Page 17

CHAPTER 17

R eese

“But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” I ask Chael as we stand on either side of our huge bed.

He stares down at our son in his arms, swaying in order to rock the baby to sleep. My heart bursts every time I see my big, alpha wolf mate be so gentle with our baby boy.

A zing of awareness passes through me when he lifts his gaze, planting those intense, copper eyes on me. I don’t miss the way long strands of dark, shiny hair fall over his shoulder since he’s taken his braid down for the evening.

“What’s good about it?” he asks in that deep voice that always sends shockwaves down my spine.

Despite my attraction to my husband, my shoulders slump at his words.

“The fact that their wolves can at least look at one another. Christophe’s wolf doesn’t fall down in pain from the sight of Ashley’s wolf. That’s a great start.”

Chael’s frown deepens. The wrinkle between his eyebrows deepens. Our son must sense his growing agitation because he stirs awake, letting out a small cry.

I move around the bed to come to stand in front of Chael. I pat our baby’s back a couple of times while Chael increases the intensity of his rocking motion, once again quieting the baby.

“There is no start for those two,” Chael counters in an almost whisper to not disturb the baby. “As soon as we track down whoever is responsible for that prison and those experiments, he is going back to where he belongs.”

“Chael.”

My stubborn mate throws up his hand, while using the other to cup the baby strapped to his chest.

Before I can utter another word, there’s a light tap on the door. My eyes shoot to the clock, hanging on the wall.

“Hi, Ms. Elsie,” I say in a voice just above a whisper.

She greets me with one of her warm smiles, per usual, before handing me a steaming hot cup of herbal tea.

Though it’s been a little over two months since I’ve given birth, every night Ms. Elsie brings me a cup of this herbal tea that’s supposed to not only be great for healing, but also great for milk supply.

I have no doubt that it is because my supply is enough to satiate my rapidly growing baby boy, who by human standards looks like he could be six months old instead of a little over eight weeks.

“Thank you,” I say, taking the mug from her.

“How’s my favorite future alpha doing?” she coos when Chael brings the baby over to her.

I help him unwrap and then re-wrap our son to Ms. Elsie. Every night she takes him for a few hours so that we can get some uninterrupted rest.

“He’s perfect.” I plant a kiss on his head and then giggle when he pushes out a little sigh and then wraps his fingers around one of my fingers, even with his eyes still closed. I press a kiss to his soft palm, before sniffing his neck.

I might not be a wolf shifter but ever since this little one was born, I developed such a heightened sense of smell. I love his little sweet, breast-milk-laced scent.

“We’ll see you two in the morning,” Ms. Elsie says before disappearing behind the door.

My heart squeezes in my chest as I watch her turn away.

“Come here.” Chael’s deep voice pulls my gaze away from the door.

I do my best to ignore the way my nipples harden from the deep timbre of his voice. But it’s when he wraps his long, strong arms around me from behind, pressing his erection into my backside, that I almost cave.

It takes a beat before I’m able to gather my thoughts appropriately and step out of Chael’s arms.

“Why does he have to go back?”

Chael’s massive shoulders drop as he rolls his neck from one side to the other.

“Reese, don’t do this.”

Though I hear the frustration and, yes, tiredness in his voice, I can’t let the issue drop.

“I mean it, Chael. Christophe?—”

“Deceived our pack in the worst possible way.” His voice comes out harsh, but it doesn’t frighten me. He steps closer, taking my face in between his hands. “What’s worse, is that he put you and our unborn son in danger. Do you not remember that?”

“Of course, I remember. But he didn’t mean it. He even saved us and was shot by a silver bullet that could’ve ended his life. Do you recall that?” I counter.

His hands drop to his sides as he spins, giving me his back.

I move around to face my mate again. His jaw is so rigid it looks as if one false move could snap it off.

“He—”

“He’s a traitor!” Chael growls. “There is no room for traitors in this pack or any other. I spared his life only because you asked me to, but I’m asking you not to push me any further.”

“And if you hadn’t spared his life, you wouldn’t have the help you need to track down the owners of that awful prison,” I remind him. “He’s here, helping willingly.”

“Because he wants something,” Chael tells me. “He’s only helping for this exact reason.” He waves a hand between our two bodies. “Christophe most likely wants to appear sympathetic to gain favor and a chance at a reduced sentence or his freedom altogether.”

“I don’t think that’s why he’s helping you. He seems genuine in his desire to track those guys down.”

Chael’s eyes narrow. “How would you know that?” He steps closer. “Have you been to see him?” His voice is dangerously low now.

“No.” I shake my head, glad that I can tell the truth. “I haven’t seen him since you’ve brought him back.”

“Then why are you advocating so hard for him?”

“Because of Ashley,” I say, throwing my arms out to my sides. It should be obvious by now. “She believes he’s her mate.”

“He can’t be her mate,” Chael says sharply. “That’s a doomed relationship. They can’t even look at one another face to face, which is a good thing since he will be back behind bars soon.”

I gasp, my hand going to cover my mouth.

“Chael,” I whisper his name, causing his head to drop. “You can’t possibly think it was a good thing that your own brother was tortured for months.”

My eyes water as I shake my head.

Chael pulls me into his arms.

“Never,” he says adamantly, before pushing out a heavy breath. “What happened to him, Ashley, and the others, I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Which is why I’m working so hard to track down those responsible for those atrocities.”

I drop my hands to his forearms as I stare at his bare chest.

“Look at me, Reese.”

When I don’t raise my gaze, he moves a hand underneath my chin, raising my face until I meet his copper gaze.

“You know I would never wish that on Christophe. Even after what he did, I did not want him to be tortured and brutalized.”

I nod. “I know,” I answer, honestly.

“We will track down those responsible and bring them to their demise. But Christophe is no longer a part of the Nightwolf pack. He will serve out his sentence in an appropriate prison for his crimes.”

My heart shatters at the resoluteness in my husband’s voice. How do I make him see that this is wrong? That the Christophe he knew and loved is still in there?

Staring into his eyes, I know it won’t be tonight that I convince him. I have to figure it out some time soon, though. If the dreams that have awakened me for the past couple of weeks are true premonitions, our pack is in danger.

And the only thing that may save us is a united front.

But I can’t get those words out when Chael drops his head until his lips meet mine. A tiny gasp escapes from my mouth, giving him the opening he seeks to deepen the kiss.

He pulls a moan from me when he wraps a large hand around my throat. The squeeze he gives my throat restricts but doesn’t cut off my airway. My nipples tighten, almost painfully, when his free hand moves down the length of my body until it sinks inside of my panties.

I breakaway from the kiss, dropping my head back when he sinks two long fingers inside of me.

“You’re wet already,” he murmurs in my ear.

“Always for you,” I whisper right before he steals another kiss.

By the time the kiss ends, I’m flat on my back, my husband between my legs as he pulls my long, satin nightgown over my head.

A laugh escapes my lips when he carelessly tosses it over his shoulders.

“Chael,” I call out when he begins kissing a trail down my body, between my breasts, past my belly, and down to my core.

This time when he reaches my panties, instead of gently pulling them off, my alpha wolf rips them to shreds.

I don’t even have time to scold him about ruining the second pair of panties in as many weeks, because his mouth quickly covers my mound.

He presses his tongue against my clit, making my thighs close in. No longer do I worry about suffocating him—Chael’s strong enough to take it.

It doesn’t take long before my orgasm erupts from Chael’s relentless stroking of my clit.

This is only the second time Chael and I have made love since the birth of our son. Though it took me less than half of the time to heal from birth than a typical human, Chael remained careful with me.

Chael moves up my body to murmur against my lips, “Am I hurting you?”

My mouth stretches into a smile. “The only way you could hurt me is if you don’t take me right now.”

He chuckles before positioning himself at my entrance.

A whimper spills from my lips when he pushes inside of me. I claw at his broad back at the same time he growls before burying his face into the crook of my neck.

“I love you,” he says before nipping my earlobe with his teeth.

“Love you,” I pant out.

He begins stroking me so deep that my capacity to take in my next breath seizes.

“Breathe, Reese,” he encourages.

But then he steals my next inhale with a kiss. He tastes my mouth at the same time he long strokes me, his cock making contact with my G-spot.

I gasp out his name over and over.

“Fuck,” he curses. “You’re so fucking tight.”

The strain in his voice makes my nipples tighten painfully.

I wrap my legs around his back before bringing his head down to mine for another kiss.

“Come with me, baby,” I beg when I break away from the kiss.

He reaches down and begins rubbing my clit. The stimulation becomes too much, and soon, I’m once again falling apart in his arms.

It’s not long before Chael’s body also tightens and he’s coming inside of me. He grunts and curses as he unloads his seed.

“I can’t wait until the next time I get to see your belly rounded with my child,” he tells me through our matebond.

Apparently, wolf shifters and their mates can only get pregnant a year after their last birth. It’s to give the body time to heal and care for the young infant before having another.

“I’m ready whenever Mother Moon is ready,” I reply.

That response earns me one of the sexiest smiles from my husband as he continues to hover over me, his hair creating a curtain around us. It’s as if we’re the only two that exist in this world.

He lowers his head, kissing me again. What I thought would be a simple peck turns into much more.

And at the same time he deepens the kiss, I can feel his dick coming alive once again inside of me.

“It’s going to be a long night,” I tell him.

He smirks. “ Are you up for it?” He lifts and lowers his eyebrows.

“Definitely.”

“Good, because I’m not letting you up for air until tomorrow morning.” Those are the last coherent words he tells me through our bond before he’s stroking in and out again.