Page 24 of Unlearning

“I've barely kissed you today,” I gently tugged on one of Samantha's braids and tried to sound like I wasn’t whining. Unsuccessfully. “And now I have to go. I still don't understand why you can't come with us.”

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and exasperation.

“Honey, you know why. I need to finish a few things before I take time off for my heat, and you and Carter need to attend the budget meetings. You'll be back before you know it,” she explained patiently, and then, in a lower voice added, “and then you can kiss me all you want.”

“Promise?” It sounded needy even to my own ears.

“Yes, baby, I promise,” she gave me a gentle peck, ignoring Carter making kissy sounds in the background. I couldn’t believe how immature my Beta was. I thought of him as my Beta now. Ever since Samantha marked me, I'd felt a shift in how I viewed myself and my pack – I truly felt like I was their Alpha now, I cared about their well-being on a whole new level, and it was reflected in both my approach and their happiness. During the car ride to Crescent City, my thoughts, as always, gravitated towards Samantha, my mate.

When the whole fiasco at the Cutleaf pack happened, my first emotion, after confusion as to why that wolf was jumping me, had been panic. I’d seen Alaina dragging Samantha away and my blood ran cold. In the back of my mind I'd always feared that her mate would come back, but I’d imagined it differently – he’d come knocking on the pack house door, and Samantha would tell him she doesn't want to see him or some fantasy like that. This, however, was all blood and teeth. I could have ended him easily, but a part of me was afraid that she'd resent me, that maybe she would want him now that he was fighting for her, despite Samantha telling me time and again that that would never be the case. My fear was a cold dark sludge freezing my insides. I had waited my whole life to love her, although I had no right to. She wasn't mine to love, and yet, for once in my life, I wanted to be selfish.

When my female showed up with what looked like white sponges stuffed up her nose, annoyed at the jerk, all of the worry bled out of me and my heart started beating its familiar tune again:we love her we love her. Alaina would later inform me that the sponges were human menstruation tampons that the pack ER doctors used to stop nosebleeds from sparring injuries. Huh. That had been some quick thinking on Lainey's part.

That night in her childhood bedroom, I’d made love to Samantha as gently and as quietly as I could, wanting to lose myself completely in her while at the same time desperate to saturate her in my smell, to imprint myself on her body and soul, to leave a mark in the only way I could.

“I want you to mark me,” I told her between hickeys. “As soon as possible.”

My she-wolf immediately flipped me over as a new kind of fire ignited in her eyes. My dick started to harden again from that look alone. She licked up the column of my neck, then grazed it with her descended canines, and I whimpered helplessly under her. I felt her hot wet muscles slowly swallow my length, and I held my breath; the only sound in the room were her quiet pants and the incredibly erotic wet friction we were creating.

“Look at me,” she murmured darkly, her eyes wild. I was in awe of her aura in that moment, this female possessed me fully and she knew it, I was at her mercy.

“I love you James,” she whispered in my ear before sinking her teeth into my neck. First, I felt a rush of heat enter my bloodstream, followed by incredible euphoria that made its waydown my limbs and up my spine. I felt tingles everywhere. My wolf was glowing with a warm golden halo, and he experienced a sense of ecstatic bliss like never before; he was suddenly tethered, grounded, owned. I could feel a stream of love, gentleness, affection, respect, and desire rush into my mind, and I knew those were some of Samantha's feelings, just as I knew she would now be able to experience all of mine. I didn't care that the bond would be lopsided, I loved this female more than I'd ever imagined loving anyone, bond or no bond. She was my best friend, a kindred spirit, a true partner and mate on this walk of life, and I would give my life if it meant protecting what I had with her.

The months that followed were a true honeymoon for us – we made love constantly, in every corner of the Parks: in tents, in ranger cabins, behind bushes, against trees, on the beach, in my office, in her office, in the cabin that we now shared. One look at her was enough to set my blood on fire, which she’d always feel through the bond and without words, we'd just start tearing at each other's clothes. Carter mocked me endlessly for completely changing my wardrobe in order to better show off my mark, but I didn't care. It had been a deep dark secret of mine, this desire to be a mated male, to be marked, to have a family; it was something I’d tried to bury and forget because it was a futile dream, and yet her she was, my Samantha. I would shout our love from the rooftops if I could, and I actually had shouted it on our hikes several times, to her great embarrassment.

Samantha was glowing these days, sated and happy, loved and cared for, secure in her place in my heart and our pack. She could feel everyone's love and respect for her as their Luna, and her wolf seemed born for the role – she was fierce, loyal, strong and kind. Carter must have seen my dreamy look, because he said: “It's only two days, Alpha.”

“I know.”

“You'll survive.”

“I know.”

“Why are you sulking then?”

“I don't know.”

The bastard just laughed. I took my phone out to text Samantha. We'd been on the road for an hour, so it wasn't too soon, right?

I don't know how I'm going to sleep without you tonight.

Ping.

I put one of my shirts in your bag so that might help.

I loved this female.

Just a shirt? Why not some of your underwear? (thank you baby)

Ping.

You naughty wolf. Who knows, maybe there's a pair of underwear in there as well.

And, I was hard as a steel pipe.

You vixen. I can't wait to bury my face in it, then.

Ping.

---