Pack Secrets (6 page)

Taken aback at her honesty, he approached slowly, ensuring that she knew he wasn’t pushing. He was a foot away from her holding his arms out in welcome when she came into his arms and buried her face in his chest. He felt her breath against his chest and actually got chills.

“Why do you smell so good?”

“You smell good to me too.”

She pulled her head back and looked into his eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Looking into her amber eyes that appeared to be more green than brown toned he fell a little bit more in love with her. “Do you want the truth?”

She gave the slightest nod.

“You have to promise not to freak out, or run away, or push me away.”

Another nod.

She buried her face back in his chest as if she knew what was coming. His head moved as he breathed deeply of her scent, wanting to confirm what he already knew. “I think we’re fated.”

Her breath hitched against his chest and her breathing increased. He thought she might be crying when he felt something wet on his chest. He pulled her head back, gazing into her eyes, her dry eyes. Her tongue peeked from between her lips as she licked her lips and looked at him with wonder. “Oh.”

Attempting to hold back the shiver of excitement, he looked down at his chest that had a line of wetness where she’d licked him. His small disk shaped nipples were pebbled and tingling in anticipation of his mate’s attention. He watched her sway on her feet towards him as they both drew closer, closer, closer.

Dee’s stomach growled and, they froze, their lips only an inch apart.

Why now? She was about to experience the best kiss of her life and then, wham, she was swept up into Justin’s arms as he walked them to alpha house. “I can walk. I’m just hungry, I haven’t shifted in years.”

He stumbled. “Years? What the heck, Dee, you’re lucky you haven’t gone crazy. I doubt my wolf would have allowed me to wait that long.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he walked them both towards pack house. “Can we stay on topic? A canine and feline can’t be mates. Why do you think we’re mates?”

“I haven’t been able to get your scent out of my mind. I can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t been able to orgasm in the last weeks because your scent wasn’t near. I almost died healing your son just to make you and Carter happy. Does that sound like a simple courting? Plus, why can’t a feline and canine mate? My friend, Dante, who’s a wolf shifter, mated a bear. If a canine and ursine can mate why can’t we?”

He sounded so sure. She wished she trusted herself and had half the confidence he did. “How will we know?”

She watched as he licked his lips and smiled down at her. “I’m pretty sure by your scent alone. Although I can’t be sure until I taste you. You’ve already tasted me. Do you think you could live without me?”

Searching deep within herself she wondered. “I honestly don’t know.”

He wobbled on his feet and set her down on a patch of cold green foliage. “Before we go back to alpha house and pick Carter up, I’d like to find out. Would you let me kiss you? I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but you didn’t seem ready.”

Shaking, she nodded her head, still not sure if she was making the right decision. “Okay.”

Well…should he kiss her or wait for her to lean into him. He hated that he was so unsure. Hell, he was an alpha male. He’d never asserted his alpha tendencies before because there’d never been a reason. He couldn’t rely on her scent because she fought whatever feelings she had, rationalizing them away and denying them in her mind. He waited while watching her inspect him. He felt like a bug under a microscope.

Leaning forward, he watched her eyes close as she held her breath. He took a moment to memorize her face: waiting just a few seconds to take in the enormity of what was about to happen. He’d finally taste his mate’s lips. He couldn’t allow this to be like every other kiss, so he grasped her hips in his hands and lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist. When she gasped and he felt her heat against his belly he went in, lips blazing.

No joke, this was the best kiss of his entire life. He started by simply rubbing his closed lips along hers. Their breath mingling, her scent consumed him as he opened his lips and licked the seam of her softness. His hands held her firm to him as they devoured each other, each giving, and taking while reveling in the shared passion and off the chart arousal. There was no way he could let her go after that.

He pulled back, looking into her ever changing eyes and smiled. Not too bad for a first kiss. It had indeed confirmed she was his fated mate, his other half, the yin to his yang, the cream in his coffee. He was so involved in his thoughts he missed something she’d said. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Heavy lidded eyes gazed up at him. “Yeah…I’ve had better.”

It took him a second to register what she’d said and just as it was sinking in he felt a gentle hand on his cheek. “I was kidding. I don’t know how it’s possible, but you are mine.”

He felt his face lift into another smile, and with pure joy in his heart he announced, “I am yours and you are mine. I hate to sound so eager, but when can we mate. I mean…will you agree to mate with me?”

And that’s all it took for her to scent to change from joy to fear. “I, uh…maybe we should-“

He placed a finger over her mouth. “It’s okay, I’ve waited this long.”

Shitfuck.
Of course he would want to mate, they were fated mates. Not knowing she absolutely hated the word ‘mate’. She’d been duped before into thinking she was a mate and she’d never been more wrong. Once again she didn’t trust her judgment and she didn’t think she ever would. It was a big point in his favor that he was a brother to their new and highly revered alpha.

“We should get back, there’s no telling what Carter’s been up to. I swear every time I leave him with the alpha’s he gets into something.”

Winking down at her he shot her a wicked grin and she ate up the attention like candy. “That sounds like my brother. He really enjoys kids. I’m surprised Delilah isn’t pregnant by now.”

“She told me Blake wanted to make sure it was safe, so they’re taking a few months to ‘practice’ making babies. She loves kids and she’ll be a great mom.”

She watched as his head fell forward as if in defeat. “Let’s go get Carter.”

Gripping his arm she turned him back towards her. “Where are we?”

His confusion showed before he answered, “What do you mean? We’re in the forest by alpha house.”

Taking in a fortifying breath she said, “I don’t mean where are we located. I mean…I don’t want to upset Carter. He just came back and I think he should be comfortable.”

His forehead got all wrinkled, so she continued. “I don’t think he should know we’re mates.”

Justin’s head fell back as he laughed loudly, and she couldn’t help but admire the long line of his throat and the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. She was feeling a bit insecure, like he was laughing at her, so she asked, “What the heck, Justin?”

Wiping tears of laughter out of his eyes, he gazed down at her. He noticed she was getting anxious now, trying to understand. “He’s friends with Trev?”

“Who?”

“Trevor, the little boy who he played with at the wedding. I’m telling you now; if they’re friends, then Carter probably knew this was coming a long time ago. Has Carter been talking about me lately?”

Dee pulled back from him and rubbed her forehead. “Well, yeah, he talks about you and Trevor all the time. He talks to you both every night, so I figured he just liked you both.”

Obviously he was picking up on her discomfort because he said, “We can play it by ear. I’ll stand back and let you take the lead.”

“Mama, lookit, alpha Blake gave me some new clothes cuz’-“

Blake coughed loudly to cut off the motor mouth that Carter had become over the last hour. He just wouldn’t stop talking so Blake stuffed him full of sweets. Of course it couldn’t be that easy because for some reason the kid just got worse. To top it off, he was covered in chocolate and cream. Not knowing how else to cover up the evidence, he furiously attempted to scrub the kid and his clothes. Wrong. The kid’s clothes ended up an absolute mess, so he stripped him and let him borrow some new clothes he’d gotten for Trevor’s next visit. Trevor was a few years older so the clothes hung loosely on his smaller frame.

He still wouldn’t stop talking, ‘why this? How about that? But why? But why?’ My God, he felt like he was going to lose his mind when Delilah walked in and he dropped to his knees before her, hugging her around her hips. “Please, make him stop. Why won’t he stop?”

“You fed him?”

“Duh, he had two burgers,” he mimicked in a kid’s voice, “I don’t need no bread or nothin’ just the meat and some cheeses.”

She giggled at his impression. “Well, did you give him ice cream or something?”

“Hell yeah, I think Dee is starving him. He’s so skinny. I gave him some cupcakes and a few scoops of ice cream and that brownie that was leftover from yesterday. Then he said he needed to try some pie because he hadn’t ever tried a pie.” He clicked his tongue, “Who hasn’t tried pie, Del. I’m fixin’ to have a talk to her when she comes.”

“What kind of pie did you give him?”

“Cherry, why?”

She yelled over his shoulder, “Hey, Carter, what’s your favorite pie ever?”

He did a few jumping jacks; he was always doing some kind of activity. “I likes apple best. It has a yummy thing on the top that tastes so good.”

Blake shot to his feet, “Hey.”

He felt Delilah’s small hand on his chest, rubbing in small circles. “I grew up with the twins, they were always getting into trouble. You have to think like a kid.”

He hoped she heard his disbelief, was she just joking with him? “You’re kidding right? I’m like the world’s biggest kid. Ask my parents.”

The front door to alpha house was unlocked, so Justin strode in pulling Dee reluctantly behind him. “It’s fine. They left it unlocked for a reason. Come on.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded to Dee, before bellowing, “Blake, where are you?”

There were heavy footfalls right before Blake came into the atrium carrying Carter. He shoved the boy at Justin before announcing, “Here ya go, I’m just gonna go now, Del needs me.”

“No way brother, where are his clothes?”

Noting the drink in Carter’s hands appeared to be a homemade slushee like they used to make when they were kids. Justin gave Blake the evil eye and Blake winced. “They got messy so we put ‘em in the washer. We’ll send them to you another day.”

Justin put the boy down and watched as Carter ran into his mother’s arms. “Mama, I had so much fun with my alpha.”

Wiping something that looked like cherry pie from his hair, she asked, “I bet you did. It’s been a long day and we should get you home to bed.”

He slurped his drink. Clearly it was on its way to being done because it made that really annoying sound that drinks make when there is only ice left, but the kid refuses to give up and keeps trying to savor the spent beverage.

“I can’t get to bed, Mama, I’m awake. Plus, I’m wearing active wear so I gotsta be active, I can’t even sits down.”

He modeled his new pants that were indeed little workout pants. Holy crap, Blake was about to get in trouble. Justin’s smile was malevolent, waiting for Dee to blow her top.

Before she got a chance to say anything Carter continued, “Did you know that helicopters gots their name because they have hella coppers.” Another question must have popped into his mind. “But, mama, how do they fit the cops on there and how do they get down when someone does something bad to take ‘em to jail?”

Justin pulled Carter into his arms quickly as Dee’s jaw dropped. “On that note we should go. See ya later, bro.”

He snagged Dee’s arm on the way out and felt like someone smacked him upside the head when Carter asked, “Yer coming to live with us now? I’m so happy.” His little voice got low and he asked, “Can I call you paw paw?”

Refusing to even look at Dee he said, “Uh…let’s just play it by ear, little man.”

Slurp, slurp. “Why do you play with your ear?”

Dee growled, “Bloody hell.”

Slurp, “Mama, you says the bad word. I’m gonna tell alpha Blake on you.”

Justin knew it was going to be bad, but he understood her frustration so he took a step back and allowed her a moment. He tried to take the drink from Carter but he said, “Hey, I’m not done.”

Watching her attempt to gain composure, Justin had to turn his head and chuckle to himself. Only hours with Blake and Carter would be a nightmare to deal with all night. He’d have to remember to ask someone else to watch Carter when they needed it.

Taking a deep breath Dee began, “I appreciate all your help,
Alpha,
unfortunately Justin and I have some unfinished business, so I’m going to have to ask you to keep him overnight.” She turned to Carter, “Won’t that be fun Carter, a sleepover with your alpha?”

Slurp, slurp, slurp, “Cool, Mama.”

Dee watched Blake flounder, “Now, wait a minute-“

“Now, it’s only fair. We have some very important things to discuss, as you so appropriately informed me a short while ago. I thank you for offering to keep him for us.”

“But that was only-“

This time Blake was interrupted by his mate, Delilah. “Cool, a sleepover. Let’s go pick a book to read before bed, Carter.”

Slurp, slurp, slurp. “I can’t go to bed, Missus Alpha, I’m wearing active wear.” He popped out of Justin’s arms and modeled his new shorts while doing some jumping jacks, his drink still in his hand.

Delilah narrowed her eyes at her mate, “Well, you’ll have to thank your alpha for that. He can put on his active wear with you tonight and you can both workout together,” she looked at her watch, “My bedtime is in an hour.”

“But-“

Slurp, slurp, slurp. “Woo hoo! Alpha, let’s go!”

Not being able to look away from the devilish grin Dee was sporting, Justin was surprised when she looked over and winked, prompting their departure. “Alright, we’ll pick him up in the morning. Have a great night.” She placed a loud smacking kiss on Carter’s cheek causing him to blush and wipe it away.

Carter continued to slurp away as he followed Blake and Delilah down the corridor to the bedrooms. Justin smiled as he heard his brother say. “Why is he trying to suck the universe through the end of his straw? It’s gone kid, move on.” Justin’s grin grew as he heard Delilah smack her mate and reply, “You did this to yourself, Mister. Your punishment is to live with the consequences.”