Page 115 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

He hesitates, like he’s choosing his words with care. “About the child…”

My heart clenches. I don’t speak. I just let him go on.

“I need you to know,” he says, “it was never about me not wanting a child. It wasn’t that. It’s just… I was scared.” His jaw tightens. “I still am.”

I blink, my breath catching slightly.

He goes on. “You know now that a shifter baby can be hard for a human mother to carry. The birth—it can be dangerous. And I don’t want you in danger. I can’t lose you.” His voice drops slightly, rough.

Something in me softens. Deepens.

I reach out without thinking, sliding my hand over his. His skin is warm, his grip strong, and I feel the protectiveness in him.

“I understand now,” I say quietly. “I didn’t before, but now I do. Your reluctance—it wasn’t because you didn’t want this. It was because you were trying to protect me.”

He swallows, his throat bobbing, but he doesn’t speak.

I stand slowly, moving toward him. He watches me, his gaze tracking every step. And then, gently, I take his hand in mine and press it against my stomach.

His breath hitches. The air between us thickens.

I hold his gaze, my voice steady, strong. “Alex,” I whisper, “I want this child. Our child. And I want you to want them too.” My throat tightens, but I push through. “This baby… they aren’t something to fear. They’re ours. They’re a piece of you and a piece of me. They’re a result of the depth of what we are.”

Alex doesn’t move. He just listens.

I tighten my grip on his hand. “I’m strong,” I tell him, my voice firm. “I can handle this. I can handle anything, as long as you’re by my side.”

His eyes darken. There’s something deep and consuming in them.

I go on. “I don’t want you to feel like you always have to shield me. I just want you to be with me, Alex. Through everything. Because together, there’s nothing we can’t face.”

For a long, breathless moment, he doesn’t speak. And then, slowly, Alex rises to his feet.

The moment thickens, turning into something bigger than words. He stares at me like I’m something precious, something fragile but unbreakable. His hands come up, gripping my waist, pulling me in like he needs to feel me, to anchor himself in this moment.

“I will be with you,” he says, his voice like a promise. “Through everything. Whatever comes, whatever happens—I’m with you.” His hands tighten. “I love you, Katherine.”

My chest aches at the words.

I reach up, my fingers grazing his jaw. “I love you too, Alex.”

And then, he pulls me close.

His lips crash onto mine, deep and needing, his hands pressing against my back, molding me to him like he never wants to let go.

And I know, in this moment, he never will.

And neither will I. The kiss deepens, filled with so much need and desperation. It’s like an eruption of emotions, of everything we’ve endured. I let him push me deeper into himself, pressing me against himself as if he wants to fuse our bodies together.

I can feel everything about him, every one of my sensory organs focused on him. His scent fills my nose, my tongues tastes him, tangling with his tongue as we kiss, my skin feels his heat and his strength. His bulge pushes against me, firm and thick, a clear testament to his need. A need that’s just as great as mine.

I tug on his shirt, undoing the buttons in a breathless flash. My hands move over him, tracing through the hard lines of his chiseled chest and abdomen. He’s just as desperate to see me with my clothes off, his strong arms pull at my sweater and I raise my arms, letting him slip it off from over me.

As soon as my sweater is off, he tilts downwards and lifts me into his arms. I stare in his eyes, and they’re filled with differentthings. An incredible gentleness mixed with an almost terrifying intensity. He carries me to the room, pushing the door open with an ease that makes me wonder if I weigh nothing in his arms. He leans in, dropping me like a feather on the bed, and his lips crash into mine again.

I undo my trousers myself, desperate to feel him everywhere. He notices and helps me peel them off, leaving me in just my underwear and bra. Those don’t last very long either. Alex finds the hook, removing my bra, and his mouth hungrily swallows my nipple. The sensation is so intense that I gasp, my hands clutching his face, caressing gently as he sucks and flicks his tongue over my nipple like a starving man. Each suck and flick adding fuel to the fire of my need, making me crave him more and more.

And that need pushes me. I latch onto his hand and guide it under me, to my core, to the part of me that yearns for him the most. His mouth doesn’t miss a beat from what he’s doing to my nipples when his hand starts to swirl in a circular motion over my now soaking lace panties. His fingers swirl over my clit, making my breath hitch.

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