Alpha's Heart: An M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance (Northern Pines Den Book 1) by Susi Hawke (2)

 

 

Chapter Six

 

Mikael

 

 

“Okay. Tell me one more time how you managed to take down a row of my den's finest alphas,” I laughed. “Actually. Never mind. I'll get my laptop out and look at the security tape. Then we can enjoy it in real time.”

“For the love of Fenris! You cannot make me watch that! Uh-uh. Not happening.”

He grinned and took a bite of his filet mignon.

“I don't understand why you say that Peter and your cousin blamed you for this when it was obviously an accident.” I was speaking seriously now. “I will be reviewing those tapes soon, and then I will have a little conversation with Peter. If anyone was to blame, it was Gregor and Nicolai for behaving like asses.”

Taylor's face lit up because I was automatically taking his side of things. But why wouldn't I? Not to mention the fact that I knew the two young alphas in question to be spoiled, entitled little shits who no doubt were trying to intimidate Taylor. Stefan's reaction to follow my mate out and cheer him up gave me yet another reason to thank my cousin when we next spoke.

“Is there a reason that you're smiling, solnyshko?” I looked at my little mate with all the affection that I was feeling.

“I was just thinking how much Ivan and Ryan are going to laugh when they find out that you're my fated-mate. I'm sure that Stefan is still laughing. And what was that word that you called me?” He looked at me curiously, as he sipped at his wine.

“Literally? I'm just calling you sunshine. You glow bright as the sun to me, and I guess it just slipped out. I hadn't given it much more thought than that.”

Taylor beamed. “I like that. Ryan has a special Russian name from Ivan too. Medvezhonok, I think?”

I nodded. “That means teddy bear. Another good name. But not as appropriate for you, solnyshko.”

Nodding, Taylor smiled at me shyly. “So does this mean that we're doing it?”

Chuckling, I raised a brow. “Doing it? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” I ducked when his napkin came flying at me.

“I meant, are we going to do this whole mates thing. Not are we physically going to, oh, never mind.” He took another sip of wine and blushed shyly.

I was mesmerized by this sweet side of him. I reached across the table and rested my hand over his smaller one. “I would be honored if you will accept me as your mate, solnyshko. I thought that it would take much longer for you to be willing to accept me. I was prepared to wait as long as necessary for you to be mine.”

His brows shot up. “Are you calling me easy over there, Alpha? Because I can go back to my room and wait a few weeks if you'd prefer to take it slow. I've heard that you older guys sometimes need to move at a different pace.”

Chuckling, I threaded my fingers through his and replied: “No, I doubt that anything about you is easy. Or ever will be, for that matter. I was surprised because I thought that you would need more time to decide. It is a big commitment, after all. And the agreement between your pack and my den was that you would have a say in where we settle down. I can't offer you that choice, and I worry that this may be a problem.”

Taylor shook his head and answered me in a serious tone. “No. I understand that you have duties to your people. I wouldn't  ask or even expect that you would consider leaving. I think that I will be happy here, because you're here. I would like it if your people accepted me at some point. But until then? I'm going to be happy just to have you as my mate. That will be enough for me.”

It saddened me that he felt that way about my people. “No, Taylor. My people will love you. We just need to let them get to know you. And you are certain that you'll be able to be happy here with me?”

“Mikael, the key words there were right at the end of that statement. With you. I will definitely be happy as long as you're there with me.” He blotted his mouth with his napkin, and stood. “Now, why don't you take me into your bedroom and let me see if it's as ugly as this room. I wasn't paying much attention earlier, I was distracted by your bare ass.”

I grinned as I stood up and swung him up into my arms. “I knew that you were looking at my ass. Although, I must admit, it is a pretty good ass.”

Taylor swatted at my shoulder with a giggle. He turned his face into my neck and began to nuzzle at my alpha-gland. The bed was three strides away and the little tease was going to make me fall down before I made it that far.

Groaning, I made it to the bed and crawled onto it with my arms full of my teasing omega. Turning, I leaned forward and deposited him on his back while I knelt over him on all fours.

Taylor looked up at me with wide eyes. “Okay. Wow. This is way more intense than I thought it would be a few seconds ago. And when did your eyes get so blue?”

He gazed up at me rapturously, his mouth slack and eyes full of wonder. A shaky hand came up to cup my cheek. “We're really going to do this, Alpha? No going back, you know. You'll be stuck with me. Forever.”

I leaned in close to whisper against his lips with a predatory grin: “No, solnyshko. I will be stuck in you once I fill you with my knot.” I closed my lips over his answering giggle, his soft lips immediately kissing me back.

Turning us to the side, I dropped down beside him and deepened the kiss. Our tongues met in a sliding grapple. Somehow when I broke the kiss to take a breath, I found that I was now on my back with my tiny omega straddling me. His hands held my face in a soft embrace as he looked down at me with those sparkling eyes.

“Wow, again. This is going to be fun,” He whispered before leaning down to nip at my ear. I caught sight of his fascinating ear holes with what smelled like bones lining them. I sniffed at the hole, my tongue looping under to lick it from behind. “Oh, fuck.” He moaned, sliding his hands into my hair while his body all but melted on top of me.

My hands came around to cup his ass-cheeks, pulling him closer against me. I could feel his steely rod pressing against  my stomach where he straddled me. I flipped us over so that I was again kneeling on all fours over him.

“Let's get you undressed, solnyshko. You have way too many clothes on, yes?”

He lifted his arms and wriggled out of his shirt as I pushed it up. While I pulled off the rest of his clothes, he spoke thoughtfully while he watched.

“You're interesting, Mikael. You slip in and out of the formal speech of your people. Sometimes you're casual, but then you slide back into the formal. What's up with that anyway?”

I chuckled as I stood to push off my own pants. “Are we really going to have a discussion in linguistics while I'm trying to mount you, little one?”

Taylor's nose wrinkled. “Mount me? What am I, a dog?”

With a shrug, I slipped down next to him and gathered him into my arms. “Well, you are a wolf. Although, I wouldn't have called you a dog.”

His small hand smacked my should as he huffed out a laugh. “Not funny, bear. And on that note, if I ever hear you call me a puppy...” his voice trailed off as I leaned over and took his rod into my mouth.

With that one movement, I sucked him down to the root. Sliding my head back up, I teased my tongue along his slit, savoring the drop of moisture that came out. Swirling my tongue around his cock head, I licked down the prominent vein that bulged along his length. The sweet smell of his slick was filling the air now.

Pulling away from his cock, I nuzzled my way lower. His legs lifted and spread to give me room to work. It occurred to me that my boy was no novice in the bedroom, and I wondered if I should be pissed. But no. Why should I? I was no virgin myself. We may not be each other's first, but we would definitely be the last.

Licking over his balls and taint, I made my way to that sweet, seeping pink hole. Cupping the back of his thighs in my palms, I held him in place as I mercilessly laved my tongue around his hole and crease.

Taylor was moaning loudly, his entire body practically vibrating in my hands as I licked and teased his hole. When I speared my tongue into it, his hips jerked against me. Pushing his legs up against his chest, I held them in place with one hand. With my other, I stroked his rigid shaft while I lapped up the sweet slick leaking from his hole.

Panting loudly, Taylor rocked his hips against me. “More, Mik. Please. No more playtime. Just take me already!” He groaned out the last part as his hands came down to pull at my head, urging me upward.

Taking one last taste of that sweet slick, I lifted up and crawled over him. His knees pressed into my chest as I knelt over him, my hands braced on either side of his lithe frame. “Are you ready, solnyshko? Will you have me as your mate?”

Taylor's head jerked from side to side, his eyes glazed with pleasure, pupils blown wide with need. “Yes, Alpha. I am yours. Mate me. Please.”

Leaning down to press my lips to his with a soft kiss, I slotted myself into place and lined the fat head of my thick cock up with his relaxed hole. My tongue slid in between his lips as my cock pressed into his hole. Swallowing his gasp of pleasure, I kissed him slowly as I fed my length into his tight channel.

Breaking our kiss, he turned his head to the side and moaned. “Fuck yes, Alpha. You feel so damned good inside me.” I held still, allowing his much smaller body to adjust to the size of my cock.

I scraped my teeth over his omega-gland where my bite would soon scar his perfect flesh, marking him as mine forever. A burst of his nutty spice flavor filled my nose as I nuzzled and suckled on that sensitive gland. I jolted as his teeth scraped along my own gland, returning the favor.

His voice whispered hoarsely in my ear: “There's that delicious apple scent. How do you smell so fucking good?”

“I wouldn't know, my love. You're the only one that can really smell me. That scent is yours alone to savor. As yours is mine.”

“Well, why don't you move then, so that I can take a bite of this delicious scent?” As he spoke, he rocked his hips against me, ready for more.

Chuckling, I began to move inside him. I braced myself on my forearms as I pulled back slowly before pushing back in. We went slow and easy for a few minutes, then I lifted up and spun him around onto his hands and knees.

Holding his hips firmly, I rutted into him with smooth, steady thrusts. Taylor pushed back against me, matching me thrust for thrust. I ran my hands over his silken cheeks, cupping them in my palms and pulling them further apart so that I could watch my cock sliding in and out of that slick pink hole.

I ran a hand up over the bumps of his spine, pushing down between his shoulder blades to press him into the mattress. His hips lifted higher at the new angle, letting me go deeper with each thrust.

Sweat glistened across his back. I resisted the urge to lick it as my hips took over and sped up. I moved my hand into his pink hair, and grabbed a handful. I pulled lightly at it, raising his head from the mattress.

“You like this, mate? Do you like being fucked by your man? Tell me.” I panted out the words, barely holding onto my control.

“Spin me again, let me ride you!” His voice demanded in a whispered rasp. Instead, I slid a hand under his chest and sat up against my heels, pulling him with me. His legs splayed across mine as he sat on my lap, his back to my chest. His head fell back against my shoulder, turning to nip at my earlobe while I grabbed his cock in a firm grip. My other hand came up to explore his nipples as I fucked into him from behind.

“Fuck. Yes! Right there, Mik.” His chin dropped to his chest as my cock grazed that magical bundle of nerves inside him. Holding him upright, I dropped back onto my back and brought my knees up until my feet were planted flat on the bed.

Taylor took over, riding my cock with quick jerks of his hips. I traced a hand up and down his spine, while my other hand still gripped his cock. Looking back over his shoulder, he shouted: “Spin me again! I can feel you swelling and we need to be in biting range, babe!”

Moving my hands down to grip his knees, I kept thrusting while I lifted his legs and spun him around to face me. His elfin face grinned down at me, sweat dripping from his body onto mine. He leaned forward for a kiss, his eyes going wide as that made my cock push against him at yet another delicious angle.

Panting over my mouth, he touched his lips to mine as I felt my knot tingle and swell inside that tight channel. I stroked his back, holding him against me as I tilted my hips and rutted up into him. My knot thickened and stretched against his inner walls, locking us together.

With a gasp against my lips, Taylor's body jerked as he covered our chests with his cum. His ass squeezed around my knot as he came, pushing me over the edge. With one last kiss, Taylor moved to line his mouth up over my alpha-gland. I felt his sharp teeth pierce my flesh as my seed erupted into his body.

I gave a quick kiss to his pristine omega-gland before biting into it with my own elongated teeth. My vision blurred as a kaleidoscope of colors and his scent combined to overwhelm my senses. Our spirits clicked together all at once. I could feel the swell of my knot filling him from his perspective and mine at the same time. I was both filling him with my seed, and being filled. And all around the periphery of this, I could feel his spirit surrounding me and filling my heart.

Blinking my eyes, I came back to myself as I licked his gland clean. I tipped my head back to look at my newly claimed mate. I expected something sweet or romantic from him when he opened his mouth to speak.

Not my mate. Instead I heard: “So that's what Stefan meant when he called me a spinner, huh?”

I couldn't help it as a laugh roared out of me. I reached up and cupped his cheek. “You have got to be the craziest, most irreverent omega ever born, solnyshko.” His brow lifted imperiously until I finished my thought. “Please, don't ever change. The goddess Artio knew that you were just what this bear needed.”

Taylor cleared his throat. “You mean the god, Fenris?”

I tilted my head as I reached down to adjust his hips when I felt my knot pulling against the rim of his hole. “Perhaps we can agree to disagree, yes?”

His lips curved into a smile. “There's my formal man again. Welcome back.”

With a grin, I reached up to caress his ear. “Tell me about this bone ring that you wear, solnyshko. Why bone? And what kind of animal does it represent?”

Taylor's eyes lit up as he began to explain. I listed with interest, trying to picture his wolf with ear gauges. “I cannot wait to see you shifted, my love. It will be quite different to see a bejeweled wolf.”

His cheeks flushed with happiness as he nodded. “Yeah, I think it sets me apart.”

“Taylor, you do not need jewelry to set you apart my love. Or a special color in your hair. You are quite unique all on your own. The rest is just pretty ribbons on the package, yes?” I ran a hand through the thick pink waves in the center of his head. “What color is your hair naturally?”

“White blonde. That's why it takes the pale colors so well. Does it bother you? I mean, if you wanted I could tone it down.” He bit into his lower lip as he gazed at me with worried eyes.

“Not at all. Do not change yourself for me. I adore you as you are, sweetheart. In fact, it will be interesting to see what color you go with next time.” I ruffled his hair one last time before wrapping my arms around him and pulling his body down against mine.

His face nuzzled against my neck and Taylor sighed happily. A hand came up to tweak my nipple, his thumbnail scraping across the tightened nubbin.

“If you want my knot to ever go down, you might not want to do that.” I warned as my cock began twitching with renewed interest inside his tunnel.

Taylor wiggled his hips and suckled at my alpha-gland before responding. “And if I would prefer another round?”

I groaned happily as my cock filled. “You are going to be the death of me, I can see that already.”

“Nonsense. You're the strongest Alpha that I've ever met and you're in the prime of your life. You can handle me. Now, are you going to lay there and bitch or are you going to fuck me?” He lifted his head to look at me, eyes filled with challenge.

Neatly lifting and flipping us around so that he was on his back beneath me, I grinned and said: “I'm going to fuck you again, mate. And probably a few more times after that. Tomorrow, you'll be walking funny and probably bred with my cub. Is that a problem for you?”

Grinning up at me wickedly, he replied: “My only problem is that right now you're all talk and no action. Let's feel that fat cock moving in there, babe. If you're gonna brag that I'm gonna have problems walking tomorrow, you're gonna have to earn that bragging right. Now give it to me, Alpha.”

Leaning down and capturing his lips with mine, I gave it to him. When my nose suddenly picked up the flare of heat settling over him, I understood that this was far from over. Yeah, tonight was definitely going to kill me. But at least I would die a happy man with a fully sated cock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

Taylor

 

 

I opened my eyes to full daylight streaming in through the window beside the bed, and my Alpha gently wiping me down with a wet cloth. Blinking my eyes, I spoke in a croaky voice. “Wow, that must have been some night. I was out cold.”

Mikael looked up from where he was carefully cleaning my prick and smiled. “I would say so, solnyshko. You have been in this bed for three days.”

“What?” I lifted up on my elbows before dropping limply back to the bed. “Ow. I hurt everywhere. Did you roofie me or something, big guy?”

With a loud bark of a laugh, Mikael tossed the cloth across the room to a hamper and stretched out beside me. “No, my love. You were in heat. Don't worry, I have taken good care of you. I've fed you and kept you hydrated.”

I frowned, focusing on the blur of images that crowded just under my conscious mind. “Why don't I remember? I don't like not being in control of my body.”

“I understand, my love. I would not like that either. Here, open your mind to me and see my memories. I will show you our time together during your heat.” He smiled at me so sweetly, I just wanted to cry.

“Oh, fuck. I'm knocked up, aren't I?” I asked suddenly, knowing that as a bear he would already be able to smell it.

Smiling proudly, Mikael nodded. “How did you know, my love?”

“Because I wanted to cry from happiness when I looked at your sweet face. Ugh! Listen to me! I'm not that kind of guy! If I'm going to be all lovey-dovey and emotional like this for the next three months, just shoot me now.” I groaned with frustration.

Mikael chuckled and pulled me over to rest my head on his large chest. “I know, baby. It's okay. You can pretend to be brash and sassy in front of everyone else, and I'll keep your mushy emotions a secret during the pregnancy. Will that work?”

I huffed against his golden skin. “Fine. But if you see me fussing over tiny clothes or sighing at flowers, promise that you'll punch me?”

“I will promise no such thing. I will, however, promise to send you a mental image of something violent if I see you getting emotional. Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay. Picture someone kicking puppies or my hair being its natural color. That should shock me back to normal. Now, tell me. Am I having one or more, and what is it?”

Mikael chuckled, his chest rumbling warmly beneath my cheek. His hand stroked up my back as he answered my questions. “We are expecting a single bear cub. No multiples, is that okay? We can try for a pup next time if you want.”

Shaking my head, I told him: “I don't care if all we have are cubs. I just want our babies to be happy and healthy. They can be wolves or bears, alpha or omega, boy or girl, I don't care. I just want our baby to be okay.”

“I can't imagine a child of ours being anything but perfect, solnyshko. Now, would you like to try to take a shower and get dressed? I had your things brought in while you were asleep. Perhaps you'd like to get up and go downstairs for some fresh air?”

After a moment's thought, I answered: “Can you just have some food brought up so that I can eat and sleep some more? I'm not quite up to going out yet. I'm fucking fried. I probably can't walk anyway after riding that monster cock of yours for three days. Not to mention that knot.” I shivered with the delicious memory of how he'd filled me so completely.

“Monster cock, hmm? I like the sound of that. Okay, I'll take care of that. You rest, I'll be back in with your food when it arrives.” Mikael eased out from under me and left me in the bed to stretch out and luxuriate.

“Mikael?” I called out after him. “I'm assuming that Walt knows about us?”

He turned back to regard me with curious eyes. “Taylor. Everyone in the manor knows about us. It is difficult to hide the pheromones of an omega in heat. Not to mention the fact that you are a bit loud with your passion, my love.”

I laid back and looked at the ceiling with a sigh. “Okay. I just wanted to be the one to tell Sean, not Walter. Sean is protective as fuck, I wanted him to know that you're my fated-mate. Not just some Alpha, you know?”

Mikael came back over and sat down at the edge of the bed. He reached for my hand. “I assumed that this was your news to share. I left strict orders for nobody to speak of it until you were ready to share it yourself. Your cousin included.”

I snapped my gaze to his. “Really? Did you threaten him? Was he shaking? You can be pretty scary when you try.”

Mikael grinned, showing his perfect white teeth. “No, dear heart. I did not frighten your cousin. The poor little halfling has enough to deal with, he didn't need me scaring him too. Not to mention the fact that I believe Walter is a bit preoccupied with my beta captain right now.”

“Wait. What? Walt and Peter? No way.” I thought about it though, as my mind raced with the news. I heard Mikael speaking softly into his phone. When he finished, I turned back to him with more questions in my eyes.

“Calm down, my love. They are not fated to each other, but they have apparently found themselves to be of like minds. Peter and Walter have requested that I sanctify a mating between them. I spoke to your pack Alpha, and he agreed to it after speaking with both your brother and Walt.”

I sighed. “I'm never going to be free of that geek. At least they can wear matching sweater vests and bow ties, right? Ugh. Okay. I mean, I'm happy for Walt. It's been hard for him since his mate died. I'm glad that he will have someone again. And I have to admit that Peter is a good match for him. I just can't handle his constant need to ride my ass, you know?”

Mikael smirked. “You are forgetting something, solnyshko.” At my curious gaze he continued. “You are now the Alpha Mate. You not only outrank your cousin, you wield my power. Nobody will dare fuck with my mate. Especially my pregnant mate.”

“Fuck. Now I'll have to resist the urge to flaunt that and be respectful of our position. It's no fun to have that kind of power if you have to be responsible with it.”

Mikael leaned down and kissed my cheek. “That attitude is exactly why you were chosen to be my fated-mate, Taylor. The fact that this is your reaction says everything about your ability to lead at my side.”

I blushed at his words. There was a knock on the outer door, saving me from further conversation. Mikael went to see to it, coming back a few minutes later with a tray of food. I sat up as he placed the tray down over my legs.

After I was settled, he kissed my forehead and turned to leave. “I'm sorry, baby. I have a few things that must be seen to right now. Finish your lunch, and leave the tray on the floor. I'll get it when I come back. I trust that I'll find you resting?”

I nodded and took a drink of juice. “I'll be napping when you get back, I'm sure.”

Mikael nodded, and ducked out. I quickly polished off my food and got rid of the tray before rolling over and going back to sleep.

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

 

Mikael and I joined the rest of our family for dinner. It was weirdly sweet to see Peter and Walt all loved up with each other. They didn't show any signs of physical affection, but they deferred to each other and shared stories of things that I'd missed over the past few days.

Stefan was there, smiling over at me ironically when he wasn't caught up with Mikael in conversation about the den. Stefan had been filling in for Mikael while he'd been helping me through my heat.

Peter looked over at Mikael and asked: “Since our Alpha Mate is present for dinner, does this mean that you will be joining me in the office tomorrow?”

Mikael reached over and took my hand. “Yes, Peter. We will be back to work as usual tomorrow.” Turning to Stefan, Mikael added. “And you will be joining us, Stefan.”

Stefan looked at Mikael curiously. “But, I don't understand. Taylor's expecting your cub now. Doesn't that mean that I'm no longer your heir?”

Mikael shrugged. “We do not know yet if my cub will be an alpha. And it will be years before the child will be old enough and strong enough to lead the den, even if we do have an alpha. I will need you to remain ready to lead in my absence. Besides,” he looked over at me with a gentle smile. “I think that I will be taking more downtime now than I have in the past. I have a family now, yes?”

I noticed Walt looking at me with an open mouth and watery eyes. “I'm sorry, Walt. I assumed that you knew or I would've told you!”

Walt shook his head quietly. “No. I had no idea. I am so happy for you, Taylor! This will help you to finally settle down and maybe,” he waved a hand at my hair and ears. “Well, maybe you will be more serious now.”

I narrowed my eyes and was about to let it rip, when I felt Mikael gently squeeze my hand. Instead, I kept quiet for once and allowed my Alpha to speak.

“I find my mate to be everything that I require him to be, Walter. Perhaps you and Peter will find more time to focus on each other now and allow me to focus on my mate, yes? It is good that we can all be a happy family.”

Walt blushed at Mikael's gentle reprimand. “Thank you, Alpha. It will be good for us to all be one big happy family. I agree with you.”

I smiled happily. Not because Walt had been put in his place, but because I finally had someone who had my back. And wielded the power to back up his threats, implied or otherwise.

Stefan discretely tipped his glass in my direction before taking a sip of wine. I smiled happily. He knew how hurt I'd been after the party, and how much it meant to me that Mikael had taken my side.

I looked at Walt. “I need to call Sean later to tell him about my mating and our cub. Would you like me to tell him about you and Peter? Or have you already spoken to my brother?”

Walt looked at me blankly. “I suppose that I should tell him. I hadn't thought of it, to be honest. I guess I figured that he knew since I'd asked for Alpha Jake's blessing.”

“What? You and Sean have been close for years. Why wouldn't you think to tell him such important news? Hmm.” I turned to Mikael. “Let's go ahead and have a party like Peter suggested the other night. I would like to invite my brother. Ivan and Ryan too. Let's talk about this later, hmm?”

Mikael nodded. “That is a good idea. But you should definitely call your brother tonight anyway.”

“I will.” I turned back to Peter. “And I'll let you tell him your news at the party. After all, it's not mine to tell anyway.”

We finished our meal with pleasant conversation, my mind already jumping ahead and planning the party that we would be hosting. Hmm. No flowers, because of Walt. Maybe silk flowers? And cake. We needed cake. I was putting a menu together in my head when I realized that dinner was over and Mikael was watching me expectantly.

“Did I lose you there? You were in another place,” he smiled at me. I loved the way his eyes crinkled around the edges when he smiled. Such a beautiful man. I sighed happily and smiled back at my mate.

“I was thinking about the party. There's a lot to do, a lot to plan. Who do I talk to about that stuff?”

“Ah. I will have to introduce you to Roxy. She's the beta that runs the manor staff. She's the one you'll want to confer with for everything from menus to décor. I love that you're already excited about this, are you thinking of doing it soon?

I nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking a week from Saturday if we can pull it off. That gives us almost two weeks, but if I'm going to get sick or have any prego problems it will still be early days so I should be fine.”

Mikael rose and pulled out my chair. Taking his hand, I stood and walked out of the dining room at his side. As I chattered away, I realized all at once that I didn't even reach the man's nipple level. The two feet height difference between us was really obvious when we walked together like this. Yet somehow, I didn't feel small next to him.

As if reading my mind, he brought a large hand up to rest on my shoulder. “So I hear from Stefan that my mother's gazebo is your favorite spot, yes?”

I blushed, remembering the last time I'd been out there. Mikael cleared his throat and commented: “Let's forget that day, Taylor. I'd rather make a new memory there. Come, I have plans for us.”

We went outside and headed through the gardens. I looked up as we approached the gazebo, only to have my breath catch in my throat. The gazebo was lit up inside with the fairy lights, but the bulbs had been changed. Rather than being all white, now there were blue, purple, pink, and green lights twinkling inside.

I released Mikael's hand and jogged over to get a closer look. The exterior had been painted with a fresh coat of paint, and plump cushions now covered the benches. Each bench cushion was a different color that reflected one of the lights that twinkled overhead. I spun around in delight, taking it all in.

When I turned back to the entrance, Mikael was standing in the doorway. He leaned against the frame with his hands in his pockets and an uncertain smile on his face. “Do you like it? I wanted to make you a special place that was as colorful as you are, solnyshko.”

I ran to him, flinging myself into his arms and trusting him to catch me. Luckily for me, my Alpha had fast reflexes. “I love it, Mikael! And you did this all for me?”

He nodded, his hands cupping my butt. My legs were wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck. “I will give you the world, Taylor. Nothing will ever be more precious to me than you, my love.”

I laid my head on Mikael's shoulder, hugging my mate. I whispered into the darkness. “You know, we could make a new memory in here.”

His hand cracked across my butt playfully. “I do not think so, my love. I do not share my mate and I do not allow others to see us in our passionate moments. Those are for us alone.”

“Fine.” I pouted playfully as I leaned back to catch his eye. “Then why don't you take me upstairs and pin me against a wall or something. If I can't have crazy places to fuck you, maybe I can at least get crazy positions?”

Mikael was definitely on board with that idea, because he was turning around and carrying me toward the house before I finished speaking. Crazy assed Alpha. I couldn't wait to see what he had planned for tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eight

 

Mikael

 

 

I looked over at Stefan and Peter. We were all gathered in my office, discussing my sister yet again.

“There was definitely a recent scent imprint of hers when I was at the cabin, but it was a couple of weeks old. I want to have someone keeping eyes on the place, and increase our security across the board. I will not risk Taylor's safety. My sister is insane. We all know this to be true.”

Stefan nodded grimly while Peter made notes. Stef looked up and said: “I have a friend that lives less than a mile from Yvonne's old cabin. He can keep an eye out for any activity. I can call him when we finish here, if you agree?”

I nodded thoughtfully. “That is a good idea, Stefan. Call your friend. If you trust him, then I will as well. Tell him that we want updates on any activity at all. Not just Yvonne. She may be using it as a drop point, or having other people coming and going. I detected a few other strange scents there, so have your friend use caution.”

“Well, Jules is a cat shifter. Subtle is his middle name. He'll watch the place and they'll even never know that he was there.”

Peter looked over at Stefan with interest. “A cat shifter? Really? I didn't think we had any of those in our area since Miss Kat's mate passed away over at the wolf lodge. How fascinating. May I ask his species and designation?”

Stefan shrugged. “Sure. Jules just moved here a couple of years ago. He's an alpha jaguar shifter. And he worked in some kind of special forces team for the humans during his time in the military before he moved here. You guys will like him. He's a stand up guy, and really interesting too.”

I raised my eyebrows as I leaned back in my chair and steepled my fingers. “Do I want to know how you met this man?”

Stefan grinned. “Nothing too exciting. We have a mutual friend that I knew from high school. She introduced us when Jules moved here. We go out for drinks every so often at the gay bar in town. Jules pretty much stays up in the woods and only comes down when he craves a little human interaction.”

I shook my head. “Stefan, I believe that we continue to underestimate you. Well done, cousin.” Turning my attention to Peter, I said: “Let me know if we need more people on our borders. I'll ask Jake if he can spare us any alphas if necessary. He had that influx of new pack members, so he may. He'll need to know about this anyway. They'll need to be on alert. Yvonne is crazy enough to make another grab for Oskar.”

Sighing, I turned in my chair to look out the window. I spotted Taylor curled up in the gazebo. Smiling, I rose to my feet. “Okay, gentlemen. I'll leave you to your tasks. I'm going to step outside and take a walk to clear my head.”

They both smiled politely, but as I opened the door Stefan said from behind me: “Tell Taylor I said hello. And that he needs to answer his texts from time to time.”

Glancing back over my shoulder, I smirked at my cousin. “If you're referring to the text you sent this morning? He was busy with me. I told him you could wait.”

Stefan snorted. “And after that?”

I shrugged. “What can I say, cousin? You're just not as memorable as I am.” I walked out still laughing at the muttered expletives that were coming from my office.

 

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

 

 

I looked around the ballroom, impressed by the balance of dignity and whimsy that Taylor had achieved in here. The elegantly laid tables with their linen cloths, special china and sparkling cutlery all sported fishbowl centerpieces. Inside the bowls swam a pair of goldfish. A thick, waxy leaf floated on the water with a tea light candle atop it.

The elegant flower arrangements around the room were all made up of silk roses, dyed in different shades of purple. A string quartet played in the far corner of the room, but the tunes they played sounded suspiciously like songs from the hip-hop charts. My beta staff were all dressed in black slacks and white shirts with sequined purple vests. I bit back a smile as I imagined the horror they'd felt when the vests had been delivered.

Still, it all flowed together into a unique blend of, well, the two of us. My tiny mate definitely had good taste, albeit a little on the creative side. This would be good for my people. We needed the breath of fresh air that Taylor brought us. I knew in my heart that when my people got to know him, they would come to love him as much as I did.

I understood now why Taylor had insisted that I wear the purple tie he'd provided with my black suit and white shirt. When I heard him come up behind me, I turned and bit back another laugh. He had died his hair a light lavender with dark purple tips. His suit matched my own, but instead of a tie, he wore a purple vest beneath the jacket with his shirt open at the collar.

I smiled down at my mate. “I like it. You did a good job in here.”

Taylor nodded. “Yeah. I would have preferred real flowers, but that isn't possible with Walt's allergies. Did you see the fishies?”

I grinned at his sparkling eyes. “They were the first thing that I noticed. Tell me, is that string quartet seriously playing hip-hop?”

He shrugged. “Who cares what they're playing, as long as they look elegant.”

Reaching out for a hug, I pulled him against me and murmured: “Obviously my mate cares, since he chose the playlist.”

Giggling quietly, Taylor slapped my chest. “Stop it! You don't get to know all of my secrets!”

I reached down and lifted him by his armpits, holding him up at my face level with his feet dangling over the floor. “You have no secrets from me, Taylor. I can read your mind, remember? Now, tell me what I'll be eating tonight.”

Taylor rolled his eyes. “Why do you insist on lifting me around like a doll?” His eyes narrowed as I opened my mouth. “If you're about to say that I'm the size of one, you won't see the inside of my ass for a week. Maybe longer. Don't test me, Alpha.”

I grinned. “Sweetheart, don't threaten me with punishments that also effect you. That's the first rule of making credible threats. Now, as I said. Tell me what I'm going to be eating.”

“Put me down, you big lug. You're wrinkling my suit,” he blushed and looked around to see if anyone was watching. To spare his dignity, I slowly lowered him. Taking his hand, I pulled him over to the nearest table. I took a seat and pulled him down onto my lap. “Is this better?”

Wrapping his arms around my neck, Taylor leaned in and pressed his lips to my mine. After a sweet kiss, he leaned back and said. “This is much better. As much as I like being your little spinner fuck-toy, you can't hoist me around in public. It messes with my credibility as Alpha Mate.”

I smiled fondly at the last part, but narrowed my eyes and whispered: “No talking about our private life in public, solnyshko. Nobody needs to know what we do together but us. You know how I feel about that, yes?”

Taylor rolled his eyes but nodded sweetly. “Okay. I guess that we both have things to work on then, don't we?”

Tilting my head at him curiously, I wondered if I'd just been played. Had he really said that just to point out his distaste for me lifting him up like a doll? No. He wouldn't. I looked at his suspiciously innocent smile and realized that he would. Yes, he would absolutely do that. Chuckling, I pulled him against me and reveled in his scent for the last few moments of privacy that we would have before our guests arrived.

“Well, look at this, Ryan. Our little peacock and the big, bad Alpha. Who would've seen this one coming?”

I looked up to see my friend, Ivan and his mate standing there smiling at us. Taylor wiggled out of my arms and jumped up to hug his friend. The two omegas wandered off excitedly so that Taylor could show Ryan around. Ivan sat down beside me and asked: “So, when is your cub due?”

Chuckling, I said: “In two and a half months. I see that you still have your sense of smell, huh? Is your dad coming tonight? Taylor would prefer him to one of our den doctors apparently.”

Ivan sighed. “Yeah, but good luck with that one. You know that Papa won't come back here after the younger ones pushed him out of practice all those years ago.”

I nodded sadly. “I know. I wish he had come to me. I didn't know what was happening until he was already moving to the lodge. Those young alphas don't have half the common sense that Doctor Ollie has in his little finger. Although we have a young beta doctor now that isn't half bad.”

“Yeah. I hate to hurt Taylor's feelings, but I don't see Papa coming here. Although he might, who knows? But from what Jake told me today, it sounds like you won't want Taylor going back and forth for clinic visits at the lodge right now anyway.”

I looked into my friend's honest face and sighed. “Yes. That's true. There have been rumored sightings, and I confirmed her scent as less than three weeks old when I visited her abandoned cabin in the woods. Are you guys protecting Oskar?”

“Yes. We have put all of our omegas under protection actually. All pack members have moved into the lodge. It's a tighter fit, but it's a good precaution. My mate and I miss our cabin, but his safety is more important.”

I nodded. “Yes. Especially as he is your mate. Yvonne may target any of the bear mates over there. Who knows how my sister's mind works? I certainly do not. I only know that she enjoys inflicting pain.”

Our conversation wound down as more people began to arrive. Taylor was sad that Doc Ollie hadn't come, but Ivan had called and discovered that he'd been detained by a sick pup. None of us could argue the importance of him tending the young rather than attending our party.

Oskar and his mate were there, which surprised me. Although I noticed that Karl and his mates were right at their sides all night. It made me happy that my old friends had come to celebrate my mating. It was also nice to finally meet my mate's brother, Sean. I planned to invite him to come stay with us when the cub came. Or before. It was up to my mate. I just wanted to make the offer. 

Although every bear in the room could smell it, I stood to announce our good news after we had finished our delicious dinner of buffalo steak. I held Taylor's hand and tapped my knife against my empty wine glass. After the conversation died down around us, I smiled.

“Thank you all for joining us tonight to celebrate my mate and I finding each other, and the impending birth of our first cub. I know that having an exotic young wolf for my Alpha Mate is a surprise to some of you, but I ask that you treat him with the same respect and courtesy that you would treat me or any other citizen.”

The politely tepid applause of some den members was covered by the enthusiastic clapping and cheers of our friends and family. That was good enough for me. As long as Taylor had a support system, we would bide our time until the rest of my den came to know him.

I would have pushed the issue, but Taylor was too vulnerable under his shiny exterior. I knew that he needed them to accept him for himself, or not at all. This was hard for me to accept, but I was doing my best to try. I noticed Gregor, Nicolai and their squad looking over at Taylor with thinly veiled contempt. I made a mental note to handle that one, sooner or later. I would not allow that kind of disrespect to remain.

Towards the end of the evening, we made our rounds of the room to greet every guest before they left. We were talking to Mr. and Mrs. Kachalkin, one of the wealthier couples in our community. They were also known to be one of the more conservative families. Mrs. K was wearing a rather low-cut evening gown, with a fluffy, feather boa around her shoulders. They both seemed charmed by Taylor, which made me optimistic for more supporters.

Mrs K was tipsy, and swayed slightly as she stood to hug my mate. Taylor helped her to balance. She leaned her ass against the table for support while we visited. Once she had her footing, she flung the end of her feathery boa over her shoulder and behind her back.

Seconds later, Mr. K and I were sniffing the air. Smoke! We looked around frantically, but Taylor was already springing to action. The boa had landed over the lit tea light in the centerpiece, and it was on fire. The flames were almost reaching her hair now. Even her inebriated state, the poor woman felt the heat.

Taylor moved around her, blew out the candle and grabbed the fishbowl. He flung the water over the flames. Right as he did it, Mrs. K spun around to see what was happening. The water splashed over her, dousing the flames with a sizzle. One of the goldfish landed right in her open mouth, while the other landed in her cleavage.

Mrs. K's eyes bulged out as she reflexively swallowed the fish and began to shimmy from the  other one that was somehow still alive and wriggling inside of her wet dress. Taylor thrust his hand down her front without hesitation.

Mr. K went red with rage and Peter, who had come running over to help, fell over in a dead faint. Before Mr. K could react, Taylor pulled his hand out of her cleavage and casually dropped the still living fish into a nearby glass of water. He handed it to Mrs. K who accepted it with a bawdy laugh that I didn't know she was capable of having.

She reached for the glass, telling Taylor: “If this little sucker could live through that fiasco, he deserves a home in my house. We have fish anyway, so he'll fit right in.”

My jaw dropped as I watched Taylor and Mrs. K laugh and chat about the whole thing. Mr. K turned to me and said: “Your mate is a little unpredictable, but he seems to have a good heart. Congratulations on your mating and your cub, Alpha.”

I shook his hand numbly, knowing that this weird scene was going to be key in Taylor's becoming a part of our community. I knew that I'd laugh later, because this was just so perfectly Taylor. Right now though? I really wanted a stiff drink.

An hour later, the manor was empty of guests, and I had Taylor up against the wall in our room. As soon as I'd seen his clothes come off, I'd grabbed him and lifted him up by the armpits again. He'd glared playfully at me before conceding that we were in private so it was okay.

Now his legs were wrapped around my hips while I thrust into his tight, wet hole hard and fast. I bit lightly with my human teeth over his claim scar, making him moan loudly as he clawed at my head and held me to his neck.

“Fuck, Taylor. I can't hold it back, baby.” I panted as my knot began to inflate and press against his walls.

“Yes! Right there, Mik! Harder!” He was delirious with pleasure now, clinging to me as I pushed down on his hips and fucked harder into him. I spun around, putting my back to the wall. With my hands gripping his shoulders, I let him fall backward into the support of my hands while I thrust hard and fast into him.

With this new angle, it only took three strokes before his bouncing cock was spraying my chest and face with spurts of cum. My legs began to shake from exertion as I shot my own load inside of my mate, filling him with my seed.

I pulled him back up against my chest, cradling him close as I staggered over to sit on the bed before flopping back once his legs were clear. Taylor scooted around until he was splayed out over me like a little frog with his ass stuck on my knot, knees out to the side with his heels tucked up against my legs and his arms around my chest.

He mumbled something resembling “I love you” before passing out on my chest in the sticky pool of his cum. I smiled softly as I realized once again that this was really my life now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

Taylor

 

 

I grumbled at Walter and pushed away the bowl of fruit that he was encouraging me to eat. This cub still had a month left to go, and I was already as big as a house. I was constantly nauseous, and hadn't seen my feet or dick in weeks.

“You must eat for the little one, Taylor. I know you're not feeling well, but you seem to keep the fruit down. I have crackers and the mint tea that Doc recommended if you absolutely won't eat the fruit.” Walt looked at me earnestly, trying to tempt me with a bite a of pineapple.

I sighed and took the bite from the fork that he pushed at me. “Oh. That's good. I'll eat more of that one, Walt. Do we have any peanut butter?”

Walt looked at me curiously. “For the crackers?”

I shrugged. “Sure. That sounds good too. I was thinking of dipping the pineapple in it though.”

Walt looked at me like I was a freak, but obligingly went off to find me some peanut butter. Stefan came in and sat down at the table beside me. He started to reach for a piece of pineapple and I reflexively stabbed his hand with my fork.

I began to cry as four dots of blood swelled against his skin, but he just laughed and pulled me in for a hug. “Shh. It's okay. I'm fine. I should know better than to take food from a pregnant omega.”

Sniffing against his shoulder, I said: “Y-you c-can have the b-banana if you want. I d-don't like those anyway.”

“What did you do to make my mate cry?” I looked up to see Mikael striding over and began to cry harder.

Stefan pulled away from me and held out his hand to Mikael. “Tay-Tay's crying because I tried to steal a bite of fruit and he stabbed me with his fork. I'm trying to tell him that I'm fine.”

Mikael raised a brow and dryly commented: “Yeah, bad idea on the food. But, um, you might want to go clean that up and bandage it. You're dripping blood on the carpet.”

I looked at poor Stef's hand, and sure enough, it was really bleeding now. Stef went off to tend to his hand while Mikael sat down and pulled me over onto his lap. “Hush now, solnyshko. He will be fine. Now let's get you and our cub fed, yes?”

I nodded and accepted the bite he fed me from a fresh fork that one of the silent beta workers had quietly set in front of me while whisking the bloody one away. Walt came back in and sat down across from me after setting down a bowl of whipped peanut butter and a plate of saltine crackers.

Smiling my thanks, I dipped a piece of pineapple into the peanut butter. I moaned my satisfaction while Mikael and Walt looked on in horror. Ignoring them, I kept eating. Mikael had them bring me a fresh bowl of pineapple, and I quickly plowed through that before turning my attention to the crackers.

“At least those are meant to have peanut butter on them,” Walt commented as I ate the crackers. I shrugged and kept eating.

Mikael commented to Walt: “It may not be appetizing to us, but at least he got a decent amount of protein into his body today. Thank you, cousin.”

Walt blushed and thanked Mikael, before passing me a cup of mint tea. “Now drink this, Taylor. I know you hate it, but it should help you to keep everything down that you just ingested.”

I tried to fight him on drinking it, but Mikael was there to insist. I pouted but took several slow drinks to help settle the nausea. I looked over at Mikael to say something about the flavor of the tea when a big belch came out. I giggled as my Alpha looked at me with stunned amusement.

Walt stood and pushed in his chair. “On that note, I'm going to see if my own mate would like to join me for a walk. I'll check in on you later, Taylor. You'll be okay?”

Mikael nodded and spoke for me. “I've got him now, don't worry. Go enjoy some free time with your mate. Peter needs to take a break anyway.”

Walt smiled shyly and scurried away as I rested my head against Mikael's broad shoulder. “I'm sick of being like this, Alpha. I need a distraction.”

“No, you don't. You need a nap. That's why you're crying and stabbing people with forks. Now that you've eaten, let's go take a nap.”

“Will you take one with me?” I hated to sound so whiny, but I really needed to feel his arms around me right now.

“Of course, I will. I love to hold you while you sleep.” Mikael stood and began carrying me to our room. Now that I was super huge, I didn't mind him carrying me anymore. Fuck looking weak. I was growing a damn baby in my gut.

As we walked past the foyer, I saw a beta closing the door with a big basket in his hands. It had a large, pink bow tied to the handle. “Is that for our cub?” I called out.

Mikael stopped and waited for the beta to walk over. “Yes, Alpha Mate.” The quiet young man smiled shyly at us as he said. “There is a card, too.”

I looked at Mikael who merely rolled his eyes with a patient smile. He jerked his chin toward the stairs. “Please take it up to our suite and leave it on our bed, Igor.”

“Yes, Alpha.” The beta nodded quickly and dashed up the stairs ahead of us to put the basket in our room as requested.

I sighed and hugged my mate's neck. “Will I ever learn all of their names? I hate that I just call them all beta as if they have no individual identities.”

Mikael climbed the stairs easily as he spoke. “Yes, you will in time. You haven't been here as long as I have, babe. I grew up here. You've been here less than three months. Give yourself a break. Plus, you're pregnant. It's not like you haven't had enough to distract you. The staff understands. Would you like me to make them wear name tags?”

“Oh, hell no! I'll just make an effort to learn their names. I'm sure Walt can help. He probably knows most of them anyway, knowing him. I hate being an asshole.” I looked at Mikael. “Am I an asshole? Tell me, I can take it.”

Mikael laughed as he carted me into our room. Igor was just leaving as we came into our suite. I made a point to look over Mikael's shoulder as the beta made his exit. I called out cheerfully, “Thanks, Igor!”

My Alpha brushed a kiss onto my temple and murmured: “See? You're not an asshole. You're just overwhelmed by a lot of life changes and quite pregnant. You're fine, my love.” He walked over to the bed and set me down.

After Mikael deposited me on the bed, I grabbed the basket and pulled it over to look at it. I opened the card, smiling when I saw it was from the Kachalkin family. “See, Mikael? I made a friend!”

Mikael smiled and looked at the card before pulling off his clothes and climbing into bed with me. I was busy examining the cute little gifts that Mrs. K had thoughtfully packed into the basket for me.

My mate leaned back against the padded headboard with his arms crossed behind his head. I was almost distracted by the rippling roll of muscles that formed his hard eight pack, but I shook it off and kept looking at the basket.

Mikael smiled indulgently as I pulled out little onesies and teeny little booties. I held up a bib that was embroidered with the words  Alpha's Little Angel with a little halo hanging off the A in Alpha. Little bottles of lotions, powders, and creams were packed in there with binkies and tiny rattles.

I had to laugh when Mikael shot an image across our bond of someone kicking a puppy, followed immediately by an image of me with a shock of white blonde hair. While I'd gushed over everything, I'd nearly forgotten the promise he'd sworn to me when we'd first discovered the pregnancy.

After I handled everything twice, I put it all back in the basket and let Mikael set it down beside the bed while I stripped off my clothes. Snuggling up to my mate, I thought about offering my mouth or hand. I wanted to touch his body in one way or another, but I was so tired. Before I could suggest a little playtime, I passed out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Ten

 

Mikael

 

 

I looked over the security logs with growing concern. Peter and Stefan were sitting there equally disturbed, since they'd already seen them. I slammed my hand on the desk and leaned back in my chair with frustrated rage.

“I simply cannot believe that it is random happenstance that seven different rogue shifters have been caught inside our borders in a two week period. Dammit.”

Stefan stood and walked over to the window. He looked out at the trees that bordered the manor grounds and led up to the mountain that overlooked our den. “I have a bad feeling about this, Mikael. It's as if they are trying to wear us down mentally before they spring the big attack.”

Peter nodded in agreement. “I agree, Alpha. I think that we need to double up the patrols again. Every alpha and beta of fighting ability needs to be pressed into duty until this threat passes and your sister is handled.” He paused and shot me a regretful look. “I'm sorry, sir. I know that this must be difficult.”

I shook my head and spoke the truth. “I do not know the monster that my sister has become. My true sister, the sweet girl who once begged me for ice cream cones and piggy back rides? That girl is no more. I regret that I will have to take her down, but I would feel the same way with anyone. I do not condone violence, but I will do what it takes to protect our den.”

Peter nodded. He started to speak when his phone rang. He answered it, then stood to his feet with a rare show of emotion. “Alpha! There is an intruder on the grounds. Security just caught a man climbing over our walls then shifting into a wolf.”

Stefan glanced at me as I jumped to my feet. I began to quickly remove my clothes with Stefan following my lead. I turned to Peter. “Get both of our omegas upstairs to my room. Lock the door, do not open it under any circumstances. When I return, I know the code to open the door. Go now, yes?”

Peter nodded and rushed off while Stefan and I burst outside and shifted into our bear forms. We both sniffed the air, and immediately turned as one in the direction of a strange scent. I heard the scream of someone in pain, and doubled my speed.

As we careened around the corner, I found the strange wolf standing over the body of my beta, Igor. I let out a loud roar accompanied by a wave of alpha pheromones  that had the wolf cowering from me and unable to move. Seth stalked him from the outside as I crossed the yard and batted him away from Igor with a swipe of my claws.

The wolf went flying in a high arc before landing in the grass a good forty yards away from us, curled up on his side and whining for mercy. I charged over and braced my body over the slumped wolf.

I held him in place with a paw to the ribs, and looked over at Stefan. My cousin had shifted back to human form and was looking down at Igor sadly. He looked back to me and shook his head silently.

With a load roar of grief and fury, I swiped my claws across his gut. He shifted to human form, gasping as his body began to shut down. He looked up at me with an grin of pure evil and rasped out his dying words.

“Yvonne says hello. A war is coming. Soon your days of being the Alpha here will end. We are coming, we are many, and we will win.”

Before I could question him, the light went out of his eyes and he died. I shifted and flopped down on the grass beside the strange wolf shifter's body. Stefan came walking over and knelt down beside me.

“Do you think he meant that, Mikael? What he said? Is a war really coming?” Stefan looked completely wigged out.

I nodded slowly. “Yes, Stefan. We need to regroup, and plan accordingly. Peter is right. I need to raise an army of every able bodied alpha and beta.”

Standing, I headed towards the manor with Stefan at my side. I looked over at him and said. “But first, we must contact Igor's family and break their hearts. Then we will mourn the loss of one of Artio's children and ask the goddess' blessing on the coming war. After that, we will get to the work of protecting our community.”

Stefan looked worried, but was shy to question me. “But, I don't understand. I mean, shouldn't we begin the last part first?”

“No. Yvonne will lay low after this act. She will wait until she believes us to have become complacent before she sends the next strike. She will know that next time won't be as easy. But no, Stefan. First we mourn. If we forget why the fight is important, we lose our will to battle at all.”

Stefan nodded quietly as we went back inside and pulled on our clothes. I gave Stefan directions of what to do with the two bodies out on the lawn, and went upstairs to relieve my mate's anxiety. I could feel his fear and worry through our bond.

I entered the code on my bedroom door, and quietly entered it. Peter and Walt were sitting on the new couch that Taylor had ordered, while my mate sat in my large recliner. He was curled up with his arms wrapped around that big belly.

I walked over and scooped him up into my arms. I took a deep inhalation of his scent, letting it wash over and soothe me. Turning, I sat down in the chair with Taylor curled up in my lap.

Peter was waiting expectantly. I bit my lip and steadied myself. “Normally, I would wait until we are alone. But since we will both tell our mates anyway, I believe that we can speak freely, yes?”

My beta captain didn't look convinced, but I was. The omegas needed to be aware of the danger afoot. “The intruder attacked one of our betas before we reached him. They are both dead now. Stefan is downstairs calling for men to come help us remove them. Our man will be buried. The unknown intruder will be burned at dawn.”

Taylor hid his face in my chest, his little body shaking as he cried. Walt looked pale and shaken. Peter thinned his lips and sat there for a moment before asking. “Who was it, Alpha? Which family will we be visiting tonight?”

I took a calming breath before I told him. “It was young Igor. He was hauling kitchen compost out to the pile in back when the intruder attacked him. He was in his human form and unable to defend himself.”

Peter took that in, then asked after several minutes. “Is there anything else that I need to know?”

I tightened my grip on Taylor, exuding calming Alpha pheromones into the air before I spoke. “With his dying breath, the wolf told me that he was sent by my sister. She is declaring war on us, and plans to take me out. He said that there is a large group of them that will be coming.”

Taylor sat up, his eyes flashing as he sniffed away his tears. “Then we fight. Fuck that alpha-bitch. Nobody is hurting another member of our den. Especially not my man.”

I smiled fondly at my tiny omega. “Calm down, solnyshko. Nobody will get to me or anyone else in our den. Now we are on guard, and we will take care of our own. Your job is to finish growing this cub of ours, not to worry about your Alpha.”

Taylor's lips turned down as his eyes filled. “Poor Igor. I liked him!”

Smiling, I ruffled his hair. “Plus, you actually knew his name.” That was the wrong thing to say because Taylor burst into tears all over again. I looked over at Peter.

“Peter, I need to see about helping Igor's family to plan a funeral. Announce to everyone that until further notice, nobody is to go out alone. You will go out in pairs or not at all. Even if you're just taking out the trash. No exceptions. Then see about putting the new idea you mentioned earlier into effect. Every alpha and beta of fighting ability is to be called to service.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Peter said, making notes in his ever present notebook. “Is this to be effective immediately as well?”

“No.” I spoke firmly, repeating my words from earlier to Stefan. “First we mourn. After Igor has been laid to rest, we will seek the blessing of our goddess Artio over the upcoming war. Then, we plan and prepare. By the end of the week, I want to be running drills with the new patrolmen. Nobody goes out on patrol if they have not been trained.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Peter stood. He turned to Walt. “Dearest, please go stay in our quarters. I need to know that you are safe. Unless you are in here with the Alpha Mate, I want you to stay in our suite at all times.”

Walt nodded and quietly stood to his feet. I smiled, happy to see my beta friend with his own pleasant relationship. Peter turned to me as they were leaving the room.

“Alpha, I will assist Stefan in the things that need to be handled right now. Why don't you stay here with your mate?” His concern was visible. Taylor was only a week shy of his due date now, and didn't need this stress.

“I believe that I'll take you up on that, Peter. Thank you. We will go visit Igor's family in one hour after I've had time to clean up and Taylor is resting. Perhaps Walt could come back while we are gone?”

Peter nodded, and herded his omega out the door. Now that we were alone, I let my own tears mingle with my mate's. We sat there in our small sitting room, and cried for the loss of Igor. I was afraid that more senseless deaths would occur if I didn't find my sister fast and put an end to her plans.

 

 

 

 * * * * *

 

 

 

I crawled into bed after dropping my clothes on the floor. Taylor was laying on his side when I spooned up behind him and wrapped my arm over his belly. He craned his neck to look back at me.

“How were Igor's family? Did it go okay?” Taylor's worried eyes shone in the moonlit room. I stroked his belly and closed my eyes with a sigh.

“About as well as can be expected. He and his mate lived with her parents while he was saving to get them a place. The mate is pregnant. She's due in two months. Her parents were shocked and appalled, but the mate was simply devastated.”

Taylor was quiet for a few minutes. “This is a really bad time to ask this, but I thought betas couldn't have cubs?”

I chuckled, relieved to have a moment away from the heaviness I'd been carrying. “Betas can have cubs, they just aren't as fertile. It's rare but not unheard of, to be honest. It helps if the betas are a fated pair, which they were.”

“What's her name, Mikael. I want to visit her when things calm down.”

Pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck, I softly replied: “Ava. Her name is Ava. And thank you, Taylor. You're a good Alpha Mate, solnyshko.”

He shrugged. “I'm just doing what I need to do to support you and help you to take care of our community. That's what we're supposed to do, right? Besides, it's the right thing to do. I know that I would be heartbroken if I lost you.”

I nodded, unable to voice the emotions I felt. I pushed my love, respect, and admiration for him through our bond. Snuggling back against me, Taylor fell asleep. I don't know how much longer I was awake, but the next I knew the sun was shining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eleven

 

Taylor

 

 

I tossed and turned in our bed, but I couldn't get comfortable. I flopped over on my side with a sigh. When I heard Mikael stir, I felt guilty. The poor guy had been killing himself handling the funeral yesterday and putting the den at ease.

The past few days had been miserable for everyone. The constant worry of attack combined with grief for our fallen beta weighed heavily on us all. Mikael's hand came around to cradle my belly. He snuggled up against me, calming me instantly as he nuzzled my omega-gland.

“What's wrong, dear heart? Is your back still troubling you?” Mikael's voice soothed me like nothing else could.

“Yeah. It's been getting worse as the night progresses.” I inhaled sharply as another pain hit me. Mikael's hand went down to rub at the area that had been hurting me all night.

“I think that our son wants to come out and meet his parents, yes?” Mikael's silky voice soothed me so much that it took me a minute to process his words.

“You can tell now? It's a boy? Really?” I felt tears prick my eyes, knowing that soon I would be meeting our cub if Mikael could scent his gender now.

“Yes, we are having a boy. Shall we discuss names or shall I massage your back while you try to sleep?”

“I wish you'd massage something else,” I grumbled. “I can't wait to be able to reach my own dick again.”

Mikael chuckled. His teeth scraped over my omega-gland as his hand slid under my belly to stroke my cock. I gasped and leaned back into him. It had been so long since I'd had release. At least a week. Maybe two. I said as much to Mikael.

He laughed into my ear as his tongue teased around my ear holes. I swear that my Alpha was obsessed with my ears. I felt his cock press against my crease and wiggled back against him. “No, baby. This is for you. I'm not trying to fuck you. You're about to drop a cub!”

I reached behind me and spread my cheeks with one hand as I backed up against his cock. “Do I not turn you on right now, Mikael?”

“Oh, baby. You always turn me on. Especially when you are rounded with my son. I just don't want to hurt you.”

“It only hurts me if I don't get my release. Now fuck me, Alpha.” I ground out through my teeth. My whole body was tense with frustrated need.

With one smooth thrust, Mikael entered my hole and began to thrust into me. He jerked his hand in the same rhythm. Sure strong tugs of his firm grip had me ready to explode within minutes. He kept up the same steady speed, his movements almost lazy as he slowly but steadily thrust into me.

“Do you want my knot, solnyshko?” He grunted into my ear. My Alpha was as close as I was, I could tell.

“Yes. Give me your knot, Alpha.” I moaned and wiggled back against him. When I felt it swell up within me and push firmly against my favorite little magic spot, I yelled out his name and shot my load across the mattress in front of me.

I felt Mikael stiffen as his hot seed filled my channel. I rested back against his chest and let my eyes drift shut. Finally, I was relaxed enough to get some sleep.

 

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

 

 

“Are you sure that you're okay, baby? I can work up here if you need me. I don't feel good about leaving you today.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mikael. Go. I'm fine, I just need to take a shit, if you want to know the truth. If you can help me up, I'll be fine.”

Mikael help me into the bathroom. I was still naked from bed, but whatever. I'd be headed back there soon anyway. Once I was settled on the toilet, Mikael turned to leave. When he reached the doorway, he stopped for a moment. Drumming his fingers on the threshold, Mikael looked back at me over his shoulder.

“No. Fuck this shit. I am sending Walter up. When you are finished, wait for him. I just do not feel good about leaving you today, my love. I am sorry, but you are going to have to deal with an overprotective Alpha until our cub arrives.”

I huffed out a sigh. “Okay, Mikael. I understand. Send Walt my way.”

Flashing me a grateful smile for not arguing, Mikael left at last. I began to push, but nothing was coming out. Damn. I was usually regular, but now I just needed to go and nothing would come out.

A sharp pain crossed my stomach as I pushed that had me almost doubled over. Then another pain hit my back and had me jerking back. All of a sudden, I realized that this was labor. I looked around frantically for a way to get up without falling. I was so small and my belly so large, that my balance was precarious at best these days. I knew that Walt was coming up, but I didn't know how soon.

Grabbing the towel rack, I used it to lever myself to my feet. I was halfway up when the rod came off in my hand. I screamed as I toppled backwards, grasping desperately for something to hold onto. I found nothing though, and fell back.

I expected the toilet to catch my fall, but I must have turned somehow, because I was now wedged in the gap between the toilet and the wall. My ass was just narrow enough to get in there, but not small enough to go all the way through. The more I moved, the more stuck I got.

Scared and frustrated, I cried and screamed for help. Walt came skidding around the corner, his face pinched with concern. “Taylor! What in the world? How did you get in there!” He tried to pull me up, but I was wedged in too snugly.

“Walt! The baby is coming, I tried to get up to get help but I fell.”

“We can call the doctor in a minute, first let's get you up!” Walt didn't understand me and the urgency of my situation.

I screamed. “WALT!” He stopped, stunned as Mikael came rushing into the room.

I calmed down and tried to explain myself one time so that they could help me. “I'm trying to tell you, the baby is coming NOW! I can feel the head. I thought I had to go to the bathroom. But it was my body telling me to push. I didn't know the difference. I've never done this before. I tried to get up to get help, but I fell and got stuck. Now for the love of all that's holy, will somebody fucking help me?”

Mikael stepped around Walt and gripped me under the armpits. With one firm pull, he had me free and was carrying me to our bed. Over his shoulder, he spoke calmly. “Walt. Get on the phone and call Peter. Tell him that the Alpha Mate is delivering now. The beta doctor is right there in my office in a meeting with Peter, so ask him to send her up here.”

Walt scurried to obey as Mikael bent to lay me on the bed. I screamed as another pain hit, and bore down on my muscles. I didn't want to, but my body took over. I couldn't stop pushing no matter how hard I tried.

Mikael laid me be down, and knelt between my legs as our son came pushing his way out. The look of shocked horror on my Alpha's face had me laughing hysterically. The doctor and Walt came flying in as Mikael was pulling our cub free of the birth canal that only opened in omegas when we were ready to deliver.

The doctor shouldered her way in and finished the delivery, much to Mikael's relief. The doctor ran a finger around the inside of the cub's mouth, and almost immediately a strong cry rang out. Once the cord was cut, Mikael took him away to clean him up with Walt's help while the doctor finished delivering the placenta and cleaned me up.

I was mostly babbling as I told her my story. She smiled patiently and let me talk. I felt better about this doctor now, even though she wasn't Ryan and Ivan's Papa, Doc Ollie. Still, she was kind and capable. I felt safe in her hands, so that was good enough for me.

Mikael and Walt came back in. Mikael passed our son to Walt so that he could help me. He came over and grabbed a pair of boxers. After he'd helped me into them, he carried me into the sitting room and settled me on the couch. He motioned to Walt who came over and helped me take the baby in my arms.

I looked up at Mikael, who was still too choked up to speak. Smiling, I said: “Come over here, Alpha. Sit with us.”

Walt smiled down at us and wiped a tear. “I'm going to go change your sheets and clean up in the bathroom, Taylor. Call me if you need me, I'll just be in the next room.”

“Okay, Walt. Thank you,” I said with a grateful smile. I turned to Mikael. “What's the beta doctor's name again?”

I didn't realize that she was still in the room until she laughed lightly from somewhere behind me. She stepped around into view and said: “I am sorry, Alpha Mate. I am beta Doctor Dean. It is a pleasure to meet you. I know that you have been working with Doc Ollie from over at the lodge, yes?”

Nodding, I said: “Yes. But after today, I feel confident that you will be a fine doctor to care for my family. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I've never seen an omega deliver so quickly. You must have been in labor for quite some time. Did you really have no idea?”

I explained that only pains I'd been having were in my back, not the stomach. The doctor shook her head. “That sounds like you were in back labor, my dear. Well, now we know for next time what to expect, yes?”

I shuddered. “Wow, I hope not! Next time I want to be drugged up and floating on a serene cloud of peace with no pain.”

Doctor Dean laughed. “Well, I do not know of any birth that has ever met those ideals. But we will see what we can do, yes? Now, let me show you how to help the young alpha to latch onto your nipple.”

With a happy gasp, I asked: “He's an alpha? Really?”

Mikael answered for her as he finally found his voice. “Yes, solnyshko. Our young Alec is an alpha. Poor Stefan will be so relieved to hear this, I think.”

I laughed happily and worked with the doctor as she showed me how to get Alec to nurse. I leaned back as a euphoric happiness flooded my body. Runny a fingertip over my son's soft cheek, I was suddenly so thankful for everything that had happened to bring this beautiful cub into my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Twelve

 

Mikael

 

 

I left my mate sleeping in our room, with our son tucked into his cradle beside the bed. Walt had insisted on staying to help Taylor while I was gone. He was almost as thrilled as we were with our little Alec.

On my way out, I poked my head back in and said: “Oh, Walt? Would you do me the favor of calling Sean? He should be here to see his nephew. I'll let you be the one to call though, since he's your cousin. Let him know that he is welcome to come and stay as long as he wants, yes? I've already told him this before, but maybe he'll actually do it if you can convince him.”

Walt nodded and reached for his phone. He smiled back over at me. “Alpha? Your cub is the most beautiful baby that I've ever seen. Thank you for letting me help you with him.”

I smiled gently at the awkward little halfling. “Walt, you are my mate's cousin. That makes you my family too. And definitely Alec's family. There is nobody on earth that I would trust more to help me with my mate and our cub.” With one last smile, I ducked out and headed downstairs to my office.

 

* * * * *

 

 

Peter and Stefan were waiting when I walked into the room. Stefan passed me a cigar. “Congratulations, Papa Bear. I hear that my days as Alpha Heir are short lived! I am thrilled for both of us.”

I laughed at his sincerity. Stefan had never really wanted to lead our people. He was willing to step up if needed, but he had much simpler aspirations I believed. One day perhaps he would share them with me. Or with Taylor. One of us.

“You know, Stefan. You'll still be up to bat until Alec is old enough to take the position if something should happen to me.”

Stefan shrugged. “Yeah, but at least there's an end in sight on my part. Poor little Alec will never have that option.”

I shook my head. “No, Alec was born to it. You had years before the mantle fell on you. It wasn't always a given before Yvonne turned out the way that she did. My cub will grow up like I did, knowing that this is his future. It is different when you know it from the cradle.”

Stefan nodded. I wasn't sure he completely understood, but it didn't matter. He was happy and at peace. That's all that really mattered. I accepted the lighter that Peter passed my way and lit my cigar. We sat there companionably and talked about Alec. I showed them the picture that I'd taken of him and Taylor on my phone.

I leaned back in my chair, and let my mind wander. On the one hand, my people faced a coming war that we were already preparing to fight. I'd been proud of how the younger members of the den had stepped up to volunteer for duty, rather than needing to be pressed into it.

The thought of ending my sister's life was abhorrent to me. But I had been given no choice. It was either her or me. I wouldn't allow her to get her hands on my people or my family. That was not a viable option. No. Yvonne would have to die. There was no other choice now. My people would no longer respect me if I didn't finish her anyway.

On the other hand, I had a lot to be thankful for now. I had a loyal den of bears. I had good friends, especially the two men in this room. I had a good family network, which also included these two men along with Walt and my mate's brother, Sean. I didn't know him well just yet, but that would change now. I was certain of that.

Above all though, I had my mate. Taylor was my light, my love, my very heart. He gave me reason to wake up on the darkest of days and held me through the darkest of nights. I had been living a life of routine before Taylor came into my world. There hadn't been anything to live for but the den until now.

Then along came my little solnyshko. His sunshine had filled every piece of my life, filling the dark corners that I hadn't even known were there. And now he'd given me my little Alec. Taylor and Alec. How had I ever lived without them? I pulled my phone out and looked at the picture some more.

Alec had his dad's elfin features, yet already exuded a strong alpha aura. I was excited to see what the future brought for my little family.

“Mikael?” I looked to see Stefan smiling over at me with a knowing smirk. “We aren't getting any work done today. Go upstairs and admire your family in person. Save the phone pics for when you're not in the same building.”

I grinned and stood to my feet, pocketing my phone. “You know what? You're right. In fact, I'm taking the rest of the week off. If you need me, you know where to find me. Until then, you two are more than capable of handling things. Stefan, keep training our new recruits. Peter, call me if anything looks at all suspicious. Otherwise? I'm gonna go snuggle my cub and cuddle my mate.”

They both smiled happily as I dashed out of the room and made my way up the stairs. I could smell that nutty spice scent seeping down the hall as I walked up to the door. The door opened as I approached. Walt was on his way out.

“Peter called?” I asked with a knowing smile. Walt nodded with a happy grin. “Well, thanks again. See you soon, Walt.”

“Yes, you will, Alpha. I spoke to Sean. He'll be here in the morning. I'd advise telling Taylor when he wakes up. Sean isn't something that you want to surprise him with, trust me. They love each other, but Taylor tends to get prickly because Sean has always been overprotective. It's a cycle with those two.”

I shook my head with a smile. “Thanks for letting me know that, Walt. I'll make sure that I tell him then.” Walt nodded and made his way back to his own quarters while I slipped into mine.

Alec was fussing as I walked into the bedroom. I scooped him up and cuddled him to my chest. Walking back and forth across our bedroom, I rocked my cub and marveled at his precious little face.

“Are you going to be spoiling that cub by constantly carrying him around too?” I turned to see Taylor watching me from the bed with a soft smile. He scooted up to a seated position and held out his arms.

Without hesitation, I went over and passed Alec into his Daddy's care. Once Taylor had him, I crawled in next to him and wrapped my arm around him. Taylor tipped his face up for a kiss. His lips touched softly to mine briefly before he pulled back. “I love you, Mikael. Thank you for letting me into your life.”

I leaned over and pressed a kiss over my claim-bite scar on his omega-gland. “No, Taylor. It is me that is grateful to you. You brought color into my life, solnyshko. I am nothing without you. I love you with everything that I am.”

Taylor grinned. “Yeah, I'm pretty sure you mean that too. After all the crazy shit that's happened since I came here? You'd have to love me for us to have gotten to this place where we're sitting here with this precious cub.”

“To be fair, not everything that happened was your fault. Did I ever tell you that I pulled the security footage from that party? I've never laughed so hard in my life as I did when that punch splashed down over that little shit. And those other schmucks going down on their asses? That was good for them. A little reality check that they're not perfect.”

Taylor grinned. “Stefan offered to put it to music for me. Maybe I'll let him one of these days.”

I laughed. “Only if he adds the footage from our party where Mrs. K's boa caught on fire and you went hillbilly hand-fishing down the front of her evening gown!”

“Oh, and Taylor? Don't kill me. But your brother is coming tomorrow. I invited him to stay indefinitely so that he can meet his nephew.”

My mate took that calmer than I'd expected him to after my talk with Walt. “That's good, Mikael. Besides, it will be good for us to have another alpha around with the coming war.”

I nodded seriously. “I don't know how long he's staying, but if he's willing to stick around then we can definitely use him.”

Taylor smirked. “You don't know Sean. As soon as he hears about the war and knows that his nephew and I are at risk, and Walt too? Nope, you'll have to pry him out of here with a spatula.”

“You know what, baby? That might grate on my nerves at any other time. But right now? Anyone that wants to protect you and Alec is welcome here. I don't know what the coming months are going to bring for our den, but I know one thing.”

“What's that, Alpha?”

I took a deep inhale of my mate's strong scent. “As long as we have each other, we will be just fine. Now quit hogging that cub and let his Papa get a turn holding him.”

Taylor giggled. “I have a better idea. Pull us both over there, big guy.”

Using my favorite method, I reached under his armpits to lift my mate up. I gently plopped him and Alec down on my lap. Chin resting on his shoulder, I wrapped my arms around my mate as we both gazed down at our adorable child.

 

fin

 

 

 

 

 

Alpha's Mates: Book Two in this Series is Now Available!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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    

    

    Other Books by Susi Hawke  -

 

Omega Stolen: Book 1

Omega Remembered: Book 2

Omega Healed: Book 3

Omega Shared: Book 4

Omega Matured: Book 5

Omega Accepted: Book 6

Omega Grown: Book 7

 

 

Non-Shifter Contemporary Mpreg:

 

Pumpkin Spiced Omega: The Hollydale Omegas - Book 1

Cinnamon Spiced Omega: The Hollydale Omegas - Book 2