Page 35 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

“Believe me, I know,” I murmur, unable to hold back a smile. “And I’m planning on spending a long time making things right. I’m done messing things up for you.”

She gives a tiny, half-hearted snort. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” I reply, squeezing her hand. “You deserve someone who’ll keep fighting to make things right, to make you feel at home.”

She looks up at me, her eyes bright but softened with the kind of tenderness that has me feeling something unfamiliar—hope.

“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” she says with a laugh, but then her expression grows thoughtful, her fingers interlocking with mine. “And that’s probably the best thing about you. What do you say we go home? Climb into bed together and get a good night’s sleep?”

It’s like a shift, like for once there’s no need to hold back. And as I look at her, I feel that surge of excitement in realizing I’ll be going home with her, no longer just two people sharing a space but something… more.

I pull her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her as we make our way back through the woods. There’s an eagerness thrumming in me, not just from what we just shared but because tonight, we’re going back as a unit together.

And tomorrow? We’ll be waking up in the same bed—finally.

Chapter 16 - Isadora

Waking up with Alec wrapped around me is probably the last thing I ever thought I’d find myself getting used to, but here we are. His arm is draped over my waist, his face is buried against my neck, and his steady, warm breath caresses my skin. And the worst part? I’m not even mad about it.

I try to stay perfectly still, just lying there, marveling at how a guy who used to make my life hell could feel so… right. My brain is still catching up, replaying every stolen look and reckless decision from last night. I’d barely closed the front door before he’d pinned me to it, and we started all over again. And now, as the morning light starts peeking through the windows, I’m dangerously close to thinking I could get used to waking up like this. I could stay like this all day.

But Alec has other plans.

His arm around me tightens, pulling me a fraction closer. “You’re awake.” His voice is rough and low, and his lips brush against my shoulder in a way that sends a shiver straight down my spine. His hand slides slowly down my side, settling firmly on my hip.

I let out a soft laugh, leaning back into him, where his erection presses against my backside. “You’re not exactly subtle about what’s on your mind,” I tease, deliberately bumping against him.

A grin creeps across his face as he shifts even closer, his body pressing fully against mine. “I could try harder,” he offers as his hand trails down my side in a way that is the exact opposite of subtle.

“Well,” I reply, unable to keep the smirk off my face, “if you insist.”

We don’t need much more than that. His lips find mine, and it’s like he’s making up for all those years he spent pretending I didn’t exist. I wrap my arms around his neck, losing myself in the heat of the moment. It’s so easy to forget about everything else with him like this, just us, the quiet of the morning, and the slow, lazy way his hands roam over my body.

His fingers skim down my stomach. I hold my breath, biting back a gasp when they slip beneath the hem of my panties.

He chuckles and moves his lips to my neck, his fingers brushing against me just lightly, teasing.

The effect is instantaneous, and a soft whimper escapes my throat. He takes his time, stroking and exploring. It doesn’t take long before I’m rocking my hips, begging for more.

He gives me a wicked smile, slipping two fingers inside me, and my whole body jerks.

“God, Alec,” I breathe.

“Isadora,” he replies, his voice rough. The way he says my name makes me dizzy. My heart hammers in my chest, and my breaths come faster. He curls his fingers, working me, and the friction is so intense, I can barely stand it.

Then, because the universe has no mercy, Alec’s phone buzzes, slicing right through our haze. He ignores it, but it doesn’t stop, buzzing and buzzing until I’m giving it a death glare over my shoulder.

“You should probably get that,” I mumble against his lips, more than a little annoyed. His hand lingers, tracing circles around my clit before he finally pulls away, grumbling as he rolls over to grab his phone from the nightstand.

“Better be good, Quincey,” he mutters, and I watch his eyes flicker over the screen. The playful glint in them is quickly replaced by something far more serious.

“What is it?” I ask, propping myself up on one elbow, my amusement fading. Alec’s expression hardens, and he shoves himself out of bed, grabbing a shirt from the chair nearby.

“Looks like we’ve got something at the borders. One of the traps was triggered.” He glances back at me, and all traces of the easygoing, playful Alec are gone. Now he’s back to being the alpha, the leader responsible for everything that goes wrong in East Hills. “I need to go.”

I sit up fully with the sheets clutched around me as my mind races. “Alright, I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not,” he says immediately, his tone firm as if he expected me to argue before I’d even opened my mouth.

---