Page 12 of Jacked-up Mate (Alphas of Whisper Grove #1)

Foster

My alpha had borne a burden for a long time, terrified of being rejected because of something that was absolutely not his fault.

He’d rejected the mage, sure, but they weren’t mates, and nobody was required to enter a relationship just because the other party wanted them to.

It just didn’t work that way, and if I ever got my hands on that mage, he’d learned not to expect anything from any date—ever.

And certainly not to curse them because of some unmet expectation.

After we came back inside, I urged him to lie down with his head in my lap, hoping it would offer enough support to ease the strain in his neck. I was so glad I decided to stay but not ready to go to bed yet. Jack’s sigh when his pumpkin head nestled on my thighs showed I’d made a good call.

“Why don’t you rest for a little while,” I suggested, stroking the hard orange orb that encased his head or maybe was his head? I didn’t know for sure. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

“I don’t.” The yawn I could hear still had that muffled, sniffly quality, but hopefully meant I had relaxed him enough to get some rest. “It’s just nice having you here, omega.”

“And I could say the same thing back. Should I put on a movie or something?”

“If you want.” He yawned again. “I might rest my eyes for a few minutes.”

“Go ahead. I don’t mind the quiet.” I didn’t mind it so much that I kept on stroking his hard pumpkin head until my eyes closed and didn’t open again until a shaft of sunlight warmed my face and I looked down to see Jack’s human face, eyes still closed, and a small smile on his lips. What was he dreaming of?

Before I considered it any further, I lowered my lips to his and matched our smiles.

“Mmm.”

I lifted my head. “I woke you up.”

His eyes were glowing in the early morning light.

The worst thing about the pumpkin head was that his eyes were deep inside and I couldn’t see them.

No…the worst thing was that despite his lack of complaints, he was clearly so uncomfortable in it.

I could always wait until morning to see those eyes.

“It’s fine. Are your legs asleep? Having that heavy head on them all night…”

“No, alpha. They’re fine. Why don’t you go to your bed and get a little more rest.”

Jack sat up and stretched. “Okay, but only if you’re coming with me.”

“Might not be a good idea.”

“No?” His cheerful expression faltered. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t assume you want to come to bed with me for more than…”

Standing, I reached for his hand. “I do want to, but it’s going to be awfully hard to keep from ripping my clothes off and demanding you take advantage of me. Omegas are supposed to be more demure.”

Jack accepted my help in rising then released my grip to slide his arm around my shoulders. “I don’t want a demure omega. I want my omega. My fated. My one true mate.”

“And that would be?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

I didn’t rip my clothes off. My alpha led me to his room and undressed me carefully, speaking words that made my knees melt the whole time.

When he laid me on the colorful quilt covering his bed, I was too weak to stand upright anymore anyway.

I just lounged against the pillows and watched while he stripped off his clothes with quick, efficient motions.

It still took too long, but I did enjoy the show.

And then he sat down and gathered me into his arms, and his place in my heart was secured—if it hadn’t already been.

Everything I’d heard about finding one’s mate was true and, if anything, understated.

Before his lips descended on mine again, I knew I’d die without him in my life.

We could go to work, separately, and that would be okay but anything else… together. Hopefully he’d feel the same.

He’d have to, right? If we were mates.

And we were mates.

His kisses deepened while his hands explored my body, arousing me everywhere he touched.

Long before he reached my cock, I was afraid I would come just from his fingernails lightly scraping my nipples and down my sides.

I reached for him, but he gently set my hands down at my sides. “Let me love you, omega mine.”

Shuddering at his touch and his words, I let him love me, his kisses leaving my lips to travel to my earlobes, my throat, and down to my nipples, which were already throbbing and swollen. “If you keep this up, I’m going to come.”

He lifted his face and licked his lips. “And that’s a problem, why?”

“Because I want to come with you inside me.”

“Talk like that and I won’t make it that far before I come.” But he rolled to his side and stood up, came around to the foot of the bed, and tugged me down to the edge. “So, we’d better hurry up.”

“Yes, please.” I had no more words to share, just desire pouring over me in great waves.

Jack, my mate, positioned himself between my legs. “I’m going to mark you, so object now if you don’t want me to.”

There was nothing I didn’t want him to do for or to me. I summoned the strength to gasp out, “Mark me,” before he tested my slick, held up shiny fingers, and fitted the head of his cock at my needy hole.

From the moment he breached my body, I could no longer keep my hands at my sides and reached for Jack, planting my palms on his shoulders and holding on while he plunged into me over and over, deeper each time. He moved one of my hands down to my cock and closed it around the shaft.

He drove in deep, stretching my body to accommodate him while I stroked up and down, whimpering in pleasure and reaction.

“Now, omega,” Jack ordered, and I sped up, understanding what he meant and spurting cum over my fingers just as the heat of his filled me and his knot swelled, binding us together.

He dipped his head to my throat and sank sharp fangs into my flesh.

Marking me his. Anyone who saw me would know I belonged to an alpha.

And if they saw us together, they’d know which alpha it was.

And I rose up and marked him in return.

Jack braced himself on his arms over me, panting, until his knot subsided and he rolled to the side, bringing me with him. I reached for the edge of the comforter and pulled it over us just before sleep took me under.