Page 51 of Altius
I cried out again and again, a litany of wordless pleasure, begging him to work his magic, to make me come—so that I might be complete.
His fingers answered my call, slipping between us to toy with my clit. The tremors started in the flexed arches of my feet, working higher, growing stronger, entirely at his mercy as I came apart.
Cal’s pace was almost reckless as he plunged deeper and deeper, lifting my hips to help ease the passage of his knot.
The pressure of it breaching my entrance sent fresh waves of pleasure through me, a sensation that only grew stronger as it rapidly swelled to its full intimidating size, locking us together.
With a few expertly timed curls and twists of his fingers, Cal made me shatter again. Only then did he let go, roaring in ecstasy as he came in thick, hot spurts.
“Mine,” he whispered, hunching down to claim as much of my mouth as possible, pouring the rumble of his purr down my throat instead of his pheromone-laced sweat—and rewired a portion of my broken brain.
Our intimacy was incredibly satisfying because ofCal. His patience, his curiosity, his care. Not a dizzying cloud of alpha pheromones.
Even if I’d never experienced the golden glow of his amaretto scent, Cal would still have done everything in his power to make me feelthisgood, because I wasn’t just some woman or a needy omega.
Iwashis.
Sated by the thickness of his knot still pulsing within me, by the weight of his body pressing me deeper into my pillowy refuge, I stroked his ruined sweater and indulged in a rare, full smile.
“You’re right. Of course, you’re right.”
“Hm?” Face burrowed in my hair, Cal’s question came out as a grunt.
“Nothing.” I nuzzled his neck, burying my nose in the sweat-soaked wool—completing my second potent scent-marking of the day. “Just that I love you, too.”
Cal pulled back, angling my face upward, so he could stare in disbelief at my contented expression.
“Love me—too?”
“Aren’t you crazy about me?” I trailed a hand along the broad planes of his back. “Don’t you love me to the point of stupidity?”
So intimately conjoined, Cal’s laugh was cataclysmic, stoking the lingering embers of our arousal.
“Yes—yes, I do,” he said, smiling so wide it tweaked his jagged nose completely out of shape, hazel eyes radiating pure joy. “I love you, Morgan. Love you so much.”
And then he proved it to me—twice.
***
The following morning, I walked out of the gym to find Cal sitting at the dining room table, wearing a Narwhals tee and sweatpants he’d stowed away in my closet at some point, drinking coffee and refilling my pill organizer.
I watched him work and let the moment wash over me—how his care filled me with guilt-tinged butterflies, how much I enjoyed sharing quiet mornings with him, how comfortable he seemed in my space.
Five weeks.
It was a blink in a typical beta relationship, but it was more than enough time for some alphas and omegas to be certain—to know—they’d found their mate.
Everything Cal had donewithme andforme since we got together strengthened my belief that we were excellent partnersand would be happy together in the long run, so long as I got used to him manhandling my baggage occasionally.
His family situation didn’t intimidate me. At the end of the day, it was just money. I could support us both if push came to shove. Or his half-sister launched a coup.
But there were still a few lingering wrinkles we needed to iron out…
After filling the electric kettle and turning it on, I joined Cal at the table, draping myself across his lap, earning a delicious purr for my efforts.
“Morning, love.” Cal gave me a thorough kiss before shifting my weight more firmly to one thigh. “You smell like sin.”
“That’s because I haven’t showered out of respect for your ego.”
