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An Unusual Alpha
Kade
WakinginBlake’sarms was heaven. Waking on the hallway floor as my mate slept, slumped against the wall, was not.
My poor mate looked exhausted and anxious. His eyelids fluttered as he dreamed, and I hoped it was of a future for us. I wondered if he had suffered like I had with the bond pulling. Being so distant from him and knowing we had left things badly had stung all day.
The mate mark wearing away to nothing had a lasting effect. My soul knew I had a bond, and it wanted it to be completed. While my mark had been fresh, we had been okay being apart, but it had gotten lighter as the last couple of days had gone on, driving me to reach out for Blake, for the other part of my soul.
I think if my wolf had been active, I might have borne it better, but work had been plain awful. I’d snapped at my peeps and while they’d accepted my apology, I’d been so mad at myself. My entire persona consisted of me being congenial to everyone. To not bring attention to myself or cause drama. I hated to hurt anyone. It was my most omega-like trait.
The entire morning I’d stropped around the office and had gotten very little done. Dakota had found a well of patience with me and had tolerated my company until lunchtime. Then he’d decided that enough was enough and had taken me home and summoned Blake.
Seeing my mate had a spark running through me and another brief movement from my wolf. I’d been too caught up with Blake to enjoy it, but I loved that he could call my wolf out. It gave me hope I could repair things with them.
Blake stirred, and we moved to the bedroom before another wave of heat hit. I’d reminded him to call his brother so that he could leave the car. Neither of us knew how long this heat would last and we needed Axel to get us food or tell people what was happening if it took longer than the night.
I’d left the silence ward on the door and was grateful for it as we fucked all over my bedroom and bathroom through the afternoon and into the night.
There were times between each wave that we had time to enjoy being together. My mate was kind and sweet, so very unusual for an alpha. He took pride in the improvements that he’d made in the lives of the omegas who had been so abused under his father’s leadership.
He’d invited me out there to have dinner with them, to see my future pack and figure out my place in it, and I accepted readily, not wanting to be apart from him.
I promised to call Dakota in the morning and take some more leave if I could. If he couldn’t keep my job open, I would understand. I had plenty of cash to keep things going while I worked things out. The thing was, I needed to put Blake and our pack first if we were to stand a chance.
Eventually I’d have to give up my job anyway, to work with the pack as most Alpha Mates did. I’d leave my house for the pack house and that no longer scared me. It was okay, actually. I wanted to be with Blake. I just needed a few more days to be sure.
My heat broke in the early hours of the morning. Blake and I celebrated in a lovely warm bath, letting the water ease sore muscles from all the strenuous sex we’d had. I leaned back against my mate and let him run a wet cloth over me, washing away all the sweat.
“I can smell you again.” I marveled. “You smell like bitter chocolate and fresh rain.”
“Hmm,” Blake said, running his nose up my neck under my damp curls, eliciting a shiver from me. “You smell like tangerines and grass. So addictive.”
“Blake, I can smell things again. Like a shifter can.”
He moved, sitting up straighter. “Seriously? That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you, baby!” He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug and kissed my jaw.
“It’s a significant sign that I’m recovering. I can’t wait to shift again. It’s been so long.”
“How long?”
I thought back to the last time I’d shifted. It was April now, and the last time I’d been in wolf form was when snow was on the ground. I remembered I hadn’t shifted for the winter solstice even though I’d been invited to celebrate with Dakota’s pack. There was a standing invitation with the Sweetwater pack Blake ran, but I’d avoided it. “November, I think.”
Blake stiffened against me but stayed silent and I blew out a relieved breath. “My wolf can’t wait to run with yours,” he eventually said. “I can see us running as our wolves together, with the rest of the pack behind us.”
Relaxing into his hold, I pictured it too. It was a beautiful sight. I saw my red-brown wolf running with a stunning wolf with glossy black fur and startling blue eyes. Together, they led the pack into a clearing and stood shoulder to shoulder as pups played in their alter forms in front of them.
“Hmm, just like that?”
I stiffened. “What?”
“The picture —” There was a splash. “Did you just —?”
“You saw?”
He squeezed me closer. “This is great! It’s a sign our bond is deepening. Maybe this time the mark will stay longer.”
“Then why wasn’t my heat very long this time? It was half as short as the first time.” I pointed out, confused at all that was happening. The idea that our bond was stronger wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be. My heats though, left me mystified.
