Trapped With the Alpha (Balfour Shifters Book 1) (31 page)

“I’m just curious what exactly changed your mind about everything? Don’t get me wrong. I would much rather be sitting here than where we were a couple of months ago, but things changed really fast.”

I take a moment to think over my words before speaking. Settling against Brody’s chest again, I figure the best way to begin this marriage is with complete and utter honesty. With a sigh, I tell him, “The only real answer I have for you is that you are what changed my mind.”

“Me?” he asks, sounding slightly astonished.

“Yes, you, Brody. When the witch first captured me, she knocked me out, and I had the weirdest dream while I was unconscious. It was like the fates were trying to show me what I was throwing away by coming to her for help.”

His hand rubs slow circles over my stomach as he asks, “What was it about?”

Turning back around, I thread my fingers through the dark hair curling around his jaw. “It was the future. It was everything we would have had if we hadn’t been cursed in the first place. I saw us as a family, and it all felt real, not quite a dream but more of a premonition. I saw us with our children and our grandchildren. We were happier than I ever could have imagined, Brody. The one thing I saw with the most clarity in the dream was your love for me. The look in your eyes as you watched me was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. You looked at me as if I was your everything.” 

“You are, Pixie,” he admits, looking at me the exact same way he had in my dream.

Closing my eyes, I lean forward and place a tender kiss on his lips before continuing. “That look, Brody, that look was the main reason I decided my hatred wasn’t worth it anymore. If I could come back to you and see that look for the rest of my life, I wasn’t about to throw it away.”

He doesn’t say anything, just brushes his lips over mine. 

“Even after I woke up, the only thing I could think of was never being able to see you again. Never being able to touch you again. Those thoughts nearly destroyed me. I lost you once, and it was the worst kind of torture imaginable. I think that maybe my stubborn head just needed something to compare things to. The second all of those things flashed through my mind, it no longer seemed like a decision I needed to make. It just became the obvious. “

“Thank God,” he mumbles, staring down at me.

“There is no me without you, Brody. Without you, I may as well give up on this life because it wouldn’t be worth living. I want it all with you, and if that means I need to suck up my pride, shrug my shoulders, and give myself a kick in the ass all at the same time, then that is what I will do.”

“Holy shit, Izzy,” he breathes. “That’s amazing and beautiful all at the same time. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make it all come true.”

Placing another kiss on his full lips, I say, “I know you will. After everything we went through, I will never doubt you again.”

Staring into each other’s eyes, a sense of peace settles over me, reminding me that I am exactly where I belong. Nuzzling my face into the side of his neck, I take a moment to breathe him in. The scent of warm cider, pine, and everything Brody assaults my senses and reminds me that I am finally home.

Coughing subtly, Knox steps to our side, drawing our attention to him and away from our sentimental moment. I can still see the pain of loss in his eyes, but I don’t mention it. “Hey, Knox.”

“Hey, Izzy.” A sad smile crosses his face before he steps up to kiss my cheek. Brody lets out a growl, but Knox shakes his head and chuckles. “It’s tradition, so get over it. I had to kiss the bride.”

“Well, that’s one tradition we won’t be following,” Brody barks out, pulling me even closer to his body in what is meant to be a protective gesture but is slowly squeezing the air right out of my lungs.

“Uh, excuse me, husband, but I can’t breathe. You mind letting up your hold there?”  As if just noticing how tight his grip is on my body, he loosens his massive arms.

“Sorry, babe. Didn’t mean to choke you. I was just trying to protect you from this horny ass here.” Looking toward Knox, Brody asks, “So, any word on what the rogues have been up to?”

Releasing a sigh, Knox shakes his head. “Nothing yet, man. From what we can tell, the second we killed off the McGregor witch, they took off. I guess, without her backing them, they didn’t have the balls to continue with their shit.”

“I would bet they are just taking some time to regroup. They’ll be back,” Brody says, his gaze taking on a faraway look as if he’s trying to spot them in the distance.

Knox shrugs and gives a knowing smile before turning to look across the party. I know when his eyes land on Blair, because his whole body locks up. As Finn’s brother, it’s his responsibility to care for her, but she won’t let him do a thing for her.  

She has essentially become a shell of her former self. She tries to put on a good act, but we are all watching her as she all but withers away. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and I can’t help but feel bad for getting my happily ever after when she won’t be able to have the same.

“Have you talked to her tonight?” I ask, motioning toward Blair.   

He shakes his head. “I tried, but she rushed off as soon as she got a chance.”

It’s only been two months since Finn’s death, and she’s already found herself an apartment in town. Brody and Knox both threw a fit when she told them she was leaving, but they shut up when she said it was too hard to stay here without Finn. I still see her nearly every day, and she still cries every time she mentions her mate’s name. Sadly, this is something she will never be able to get over, and it kills me that there is nothing I can do to ease her pain.

Turning away from the sight of Blair, I attempt to smother the yawn escaping me, hoping Brody won’t see. As always, though, nothing escapes his notice. He begins to stand, still holding me in his arms as he turns to Knox and says, “Well, it looks like this party is over. My wife here is ready to head off to bed.”

Turning to look at me, Knox throws a wink in my direction. “Sure, that’s why you’re taking her to bed, because she’s tired. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you can’t keep your hands off of her.”

Throwing his head back, Brody releases a loud bark of laughter. “Oh, you’re right that has something to do with it, but we can’t forget that she is also carrying my pup, and she needs her rest in order to stay strong.”

“Really, Brody, I’m fine. We don’t have to leave. Everyone is still here, so I would feel bad leaving. I can handle it,” I say through another yawn.

“It’s your wedding, and you can do whatever you want. If you’re tired, I am taking you to bed, end of story.”

Shifting my gaze toward Knox, hoping he will help me out, I give him my silent pleading look, but he just rolls his eyes and shakes his head at me. “You know I love you, Iz, but not even that will get me to go up against my Alpha for you. Sorry. If he wants you in bed, then off you go.”

“Bunch of traitorous wolves,” I mumble as I give in and snuggle further into Brody’s arms.

Placing a kiss on my forehead, Brody says, “About time you wake up and realize that you can’t win against me.”

Sighing, I ignore his comment and tell myself I would be just as happy, if not more so, snuggled into bed with Brody by my side. “Well, let’s go then, wolf man. Carry me off to our bed.”

Laughing, Knox gives Brody a pat on the back before turning to head back toward the group still celebrating. Continuing to carry me, Brody starts walking back to the lodge. I swear the closer we get, the faster he begins walking.

I can’t help but giggle at his excitement to finally be alone. “In a rush, are you?”

“Damn right, I am. I’ve had to share you with everyone else all day. It’s my turn to get your attention now, and I don’t feel like sharing.” Winking down at me, he starts to pick up his pace even more until he is all but jogging in his desperation to get back.

As we approach the doorway, his finally slows down, stopping completely in front of the doorway. Leaning down, he places a soft kiss upon my lips before whispering, “Welcome home, my wife.”

Glancing up to meet his eyes, I arch upwards and give him a chaste kiss before slowly licking across his bottom lip. “There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be, my husband. My mate. My Alpha.”

Releasing a low growl, he turns and bumps the door open with his hip before walking through the entryway. Without even turning to close the door behind us, he just lifts his foot and kicks it shut with a slam.  

The closer he gets to our bedroom, the more desperate for his body and touch I find myself. Unable to resist the urge to touch him any longer, I turn slightly in his arms and begin kissing and licking across his jawline. Rubbing my palms across his wide chest, I begin undoing the buttons on his white dress shirt as I continue to work my way down his jawline toward his neck. Stopping in my tracks, I find the tender spot just below his earlobe and give it a sharp nip with my teeth. The second my teeth make contact with his flesh, I feel a shudder move through his body. “Mmm, hurry up, baby. I don’t want to wait any longer.”

“Fuck,” he growls out as he begins running down the hallway toward our room. In the blink of an eye, I am flying through the air, landing on the bed with a bounce, and a giggle escapes me. Sitting up so that I’m resting on my elbows, I slowly cock my finger at him, beckoning him to move forward.

Stepping up to the edge of the bed, he wraps a hand around my ankle before sliding one of my nude pumps from my foot. Lifting my foot up toward his face, he leans forward and places a tender kiss upon the sole of my foot before repeating the same process with my other shoe.

“God, you are so beautiful,” he says while looking down upon me. His eyes hold a mixture of awe and hunger, and the sight of them gazing upon me causes my breath to leave my body in a rush.

Placing a hand on either ankle, he gives my legs a tug and pulls me closer to the edge of the mattress, so that my legs are now dangling off of the bed but my thighs are now caging his hips. Sliding his hands up my thighs, he pushes my dress up to gather around my hips before leaning down and devouring my mouth with a kiss so primal and full of need that I am literally left a wet, panting mess below him.

Sinking his tongue deep into my mouth, he begins to thrust his hips forward, letting me feel just how desperate he is for me. The lack of skin on skin between us is enough to drive me out of my mind. Snaking my hands over his chest, I grab onto the sides of his dress shirt and give a yank, causing the buttons to pop off and scatter across the room.

I caress the skin across his muscular chest before sinking my nails slightly into his pectoral muscles. Nipping at my bottom lip, he pulls back just enough to say, “Now who’s the over eager one?”

Tipping my head back, I lace a hand through his coffee colored hair and pull his mouth back down to meet mine. Sucking his tongue into my mouth, I begin to mimic exactly what I want to do to other parts of his body. Releasing his tongue, I place a series of quick kisses across his full lips before stopping at the outer corner of his mouth. “I can’t help it. The way you make me feel leaves me hungry for more. I need to feel you, Brody. Please.”

He shifts his hands to wrap them under my back, pulling until I am sitting up on the edge of the bed. “As much as I love the sight of you in this gorgeous dress, I have to agree with you. There is way too much clothing on between us. I need you naked, baby.”

Stepping back from the bed, he grabs a hold of my hands and gives a gentle tug until I am standing in front of him. Turning my body so that my back is resting against his chest, he slowly begins pulling the multiple pins from my hair, allowing it to cascade down my back. He sinks his fingers through my hair to my scalp, and begins to caress my scalp in the most tantalizing way as he leans down and nips at the dip between my neck and shoulder. Wrapping my hair around his fist, he gives a slight tug to the side so that he can take advantage of the exposed skin of my throat. “I love your hair. The feel of it wrapped around my fists as I pound into you from behind is amazing.”

Moaning, I thrust my ass back into his massive erection in the hopes of encouraging him to speed up the pace. I can literally feel my juices dripping down my thighs. My need for him at this moment is so strong it practically hurts. “Brody, please. I want to touch you, too. I need to touch you.”

Nipping at my earlobe, he says, “Oh, baby, I want your hands on me, as well. You will get your turn soon enough.”

Releasing an aggravated sigh, I reach around behind me, sink my hands into the delicious muscles of his ass, and pull him forward. As soon as I feel his cock resting against the top of my ass, I begin to shimmy against it, ready to feel him sinking into me.

Taking a step back from me, he gives my ass a playful slap. “Oh, no, you don’t. I’m in control here, little one. You just sit back and take exactly what I give you.”

Moaning, I give him what he wants and stay still as he reaches up and begins to slide the zipper down the back of my dress. As soon as he lets go of the zipper, the dress drops to the floor to pool around my feet. The second the dress lands on the floor, I hear Brody suck in a shuddering breath. I can only imagine what he is seeing as he looks upon me. The only thing now gracing my body is a ruby red satin thong with corset style lacing used to attach the two sides right at the top of my ass. When I saw them in the bridal boutique, I had to have them. I knew the red against my pale skin would drive Brody wild.

“Are these for me?” he asks, the want all but dripping from his voice, leaving it sounding rough and raw.

Sneaking a glance at him over my shoulder, I say, “Of course. Everything I do is for you, Brody.”

As I take a step forward, he plasters his chest to my back, slides his hands across my hip, and rests his chin on the top of my head. He pulls me toward him briefly before reaching up and cupping my pregnant belly in his big palms. “You have no idea how sexy you look to me right now. Not only are you officially my wife, but you are carrying my pup. I have never seen anything so gorgeous in all of my very long life.”