Page 22 of Embraced By the Alpha Pack

Looking beyond him, I notice at some point someone shut off the water in the shower. “I wouldn’t mind it. Ethan, can you check on our guest, and maybe order something for dinner?” Nuzzling Ethan’s neck, I move next to pepper his jaw with kisses, trying to butter him up and encourage him to do as I ask.

He rubs his face against mine and I know I’ve got him. “Chinese or Italian?”

“Either. Surprise me,” I kiss his lips softly before allowing Griffin to help me to my feet. The guys leave the bathroom, giving Griffin and me some time to ourselves.

“Are you sore?” He reaches into the shower and turns it back on before rubbing my shoulders and neck.

“A little, but I’m okay.” Spinning in his arms, I place my palms flat on his chest and look up into his gray-blue eyes.

“Understandable. We need to be more careful with you.” His hand slides down my body to rest over my soft lower stomach. I still haven’t lost all the baby weight from Ashina. So my lower stomach is one of those places I’m not comfortable having touched. I try to pull away and Griffin stops me. “What’s wrong?” His tone softens as he bends down to rest his cheek against mine.

“I love my daughter…” I pause and rest my hand over his. “I love the baby that you guys gave me, that we created together.” Gently, I squeeze his hand as he backs us under the water spray. It’s hot, but not too hot. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t lose the weight from my lower stomach and it bothers me. Most times it’s not an issue, just moments like this when you're not distracted. It bothers me. I don’t feel pretty.”

Griffin pulls away and looks at me from toes to nose. “I see a strong woman and a fierce mother before me. When I look at you, I am in awe of how beautiful you are to me.” He steps forward again and touches my stomach. “Your womb has given all of us a daughter and another baby on the way. This…” He pauses as he drops to his knees and kisses my soft, lower belly. “Protected and grew the most wonderful little girl I could ever hope for. This softness is proof of your hard work and all the long love filled hours you spent eating the best you could for your baby. This sheltered your little girl, the same little girl that showed me what unconditional love is. I instantly understood what deep love means, looking into her little eyes.” His voice breaks slightly with emotion as he gets to his feet again.

I’m stunned into silence, looking into his tear rimmed eyes. I know exactly the feeling he spoke of. It’s the same feeling I had when the doctor laid Ashina on my chest. The first time I looked deep into her eyes, I was a goner. Since her first breath, she’s had me wrapped around her little finger. Standing on my tippy toes, I do the only thing I can think of: kiss Griff. Our bond is different. He’s the leader of the group, the one that’s the hardest to get close to. He’s kept his walls up for so long I didn’t think he would ever drop them completely, even for me.

We don’t need words right now, just each other. He spins me so my back is against the wall, then hikes my legs up and around his waist. Deftly he lifts me like I weigh nothing, never breaking the kiss. We devour each other’s lips like we’re starving. He adjusts us until he’s able to line his length up and slides me down onto his shaft. The fullness gets me to move on his shaft. “You set the pace, baby girl. Knot or no knot, it’s your choice.” His words are reverently whispered against my lips as his hands cup my ass cheeks, helping me move.

The slow, slick slide of his cock deep within me makes me crave him more. In the last few months, this is the closest I have ever felt to him. My hands slide up his neck and bury into his hair, pawing at his scalp. Griff pulls me away from the wall and leans himself against the wall, allowing the spray from the shower head to hit my sensitive nipples. Every bounce makes my core pulse slightly, edging me closer to the precipice of ecstasy. Just before I cum, I slam myself down on his knot, taking him deep into me. We cry out at the same time and cling to each other spasming in time with each other rocking slightly, chasing the euphoria.

Griff slides us to the floor of the shower, and we laugh because his legs gave out. Leaning slightly to my right, I reach for the shampoo and conditioner and the body soap. We sit on the floor in silence, washing each other. Words aren’t really needed right now. Griffin loves every single inch of me and, more importantly, he thinks of my daughter as his. That is the mark of a very good man. If what the others have said is true, because of our bond the gender of the baby I am carrying doesn’t matter.

I want to hope that is true.

I guess only time will tell.

Chapter 14

Nicolai

-Bring me to Life—Evanescence-

The burning sting of Grace’s teeth breaking through my skin last night set my blood on fire. Every beat of my heart felt like molten lava inching its way through my body. Whatever her bite did, it sped up my healing to the way it should have been. There’s nothing worse than feeling trapped in your own body listening to the world around you.

I felt her seeking her mates out for carnal comfort. I also felt when she battled earlier today, or was it yesterday? Half the time I feel like I’ve been underwater with its crushing weight upon me, holding me prisoner. The early tethers of our bond amazes me. Now with her bite, I can feel where she is in the house down the hall.

Slowly, my limbs start to respond, and I roll onto my side. Opening my eyes, I don’t recognize where I am. The faint amount of light seeping from behind the blinds tells me it’s either early morning or dusk. By scent, I know I’m in Grace’s home. The other lingering scents are that of her mates and our children. There’s a faint scent of my mother still on part of the sheet that was on me.

The click of the front door opening catches me off guard. How close to the front of the house am I? The jiggle of the door knob makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge, ready to attack whoever comes through the door.

“Oh, Nic you’re awake.“ My mother beams at me then sticks her head back out the door. “Grace, boys, Nic is finally awake.” She calls through the house and I can hear the sounds of feet hitting the floor and door knobs being turned.

“Mom. I’m okay, really.” Forcing myself to sit up, I get a little lightheaded and brace my arms behind me for balance.

“Is he really awake?” Grace’s curious tone catches my attention. When she walks into the room, holding both of our daughters balanced on her hips, my heart was done for.

“Good morning.” My soft tone catches her off guard and she pauses, looking at me, then the babies.

“I kept them safe. I … I did the best I could.” Tears rim her eyes and I don’t understand what has turned her mood to feel so pain-filled and anguished.

Looking over at my mom, she lowers her head. “Your secretary Sarah knocked me out and stole both daughters.”

“WHAT!” I roar and almost shift on the spot. The rage I feel burning in my chest is like an inferno. “I’ll fucking kill her.”

Grace looks back at Conrad, then passes the babies off, mine to my mom and Ashina to Griffin. Conrad returns with a box and it reeks of death. Grace opens the box top and pulls out a timber wolfs head and holds it out to me. “It’s already done. Ethan and I tore through the rogues and then Sarah to get to the babies.” Grace won’t meet my eyes. She is still staring at the floor as she holds the head out to me. “I killed so many rogues.”

“She was a phenom in battle. I have never seen a female fight with such tenacity as our mate did to get to the pups.” Ethan supplies as he rests a comforting hand on Grace’s shoulder.

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