Alpha's Strength
Book Three of the Northern Pines Den Series
An M/PREG Paranormal Romance
Susi Hawke
For my buddy Lucas Daddy –
Thanks for coining the term “vibrobutt” !!!
-S.H.
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Cover Art Designed by Cosmic Letterz
Copyright © 2017 by Susi Hawke
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Any characters, locations, events or businesses are totally parts of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Chapter One
Stefan
“I'm not really a soup person, Taylor. But I'll come to the grand opening of the cafe with you and Mikael anyway.” I grumbled, but I was glad to have an excuse to hang out with my bestie. Especially now that my cousin, Alpha Mikael, didn't mind me being friends with his mate.
It had been iffy at first after he'd found us having a jerk off contest the first time he'd smelled Taylor's scent. He had followed the scent of his mate only to catch the two of us with our pants down. It's hilarious now, but at the time I was scared out of my mind. It's really never a good thing for an alpha to find his mate like that with another alpha. But when the alpha is The Alpha? Yikes. The only thing that saved me was the fact that none of us knew that they were fated-mates before that moment.
Taylor's voice came through the phone. “Stefan. Trust me. You only think that you're not a soup person. Colin's soups will change your life!”
“Well then,” I grinned against my phone while walking to my car. “You didn't say that this was a life changing miracle kind of soup. You should have led with that one, Tay-Tay.”
Taylor giggled in my ear. “Hurry up. Are you riding with us or meeting us there?”
“As much as I would love hearing my cousin tell me everything that I could be doing better with my life during the car rides to and from, I think I'll just go ahead and drive myself.” I slid into my car and stuck the key in the ignition. Yeah, there was nothing better than the independence of driving yourself.
“Aww. Don't be like that, Steffy-poo. Mik loves you. And he's proud of how you handled things after the explosion when he was hurt.” I heard Taylor suck in a ragged breath. He could never talk about my cousin's brush with death without getting too emotional. I totally got it. It was a horrific experience.
“Yeah, well. That may be true, but we both know that he thinks I'm just a laid back slacker who needs to be doing more.” I turned on my bluetooth speaker and set the phone in the console before backing down the driveway.
“No, he doesn't. I promise. Mikael is impressed with how you've stepped up, Stefan. You've shown him that you can be strong. That's all he's ever wanted for you. Oops, here he comes with Alec. Can't talk about that anymore.”
I grinned. “Why don't you go meet your mate and kiss your son. I'll see you at the cafe in about twenty minutes, okay?”
“Okay, Steffy-kins. See you then.”
Hanging up, I headed to the human town that was just down the highway from the den. I'd been toying with the idea of moving there the past few years, but as Alpha Heir, I'd felt obliged to stay close to the den. My cousin didn't think that I took being his heir seriously, but I did. I just wasn't all weird and uptight about it.
After a lifetime spent fighting against the repressed attitudes of my people, I wasn't too uptight about anything. At least, not that I showed outwardly. I'd worked hard to get my slacker image, I wasn't going to let a little thing like responsibility ruin it.
The whole Alpha Heir thing was a lot more real to me now though. When I'd had to take charge up on the mountain six months ago, it had brought a new level of reality to me. Seeing my cousin get shot and almost die in an explosion had woken me up to my responsibilities. Both to my cousin and to our people.
I knew in my gut that I would never be Alpha. But I needed to be a good support to Mik, and let him feel confident that I had enough alpha strength to do the job if I was needed in his absence.
About twenty minutes later, I pulled into the small town of Mills Creek. By den standards, it was practically a metropolis. But in reality, it had a human population of about 20,000. It was just big enough to let us few dozen shifters in the area blend in, but not large enough for us to lose touch with the surrounding mountains.
I pulled in and parked. Right as I was getting out, Mikael was pulling up beside me. Taylor jumped out and greeted me with a big hug. I laughed at my little pixie sized friend. “Seriously? Blue?”
Taylor put a hand up to his hair, running his delicate fingers through the thick faux hawk in the center of his scalp. “Too much? This is a favorite of mine. It reminds me of the time I had cotton candy when I was a pup and Sean took me to the fair.”
I reached a hand out to ruffle his hair. “I think it's perfect for you, spinner.”
Mikael growled as he walked around the car with Alec on his hip. “Please do not refer to my mate's size in a sexual manner, cousin. You try my patience with these types of comments.”
The door to the cafe opened just then, and the most intriguing scent blend of cumin and cinnamon wafted out. Before I could respond to my cousin, I turned and stared at the open door. Taylor's brother, Sean, had walked out with his mates. Each held one of their three infant cubs. My jaw dropped as I took in the sight of the delicate creature that stood next to Jules, with Colin on the other side of him.
A Jaguar shifter! The feline omega was almost as tiny as Taylor. But where Taylor was willowy, this guy looked solid. His lithe frame held wiry muscle tone, as though he were a runner or maybe a swimmer? My mind raced as I admired his body, looking him up and down slowly, and then back up again. When my eyes met his confused whiskey colored glare, I gasped. Mate. Mine.
One elegant brow raised arrogantly on his caramel hued face, his pouty lips curled into a smirk. The long, almost aristocratic nose added the final touch to the most perfect resting bitch face that I'd ever seen.
Slowly, I realized that everyone was staring at me as I stood there gawping at my mate with my mouth hanging open. Taylor merely reached over and pushed up on my chin to close my mouth. In a loud whisper, Taylor said: “Looks like you've got your own spinner toy, Stef.” Blinking, I barely heard him as I tried to make sense of the situation.
Jules stepped forward with narrowed eyes. “Stefan! Why are you staring at my primo like he's a fucking candy bar? Stand down, soldier. He's under my protection. He is my family, not eye candy for randy alphas. Walk away.”
Squaring my shoulders, I stood straight and tall and looked my friend in the eye. “Sorry, Jules. That's not going to be possible.” I inhaled another whiff of that fantastic scent of cinnamon and cumin. “ And while I don't know what a primo is, I do know that he is my mate. I can smell his scent, Jules. Deal with it.”
The only sign of surprise in Jules' placid face was the slight flaring of his pupils. “Primo means cousin,” he explained shortly. “Like I said, Diego is my family. He just arrived here from Belize, albeit a bit unexpectedly. Now like I said, stand down. Let him breathe and acclimate. If he wishes to see you later, I will be happy to facilitate matters.”
Diego. My mate had a name. I rolled it around in my head again. Diego. I loved it, but it would sound much better when I growled it into his ear right before I claimed him as my mate. I looked past Jules to see Diego staring at me, his face an intriguing blend of arrogance, curiosity, and definite interest. The only thing that kept me in place was the tiny hint of fear that I was also scenting from my intriguing little mate.
Colin, Jules' omega mate, stepped forward with the newborn cub he held cuddled to his chest. He shouldered his way in and gripped Jules' bicep to pull him back. “Calm down, pretty kitty. Think about how you would have reacted if someone told you to stand down when you first scented me and Sean.”
Sean spoke up with a frustrated voice from a few feet behind them, his hand resting on my mate's shoulder, another tiny cub nestled in the crook of his arm. “Listen, our opening starts in a few minutes. Can we just table this for now? I don't mean to be an ass, but we need to focus on our business right now. I don't have time to worry about my own dick right now, let alone someone else's. Damn.”
Taylor started giggling and pushed his way through the group of men. Smacking his brother on the chest, he gave him a shove that barely moved the alpha. “Shut your piehole, Sean. No offense, but just back the fuck off. This isn't a group decision for you guys to discuss amongst yourselves. Just like we didn't get to vote on your mating and I sure as hell didn't ask your permission for my own. This is between Diego and Stefan.”
Turning to Diego, Taylor held out a hand. “Hi, Diego. Please just ignore all of the dumbass alphas. I'm Taylor, the big lug next to you is my brother.”
Diego gave me one last glance, then focused his attention on Taylor. Shyly, he raised his hand to shake Taylor's with an almost rigid courtesy. He said in a delightfully musical voice: “I am Diego Salazar. It is a pleasure to meet the brother of my cousin's mate. Does this make us family then, Taylor?”
Taylor giggled and put his arm around Diego, guiding him back toward the cafe. “It definitely does! Now let's get some of Colin's amazing soup. I'll eat while you tell me all about yourself so that we can become besties, m'kay?”
Diego looked back at me over his shoulder, his big brown eyes dancing in his snotty little face. I grinned at him and gave him a wink. Damn. I was already looking forward to breaking through his sassy little walls.
When I started to follow them, Jules blocked my path. I would have gladly pushed around him, but for the fact that he held a cub in his arm. “Back off, Jules. I just want to talk to him. Get to know him. Seriously, bro. You know me, I'm not going to hurt your cousin. I could never hurt my mate, you know that.”
Mikael had been quietly watching from behind me, but now he walked over to stand beside me. “Jules? Is there a reason that you're being extra protective of your cousin? Surely it's not that you don't find my cousin to be acceptable for your own? Especially when we all know that the fates have spoken when the scent was picked up.”
Jules turned to Mikael. “Mik, we haven't even heard from Diego yet. We don't know that he's smelled...”
Colin interrupted him with a laugh. “Oh, stop. Unless your cousin has a broken nose, there's no way he didn't also scent Stefan. We all know the scenting of your fated mate works both ways. Back down, Jules. I know you're feeling protective because he showed up on our doorstep on the run, but you know as well as I do that fate is the one who decides when fated mates meet.”
Mikael turned sharply to Jules. “Why is your cousin on the run, Jules? Is there a situation that I need to offer our assistance? It's yours if necessary, you know that already. Whatever you need.”
I leaned forward, my heart racing with worry for my mate. Jules shook his head. “No, Diego ran from an arranged mating. His father is a wealthy merchant in the small village that we come from. He arranged a mating for Diego with the alpha son of the village chieftain. My cousin filled his pockets with gold from the dowry chest that the chieftain had given my uncle in payment, and escaped in the night to come find me.”
Jules shook his head, worry clouding his eyes. “I haven't seen Diego in fourteen years, it was a miracle that he was able to find me. He called me a couple hours ago from the cab he had taken from the airport. I cannot even think how he managed to get himself so far from home. We didn't even have time to visit or let him settle in. He arrived a few minutes before we left to come here.”
Mikael nodded with understanding. “Ah. So you aren't against the mating, you just had hoped for some time with your cousin. I can appreciate that, my friend. It would appear that fate has other ideas though.”
“Jules,” I interrupted. “Is Diego safe? Will his family or the alpha's family send anyone after him?”
Jules thinned his lips and shook his head. “I wish I knew that, Stefan. That's part of the problem. I don't know if he has anyone following him, and here we are in the middle of a pack war with the rogues. I'm just worried for his safety. I have no concern as to whether you would be a good mate. As Taylor so eloquently put it, this isn't a group decision. This is between you and Diego. I told him he wouldn't have to mate if he didn't want it. If you're also his choice, I will support that. Like I said, I'm just concerned.”
Nodding, I spoke my heart. “Jules, I hesitate to point this out, but perhaps coming to the den would be safer for him. If he was able to find you, then anyone on his trail might as well. I have no link to you or your mates, and I am his mate. It is my job to worry about his safety, if he will accept me. Even if he won't, I will still give my life to protect him if necessary.”
Jules looked at me with a new respect as I spoke, and nodded his understanding. “I see that you really are his mate, aren't you? You're a good man, Stefan. I have no reason to doubt your ability to protect Diego. Go ahead and talk to him. But let me warn you, I will support his choice, either way.”
Colin rolled his eyes. “Stefan, if he won't accept you right away, don't give up. Our door will be open for you to come visit and let him get to know you. We don't know him well enough yet to anticipate his reaction. Good luck though.”
Mikael and Jules snorted as we all headed toward the cafe. Mik reached over and slapped a hand on my shoulder. “I think you're going to need luck, Stefan. That little omega looks like he's going to be even more of a handful than my mate.”
My heart swelled as I grinned at Mikael. “I think so too. Isn't it awesome?”
Chapter Two
Diego
I looked at the colorful wolf sitting in front of me chattering. The elders in my village would have appreciated the holes in his ears with the thick bone plugs. The blue hair on the other hand? It would be funny to see the reactions on their faces. He seemed like a friendly enough guy, perhaps we really would become friends. Time would tell.
My mind raced over the events of the morning. First I'd arrived at my cousin's house, only to find that he had taken two mates. And they were the fathers of triplets! All I'd had as a point of contact when I left home was Jules' cell phone number. The fact that it was still a working number and that he actually lived in the same area as he had last year when he'd written our town missionary to give his new contact information was a relief.
For as long as I could remember, my primo had kept in touch with me secretly through the missionary that lived in our village. He had cut ties with our family, but not with me. Thankfully. It was almost as if he'd known that I would need him one day. I still could not believe that my father had sold me like chattel to be Hector's mate. Hector was not an ugly alpha, and he would be chieftain one day. If one could look past his small brain and large ego, he wasn't really a bad catch as mates go.
Still. I had always wanted to find my own fated-mate. The one person that the goddess Ixchel had chosen for me. The fact that my mate was a bear intrigued me. Who would have thought that my fated-mate would be found nearly four thousand miles from my home? If Padre hadn't tried to force me into mating Hector, I never would have found him!
Stefan, my primo had called him. I rolled it around in my head, practicing the way it would roll off my tongue. I had honestly been looking forward to spending time with Jules. He had mentioned that I would be a help to them around the house, and with the cubs. Although I had never cleaned so much as a dish in my entire life, I would have tried my best to be of assistance. I could certainly have learned to change a diaper.
I hadn't planned on choosing a mate for many years, if at all. Choosing is hard. But now I didn't have to choose, Ixchel had done it for me. It was good that I had no luggage to worry about retrieving from Jules' home. I would be leaving here with my mate. It was written in the stars from the moment we had scented each other. It was just a matter of getting him away from my primo so that we could actually speak.
At least, I assumed that it was the same with shifters here as it was back home. When one meets their fated-mate, that is that. There is no need for courtship or sniffing around each other for a prescribed amount of time like with other matings. No, when one meets the one fated to them, they immediately accept the bond. The rest comes later, in time.
I smelled the sweet honey almond scent of my mate, and turned to see him entering the small shop that my primo and his mates owned. Today was apparently a grand opening of their business. It was a cute little place, and smelled delicious. Although now that I'd scented my mate, I had to say that nothing smelled quite as good as Stefan.
Pushing his way through everyone, Stefan came over to the table where I sat with Taylor. He pulled out a chair and sat down without asking permission. I liked that. A little bit of assertiveness was a fine trait in an alpha. Tilting my head, I smiled up at him coyly as I extended my hand to him, palm down. “Hello, Stefan. At last we can speak to each other.”
Stefan took my hand, wrapping his own larger one around mine. Lifting it to his lips, he kissed my knuckles with the softest brush of his lips. “Hello, Diego. This was a pleasant surprise, finding you today.”
I blushed as the feeling of his lips to my skin sent a lightening bolt of arousal straight to my cock. Nearly purring already, I smiled. “Yes. This was a pleasant surprise. I take it that you and Jules came to an agreement, since you are here and he is not?”
Glancing across the room, I saw Jules standing over by the counter watching us closely. It was sweet that he was so protective of me. Another large bear alpha was approaching us, with a cub on his hip. He walked up and ruffled Taylor's hair and gave him a quick kiss before passing him the cub.
As the new alpha pulled up a seat, Stefan introduced him. “Diego, this is my cousin, Mikael. He is the Alpha of our bear den. Taylor here is his mate, and this is their cub, Alec.” I was not at all surprised that his man was the local Alpha. Raw alpha power swirled around him in waves.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Alpha. Taylor has been telling me about this lovely town and your den. It is quite charming, what I have seen of it. It is definitely much different than the village that I come from in Belize.”
The cub was gurgling happily as he tried to pull at Taylor's earplug. I smiled at his antics while Mikael responded.
“The pleasure is all mine, Diego. It makes me happy to see Stefan find his mate. Perhaps he will show you around before he drives you back to your cousin's home later.”
I looked at the Alpha curiously, then turned to Stefan. “Why would you drive me back to Jules' home later? Did you make plans with them for us?”
Stefan looked confused. “But, umm, isn't that where you plan to stay for now?”
I looked at him curiously. “Why would we stay there? Do you not have a home of your own where we will reside?”
My poor mate looked like he was about to swallow his tongue. “Oh. Yeah, I do. I have a home. A nice home. I just, umm, that is...”
Taylor threw his head back and gave a loud bark of a laugh before he said: “Diego, what Stefan is trying to say is that he didn't know what your plans were yet. You two haven't exactly had a chance to really speak privately yet, and you only met like five seconds ago or something. I assume that this is your way of telling him that you will accept him as your mate?”
I shrugged. “Is that not the way that it is done here? I thought that we shifters were the same world wide. If you are one of the rare ones lucky enough to find your fated-mate, you accept the mate as a gift from the gods and get on with things. Right?”
Taylor grinned. “Exactly! I'm glad you're not one of those omegas that needs to have it spelled out for them or needs be courted when you already know you're fated. Getting on with things is much simpler.”
I nodded emphatically. “Yes, that is correct! Courting is only necessary for non-fated matings. We already know that we are fated, why be silly about things? We will figure everything else out as we go. We have a lifetime to get to know each other. But first the claim must be made, before the rest can happen.”
Before I finished speaking, Stefan was already on his feet. He lifted me out of my chair, and said to his family: “We will catch up later. I want to speak to Diego privately.”
Mikael was looking at us in surprise while Taylor merely smirked at Stefan and said: “Yeah, because talking is totally what you have in mind.” Neither of us responded though, because my strong alpha was already carrying me toward the door.
My primo intercepted us on our way out. Jules simply looked at me and asked: “Are you coming back home later?”
“No, primo.” I replied simply. “My home is with Stefan now. I appreciate that you and your kind mates were willing to open your door for me, but the gods have spoken. We will be in touch, okay?”
Jules grinned and opened the door for us. “I promised you that nobody would force you to mate here, Diego. If this is your choice, then I wish you the best.”
Wrapping my arms around my alpha's broad shoulders, I pressed my cheek to his and smiled at Jules. “It is, primo. I accept the mate that the gods have chosen for me.”
“That's all I needed to hear then. My blessings to you both.” Stefan grinned at Jules and carried me through the open door. He walked right over to the passenger side of his shiny red sports car.
Stefan dug his keys out of his pocket and pressed a button to unlock our doors. After he opened my door, he carefully lowered me onto the seat before closing the door and walking around to get in on his own side.
Turning to me then, he smiled shyly. “Well, this isn't at all what I expected when Taylor invited me to meet them for soup. Where are your things? At Jules' house?”
I shrugged and reached in my pocket. Pulling the large handful of my remaining gold coins out, I held them out to my mate. “I have no things yet. This is what I have left. Is it enough to buy me all of the things? I left my home with nothing more than these clothes that I'm wearing, my passport, and both pockets filled with the gold that was meant to purchase me for an arranged mating.”
Stefan took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose before blowing it out. “Diego. That's like, thousands of dollars in gold right there. And you had another pocket full? Exactly how expensive was your trip?”
I shrugged. “First class does not come cheaply. Come now, mate. Let us go and purchase me a few things before you take me home and introduce me to your staff.”
Stefan looked at me. “My staff? You want me to take you shopping for clothes with a pocketful of actual fucking gold, and you automatically assume that I have a staff? Exactly how rich was your upbringing, Kitten? I'm not poor, but I also don't have millions laying around under my mattress.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you don't. That's what the banks are for, isn't it?”
Stefan grinned. “You're ignoring my point, but that's cool. Listen, Kitten. Keep your gold, the humans like to deal with regular people type of currency. And yes, I have more than enough money in the bank to buy you all the things that you need.”
“You still haven't told me about staff. Do we at least have a cook? I wouldn't mind learning a few things if we are poor, but the only thing I know about fixing food is how to ring the bell for the beta maid.” I looked at him anxiously, waiting for his answer.
Stefan started his car with a grin. “Don't worry, Kitten. We won't starve. I actually do have a few betas that live at my house and take care of things. I just found it amusing that you just naturally assumed it would be so.”
I looked at him blankly. “I don't understand. Are beta servants not the norm here for the upper level alphas?”
Stefan was chuckling as he put the car in gear and took off down the road. “Oh, Kitten. What the hell have I gotten myself into here? Holy shitballs. I'm going to have so much fun getting to know your entitled little ass.”
I shook my head. “No, no. I hate to disappoint you, alpha. But I do not have a title. I would have, if I had accepted the claim of the chieftain's son. My family, though wealthy, is not titled.”
Stefan laughed harder, pounding the steering wheel with the flat of his palm. A few things dawned on me as I watched him laugh. First, we were obviously having some sort of cultural misunderstanding because I hadn't said anything funny. Second, my mate had a beautiful laugh. And last? My Stefan was a gorgeous alpha.
I began to giggle along with his laughter. I still wasn't getting the joke but my heart was filled with joy from being free to be with my fated-mate.
Chapter Three
Stefan
“I'm tired, Stefan. I think I have enough clothing now.” Diego looked thoughtfully at the piles of bags in my trunk as he put a bag with yet another pair of shoes in. I closed the trunk with a grin.
“Kitten, I'm pretty sure that you have enough clothes for a harem of omegas. Shall we go home now?” I lifted his hand to kiss the palm before opening the door for him to get the car.
His eyes flashing, Diego discretely adjusted himself before sliding into his seat. I grinned, loving the knowledge that a simple kiss to the hand could get him going. I slid into my seat and barely got the door closed before I found myself being attacked by a tiny tornado of lips and hands. Diego had climbed onto my lap, straddling me as he poured his passion out.
As his lips touched mine, I felt an electric current pass between us. It was as if I'd never kissed before, now that I was kissing my one true mate. His small, nimble hands were carding through my hair, framing my face, running over my shoulders and down my arms before moving over to caress my pecs. The whole time, our lips were welded together as our tongues wove around each other in a teasing dance of erotic torture.
Blinking, I opened my eyes as Diego broke our kiss and nuzzled against my alpha-gland. A loud rumbling noise filled the car. As my hands ran up Diego's slender back and the bumps of his spine, I realized that his body was vibrating. With a stunned grin, I realized that my kitten was fucking purring!
Diego sat up and looked me in the eye. “Sorry, alpha. I couldn't wait any longer to feel your touch and you've been too much of a gentleman all day.”
“Kitten, let me assure you that it wasn't for a lack of desire. I was just waiting until our shopping was done and we could be away from prying eyes before I explore your sexy little body.”
Looking around, Diego blushed as if suddenly remembering that we were sitting in the middle of a mall parking lot in broad daylight. He went to scramble off my lap, but I held him in place. My hands had a firm grip on each curved butt cheek.
I grinned at him. “Not so fast, Kitten. I didn't say that I wasn't enjoying it. You can have your way with me whenever, wherever, and however you want. I just didn't want to take advantage of you.”
Diego tilted his head, his whiskey brown eyes dancing merrily. “I think I quite like the idea of letting you take advantage of me, alpha. Tell me more about this, I'm all ears. But, first. What is this kitten thing?”
I slowly ran my fingertips up his spine light and slow, smiling as he arched into the touch. “Right there? That's why I call you kitten. I can't wait to see you in your cat form, if you're this cat-like as a human. Hell, you were even purring a few moments ago. You're my kitten, Diego. Tiny, regal, and with a hint of claws.”
Diego bared his teeth at me with a flash of brilliant white. “Don't forget, we kittens have teeth too.”
“I'm looking forward to being nipped,” I leaned forward and bit down lightly on his fleshy earlobe. “And licked,” I licked a slow stripe along that curved jaw to his ear and down the slender neck. “But most of all,” I scraped my teeth across his omega-gland. “I'm looking forward to being bitten by you.”
Diego gasped, his head lolling back to display the long line of his neck. “Yes, alpha. Take me home now. I desire for all of this to happen now.”
I trailed the pad of my thumb along his Adam's apple, tracing a slow line along the graceful arc of his neck. Whispering now, I kissed the soft flesh under his jaw as I spoke. “In order for me to take you home, you have to get back into your own seat, Kitten.”
In a flash, Diego was scrambling off my lap and settling into his seat with a saucy grin. As soon as his seat belt clicked, I fired up the engine and headed for home. Steering with one hand, I rested my right on his firm thigh. I could feel his body heat through the denim. It ran through my hand, up my arm and directly to my rock hard cock. Somehow, I managed to make it home without wrecking my car.
I pulled up in front of the new security gates, stopping long enough to punch in the code for the gate to swing open. Diego smiled appreciatively when he caught the first glance of my home. Seeing the large estate through my mates eyes made me realize how impressive an impact it made.
To me, it was merely my family home. A little big, a lot lonely, and all mine. I reached for my mate's hand, gripping it in mine as I realized all at once that it would be ours now. And we would raise our cubs here.
All of a sudden, my desire to move to Mills Creek and blend among the humans wasn't so imperative. The idea of my cubs playing where I'd played, exploring where I'd explored, and sleeping in the same nursery where I had slept was an inviting idea.
When I parked the car, Diego was springing out before I could even step out of the car. He was spinning around, taking in the grounds and the front face of our home. I stood there, my forearms resting on the roof of the car as I watched the delight spread over his face.
When he looked back at me, I quirked a brow. “I take it that you approve of our humble home, Kitten?”
Diego's eyes flashed as his chin lifted imperiously. “I am beginning to think that you believe me to be spoiled.”
“Nooooo,” I drawled out sarcastically. “Not my kitten! Not at all.”
Crossing his arms, Diego shifted his weight to one hip and glared at me. “I cannot help it that I was raised in comfort. I do not necessarily require it, but I will admire a beautiful home when I see it. Does this bother you? You should be happy that I find our home to my liking. Isn't pleasing your mate part of the whole alpha make-up?”
I snorted, entranced by my bratty mate. Although, he did raise several good points. And just because he enjoyed the finer things that he'd been raised with, didn't mean that he wasn't a good person. Shit, I'd been brought up the same way. I winked at Diego, flashing him a gentle smile to lower his hackles as I went around to open the trunk.
Diego came over to help me with his bags. And by help, I mean he lifted one bag with his favorite new pair of boots and closed the trunk after I loaded my arms with the rest of his haul. I smiled as I watched him sashay ahead of me, those slim hips swinging with each smooth stride.
The door opened as we approached, with my house beta standing there watching us walk up the path with a look of surprise on his kindly face.
“Hey, Bobby. Allow me to introduce you to my mate, Diego. Diego, this is Bobby. If you need anything around here, he's the guy to make it happen.”
Diego stopped short, and held out a steady hand to Bobby. “Hello, Bobby. It is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize in advance for any gaffes I make as I learn the routine of this household. You will have to show me how things are done here.”
Bobby looked charmed by Diego's kindness, while I was finding a new respect for my kitten. He may be spoiled in many ways, but the way a person treated their staff was always a good sign of their personal character. It made me proud to see him treating Bobby so well.
“Come on, Kitten. I'll show you to our room now. I need to get these bags put down before my fingers turn blue.”
Diego flashed me a scathing look as he turned and set his own package on the top of my armload of bags. Resting my chin on it, I was able to balance to it all. Barely. Diego winked and said: “Please. A big alpha like you? You could carry twice that and not break a sweat. You go on ahead, big guy. I'm going to get Bobby here to take me around to meet the rest of the staff first.”
My jaw dropped as Diego proceeded to take Bobby by the arm and lead him further into my home. He was keeping up a light chatter, asking Bobby to give him a quick tour and show him anything he might need to know.
Shaking my head, I grinned to myself and sprinted up the stairs to the master suite. One of the beta maids met me in the hall, I had her follow me into my room so that she could help me make room for Diego's things. She all but pushed me out of the room as she took over the task.
I left her to it, and went off to find my brat. After roaming the house, I found him in the kitchen. He was ensconced on a high stool at the breakfast counter, with Bobby and his mate Konrad fussing over him. Konrad was our chef, along with a couple other betas that worked along with him.
It was embarrassing when I realized how many betas worked for me, a single man. But they had all come with the place, when I'd inherited. They had all grown up here, the children of betas who had held their jobs before them. All of the betas were like part of my family. They lived here, worked here, and would most likely die here. It was yet another reason why I could never sell the place. Too many lives depended on it.
I walked over and took a seat on the stool beside Diego. Eyeing his tea and the small plate of sugar cookies in front of him, I smirked at Konrad. “I see that Diego has managed to find his way into your good graces, if you've already opened the cookie jar for him.”
Konrad smacked my hand that was snaking toward Diego's cookies. “Leave the boy's cookies alone, I will get you a plate of your own.” Diego grinned over at me and slowly lifted a cookie to his lips. He bit into it, closing his eyes with a look of rapture as he chewed. Bobby and Konrad shared a soft smile at the brat's antics.
“Have you gentlemen eaten already? I have a roast just coming out of the oven.” Konrad asked as he set a plate with three cookies in front of me, along with a fresh cup of fragrant tea.
Diego swallowed and shook head. “No, I haven't eaten all day actually! I was traveling, then I arrived at my cousin's house just in time to leave with them to the opening of their cafe. But then I met Stefan, and he took me out of there before I could eat. After that, we were busy shopping because I fled my country with only the clothes on my back and hadn't a thing to wear. I mean, it's not like I could borrow from this big lug, right?”
He took a breath to motion at my bulk. “So, anyway. We spent the afternoon rushing from store to store in a desperate attempt to clothe my body. And then Stefan brought me home, and here we are.” Diego looked at the two betas with a smile sweet enough to make my teeth ache.
Konrad immediately began bustling around the kitchen muttering about the poor little starving omega, while Bobby fixed me with a glare. “Shame on you, sir. To make this poor boy go all day with no food? And after he fled for his life with naught but the clothes on his back? I am embarrassed on behalf of our household, yes?”
I rolled my eyes at Diego. “Seriously? Kitten here could have spoken up at any point if he was that hungry. How was I supposed to know? And he hardly fled for his life. Right, Diego?”
Konrad turned to look at Diego affectionately before fixing me with a glare. “Sir. Look at the boy. He is wasting away in front of our eyes. His reasons for fleeing are beside the point, yes? The important thing is that he is thousands of miles from his homeland and dependent on his new alpha to think of his needs.”
Diego watched me out of the corner of his eye, biting his lip to keep from laughing. I reached over and poked him in the ribs, making him squirm with a giggle. “You're right, Konrad. The guy is pretty bony. I guess I'll have to let you fatten him up.”
The brat turned to me with an indignant look. “I am not bony! I am slender. There is a difference.”
Grinning, I shoved the plate of cookies closer to him. “Shh. Just eat a cookie, Kitten. Put some meat on your bones.”
By the time we finished our meal, Konrad and Bobby were completely enthralled with Diego. His eyes were fighting to stay open at this point as the long days of travel and today's shopping spree began to take over. When he nearly fell off the stool as he fought to stay awake, I stood and lifted him in my arms.
I said my good-nights to the betas and spirited my mate up the stairs to our room. The poor guy was asleep before I even had the door closed behind us. I lowered him to the foot of the bed, letting him rest while I carefully undressed him and pulled back the covers. I lifted Diego one last time, and got him settled into his new side of the bed.
After flipping off the lights, I stripped down and climbed in after him. I snuggled up behind him, wrapping my arms around him to hold his tight little body close against mine. It wasn't the sexy times that I'd been hoping for tonight, but it was enough. Just falling to sleep with my omega in my arms was more than enough to give me a night filled with sweet dreams.
Chapter Four
Diego
I was a little disoriented when I woke up in bed with a large, heavy arm snaked around my chest. Blinking, I let my eyes adjust to the dark room while I smiled and inhaled that fantastic honey almond scent of my mate. I wriggled back against his chest, pleased when his arm tightened a little. Although asleep, he was still instinctively protecting me.
Being a cat shifter, I had excellent night vision even in my human form. There was enough moonlight filtering through the gauzy curtains that I was able to see clearly enough to make out my surroundings. Hmm. Okay. This must be my new bedroom. It smelled like Stefan. Mmm. Mate. Mine.
I pushed and wriggled under his arm until I was able to turn over to face my alpha. His arm relaxed its hold, giving me more room to move. Running my hands over his body, I took advantage of this time to explore his body. I stroked over the ripples and bulges of his muscles, admiring the massive strength of him.
Soon, my hands weren't enough, and I was following the path of my hands with my tongue. Licking and tasting his flesh, I thought of how beautifully tanned he had been in the full light of day. Remembering all the little light freckles that I'd noticed patterning his skin earlier, I made a note to trace their constellations with my tongue the first chance I got.
If they were on his arms and face, I could only wonder how much of his body was also covered with them. Pushing him over onto his back, I flicked my tongue over the taut little nipples that were just begging for my attention. Stefan groaned in his sleep, then gave a pleasured sigh of contentment.
Encouraged, I continued learning the taste and feel of his body under my tongue and hands. Given that my mate was a mountain of a man, it would take more time than I had in this one single night to learn all the nuances of the various delicious flavors and textures of my alpha's body. That was fine, I had a lifetime to savor Stefan. He was mine, and I would not be letting him go now that the gods had brought us together.
I smiled as Stefan lifted an arm and flopped it over his head on the pillow before I moved on to sample his armpit. I gave a few tentative licks, before rubbing my face right into it. Nuzzling against that furry hollow, I inhaled the pleasant muskiness of his human scent and the sweetness of his personal honey almond scent. The two scents then mixed with the pheromones of his alpha scent, combining to create a powerful combo.
I'm not certain if even the refined nose of the bear shifters could have picked up the fine bouquet of scents that my feline nose could detect. It was in the armpits and groin where these scents were strongest. Hmm. Groin.
With one last reluctant lick of his pit, I crawled down his body. Tracing over the ridges of muscle, I stopped to give a lick to his navel. Promising myself to come back to it later, I moved on down to the groin region that was beckoning me now.
Ignoring the obvious siren call of his half-flaccid cock, instead I gave in to the pleasure of nuzzling along his hips. I slowly traced my tongue along the seam of soft flesh between his trunk and thighs, stopping to inhale his scent here and there along the way. Nuzzling into the curly pubic hair, I wondered if they would be dark in daylight, or have a hint of gold to them like the dirty blonde hair on his head.
Scooting down, I stopped to admire the length of the soft cock in front of me. It was thick enough as it rested against his thigh in repose, I could only imagine how large it would be when erect. It was cute, lying there with its little turtleneck hood of skin covering the head.
I took a light lick over his heavy sac, but not enough to wake him. This was my time to explore, I wasn't ready for him to wake just yet. Although given how deeply he was breathing, it would probably take more than a lick to waken my bear.
I began to explore his legs next, thick and meaty, the muscles were covered with a fine coating of fuzzy hair. My mate wasn't that hairy, which was fine with me. Starting with the left leg first, I went down his leg and over his knee. I licked and massaged over every inch I passed. I ran my hands over his muscular calf, while I ran my tongue down the center of his shin.
After I made it to the foot, I took the time to suckle on each toe. When I reached the big toe, I realized that his breathing pattern had changed. I looked up, his foot in my hand and toe in my mouth, to see him watching me intently.
Stefan's eyes glittered in the moonlit room, his mouth curving into a slow smile. “Go ahead, Kitten. Keep showing me how catlike you are while you bathe me with your tongue. This is sexy as fuck.”
I bit down on the padding of his toe, spitting it out with a laugh when he yelped. Moving over to the other foot, I began my ministrations again. This time I worked in reverse, suckling the toes before moving slowly up his leg. I didn't move any faster than I had on the other side. Instead, I took the time to luxuriate in the feel and taste of my mate's body.
When I finally made it back to his groin area, a much different sight greeted me. His cock was fully erect now, standing proudly from its bed of hair. The foreskin had retracted, so that I was able to see the head now. It glistened in the moonlight, from the liquid leaking out of its slit and coating that thick head.
Entranced, I first gave into the urge to lick his sac. Taking time to suck each ball into my mouth and roll my tongue around them one at a time. Stefan was breathing heavily, but quietly watching me. I looked up to see him lifted onto his elbows.
After I licked a stripe up the long length of his shaft, flicking my tongue over the slit to taste the sweet and salty mix of his precum flavor. Lifting my head, I stroked him lightly with both hands while I grinned at him.
“You don't think that it's creepy to lay there and just watch me while I entertain myself, alpha?”
“Not any creepier than for you to lick and fondle my sleeping body, Kitten. Now get up here, it's my turn to get my hands on you.”
I crawled up his body, pausing to rub my own stiff rod against his thick erection. With a groan, Stefan lowered a hand and wrapped it around both of our lengths. I gasped when his hand closed around my cock.
“What's wrong, Kitten. You never had a real man touch your peen before?” Stefan asked with a teasing grin.
Panting from the pleasure of the sweet friction and torture I was getting as our cocks rubbed together in his tight fist, I gasped: “I've never had any man touch me before. You are the only one either than myself to ever touch me, alpha.”
Stefan's mouth went slack with surprise at my words, but I couldn't tease him about it because my entire body stiffened as I gasped for air. A wave of ecstasy like I'd never felt before hit me all at once. My abdominal muscles contracted at the same time as my balls pulled tight against my body. Lightening moved along my spine, and my vision blurred. The rich smell of cum filled the room.
I looked down to see the thick, rich cream of my release covering the opening of Stefan's fist and running over the back of his hand. His cock jerked against mine and more ropes of cum shot through his fist, this time from Stefan. It shot high above his moving hand, arcing through the air before landing in splats across his chest.
Instinctively, I leaned forward to taste that salty cream. After just a few laps of my tongue, Stefan's hands shot out and lifted me by my armpits. In one swift move, I was on my back beside where he'd been lying with Stefan stretched over me, his weight braced on his forearms with me caged beneath his bulk.
“Hey, Kitten.” He smiled down at me. “Tell me, was waking up to find myself being tongue bathed and massaged a glimpse into my future?”
“Why?” I demanded hotly. “Did my explorations bother you?”
“Honestly? I thought it was kinda sexy, Kitten. If you're this catlike in human form, I can't wait to see you shift. I've seen your cousin's Jaguar. It was amazing. Is that what you look like too?”
“I do not know, I have not seen my cousin in his other form. I was only six when he left us. Yesterday was the first time that I've seen him in fourteen years.”
Stefan's eyes looked off to the side as though he were doing the math. I laughed and smacked his chest. “Don't think so hard, big guy. I turned twenty-one three days ago, if that's what you were trying to calculate.”
His eyes flashed as a smile spread over his face. “You just had your birthday? Really? We need to celebrate.” Then he sobered. “Wait. Is that why your father was trying to arrange a forced mating for you? Because of your age? I'm so sorry, Kitten. Do you miss your family though? Maybe when things blow over we can visit them.”
I bit my lip and shook my head sharply. “It's okay. I don't know if I'll ever want to go back there. Besides, you already spoiled me by buying me all of the pretty things yesterday, right?”
Stefan rolled off me and stretched out on his side, leaning on one elbow while running his free hand over my chest. “I wasn't spoiling you. Not too much anyway. You needed clothing, I provided it. I'm your mate, Kitten. It was my pleasure to do for you. As soon as this war is over, we will have a big party to celebrate everything from your birthday to our being mates, okay?”
I looked at him in confusion. “What war, Stefan?”
Even in the dimly lit room, I could see him pale. “Didn't Jules tell you? I thought that you already knew, or I would have warned you immediately.” He sighed sadly. “My cousin, Yvonne, is a crazy psycho alpha. She was shunned and forced to leave after she tried to injure her former omega and kill the unborn child that he was having with his new mate.”
I gasped. “What happened? Was the baby okay?”
Stefan nodded. “Yeah, Mikael saved them both. He was forced to shun his sister though. In retaliation, she has declared war. She's working with a network of rogue shifter packs and mercenaries to try and take the den over. She wants Mikael dead so that she can take his place as Alpha.”
My mind was turning this information over as he continued. “If you want to leave, I don't blame you. We can wait to claim each other, if you don't want to mate me while I'm putting your life at risk by having you here.”
I scoffed and waved a hand at him. “Please. I'm from the jungles of Central America, alpha. I know all about rogue packs and mercenaries. My entire life there was spent on a constant alert for signs of danger. I can handle it. Do not forget, I may be an omega, but I am still an apex predator. And do not think that you will get rid of me so easily. No. You are claiming me, alpha. Tonight.”
Chapter Five
Stefan
I looked down at Diego. Waking up to find that he'd been playing with my unconscious body had been hot as hell. I don't know if it's because he's used to doing as he pleases, or because he knows that my body is his to enjoy. I couldn't say either way. I just loved that he had zero qualms about manhandling me while I slept.
Cupping his cheek with my hand, I leaned in for a kiss. I felt the now familiar spark as soon as our lips touched. My sultry little kitten was already threading his nimble fingers into my hair as our tongues met and stroked against each other. I moved my hand down his neck and over his back until I held one firm, round, muscular cheek in the palm of my hand.
I gave it a good squeeze, and pulled him up against me. His body was constantly moving as he arched into my touch, hands working through my hair and massaging my scalp while his leg came up over my hip. With his knee bent, he hooked that leg around me and snuggled up against me.
A soft purr filled the room, his chest vibrating lightly against mine with its cute rumbling. I smiled against his lips, kissing him deeper as we writhed against each other. I could smell the sweet fragrance of his slick already. Running a finger along his crease, I rubbed my fingertip against his pucker. Sliding through the slick, I pushed my finger slowly inside his entrance.
Diego broke our kiss, his head rolling to the side as his butt pushed back to ride my finger. I watched the looked of ecstasy on his face as I added a second finger. “Diego,” I said in a hushed voice, then kissed down along his neck to scrape my teeth over his omega-gland. After placing a sucking kiss against it, I moved back up to nip at his ear while adding a third finger to his wet hole.
His hands moved down to grip my face as he pressed a flurry of kisses across it. After Diego had kissed nearly every inch of my face, he brushed his lips against mine. Whispering against my lips, he said “Take me, alpha. I'm ready, can you tell?”
I smiled against his lips and rolled him over onto his back. After one quick kiss, I pulled my fingers free and knelt between his parted thighs. Diego panted up at me, his chest heaving as I lifted my wet fingers to my mouth and loudly slurped his slick from them. He whined, spreading his knees wide to show me his leaking hole.
With a groan, I realized that there was an undercurrent building to his scent. Our connection had brought on his heat, it was sneaking up on him even now. I stroked my hands along the back of his thighs and pushed his knees to his chest. “Don't worry, Kitten. I'm going to give you everything that you need.”
I lined my cock up with his hole and slowly slid into his slick soaked channel. I gasped from the sensation of the tight flesh hugging my cock, but held myself still while he adjusted to my size filling him.
When he started to wiggle beneath me, I grinned down at him and began to rock my hips. Slowly, I let my cock slide in and out a few times. “Yes, alpha,” Diego breathed as he kicked his legs out to wrap around my waist. His hands shot up to pull my face down for a kiss.
Plunging my tongue into his mouth, I snaked my hands beneath him and pulled him forward with me as I lifted up to kneel back against my heels. I thrust into him a few times, with him rocking back to meet each plunge of my hips. Diego moaned into my mouth then, sliding his legs from my waist and planting his feet on the bed.
Planting his hands on my chest, he broke our kiss and pushed me backwards until he was squatting astride me. I raised my knees, and grabbed his thighs, holding them tight as he leaned back against my knees. Grunting, I thrust hard into him.
His face caught in an expression somewhere between a sneeze and a snarl, Diego's eyes rolled back as his purring increased. His muscles flexed then as his channel tightened around my cock. All at once, as his purring increased, my cock began to tingle and vibrate.
My jaw dropped as I watched his cum spray my chest, but I couldn't think or do anything but feel the vibrating walls that were closing tighter around my cock. Gripping his hips, I lifted him up and down on my shaft while I chased the pleasure that was just out of reach.
Diego thrust forward, planting his hands on my shoulders, riding me fast and hard again as he rocked back and forth while my knot thickened inside of his vibrating walls. All at once, I couldn't pull out anymore when my knot grew too fat. It became lodged just inside of his rim, held tightly in place by his vibrating walls.
His ass clenched around me while his busy tongue flicked over my nipple as he began to cum all over again. The friction and the vibrations were pulling me under, but it was when Diego sank his teeth into my nipple that I lost all control and began to fill him with my seed.
“Kitten,” I rasped, my head spinning from the intense pleasure as I pulled him up from my chest. “It's time to claim your alpha.”
Diego tilted his head to the side for me as he craned around to reach my gland. I sank my already elongated fangs into the spongy flesh of his omega-gland, right as his own sharp fangs pierced my alpha-gland.
The most amazing fucking thing happened at that moment. I'd heard it described, but the reality of it could never match the stories. My vision blurred and sharpened as I looked into my own face through a different lens. I could feel my walls vibrating around the large knot that was stuck in it. Yet at the same time, I was the knot that was being vibrated around. It was as if for one long moment in time we merged into one being, one soul, one mind, as the world blurred around us and we become one united pair.
Pulling back to myself, I licked the wound my bite had made. I felt my mate's tongue licking his own bite on my shoulder. I leaned back to see his face. “Diego. Mate. Mine. I promise that I will never forget this moment as long as we live, Kitten. You are my omega now. I have claimed you and I will spend my life treasuring you.”
Diego smirked and flashed me a wink. “Don't worry, mi oso. I'll make certain that you never forget this moment. Trust me on that one. And, of course you will spend your life treasuring me,” he paused and looked down at me imperiously before smiling softly and finishing his thought. “I will do the same with you. Is this not the way of it with fated-mates? We will spend our days treasuring each other and thanking the gods for the gift that they have given us.”
After giving me another soft kiss, he wiggled downward to rest against my chest. Grunting with annoyance, he wiggled and moved around as he tried to find a more comfortable position to lie on top of me until my knot went down. I bit into the flesh of my lip to ignore the painful tugs on my knot as he wriggled. He must have picked up a flash of my pain through our bond, because he stopped moving and looked up at me with chagrin.
“Forgive me, mi oso! I was not thinking!” His lips pouted as his eyes filled with concern. I wrapped my arms around him and rolled onto my side.
“It's fine, Kitten. You didn't do it on purpose. We'll figure it all out as we go, right? This knotting thing is new to both of us.”
I smiled into his eyes, and kissed his forehead. “Now, I have two questions for you, Kitten. First, what does mi oso mean? And second, what the fuck was up with that whole vibrobutt thing? I'm going to enjoy getting used to that shit.”
Diego giggled and nuzzled his face between my pecs, planting a kiss against my sweaty skin before looking up at me through his lashes and saying shyly: “Mi oso means my bear. You're my bear now, all mine.”
His eyes looked down towards where we were joined before he looked back up at me with concern in his eyes. “But I don't have a clue what you mean by vibrobutt. Does this mean that you think that I am broken?”
I stroked his sweat dampened hair back from his forehead. “No, Kitten. What you are is fucking unique. I think it's from when you purr, and the vibrations that go through your body.”
Eyes widening, Diego's smile slowly spread across his face. “Seriously? You felt that inside of me?”
Nodding, I stroked his back and grinned. “I sure did, Kitten. And it was fantastic.” After a few moments, I started snickering. “Vibrobutt.”
Diego smacked my chest, but he was chuckling too. He snuggled into me and gave a light yawn. “I think I'm ready to sleep now, mi oso. But I'll probably be waking you soon, so I would suggest that you rest too.”
“Why, Kitten? You can't get enough of me already?”
Diego snorted. “You joke, but I can smell my heat coming on fast. I have a feeling that things are about to get crazy.”
Oh, fuck. I'd forgotten about his heat after scenting it earlier. I ran my hand along his spine. “Yeah, you're right. I can smell it too. Let's rest while we can, Kitten.”
After a few more minutes of conversation, we both drifted off to sleep. When I woke up the next time, it wasn't to a little sexy toe sucking like before. This time I woke to find myself on my back with my cock being ridden hard by my little mate. It was early morning, and the first light of dawn was filtering in the room.
I looked up to see him soaked in sweat, riding me hard and fast in a quest for the relief of my knot. The rest of the day passed in a glorious blur of hard fucking, sweet cuddling during knotting, and a few naps in between. And that crazy vibrobutt! I hadn't expected mating to be so awesome on the first day, but I had to say, I was loving every second of it.
Chapter Six
Diego
I woke up in my alpha's arms again, but this time I felt different. Instead of it just being me, alone in the world, I was now one half of a claimed pair. I smiled, slowly remembering the sexy blur of the heat enforced fuckery of the day before. Taking a deep inhaled sniff, I smiled again. The heat had passed because it did its job. I was pregnant.
Turning over, I stretched with a back arching yawn before flipping the rest of the way over and snuggling up to Stefan. In the daylight, I could see the faint smattering of freckles that covered his skin. I ran my hands over his large muscled arms and chest, licking here and there at the spots I could reach.
His skin had an intriguing blend of our scents, combined with our sweat and dried cum. I was licking a patch of it from the center of his chest, purring lightly, when I felt his big hand stroke up my spine.
“Good morning, Kitten. Are you accosting my unconscious body again? Creeper.”
I giggled. Looking up at him I said defiantly. “Please. This is my body now. I have claimed it for my own, and you bear the scar to prove it. Now shush. Take a deep whiff of my scent and tell me what you smell.”
Stefan looked confused, but did as I suggested. Right as the smell of our cub hit his nose, I knew it. His eyes lit up with excitement as a proud smile spread across his face. “Seriously? You caught? The heat worked! Wait,” he sobered. “Are you happy about it too? I mean, we never discussed...”
I stopped him by putting a finger to his lips. I scooted up then and replaced my finger with my lips, kissing him gently before I pulled back and said: “I am thrilled to know that I am carrying our cub, alpha. All I have ever wanted is a family of my own to love and who would love me in return. Now I have that with you and our cub.”
Stefan looked confused. “But I thought that you were the pampered only son of an adoring father?”
I shook my head. “I was pampered, yes, but I am not an only child. My family is one of the wealthier ones in the region. I have four brothers, all alphas. They are older than me, and were already away at school when I came along. And you know my primo, Jules. He grew up there too.”
“After Jules and my brothers were gone, I grew up alone on our estate with my nanny and bodyguards when I wasn't away at boarding school. My mother died when I was an infant. She was out shopping when a group of rebels came into town. My padre would give me everything I wanted but himself. I do not know if he was always a hard, shrewd man, or if the death of my mother caused it.”
Stefan's eyes filled with sadness for me, but I shut that right down. “No, do not feel sorry for me, mi oso. I may have not had much affection, but I never went hungry or lacked for fancy toys and the newest bits of technology. So many children in this world struggle to just have a full belly. I knew that, even at a young age. I saw the poverty around me in our village. I would go visit the missionary who lived nearby, and volunteer my time to help whenever I could. My padre did not allow it, but I would find ways to slip off and go there anyway. I always felt that helping others was more important than sitting at home and enjoying my father's wealth.”
Stefan reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand, his eyes soft as they looked into mine. “I don't understand. Why would your father sell you in an arranged mating if he didn't need the money?”
I rolled my eyes. “The money was just to seal the deal, alpha. My padre has always viewed me as a commodity. That is why no expenses were spared on my health and education. He arranged this mating with the chieftain for political reasons. There would be a lot of leeway for a man in my padre's position if his son were mated to the heir of the chieftain. I was raised to be the pretty arm candy of an important alpha.”
Stefan leaned forward and kissed me gently. “Would it help your father accept our mating if he finds that I am not poor and am the current Alpha Heir for our den? I don't give a shit about all that, but if it will help sell it to your padre when he finds out about us, then what the hell?”
Smiling, I shook my head. “You are sweet, mi oso. But I do not plan to ever get in touch with my padre. And I highly doubt that he is looking for me. I shamed my family when I fled like I did. To them, I am likely considered dead. Even if he did find us though, it doesn't matter. I don't care about what your title is or isn't. I just want us to be happy and to have a healthy cub.”
“You surprise me, Kitten.” Stefan said thoughtfully, skimming a hand over my hip to rest on my waist. “I had you pegged as being a spoiled, pampered little socialite. And now I feel like every layer that gets peeled back reveals a whole new level to discover about you. You're much deeper than you would have others believe.”
“I mean, I'm not saying that I don't also like to be pampered. Who doesn't? Do you think this hair would look so good without a decent salon cut?” I held out my hand to get a good look at my nails. “And a good manicurist is worth all the gold I brought with me. But that doesn't mean I don't care about helping others. I just don't see where I have to suffer in the process. How can I help the poor if I'm right there along side them?”
Stefan looked at me for a minute, his eyes wide as he took in what I'd said. Then he just started laughing. He rolled onto his back and laughed hard for several minutes. I was starting to get pissed, and sat up to glare at him. He looked over at my face, and started cackling all over again.
I got up and headed for our private bathroom. I did not need to be laughed at by my own mate! I made it about five steps when the bed creaked and I suddenly found myself being hoisted up into my mate's beefy arms.
“I'm sorry, Kitten. I wasn't laughing at you, I promise. I was laughing at how very serious you were, and how much you had me believing that me taking you to get a pedicure would somehow save the world. I fucking adore you, Diego.” He kissed the tip of my nose, instantly soothing my irritation. “Now come on, let's go take a shower, Kitten. We both reek of sex and I want to get you fed. We have a cub growing inside you to think about.”
He set me down on the long marble vanity that contained two separate sinks and miles of counter space, while he went to start the shower. I looked around the beautifully appointed room. I'd been in here several times already, but had never turned on the light. I'd just made a beeline for the toilet, washed my hands, and gone back to bed for more sex. This had been my first heat which they always say is the worst. I certainly hope so, because the fact that I spent a day and a half only thinking with my dick was a bit disconcerting for me.
The walk-in shower was large enough for a whole group of large alphas. There were six shower heads that sprayed from different angles around the space, and one large rainfall style head in the center. It was high enough that my big alpha wouldn't bump into it. Next to the shower was a Jacuzzi size tub that would easily fit the two of us with room for more.
After he had the shower going, Stefan stopped to lay two fluffy towels over the towel warmer that stood within arms reach of the shower, then he stepped in and sat down on the long bench that ran across the length of the shower. Patting the spot next to him, he waggled his eyebrows in invitation.
I hopped down and went over to join him, pulling the door shut behind me. Stefan guided me over to stand in front of him and under the rainfall, then reached out and began to bathe me. He poured liquid soap into his hand, then rubbed it into my skin. I couldn't help but preen and pose for him as he slowly scrubbed my body from head to toe. I reached for the soap, and began to wash his chest.
He stood then, towering over me as he washed my hair. Gently massaging my scalp, Stefan washed my hair before quickly taking care of his own while I took time to carefully clean his cock and balls. I was just working my hand behind his heavy sac, when there was a loud explosion from somewhere outside, followed by the sounds of rapid gunfire.
The power went out, and Stefan froze. “Fear not, alpha. I can see better than you in the dark. Let's just rinse the soap off and go see what's going on.”
Stefan rinsed off and felt around for the knob to turn off the water. “We will not go see, Kitten. No, I will go see. You will stay here and be safe.” His alpha power was pouring off him, trying to make me submit to his will.
“No. Do not try that alpha hoodoo shit on me either, Stefan. I've had years of standing up to strong alphas. You are my mate, I will be at your side where I belong. Besides, your people may need our help. I am a Jaguar, alpha. Do not discount my worth because I am an omega.”
“Diego. This has nothing to do with you being an omega and everything to do with you being my pregnant omega.”
I answered by stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. I passed it to him, and began to dry myself off quickly. “Stefan, don't waste our time arguing. I will be safest at your side, and if you don't take me, I'll just track you anyway. I'm a cat. I can follow you and you'd never know I was there. So can we just skip to the part where I win and get on with things? I have a bad feeling that we are needed elsewhere.”
Stefan sighed and brushed past me to the sunlit bedroom. “Fine. Dress lightly for shifting, if things are going sideways we will most likely need to shift and run.”
He was already pulling on a pair of basketball shorts and a tank, with a pair of sneakers. I followed his lead, and pulled on a light pair of shorts and a tank that we'd purchased for me yesterday. I stepped into a pair of sneakers and followed him to the door. Stefan grabbed his cell phone, already tapping in a message to somebody as he strode through the hall and down the stairs.
Bobby and Konrad were standing in the front yard, with seven other betas of differing ages. There were even a couple of cubs, they children of the staff I had no doubt. Konrad rushed over to hug me while Bobby spoke to Stefan. I didn't relax until Konrad assured me that everyone was present from our staff, since I didn't know everyone yet or even how many heads to count.
Stefan spoke up beside me. “The den has been attacked. We all need to make our way to the Alpha's manor. Alpha Mikael wants everyone there as soon as possible.”
I nodded. “Then let's get going, alpha. We have a group of eleven to transport.”
Chapter Seven
Stefan
I looked at the motley group of people in front of me, wondering how I was going to get them to the safety of the Alpha's manor without anyone getting hurt. Peter, the den's beta captain and second-in-command to Mikael, had told me that the power lines leading into our den from town had been cut. Several buildings had been bombed, and two jeeps with rogues were driving around shooting at civilians they saw on the street.
It concerned me that Yvonne's people had managed to get into our small enclave, but I put that aside for now. First I needed to get these betas and my newly pregnant mate safely to the manor. Thanks to the newly installed solar panels and back up generators, it was unaffected by the power outage. This was good, as it meant that its security systems would still be in working order.
The rest of us were sitting ducks without the power to run our security systems. Taylor had convinced Mikael to start thinking of more earth friendly resources. This was why the solar panels had been installed recently. Taylor insisted that as shifters, it was our duty to think of mother earth. I had to admit, he had a point. Especially now that his solar panels were going to save our collective bacon.
Bobby was waiting for me to give a command, but I was at a loss as to what I should do. Jules would know. Sean or Peter would know. Mikael wouldn't even question or second guess himself about what to do. This is why I didn't want to be Alpha Heir. I just wasn't strong enough to lead.
As though reading my mind, Diego stepped closer and took my hand. A series of images flashed through my head like pictures. It took me a moment, but when I looked down into his smiling face and trusting eyes, I realized what was happening. My mate was helping and encouraging me without anyone knowing. He was using our bond to make tactical suggestions, although he didn't know the territory well enough to offer more than a basic idea of what would work.
I nodded and squeezed his hand. Speaking firmly, I began to instruct my betas. “Okay. The first thing you need to know is that although we are safe behind our walls for the moment, anyone could get in that gate without the power. We need to get to the cover of the trees and take the back way over the ridge to the Alpha manor. It's faster anyway, right?”
Everyone was nodding. “Follow me, let's walk and talk. I don't feel comfortable having these cubs out in the open like this until we know the danger has passed.”
One of the married beta couples who did housekeeping for me, pulled their cub to them. The other cub went to join his parents. His beta sire was my mechanic, and his mother was another housekeeper. Konrad and Bobby were the only couple with no children. The remaining beta was Tim, a shy young guy who worked in the gardens.
As soon as we reached the shelter of the bushes and trees at the edge of my property, I guided them all into the shaded area. We would be safe here, and not visible from the road. Everyone gasped as another round of gunfire was heard, from the next street over. Grimly I held a finger to my lips and motioned everyone closer.
“Here's the thing to remember. Aside from Yvonne, nobody in her camp knows the layout of the den. She's obviously given them a map of some sort for them to have known how to get in here, but they won't know the woods like we do. And that's not something that she could give them a map for, especially if they're meant to be in their vehicles. They are looking for people who are out on the street or standing outside of their homes, not people like us who have taken to the woods.”
I looked around, making sure that everyone was following me. The scent of fear had gone down, telling me that they all were trusting me to keep them safe. Diego rested a hand in the small of my back, silently offering his support. Taking a deep breath, I continued with my plans.
“We obviously would get there faster if we could just shift, but the cubs can't keep up yet. I will shift, to keep track by scent of any attackers nearby. I need three other volunteers. One of us will be at each end, two on each side. The three adults and two cubs who remain in human form will walk in the middle.”
Diego spoke up. “I know that I do not know these woods, and you will want to protect me. But I will be an asset. My sense of smell and hearing in my Jaguar form is unrivaled by any other shifter. Please allow me to help, I will stay on one of the flank positions so that I can be near the cubs with my ears and nose alert for danger.”
Dammit. Between his beseeching eyes and flawless reasoning, I had no choice but to nod curtly. Everyone looked shocked at my agreement. One of the cubs said: “But isn't Mr. Diego going to have a cub, alpha?”
Diego smiled warmly at the boy. “Well, aren't you clever for sniffing that out. Yes, but that doesn't mean that my cat is any less capable of protecting you. Now promise that when you meet my cat, you'll try not to be afraid, okay? Remember that he is just a part of me, like you are still you when you are in bear form.”
He looked around at my staff, every one of whom were already showing signs of adoring the brat. I was both amused and proud at how confidently assertive he was as he spoke to them.
“I will warn you now what to expect, so that you are not alarmed. My cat likes to mark his family and friends. This makes it easier for him to find you if we are separated. I will simply walk among you, and rub my cheek against each of you. Don't worry, it's not creepy or invasive. I personally prefer to sniff and mark your inner wrist, if you don't mind. I just need to get your scent and to put mine on you.”
Tim spoke up and asked: “Excuse me, Mr. Diego. I thought that only true mates could get our scents. What do you mean by scenting us?”
Diego smiled gently. “That is true, when it comes to your unique personal scent that is attached to the pheromones and mating. But we cats have a more highly developed olfactory sense than any other shifter. You bears come close, but even you can't pick up the nuances of odors the way that I can. Everyone has a scent aside from the one based on pheromones. You each have a base smell that is all your own. Cats can detect this. You are part of our household, this makes you family as far as my cat is concerned. He will want to sniff you, I truly apologize if that makes you uneasy.”
Everyone nodded, looking even more impressed by Diego. Bobby and Konrad stepped up to take the remaining guard slots. We decided that Bobby would lead us to the manor, with Diego and Konrad on the flanks. I would take the rear to make sure that there were not stragglers.
Once we had settled on this, the four of us stripped down. Tim stepped forward and took our clothes and shoes after Bobby insisted on bundling them all inside of my large tank so that we would have our clothing and shoes when we shifted back. After that was handled, we all shifted.
We all stared in awe at the sleek jungle cat standing beside me. Sleek and sinewy, his beautiful tawny hide was covered with pretty little black rosettes. I wanted to tickle the large whiskers that stood out from his muzzle. I settled for huffing a breath down over them, amused when I saw them twitch impatiently.
Diego turned to me then, his whiskey brown eyes were the same as in his human form. The cat rubbed against my side, he was half my height yet pushed against me with enough strength that I dug my claws into the ground to not sway on my paws.
My kitten rubbed along my side, circling around behind me and rubbing up the other side before coming to a stop in front of me. I saw a playful gleam in his eye as he sprung onto his hind legs and rested his paws on my shoulders. He rubbed his furry cheek against mine, purring loudly as I pressed back into his touch. Then we switched sides and rubbed our other cheeks together.
He gave me a little head butt, then got back down on all fours and walked around our group of betas. Diego was gentler with them, only stopping to sniff their wrists before rubbing his cheek against each of them. With the cubs, he stopped to let them pet him for a moment before scenting and marking them.
An air of duty came over him then, as he walked to the side of the group of betas, and sat on his haunches and looked to me. In my head, I heard his voice.
“Okay, mi oso. Let's get going. I hear the rogues moving away from us, so we are safe. For the moment, they could always turn back. I fear for these cubs, we need to get them to safety.”