Page 88 of Mating With My Grumpy Alphas
"Move," she pleaded, her hands gripping my fingers tighter as she fisted them in the sheets beneath her. "Please, Wes, I need you to move."
I complied, setting a rhythm that was deeper and more powerful than we’d had before. Where our first time had been gentle and careful, now I was possessive and claiming. Not rough, never rough, but unmistakably dominant in a way that made her omega instincts sing with recognition.
"Yes," she gasped, arching beneath me. "Like that. Exactly like that."
The encouragement drove me higher, my movements becoming more focused as I chased the growing pressure that would culminate in knotting and claiming. But this wasn't just about physical release. This was about protection, about providing the security and strength she needed to surrender completely.
"You're safe," I told her, my voice rough with arousal and something deeper. "You're mine and you're safe and nothing will ever hurt you again."
"I know," she said, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "I can feel it. How much you love me. How much you want to protect me."
The emotion in her voice nearly undid me. This was what claiming should be. Not taking, but giving. Not conquering, but cherishing.
"Getting close," I warned her, feeling the knot beginning to form. I released one of her hands, desperately hooking the back of her knee and drawing it to her side so I could slam myself inside her harder, deeper.
"Me too," she gasped. "Wes, I'm so close."
"The bite," I said, echoing what I'd heard Elias say earlier. "When you're ready, I'll mark you. Make you mine."
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "Claim me. Make me yours."
The permission unlocked something primal in me, my careful control giving way to pure alpha instinct. My movements became more urgent, more possessive, driven by the biological imperative to claim and protect and provide.
"Now," she cried as her climax crashed over her. "Wes, now!"
I struck at the peak of her orgasm, my teeth finding the other side of her neck with predatory precision. The claiming bite sent electricity through both of us, the overwhelming pleasure as my knot locked us together.
The bond formed in a rush of sensation and emotion that left me reeling. Suddenly I could feel everything she was feeling. The satisfaction of successful claiming, the wonder at our new connection, the deep contentment of an omega who was being properly cared for.
But underneath it all was something that made my chest tight with protective rage. Fear. Old fear, buried deep but still present. The echo of past trauma that reminded her that vulnerability could be dangerous.
Never again,I projected through our new bond.You're safe now. You're mine and you're safe and no one will ever hurt you again.
The flood of relief and gratitude that came back through the connection nearly brought me to tears. This was what she'd needed. Not just physical claiming, but emotional security. The absolute certainty that she was protected and cherished and valued.
"I can feel you," she whispered, her voice full of wonder. "In my mind. Your emotions, your determination to keep me safe."
"I can feel you too," I said, pressing gentle kisses to the fresh claiming mark. "Your contentment, your trust. It's incredible."
"Two bonds," she said with satisfaction. "How am I supposed to wait for the third?"
I laughed, understanding exactly what she meant. The connection we'd just established was addictive, the emotional intimacy beyond anything I'd ever experienced. The thought of adding Rhett to this network of feeling and belonging was both thrilling and slightly overwhelming.
"You won't have to wait long," I assured her. "Your heat's intensifying. Rhett's going to be needed soon."
As if summoned by his name, I could hear movement in the kitchen. Rhett, maintaining his vigil, staying close but giving us space to bond privately.
"Will you stay?" Willa asked, settling more comfortably against me as my knot began to recede. "When he comes in, will you stay close?"
"If you want me to," I said, though the idea of sharing this space, this intimacy, with Rhett felt both natural and profound.
"I want all of you close," she said firmly. "I want to feel like a pack. Like family."
Family. The word hit me harder than any claiming bite ever could. That's what we were building here. Not just romantic relationships or biological partnerships, but chosen family. The kind of bond that would last decades, that would see us through everything life could throw at us.
"Then I'll stay," I promised. "For as long as you need me."
As we lay entwined, both of us processing the magnitude of what we'd just shared, I found myself thinking about conservation. About the delicate balance required to create sustainable ecosystems. How every element had to work together, supporting and strengthening the whole.
