Page 23 of Alpha's Claim

Even if I could have spoken I wouldn’t have, focused instead on just being with Cora. Seeing and feeling her against my skin, kissing and touching her as I moved inside her. I needed to feel everything.

“I need you,” I whispered, and she smiled up at me so lovingly. Her smile pierced through my soul. It was everything I had ever imagined with a mate, and my imagination had built me a picture of life with the one I was meant to love. Her smile felt better than any fantasy I could have conjured up on my own. Every simple move she made me fall in love with her ever deeper, grateful that I would be allowed to be a part of her.

I worshiped her as I moved inside her. I kept the pace languid and loving, wanting to be able to lavish in the sensation of the moment.

As the afternoon fell and the shadows deepened, the rain continued to fall and the sensation of spring grew up around us. The first crickets began to chirp, the spring peepers began to trill, and the fireflies began to glow here and there. I moved in to kiss her again, dragging my fingers through her hair slowly to gently cup the back of her head. She returned it, letting out soft sounds of pleasure as we moved together in the golden light of the afternoon. I put every ounce of passion for her into those kisses to let her know physically she was everything to me.

As we moved, no matter how slowly, I felt myself getting closer to orgasm. It took all of my self control not to seek my own pleasure, but I wanted her to come first. That face she made when she fell over that edge was the hottest possible stimulation and I would chase that forever before I let myself go. My thrusts got deeper and faster as she demanded it, digging her nails into my bag and her legs wrapping tighter around my waist. Everything I did, I did for her. I made sure that she was still letting out those heavenly little moans and gasps, replying with my own. It felt like the rain was more intense the closer we got.

“I’m so close, Weston,” she whispered, and I smiled. I moved to take her breast into my mouth again as I moved, rolling my tongue around her nipple slowly. With my free hand I gently massaged the other, running my thumb over her skin slowly. It didn’t take long for her to arch up off the floor and clench her legs around my waist with a cry of pleasure that sent me over the edge with her. I finally carefully pulled out of her, rolling to lay next to her and stare up at the sky.

Cora smelled heavenly up close like this. Her natural scent mixed with mine and it was absolutely intoxicating. The life around us seemed to vibrate at our exact frequency, painting the tryst in a magical light. We had been chosen and I could feel it in my heart that everything was changing around us. We were meant for something more. This place had plans for us and I had every intention of heeding it’s call.

It had saved my Cora’s life- my own life. It had reached down and chosen us, plucking our attacker off of the earth like he was nothing. I would be eternally grateful for that. We now had the rest of our lives to make a difference in our world and I knew that between the two of us we would, starting with her father.

“I can’t believe I was so scared to tell my father.” Cora said, curling up with me and laying her head on my chest as we watched the sky above. “I guess before this the stakes seemed a lot more… consequential. Now that we almost died it seems so silly that I ever worried that he would reject me. Preston screwed everything up for me, I think, including my relationship with my father.” Cora said softly, running her fingers over my chest idly. “We’ll do it this afternoon. I’m not going to let another day pass without acknowledging you, Weston. I refuse. I’m proud of you more than I’m scared of him.” She looked up at me and smiled and I kissed the top of her head.

“It really does seem like wasted time.” I said softly. “Not a lot of wasted time, but enough for you to almost die twice.” I said softly, dragging my fingertips up and down her arm gently. “I’m with you, though. I want everyone to know we belong to one another.” I murmured back, pressing another kiss into her wet hair.

“At least this will have given me a whole different perspective on life. Nothing will seem as serious as this after this.” She said, looking up at me. “I suppose that’s a good thing, really. If I’m going to lead with you it’s going to be important that we have perspective, after all.”

“Yeah.” I said softly, turning my gaze back up to the sky. “It’s different, that’s for sure.” I said, thinking about my mother in that moment. “When my mother was murdered I thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to me before I met you. Preston really showed me that it’s not the only loss that could ever hurt that much. That’s something that I’m glad to know, really, because it’ll help me cherish every moment from now on. I know I’ll find myself taking life for granted again because it’s just the way emotions and memory work, but I’m going to try to make sure I never fall into that pattern to my detriment. Never with you. I want you to feel that I love you every moment of every day.” I said softly, looking back down into her big, green eyes.

“We’ll both make the effort, then. Constantly working on our relationship is probably the best thing we can do to keep our relationship healthy and functional. It’ll get easier as we learn more about one another,” she replied. In the forest, a short distance away, I heard a mournful howl.

“That’ll be my pack. I should probably let them know we’re safe.” I said, kissing her softly.

“You brought your whole pack, huh?” Cora smiled, and I nodded, grinning in return.

“They are a little bit late, though.”

Chapter twenty-four

Cora

Wemethispackin the forest beyond the grove. We greeted them naked, feeling completely at ease with them. Weston’s pack wouldn’t hurt me and I knew that. I could feel completely, utterly safe in their embrace. Soon we would have that freedom with my father. He would accept us wholeheartedly, and if he didn’t he would lose me. We stood on the edge of a knife in that way. Our relationship was strained, mostly because of his unwavering decision to trust Preston over me in so many aspects of our lives.

We shifted together and Weston howled, echoed by his family. It was a beautiful thing to hear their communications. They were so different than ours but somehow I understood what was meant by each sound they made. After a brief moment I took off toward my home, running at an easy pace, confident that my mate was behind me. I could hear all of us running through the woods together, a cacophony of wolves all thundering through the woods. We panted and yipped as we ran, keeping one another within sight and sound.

We approached the estate and I guided us to the front gate. We wouldn’t be sneaking in again. This time my father would accept us through the front door. I shifted back and rang the bell to open the gate, standing patiently until I was buzzed in. Weston shifted beside me and asked his pack to wait out front while we had this discussion so that we could speak to my father alone. I didn’t want him to feel as though he were threatened by the presence of an entire pack. I wanted Weston to be accepted and I felt it would make things much more difficult if we had to do it amongst a group of strangers. My father was one to take challenges as physical attacks even when they weren’t, so if I wanted him to accept Weston I would need for it to be as neutral as possible. I wasn’t afraid of him any longer, but I wanted the transition to be easy.

We approached the estate hand in hand, barefoot in the grass alongside the driveway. I remembered coming home from school and this walk feeling like it was taking years of my time and now it felt like mere seconds as we approached the front of the estate. As we crossed the circle of the driveway and made our way up the stairs we were met by staff members at the doors who presented us with slippers and robes. I slipped into mine gratefully and looked back at Weston. He looked surprised but dressed in his as well.

“Thanks,” he said, and he received a nod of affirmation in return. I took his hand once more and made my way to my father’s office. We walked in comfortable silence, padding almost silently through the hall as we approached. The door to his office was open and I could see that he was alone at his desk, deep in his work.

“Father,” I said, reaching in to knock on the door and make myself known.

“What are you doing in my home with that man?” My father asked, looking up at us and steepling his fingers. It occurred to me then that he wouldn’t know yet that Weston wasn’t the one who had attacked me. He wouldn’t even know that I’d been attacked again, the only evidence of the day’s trauma was the faint dusting of sparkling silver on our bodies.

“We need to speak and we need to speak right now.” I said. I pulled Weston into his office and sat in one of the chairs across his desk. Weston took the other, and I could tell that he was feeling tense here in this situation. I squeezed his hand gently and smiled at him.

“Cora.” My father was staring a hole through me as we exchanged silent words, and I sat up straighter, furrowing my brows.

“Don’t, father. We need to talk.” I said, keeping my tone even though I wanted it to be sharp and biting. Ideally I wanted to maintain and rebuild my relationship with the man across the desk from me and I wanted him to accept my mate. My irritation at the tone of his voice was well deserved, but I pushed it aside to speak frankly. “I should have told you the moment I found out, but there wasn’t a good moment. Now I’m making it a good moment. Father, this is Weston and he is my mate.” I said, looking over at Weston again.

“Don’t be absurd. This person can’t possibly be your mate. A mate doesn’t hurt their partner.” He said, frowning deeply. I shook my head in response to that statement, pursing my lips.

“Weston never hurt me. He was searching for me that night because he felt that something was wrong- and it was. Your Beta had attacked me in the woods and climbed back in through the window like the slug he was.” I explained, not trying to hide the disdain in my voice.

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