Page 164 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

I nodded. “I was thinking something similar. More people decided to stay and mingle than I would’ve expected.”

“That’s encouraging.” Night’s smile was determined. It told me that he’d taken the retreating backs as part of the challenge of being alpha. I returned his smile.

“Let’s not dwell too much on that sort of thing,” Tavi said when she returned to my side. She’d gone off to grab beers for herself, Night, and Dom and a soda for me. “Let’s alleviate some of our stress tonight.”

“Good point.” Dom grinned at her, and when he accepted the beer she handed to him, he touched her fingers longer than was necessary. Tavi gazed back at him. It was like the world had completely disappeared around them, and they were the only two around for miles.

“Could you two go see what there is to eat?” I said. “Night and I should stay here since it looks like there are more people waiting to talk to their new alpha.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Tavi replied. I wondered if she’d heard a word I’d said, but when Dom reached for her hand, she took it. The two dissolved into the crowd, and I giggled, leaning my head on Night’s shoulder.

The next person in the line came forward, and Night and I were surprised to see Lance. He nodded at me. “Congratulations, Bryn,” he said.

“Yeah, thanks.” I didn’t smile. The last time I’d spoken to him, he told me he already knew about my pregnancy and that I needed to watch my back around the Kings.

I still had no idea what his endgame was, but I wouldn’t pretend to be friends with him just for the sake of appearances. I didn’t trust him. Not at all.

His cerulean eyes shifted from me to Night as he smirked. “Congrats to you, too, Night.” He took my mate’s hand and shook hard. “I’m glad that was such an easy fight for you.”

Night kept his expression neutral, but because I was standing so close to him, I felt his muscles tense at Lance’s hard handshake. Was he reacting to an injury I was unaware of? I needed to get him away from here soon.

I turned to Night and whispered in his ear. “Let’s go home.”

He nodded, slipping his arm around me again.

His touch, combined with the prospect of heading home, reawakened my desire.

Though we were eager to turn in, we didn’t want to make it seem like we were leaving because of Lance, so we ate some of the food Tavi and Dom brought us and let a few more Kings speak to us until we were finally ready to depart.

A few people stopped us on our way to the alpha cabin to give us their congratulations or to thank us, but we got home without too many interruptions. We made a beeline for the bedroom, and once the door closed behind us, I turned to my man and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

“I’m so relieved that you’re safe and sound,” I told him, my hands slipping down his chest to his waist. “And mine.”

He let out a deep chuckle as I curled my fingers into his waistband and tugged him closer. “I get the sense that you want to show me just how worried you were.”

“Mm-hmm.” I pressed my forehead to his chest, his heart beating against my skin.

“I should take a shower first,” he said. “I want to get Xavier’s scent off me.”

I pulled back, my nose scrunched up. Now that he’d mentioned it, I did smell Xavier’s musk and sweat on him.

“You’re right. Maybe I could join you?” I asked. “Let me draw you a bath.”

He raised his eyebrows, and I read the intrigue and lust in his jewel-green eyes. “Sounds like heaven.”

I grinned. “I thought you might say that.”

Leaving him to relax, I went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Night would be able to smell most of what I was doing, but I liked the illusion of mystery.

I turned on the faucet, and as the warm water filled the tub, I looked around for something that would help my mate’s aching body.

In the cabinets, I found dried rose petals and eucalyptus leaves.

There were also delicious-smelling bath soaps and salts, which I was sure would soothe Night’s bruises and scratches.

Humming to myself and thinking of the gorgeous man getting undressed in our bedroom, I poured everything into the rising water.

Night had drawn baths for me and pampered me plenty of times during my first trimester, so doing something nice for him pleased me.

When the bath was full enough and the vanilla-scented candles I placed around the tub were lit, I called for him to come in.

He opened the door, and my gaze eased down from his messy black hair to his broad, muscular chest, washboard abs, and finally to the length between his powerful legs. I still couldn’t quite fathom that this man was mine.

“Get in,” I murmured. “The water’s nice and warm.”

A slow smile spread across his face. He did as I said, easing himself into the water filled with sweet-smelling bubbles, red and pink petals, and forest-green eucalyptus leaves.

He eased in until his hair was submerged, then he came back up, pushing the wet strands out of his face.

Laughing, I grabbed a washcloth and sat on the side of the tub.

I dipped the cloth into the water and gently scrubbed his shoulders.

Night let out a long sigh as my fingers pushed away dirt and debris.

Despite the old scars puckering his shoulders, back, and chest, his skin was smooth and soft.

Each of those old wounds held a story about a battle, and I wanted to hear about all of them one day because that pain had allowed him to gain experience and skill.

That said, I was glad that this alpha challenge hadn’t added another one, and I was grateful that his experience and training had made the fight such an easy win for him.

When I was done washing his body, I squirted some shampoo into my hands. “I think I’ll move on to your hair.”

“Mm,” he agreed, leaning his head back against the tub.

I rubbed the shampoo between my palms, then pushed my fingers through his jet-black hair.

It was already a bit longer than he usually wore it, almost to his shoulders.

Night moaned as I massaged his scalp, his eyes slipping closed.

I smiled to myself. I could feel every bit of stress and tension leaving his body as the seconds passed.

As I poured water over his hair to rinse out the shampoo, he suddenly winced and squeezed one of his eyes shut.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did I get some in your eye?”

“I think so,” he said.

“Oh no, I’m sorry!” I reached for a fresh washcloth and leaned closer to him.

“Let me see.” I ran the cloth over his eyebrows, then used a different corner of it to wipe his eye.

As I leaned even closer to him, my hair slipping over my shoulders to dip into the water, he reached out to touch my face.

He held me still and sat up to kiss me. Each kiss was longer and deeper than the last.

“You liar,” I protested weakly as his kisses trailed from my lips to my jaw. “I thought you were hurt.”

His answering laugh stoked the fire within my core. “I’m not sorry,” my shameless mate murmured against my skin. “I’m not sorry for this, either.” He lifted his hand from the water to smooth down the skirt of my dress.

“You’re getting it wet,” I whined. But I didn’t stop him as his hand slipped under the skirt.

“You’re already wet, love.”

He was right. I’d wanted him from the moment the challenge ended.

My desire for him burgeoned as he pushed my panties to the side to stroke my sensitive lips with the pad of his thumb.

I whimpered and opened my legs wider. He knew exactly how I liked it, knew when to add pressure, when to tease.

I was so eager that it didn’t take long before he sent me over the edge.

My hands clutched his hair as I panted, ecstasy rippling through me.

“Bryn,” Night rumbled. His eyes glowed like the candles around the bath. “I want you out of this dress and in my bed. Now.”

Only a fool would deny the alpha when he wanted something so badly, but I could stall. I kissed him twice quickly, but on the third kiss, I ran my tongue gently over his lower lip. His shudders made the water ripple.

“Bryn,” he warned.

I pulled away, pressing my lips together to keep from smiling too hard.

Standing, I pulled the dress over my head as I made my way into our bedroom.

I heard the water as he got to his feet.

I knew he’d be drying off, so I swayed my hips a bit as I removed my soaked panties.

I let him get a good look at what he had done to me, at what he was waiting for.

Slowly, I removed my bra, tossing it to the side, then fluffed out my hair.

I trailed my hands over my stomach, feeling the soft swell of the baby bump growing there.

Covering my breasts with one arm, I glanced at Night over my shoulder.

He was staring at me, still half-wet, holding the towel loosely in his hands, still as a statue and rock-hard.

When the towel fell to the floor, I knew that I’d stalled too long and was in trouble. I laughed. That was exactly what I’d intended.

Night was next to me in a flash, lifting me into his arms and tossing me onto the bed. “Such a fucking tease,” he grumbled.

I giggled as he settled between my legs, the tip of his cock pressing against my entrance. But my laughter turned quickly into moans as he entered me.

His skin was even softer after the bath, slipping across mine like warm satin.

The only time I felt complete was when we were connected like this, when his cock sent electric pleasure sparking through every inch of my body.

He pressed his face to my neck, to the claiming bite he’d given me, and licked my skin.

Tingles danced over my skin, goosebumps following in their wake.

I sank into the mattress, holding onto the covers and pressing my thighs into his sides as he thrust into me.

I let my eyes flutter shut, taking all the pleasure he wanted to give.

Each stroke was honeyed ecstasy, filling my body with heat.

One of his hands was propped by my head for stability, and the other was on my hip, digging into my skin.

I loved his hands on me, loved being inundated with his scent that was now tinged with floral sweetness from the bath oils.

When Night started to nibble at the bite, I knew he was close. And because I was impatient to feel his hot seed spilling inside me, I tightened the muscles in my core.

He grunted half in surprise, half in pleasure, and filled me. I wrapped my legs around him, holding him there while he pumped into me. This was satisfaction.

He collapsed next to me, wrapping his arms around me and holding me against his chest. His heart was beating so quickly—even quicker than it had after the battle. “Fuck, Bryn,” he murmured. “When did you get so wild?”

“I don’t know.” I ran my fingertips up and down his arm. “It might have something to do with relief that you’re alpha now…and my excitement for what comes next.”

He laughed. “I guess I can’t let my guard down around you, can I?”

“Nope.”

He nuzzled the side of my head and kissed my temple. We lay together in the cocoon of warmth and peace that our bedroom provided. This was the start of yet another phase of our lives. Though there was still a long road ahead of us, we were closer than ever to achieving our dreams.