Page 36 of Rejected by My Shadow Alpha (Mate to the Fallen #1)

Drew

The Council house doors shut behind me like the closing of a long, bitter chapter.

For a moment, I just stood there, beneath the gray sky, the air biting cold against my skin, and letting the reality settle.

The Council has officially handed me ownership of all that belonged to my lost pack and recognized the Lunaris pack as a legitimate pack.

My jaw flexed, my hands still in fists from the long hours of talks and Council room politics, but my heart…my heart was quiet. For the first time in years, I felt a sense of peace and freedom settle in my heart.

I got into the car and told the driver to take me home.

Home. The word felt real again. Home is where my pack belonged with Ruby as my Luna and Liora, the light of our lives. Home is in the once-abandoned Lunaris estate, now restored to its glory.

When I walked through the door, the scent of wild roses hit me first, her scent. My Ruby. She was already rushing toward me, her arms thrown around my neck before I could take a breath. I buried my face in her hair and held her to me like a man who'd come back from war.

"He's gone," I murmured into her shoulder.

She nodded, eyes bright with tears. "At last, justice is served."

"And peace," I added softly, "at last."

I pulled back just far enough to see her face, to really look at her. "Thank you," I whispered. "For standing by me, for believing in me, and for not giving up on us."

She smiled, brushing her hand over my cheek. "We both almost gave up, remember?

"I don't know how I would've made it without you," I said honestly, cupping her cheek.

She smiled, a soft light in her eyes. "You would've made it. You're too stubborn not to."

I laughed, a real one. "I still remember the day we met. You stormed into my office, staring me down like you already knew I was trouble."

"You were trouble," she smirked. "Still are."

I chuckled, a quiet, disbelieving sound. "You were yelling at me about being arrogant after you helped correct a patient's insulin dosage. I thought you were going to slap me."

"You almost deserved it," she teased. "You were arrogant."

I grinned. "Still am."

She rolled her eyes, laughing as I pulled her in for another kiss, this one slower and deeper. Her lips moved with mine like they belonged there, but then she pulled away with a gasp. "Drew! The alliance party! We're hosting. We're supposed to be at the manor in less than an hour."

I groaned dramatically, letting my forehead rest against hers. "Just five minutes," I murmured. "Five minutes alone…I need you, Ruby. Right now."

She shook her head, feigning disapproval, but I saw the heat in her eyes. "Drew…"

"I've waited seven years. I've burned for you every single day. Now you're mine, and I'm not sharing you, not even with a party. Besides, let's take this moment for ourselves."

I scooped her up effortlessly.

"Drew!" Ruby laughed, half protesting, half breathless as she pounded a fist weakly against my shoulder. "We'll be late!"

I held her tighter. "Let them wait."

She wriggled in my arms, but her smile gave her away. "We're the hosts!"

"And this host needs a moment alone with his mate. Right now." My voice dropped, dark with hunger. "We've waited long enough."

She opened her mouth to argue, but I was already carrying her into the bedroom, her laugh echoing down the hall like music. I kicked the door shut behind us and set her down gently at the edge of the bed.

"Shower with me," I said, voice low, steady.

"Drew," she warned again, but her gaze flicked to my mouth, her chest rising with shallow breaths.

"Please," I murmured, already reaching for the zipper on the back of her dress. "I need this. I need you."

My fingers worked slowly and deliberately, and she didn't stop me. As the fabric slipped from her shoulders and pooled at her feet, she stood before me, bare, radiant, wild, and mine.

I let my eyes trace every inch of her. "You're a goddess, Ruby."

She watched me silently, the tension between us thick enough to burn. Her lips parted as I peeled off my shirt, her gaze trailing down my chest like a caress. When the last of my clothes dropped to the floor, she drew in a soft, shaky breath.

"You're staring," I murmured, stepping closer.

"I've been starving," she whispered, eyes dark with longing. "And you know exactly what you do to me."

I didn't give her a chance to say more. I swept her into my arms again and carried her into the bathroom.

The steam greeted us instantly, curling around our skin like silk.

The soft hiss of water filled the room, and the heat wrapped us in a cocoon of desire and memory and something dangerously close to worship.

The moment we stepped under the shower, everything else fell away.

The world narrowed to touch, to breath, and to skin against skin.

I reached for the soap and worked it slowly over her body, my hands reverent as they moved along the curves I'd memorized in my dreams. Her arms slid around my shoulders, nails skimming gently over my spine as I trailed kisses along her collarbone.

"You feel like fire," I whispered against her neck.

"Oh, Drew," she breathed, voice breaking. "Don't stop. Please, don't stop."

I pressed her back gently against the warm tiles, my lips claiming hers with a hunger I hadn't dared unleash until now. She met me with equal heat, her kiss deep and consuming, like she was trying to imprint me into her soul.

She gasped as my hands found her breasts, the soft sound spilling from her lips like music.

I circled her nipples, teasing them until she was squirming beneath my touch, her hips rolling instinctively.

Her fingers tangled in my hair as my mouth returned to her neck, and the moan that escaped her when I nipped just below her ear nearly undid me.

"Goddess, Ruby," I groaned. "You're everything."

She smiled through a panting breath, her forehead resting against mine. "Then take everything. Take me."

I didn't hesitate. I lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist as our bodies aligned in perfect rhythm.

She buried her face into my shoulder, biting down on a whimper as I slid inside her.

The sensation was electric, familiar, and devastating all at once.

She held me close, her nails digging into my back as I moved within her, slow at first, savoring the way her body welcomed mine, the way she clung to me like she was trying to anchor herself.

"You feel…" she started, then gasped as I thrust deeper, "...like home."

Her back arched against the tile, the water cascading over our bodies as I quickened the pace, each movement fanning the flames that had long smoldered between us.

We moved as one, a perfect rhythm of breath and groans and whispered names, until her moans turned into broken cries, and I was losing myself completely in her, but it wasn't enough.

Ruby slipped down from my arms, turned, and looked back at me, wild, flushed, and radiant. Then she arched toward me, offering herself without shame, without hesitation.

"Drew," she whispered. "Don't hold back."

I didn't. My hands slid along her hips, anchoring us both as I stroked her vagina again with my fingers.

This time, it was primal, our wolves rising just beneath the surface, their need and hunger fueling every motion.

I slapped her butt, and she moaned louder, arching her back towards me, my fingers wet and slick.

I entered her from behind and gripped her tighter as our bodies collided, again and again, water cascading, pleasure crashing like thunder inside us.

"More," she begged, her voice raw. "Don't stop, Drew, don't you dare stop."

She trembled, tightening around me as the orgasm tore through her, her cry echoing off the tile.

I followed with a groan, every nerve in my body splintering into stars as I collapsed against her back, panting, dazed, and overwhelmed.

We stood there for a long moment beneath the stream, chests heaving, hearts racing, and breath stolen.

The water washed away everything except the feel of her in my arms.

She turned after a moment, her body slick against mine, her face radiant with both satisfaction and mischief. Her voice was teasing as she whispered against my chest, "You keep doing that, and I swear, Drew, I'll be pregnant again in no time."

I laughed, low and warm, kissing her damp hair. "Good. I'd like that. A house full of wild little alphas running around."

She smiled up at me, and I gathered her into my arms again, gently stroking her back as the water finally cooled.

"Come on, wild woman," I whispered. "Let's clean up and go make a scene. We've got a legacy to celebrate."

Later that evening, we arrived at the gathering beneath a canopy of twilight stars. The courtyard had been transformed, lanterns floated like orbs of light, and golden flags bearing the Lunaris and Cornerstone symbols fluttered proudly side by side.

Liora stood between us, her silver-streaked hair catching the light like moonfire. She held herself tall, her shoulders back, and her eyes sharp with confidence far beyond her years. My daughter, our legacy.

Darius stepped forward, flanked by council members, his voice clear and commanding.

"Tonight, we witness not just the union of two powerful packs, but the birth of something greater.

A future forged in blood, sacrifice, and unity.

The child before you," he motioned to Liora, "is no ordinary heir.

She is the alpha of tomorrow. The Lunaris and Cornerstone lines will live on through her, stronger, wiser, and unbreakable. "

Applause roared around us.

Darius turned to me as the cheering died down, his voice lower now, just for us. "That mining field you offered… a steep price, Drew."

"But the takedown of Alpha Alfred?" I replied evenly. "It was worth it."

He smiled, that wolfish glint in his eyes. "Drew, thank you. I am satisfied with what I got."

"And thank you," I replied just as coolly, "for keeping your word when it mattered most."

He clapped me on the shoulder and drifted off into the crowd.

Ruby turned toward me, her brows lifting. "You okay?"

I scanned the faces around us, so many wolves, allies, even former enemies, standing in shared victory.

"I am now," I murmured, slipping my arm around her waist. "Just making sure the last of the snakes are out of the garden. I'm done fighting. I just want peace."

She tilted her head. "You trust Darius?"

"I trust that he's too smart to cross me now," I said, then leaned in and kissed her softly, right there in front of everyone.

She leaned into me, pressing her lips softly to mine. "Then let's enjoy tonight."

I kissed her back, my hand resting over her heart. "We've earned it."

The music swelled, and Liora stood on her chair and waved her staff proudly in the air.