Page 15 of The Alpha Grizzly’s Mate (Omegas of the Shifter Mafia #8)

Levi

My wolf woke me in the dead of night. I extended my arm along the other side of the bed, expecting to find the silken skin and taut body of my omega. Instead, there was nothing but a cold spot on the sheets and a pillow with no sleeper.

I sat up on my elbows. Colson had to be using the restroom or maybe up for a glass of water, but I heard no movement in the house, and his warming, amber scent had dissipated some time ago.

My heart seized as I threw off the sheet that covered only my groin.

“Colson!” I called out only to hear no reply.

We were newly mated, and I had faith and trust in him, but I couldn’t help the million doom-filled thoughts took over my brain at that moment. Maybe he’d run away. My life was in chaos and, even though he’d never been pregnant, we had five cubs to look after. My hours as an alpha were packed, and sometimes I didn’t have as much time with him as I wanted.

“Levi?” my mate called out, followed by the click of our front door closing.

“I’m here.”

When I reached him, my wolf instantly picked up the scent of another wolf. A male. An alpha. That scent mixed with the outside smells of grass and trees clung to him. I stilled my wolf. He wanted to go outside and slaughter whatever alpha thought it was okay to be alone with my mate.

My human side won over, telling my wolf that above all, we had to trust our omega.

With my jaw clenched, I asked him, “Please tell me why there’s another alpha’s scent on you.”

“I assure you, it’s nothing seedy. Well, it might be. Let’s sit down. Please, Levi.”

I pulled out a chair for my mate and then one for myself from under the dining room table. We sat down, listening to be sure the cubs were still resting. “Colson, talk to me before my bear goes nuts.”

“My father was outside. I went to get some fresh air and scented him. He wanted to talk to me.”

“About what? Did he hurt you?” I searched my mate for any sign of harm.

“No. My father is a lot of things but he would never harm me. He…wanted to talk about you and me and me leaving the compound and where I was. He also wanted me to know that he is aware of what you and the team did to his men.”

“Is he planning revenge?” I asked.

“No. Mostly, it was a father checking on his son.”

I nodded. My anger still made my insides tremble but not at my mate—at his father. Meeting him here, in the dead of night. Anything could’ve happened. “I’m not happy you put yourself in danger, omega. I wouldn’t know how to live without you now.”

Colson moved to sit on my lap and kissed my chin. “He wasn’t here to hurt me. I swear, I would’ve run or shifted at the first sign of danger. I don’t have any plans to leave you or our cubs.”

“Is he okay with you being mated to me?” I asked. While I didn’t care if he was, it was hard for a person to not have their parents’ blessing on matings. If my father was around, I would’ve wanted his blessing. It wouldn’t be necessary, but it would be nice. I wrapped my arms around him, wanting my scent to overpower his father’s. Silly, possessive move on my part, but an alpha I was, through and through.

“He’s glad that I’m mated to someone strong and capable and that I’m happy.”

I snorted. “So, not happy it’s me.”

Colson shrugged and took my face in his warm hands. “I don’t give a fuck, Levi. I’m happy with you. The day you swept me out of there was the best one of my life. I love you, you big, grumpy bear. That’s all that matters.”

I gripped his waist and moved him to straddle my hips. “I love you too.”

“But?” he said and kissed the side of my neck.

“But I’m still mad at you.”

He gasped and pulled back to search my eyes. “Are you now?”

I nodded. “I am. You went out there alone when we know there might be people after us. After the team. After our cubs. All you had to do was wake me up, Colson. I didn’t know what to do when I woke up and you were not in the house.”

“You don’t trust me to know when I’m in danger?”

Instantly, I scented the change in his attitude. Shit. Now I’d done it.

“I do. I do. I…people do things out of character when they’re angry or are seeking vengeance, Colson.”

He nodded. “Look at me, mate. I’m here. I’m okay. I’m unhurt.”

“He’s gone? Are you sure? I can get Mav or Tyrus to do a perimeter run.”

Colson leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I felt his wolf communing with my bear—

speaking without words through the tether between us in a way that only fated mates could. He pushed all of his calm and reassurance to me. My bear, of course, sopped up every ounce, roaring at our mate’s openness and trust. “No, sweetheart. He’s gone.”

“Okay.”

Colson smiled. “Now, let’s talk about the ways we can get you not to be mad at me anymore.”

“I’m not mad anymore,” I replied, probably sounding like the grumpiest bear on the damned planet.

“Oh? Then I don’t have to make it up to you.”

I chuckled, grabbing his hips. “Wait, I never said you didn’t have to make it up to me, omega.”

“No, no, no. You said you weren’t angry.”

“I might be. A little bit.”

Colson rocked his hips, pushing his already-hardened cock against mine. “Well, we can’t go to bed angry, can we?”

“Absolutely not,” I replied with a growl. I stood with him in my arms and carried him to the bed. “I need you covered in my scent, omega.”

He let out a loud laugh. “Oh my goddess. You’re such an alpha. It was my father.”

I kissed the side of his neck, right over his mating mark. “You think my bear cares? The only scent I want on you is mine. I want you to smell like me, for our mingled smells to seep from your pores.”

Colson moaned, throwing his head back and giving me better access. “Then do it, alpha. Claim me over and over again.”