Page 187 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

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Night’s rejection the night before—something he’d never done—still stung when I woke the next morning.

I still wasn’t sure why he’d turned me down.

He’d made dinner and talked to me as if everything was normal, but all it did was highlight the strangeness of the situation.

After dinner, he stayed downstairs, so I went to sleep alone.

But he was beside me now, where he belonged.

I looked at his sleeping face. He hadn’t looked so relaxed in two weeks. He was supposed to be taking it easy with me, but whatever was bothering him had kept him from connecting with me in the way I needed. The way we both needed. I couldn’t let things stand as they were.

I slipped out of bed and went downstairs.

I wanted to make him something special. He’d been doing the bulk of the cooking during my pregnancy, and I wanted to return the favor.

Most of what was in his pantry were shelf-stable goods: jars of pickles, jams, chutneys, dried beans, rice, etc.

Leaving the cabin to get fresh ingredients didn’t appeal to me, not when the thought of handling meat made me feel a little queasy.

But the resources we had limited our options.

My baby kicked at the same time that my stomach rumbled.

I smiled and touched my stomach. We were both hungry, but for what?

I tapped my chin as I stared at the ingredients.

How could I make this work? I must have stood there for several minutes with my mind blank.

I glanced out the window and found a dreary, foggy morning.

It would be nice to have something warm.

“Ah!” I said out loud, a recipe for rice porridge popping into my mind.

I grabbed the rice and a jar of bone broth from the cabinet.

I poured a cup or so of rice into a pot and opened the broth.

It had some dust on the lid, but it smelled great to me.

Shrugging, I dumped it in with the rice.

Spices came next: chives, red chili flakes, onion and garlic powders, and pretty much anything else I thought would be good.

I stirred the pot and covered it to cook on low heat while I went upstairs. I jumped when I saw Night sitting up in bed.

“I thought you’d still be asleep,” I said. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

He shook his head. “You didn’t.”

“That’s a relief at least…” But now that I was looking at him, I realized he didn’t seem as rested as he’d looked when he was sleeping.

That sad, contemplative frown was back on his face, and he was avoiding my eyes.

It stung me that he was trying to hide his feelings from me. Hadn’t we just had this conversation?

I went to him and felt his forehead. “Did you sleep okay?”

He pushed my hand away and got to his feet. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

I held my hand to my chest as he walked past me. Though he had been gentle about it, the rejection speared through me. “You don’t seem fine.” I followed him into the bathroom. “You haven’t seemed fine since we got here.”

He sighed. “What do you want me to say, Bryn?”

“I want to know how you’re feeling.”

He turned to me, his face as blank as it had been when we’d first met, when nothing I did could get through to him.

It was like he was freezing me out all over again.

Part of me felt like I ought to turn away, that I should just let him deal with this on his own, but a much larger part of me knew I couldn’t.

I wouldn’t leave him alone about this unless he asked me.

“Love, what’s bothering you?” I asked. “I want to be there for you.”

He sighed. “You are here for me. I’m telling you I’m fine.”

I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.” I stepped toward him and reached for his face. “Is there anything I can say that will get you to open up?”

I was relieved when he let me touch him, even though he didn’t reply. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, but his stubble felt lovely against my hands.

“I think I know what’s going on,” I told him as I ran my thumb over his cheek. “You’re scared.”

He sighed and started to shake his head, but I held him still.

“You’re scared for me and our baby. You’re worried that you won’t be able to protect us whenever the time comes. Troy’s still out there, and as long as he is, our future is unknown.”

He looked away, deflating. Okay, I’d found the cause of his depression. Now I just needed to find some way to make him feel better.

“I know you, love,” I said, moving as close to him as my stomach would allow. “I know you’re capable of wonderful things because you’ve already achieved the impossible. We’ve had our bumps and our fights, but we always come out on top, don’t we?”

He nodded. “I just…don’t know why I can’t shake this.”

The uncertainty on his face tugged at my heart. I hated seeing him so upset. “It’s okay. I’m here to help you. If you’ll let me.”

I pulled his face down to mine and placed kisses on his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally his mouth. He stirred under my insistent kisses, and hungry hands clutched at my waist and my ass. I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, biting down just hard enough to make him growl.

“I’m here, baby,” I said into his mouth. “Be here with me.”

I deepened the kiss, letting the tip of my tongue brush over his lips.

His breathing hitched, his hold on me becoming more insistent.

Somehow, I guided him toward our bed, even with our lips locked.

The taste of him was so deep, so masculine, I wouldn’t have minded spending the day in his arms just like that.

But I also wanted him inside me, and my belly didn’t always allow for missionary anymore.

I broke the kiss and turned in his arms, pressing my ass flush to the erection tenting his boxers. I rubbed my ass against him, loving the sound of his moan, loving the feel of his fingers pressing into my hips.

“Let’s do it like this,” I said, tossing my hair back so the strands tickled across his chest as they fell. “With you behind me.”

He let out a shaky breath. “Get on your hands and knees, baby.”

I crawled onto the bed and pulled the pillows closer to give me a little more support. One of them was the one I’d been obsessed with when I first stayed in Night’s cabin. I’d taken it everywhere I slept…until Troy kidnapped me the first time.

Goosebumps tingled my skin as Night pulled down my sleep shorts and panties, and all thoughts of Troy vanished.

He gave a deep sigh as he pressed the tip of his cock to my pussy.

I was so wet, he slid against me as he rubbed his cock over me, my arousal slickening his length.

I bit my lip as he ran his cock over my clit and glanced over my shoulder.

His eyelids drooped low over his eyes as he circled my entrance.

He might have been even more eager for this than I was.

I moved my hips from side to side until he looked at me. “Hurry,” I pleaded. “I’ve wanted you for days.”

His answering grin made my heart stutter. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting, love.” And without stalling any longer, he plunged as deep as he could into my waiting pussy. I gripped the pillows beneath me.

“Ahh, yes…”

He started to move, and I pushed back against him to meet each thrust. Night moaned, one of his hands massaging and gripping my ass before settling on my lower back. He kept me in that arched position while he pulled his cock almost all the way out before thrusting back in.

“N-not too fast, take your time with me...”

He obeyed me, focusing on the depth of his movements more than their speed.

I arched my back as much as I could, as if doing that would allow even more of him inside.

Night was so good, so skilled, it was so easy to lose control.

His strokes breathed more heat into the fire spreading through my body, and I buried my face into the pillows to fill the fabric with the guttural, animalistic groans his wonderful cock coaxed out of me.

“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed. “And mine.” He thrusted harder as he spoke, and my toes curled as his girth overwhelmed me.

“Yes.” The pillow muffled my moans. “I’m yours...”

I heard the smirk in his words as he asked, “What was that?”

My face flamed. He was so mean to make me say it again, even though I was sure he’d heard me.

I lifted my face and cried out, “I-I said I’m yours—oh gods!” He cut me off with another quick, hard thrust. “Do that a-again.”

He gave a panting chuckle and leaned over me. His hands covered mine as he slammed his hips forward into my depth. Words left me as he went on that way. I was expecting slow, tender lovemaking, but he’d made me hunger for more of this. I was so eager to come now, desperately seeking that release.

When it hit me, I wasn’t prepared. I cried out, my juices spilling out of me.

“Bryn, my love,” he gasped. “You’re amazing. Fuck, I’m about to—” He came on a growl. It had been so long since he’d last filled me that as he gave one more hard thrust, there was so much cum, it spilled down my thighs.

We collapsed onto the mattress. I lay on my side and touched his chest, and he placed his hand over mine.

Our fingers over his pounding heart. My body thrummed in the afterglow.

I would have preferred for my thoughts to leave me, the way they often did after a thorough fucking, but I was still worried about him.

“Night?”

“Mm?”

He sounded so pleased, I couldn’t help but smile. “I know that a conversation and some sexy time isn’t enough to convince you that you’re a good, strong leader. But I want you to know that’s okay. Not every great leader believes they are, after all.”

He was quiet for long enough that I started to think he’d never respond. But then he kissed the top of my head. “Thank you, Bryn.”

I smiled, relief filling my chest with warmth. “Of course. I’m here for you, baby.”

“I know you are.” He rubbed my back in slow, tantalizing circles. “We should head back. We should talk to Samuel and his family.”