Page 35 of Alpha's Arranged Mate

“You are so wonderful with them,” Lottie said, a tear rolling down her cheek. “When I was first told of the demon wolves as a child, I was never able to imagine that they would be just like us.”

Braxton chuckled at her emotional state and took her into his arms, wiping the tear from her cheek with his free hand. “Perhaps we aren’t exactly the same, but we’re similar enough. Just another pack looking out for each other. A large family who wants to keep all its members safe.”

Lottie nodded as if taking in every word. Then she looked him in the eye and said, “They are my family now.”

His heart swelling all over again, Braxton picked her up in his one free arm and kissed her. Without looking so much as sensing where he was going, he carried her through the adjoining door that separated the two bedrooms and carefully closed it with his foot so as not to wake the children before he moved over to the bed.

Remembering how sweetly she had spoken to his children, how willing she was to be a mother to them, Braxton laid her down gently on the bed and whispered into her ear, "I love you."

He felt her stiffen beneath him, but just as quickly she relaxed again, and with her free hand she reached for his cheek to turn his face just enough that she could look him in the eye. As though she sensed the emotions that were overwhelming him, she gazed into his eyes and responded, "I love you too."

Then she kissed him, and his entire world started to spin. Their hands became a delicate frenzy as they tore each other’s clothes off. Shoes were kicked off, clothes were torn, skin became sweaty.

And soon they were a writhing mass of sweat-beaded limbs. Covered in kisses, Lottie lay beneath him as he slipped his manhood deep inside her. Feeling the warmth and moisture of her body welcoming him, Braxton growled with pleasure through gritted teeth.

And though it was not the first time they had made love, it felt as if it was. Their first night as wolf and wife was as magical and spark worthy as before. Lottie writhed beneath him, moaning with pleasure. She buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder, and when he felt her teeth graze against his flesh, it only enticed him further.

He buried himself deeper and deeper inside of her until he was certain that he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

"Brax!" Lottie screamed, and when he felt her insides tightening around his manhood, he knew exactly what was happening. She was climaxing all over him, and the thought of it, the sensation of her muscles tightening, sent him spiraling over the edge.

In an explosion like a gunshot, Braxton spilled his essence deep inside her, instinctively burying himself as deep as he could possibly go, and she screamed a second time, her muscles loosening for only a few seconds before tensing up all over again.

Afterwards, they lay together spent and sated, wrapped in each other's arms, and Braxton knew without a doubt that when Dash had come to him in the dungeons with talk of an alliance, he had made the right decision.

Though at the time of her helping him escape he had been too focused on the thought of seeing his children again, now he looked back and could see that time for what it truly was. It was the time when he had found his mate, the time when he had come to trust her beyond anyone he had ever trusted before. More than that, he had fallen in love with her, the kind of love that was long-lasting, heartbreaking and earth-shattering. Were he not a demon wolf, he still would have walked into hell and back for her.

And so he held her all night long and well into the next morning, praying that the swell in his heart would remain forever.

It was in the early hours as they dozed in and out of sleep that Lottie raised her head and asked sleepily, "What are you thinking about?"

He opened his mouth to tell her he hadn't been only to realize that, in fact, he had. In his dozing state he had been thinking a great deal. "I was thinking that I can't wait to see where life will take us next."

"Together?" Lottie asked, looking down at him hopefully.

Braxton smirked back at her, rubbed the end of her nose with his and whispered, "Together."

It was then that Lottie raised the hand that was still bound to his and chuckled, "Good, because my grandmother may as well have joined the Navy with these knots."

Together they laughed until they lapsed into sleep once more.

Epilogue - Lottie

"Are you sure about this?" Dash asked as they stood just inside the gates of Silverdale, two packs amassing in the square to join as one, hopefully not for the last time.

"I am," Lottie nodded.

"You can take a few more days to think it over if need be?" Raya added as she stood beside her mate. Both looked concerned and hopeful in equal measure.

Lottie smiled at them both and gave them each a hug. "I'll miss you too," she told them gently, "But this is what is best for both the packs."

Dash sighed and shook his head as though he was reluctant to agree. But when he spoke, there was admiration in his voice. "You are right, but you shall always be welcome here. This shall always be your home. And it shall be open to all of you for as long as the alliance stands."

As he said the final words, he raised his voice and turned to speak to the entirety of the gathered crowd. Several of the demon wolves bowed their heads in silent acknowledgment, while others whispered their thanks.

"I am sure we will be back for visits," Lottie promised her cousin, and they embraced again. She truly was going to miss him. She would miss all of them, though she tried her hardest not to think about it. The last few days in Silverdale, since the wedding, had been a blissful mix of time in bed with her new husband and moments spent making final memories with her pack, knowing she would soon leave them.

"Of course you'll be back," Macie's voice sounded behind her, and she turned to quickly embrace her sister. "You have to meet your nephew."

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