Page 65 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

These were the terms that Sarafina and I had come to, along with the help of many of our most trusted pack members, over the last few months. She had returned to the East Coast once she was feeling well enough to travel, and it was clear within just a few days that most of her pack also wished to return home. Instead of merging in the traditional sense, by moving all of her people onto the Vilks compound and forcing everyone to try and get along with their new neighbors, we opted for a more modern approach on a pack merger. There would be some kinks to work out for sure, but I had high hopes.

“I like the sound of that,” said Mikeal. The two of us were sitting in the living room, going over some last-minute pack-related agenda items before Mikeal was scheduled to leave on his trip. He was driving cross country to visit the Morena pack and officially square things up on their end. “And I’m sure the rest of the pack will be on board as well. Hopefully, more so than they were regarding your last big announcement.”

I made a face. Mikeal was referring to my introduction of Diana to everyone in the pack and the announcement that the two of us were planning on getting married in the near future. While some pack members expressed excitement for me and my upcoming nuptials, many were concerned about inviting a human into our community. Even more than that, older pack members were very upset by the prospect that Diana might be ranked higher than them. They hated the idea of a human having any power in a werewolf pack. I couldn’t blame them, but I did my best to assure everyone that Diana had no interest in being in charge of the pack. She liked her human life and planned to continue living it as normally as she could while also being married to me—leader of the Vilks werewolf pack.

“That’s setting the bar pretty low.”

Mikael shrugged. “Nowhere to go but up my friend. That’s a pretty good place to be, don’t you think?”

“Not sure. What are people saying regarding the Stanley verdict?”

“It’s mostly positive,” he said. “Nobody from Vilks really wanted the man to be murdered. They all understood what was driving him to do what he did, and some even expressed concern about sending him with the Morenas.”

“Becc swore he wouldn’t kill him. He’s just got some witch friend out there who he thinks will be able to wipe the old man’s memory so he won’t be a threat anymore.”

“And you believe him?”

Before I could respond, Diana’s friend Georgie poked her head in from the hallway and smiled at my brother and me. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say bye to Mikael since I heard you were leaving bright and early tomorrow.”

Georgie had come to the compound on a book run, like she did every other week. I was pretty sure Mikael was the only one who kept purchasing his volumes upon volumes of books from her shop, but he must’ve been using different names for the orders since she hadn’t caught on. “Be safe,” she said. “And don’t lose that list I gave you!”

I frowned. “List?”

Mikael rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, Georgie gave me a list of books she wanted me to look for while on my travels.”

Georgie beamed. “There are a ton of used bookstores on the East Coast, ones that will have a way bigger selection than anything in this neck of the woods. Just keep track of any copies you pick up and how much you paid for them, and then I’ll reimburse you when you get home.”

Mikael waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, sure. Whatever. We can figure all of that out later.”

She nodded happily. “Sounds good. I hope you have a nice trip. Call me if you have any questions about the list.”

“Will do.”

She lingered for a moment longer, her cheeks flushed in the late afternoon light, then she went to the front door and left. I waited to hear the sound of her car starting up before I shot my brother a knowing look.

“You’re going on a book hunt for her?”

“No,” he said. “I just agreed to keep an eye out while I was on the other side of the country. It’s really not a big deal.”

“It sounds like it’s a big deal to her.”

“Yeah, well everything’s a big deal to her,” Mikael said. “Georgie’s one of those people that gets excited about literally everything.” He picked up his notebook, in which he’d been scribbling down reminders to take with him on his trip, and stood up from the couch. “I don’t have time to talk about this with you right now though. I have a lot more packing to do.”

“Whatever you say.” I laughed and shook my head as he walked off. Once he was gone, I excused myself from the living room and went to find my fiancé. Diana was in the first place I looked for her—the guest house where Sarafina had lived during her brief stay at the Vilks compound. Diana loved the guest house because of how small it was. She hated anything that reminded her of the life she lived before her family skipped town, including my oversized mansion with its cavernous hallways and vaulted ceilings. Whenever she needed to truly unwind or get some rest in the middle of the day, this is where she went.

“Hey,” I said as I opened the door and saw her lounging on the couch in just a silk robe and slippers. “I thought I might find you here.”

She smiled. “You thought right.” She lifted her arms toward me in invitation, and I went to her. The couch was oversized and lush, so there was enough room for both of us to curl up together. I slid behind her, and she nuzzled her nose into my neck. “What time is Mikael leaving tomorrow morning?”

“Before dawn.”

“Remind me to say goodbye to him tonight then,” she said. “I won’t have the energy to get up and bid him farewell in the morning.”

“I can do that.” I breathed in the smell of her, pressing my nose into the top of her head, and she pressed her body even closer to mine. Now that we had the freedom to be together whenever we wanted, we had experienced sex together in almost every corner of the compound, utilizing the unique sensations of almost every position possible. But that afternoon was a lazy one, and I think we could both feel it in our bones.

Even as the blood rushed to my cock and she let the fabric of her robe slide down the length of her arms and expose her naked chest, there was a sweet simpleness to it all. We weren’t pawing at each other like wild animals, desperate for one last taste before being ripped apart for who knows how long? No, now we had nowhere else to be. We were as one, and nothing was going to change that.

I let this feeling of pure love and devotion wash over me as Diana undid the button of my jeans and pulled down my pants. She straddled me, bringing the wet opening between her legs over my rock-hard member and shoving her hips down hard so that I could plunge deep within her. She moaned as I fingered her clit, and she rode me with an intense but steady rhythm. I noticed that the skin around her nipples seemed more tender than usual, and there was a sheen to her skin, unlike her usual radiance.

---