination. Suzette was twenty. Brock was thirty-seven. She guessed Elias and Damon to be approximately thirty-five, which meant their mates were undoubtedly girls Suzette might even know. Girls who had not yet met the age of maturity required by pack law before being claimed.

Brock continued, “I feel the intense Dominance I’ve heard about all my life. It’s deeply imbedded in my heart and mind just like Suzette feels the submission. She will fight it as all mates do at first, but she won’t win.”

Suzette flinched, uncertain where he was going with this speech. It seemed like he was all over the place.

He glanced at her, pointed at her cup, and said, “Drink your milk, Little doll.”

Her stomach flipped over at the soft command he interrupted his speech to deliver. He even waited, watching her until she picked up the strange cup and brought it to her lips. It had a lid and a rubber tip sort of like a nipple. It was the sort of cup toddlers used so they wouldn’t spill.

Wetness leaked out of her as she obeyed him, taking a long drink before he finally cupped her face and said, “Good girl.”

He held her gaze for a moment before turning toward Arion again. “I learned a lesson watching you with Jezebel. Though our mates may be submissive, and they are taught to respect and obey us, they are not incapable of intelligent thoughts and ideas. They are educated, sharp, and smart as tacks.”

Suzette’s chest tightened at his acknowledgment.

“As we’ve learned lately, I would be doing my mate a disservice and possibly putting her life in danger if I left her out of matters that pertain to her and her safety.”

His father nodded. “You make a valid point, son.”

The rest of the men grunted their agreement.

Brock glanced at her again. He pointed at her milk. “Drink, Little one. If I have to remind you again, I will pour that into a bottle, feed you on my lap, and put you down for a nap while I discuss your future.”

“Yes, Sir.” She quickly lifted the sippy cup to her mouth. It was sly how he managed to point out that she was both intelligent and deeply submissive at the same time. He wanted to stick up for her, but he made it clear that she would also be expected to obey him in all things.

The message was loud. If she wanted to be included, she needed to be obedient at the same time.

“Good girl.” He tugged one of her braids and smiled at her.

She loved it so much when he praised her, and she was grateful for the pleats on the front of her dress that kept everyone from noticing how hard her nipples were. So hard in fact that she decided not to look down for fear perhaps she wasn’t hiding their erection at all.

Chapter Fifteen

Brock was so proud of his Little mate as she tipped her sippy cup back and finished off her milk. He was also certain she’d understood his unspoken words.