Page 8 of The Alpha’s Bounty (Night Grove Falls: The Alphas #2)

SEVEN

Cyrus

The first thing I know when I wake is that she’s here.

Mina.

My mate.

Her warmth curled against me, her scent in my lungs, her heartbeat steady and sure against my chest. I’ve dreamed of this for years, of waking up to a mate, of finding her safe in my arms instead of chasing a phantom through endless woods.

But the second thing I know is that it’s not enough.

It should be. I should be content lying here with her pressed to me, her soft breath stirring against my chest, but I’m not. Not even close. My bear is already pacing, restless and wild, clawing at the edges of my mind. He wants more. He wants everything.

I press a kiss to her hair, telling myself it’ll be enough to calm me, but when she stirs, when those storm-gray eyes blink open and meet mine, hazy with sleep, I’m gone. Her smile is soft and uncertain, and I can’t stop myself from kissing her.

What starts as slow and tender catches fire almost instantly.

My mouth slants over hers with more force, her soft gasp feeding the hunger burning inside me.

My hands tighten around her waist, pulling her flush against me, and the world narrows until there’s only her, the taste of her lips, the sound of her breath, the feel of her skin beneath my fingertips.

I try to slow it down, to pace myself, but she meets me with just as much need. Her arms loop around my neck, her body arches into mine, and I swear I could live a hundred lifetimes and still never get enough of this woman.

She pushes on my shoulder, and it takes me a minute to figure out what she wants, but then I roll onto my back. She straddles me, her hands resting on my chest as her slick center rubs up and down my length.

She’s driving me crazy, driving both of us crazy. My bear growls in my head, needing us to be inside her.

As if she can read my mind, she arches her hips and slides down my thick length.

“Fuck!” I growl against her lips.

“It’s different like this,” she moans as she sits up, bracing herself against my chest. “Deeper.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I groan.

Being inside Mina, feeling her silky heat wrapped around me, is almost enough to have me coming within minutes. Add in her talking dirty, and I’m barely holding off my orgasm.

She rocks on top of me, her hips swaying as she moves. She’s hypnotic. The way her tits bounce, the blush staining her cheeks, her curves. Every part of her turns me on.

Her pace picks up, her hips slamming down on my cock. I grip her waist, helping her grind down on me. I feel her need, smell her orgasm as it builds inside her. She’s panting, letting out breathy moans that grow louder as she chases her pleasure.

My hands slide up her sides, and I cup her creamy tits in my hands. My fingers find her nipples, and I pinch them gently.

“Ah!” she cries, her pussy grinding down on my dick.

“That’s it, mate,” I praise her.

She rides me faster. Our skin grows slick with sweat, and I lick my lips, taking her in as the sun rises through the open window, illuminating her. She looks like an angel—a filthy one.

My bear roars in my head, and I grit my teeth, focusing on my girl.

She’s close. Her pussy clamps tighter around me. Her thighs tremble on either side of my hips as I toy with her nipples, driving her wild.

“Cyrus, I?—”

“I know, mate. Let go. I’ve got you.”

She screams as she falls apart. I growl her name as I follow, losing myself in her as we come together.

I catch Mina as she collapses on top of me, my cock still buried to the hilt inside her snug channel.

“Fuck,” I croak.

“Uh-huh. We can go again in a minute, but you’ll have to be on top this time,” she says with a breathless laugh.

“Deal.”

I know she’s smiling without seeing her face, and it makes me smile, too.

We relax, catching our breath. I hold her close, her head resting on my chest. My bear, usually in a constant state of impatience, sighs with rare satisfaction.

“You wreck me,” I murmur, my lips brushing her temple.

Her lips curve, tired and sweet. “You started it.”

A laugh rumbles in my chest, soft and unsteady. “I’ll finish it, too. Every time.”

She shakes her head against me, but I feel the smile in her cheek pressed to my chest. And for a few blessed minutes, the world is quiet. No fugitives to chase, no Alphas to argue with, no cult looming too close to our borders. Just us.

Until my phone buzzes.

Mina stiffens, and a low growl escapes me before I can stop it. I don’t want to answer. I don’t want the world intruding on this moment. But Rhodes’s name flashing across the screen means I can’t ignore it.

I kiss her temple before I swipe to answer. “Yeah?”

Rhodes’s voice is clipped and businesslike. “We got word back from the court. About Mina’s case.”

Every muscle in my body tightens. My bear’s ears prick, snarling low in anticipation. “Tell me.”

“They’ll drop the charges. But only if she pays them back. Full restitution. With interest.”

My jaw clenches so hard my teeth ache. “How much?”

Rhodes hesitates, and that tells me more than numbers ever could. “It’s not small, Cyrus. Enough to sting. They know what they’re doing; either she rots in the system or someone with deep pockets bails her out.”

My bear roars in fury.

Ours. Protect. Provide. No price is too high.

“Then I’ll pay it,” I bite out.

Rhodes exhales as if he expected that answer. “I figured you’d say that. But you should know, Camden and Foster may not like it. They’ll say it sets a precedent, that the packs don’t cover debts that aren’t ours.”

“They can choke on their opinions,” I snap. “She’s my mate. She’s worth every damn cent.”

A pause, followed by a low sigh. “Your call, Alpha. But be ready in case you have to defend it.”

I hang up before I can say something I’ll regret, my pulse pounding in my ears.

When I turn to Mina, she’s watching me with wide eyes, her face pale, worry clouding her expression.

“What was that about?” she asks softly.

I drag a hand down my face. “The Alphas. They have news about your case.”

Her breath hitches. “And?”

“They’ll drop the charges. But only if you pay them back. With interest.”

Her shoulders slump, and the light in her eyes dims. “That’s impossible. I don’t have?—”

“I’ll pay it.” The words are out before she can finish.

Her eyes fly wide with panic. “No. Cyrus, you can’t. That’s too much. You don’t even know how much it is?—”

“I don’t care.” I grab her face in my hands, holding her gaze. “You’re worth it. Every cent. Every sacrifice. I’d burn through every resource I have if it meant keeping you safe.”

Her lips tremble. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

The word cracks something deep inside me. “You’re not a burden. You’re my mate. My everything. This isn’t charity, Mina. This is love. This is what it means. We fight for each other. We carry each other’s weight. Don’t you see? There is nothing, nothing , I wouldn’t do for you.”

Tears pool in her eyes, spilling over before she can stop them. I kiss them away, pulling her against me, holding her so tightly I hope she feels it in her bones.

But even as I murmur reassurances, I sense her lingering hesitation, the doubt etched into her from years of being told she wasn’t wanted, wasn’t worth the trouble. She doesn’t believe me yet, not fully. She hears the words, but she doesn’t know how to let them take root.

I’ll prove it to her. Again and again, as many times as it takes.

We stay like that for a long time, her pressed against me, my hand stroking slow circles on her back. Eventually, her breathing evens, and I know she’s dozing, but I can’t sleep. My mind is already turning over numbers, planning.

How much is tucked away in my bank account?

Will I need to petition to pull from the Alpha fund?

How much of my reserves can I funnel without weakening the pack?

It’s a lot, but I’ll manage. I always do. Mina won’t carry this alone.

When the sun is higher, duty pulls me again. Camden called a meeting in town, something about another sighting near the cult’s compound. I should resent it, but responsibility doesn’t wait, not even when I’ve finally found the one person who makes everything else seem small in comparison.

I dress quickly, tugging on my boots.

Mina sits on the edge of the bed, watching me with wide, uncertain eyes. “When will you be back?”

“A couple of hours,” I promise, even though I know meetings like this have a way of stretching longer than I’d like.

I cross the room, cup her face in my hands, and press my forehead to hers. “Stay here. Rest. You’re safe.”

She nods, but the uncertainty remains beneath the surface. I see it in the way her fingers twitch and her mouth presses into a thin line. She’s scared I’ll leave and not come back. Scared I’ll decide she’s too much trouble. Scared I’ll prove every cruel thing ever said about her true.

I kiss her before she can voice any of it, deep and sure, pouring every promise I can’t say into the press of my mouth against hers. She clings to me, her hands fisting in my shirt, and I don’t want to let go.

When I finally pull back, her lips are swollen, her cheeks flushed.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I murmur.

I force myself to step away, to walk out into the cool morning air, the weight of duty settling heavy on my shoulders again. But underneath it, louder than any responsibility, steadier than any Alpha bond, is the vow beating in my chest:

Whatever it costs. Whatever it takes. Mina will never face anything alone again.