Page 88 of The Alpha's Mates

Reese's eyes narrowed on me and I could feel the power building in her. She was going to force me to do what she wanted. "Now, Alpha," she ordered me, using the same tone I'd used on her so many times before.

Luckily for me, her alpha sway didn't work on me. Probably because Soren was the lead alpha in our cadre. "You're going to pay for that, Minx," I warned her. I accented the threat with a thrust of my hips.

She moaned as I filled her again, but it wasn't enough for her. "I want your knot," she begged.

"Not happening, Minx," I growled at her. My hand came down on the side of her ass with a sharp smack. Then I wrapped it around her throat. "Don't ask again until Soren and Atlas are here with us," I commanded, using my own sway to reinforce the demand.

I saw the moment she gave in. When she did, I rewarded her by beginning to thrust once more. Her back arched up offthe bed as her body began to shake beneath me. She was close already, so close that I knew it wouldn't take much to send her over the edge.

"Come for me, Minx," I told her.

She bit her bottom lip as she stared up at me, gray eyes wide as she watched me. There was desperation in her gaze, as though if she let it fall from me, she'd be lost. I squeezed her throat, reassuring her that I was here with her. Her pussy clenched around me as her body obeyed my order. Her scream was music to my ears.

"That's right," I praised her as I continued to pound into her, drawing out her pleasure. "Come all over my cock."

Her body shook and shuddered beneath me as I continued to fuck her through the orgasm. She was so tight that my own release wasn't far off. My balls were already tightening against my body and I knew that I wasn't going to last much longer. My knot was aching with every beat of my heart, but I didn't push it inside of her willing body. Instead, I took what pleasure I could. Burying myself with it just outside her pussy, I let my head fall back as I came inside of her.

I'd never get tired of this. Of being buried inside my mate. Lyas gifting us each other as fated mates made all of this so much more intense. Special. Reese was rubbing her face against my chest, enjoying the way my body crushed hers into the mattress. Her hands were running over my back and sides, petting me. It was a wolf thing and we all enjoyed it when she did this after sex. She couldn't help herself. She needed to scent us and touch us.

"You okay, Minx?" I asked her, my voice husky from the orgasm that had rocked through me.

"I'm perfect," she told me with a smile. "That was exactly what I needed."

I rolled to the side so I wouldn't keep crushing her, and pulled her into my arms. My eyes were drifting closed, when she made a small noise. "What?" I asked, teetering on the edge of sleep.

"Can we go downstairs?"

I sucked in a heavy sigh, but forced my eyes back open. She looked so hopeful, I couldn't resist. "Alright. Let's-"

She was already jumping out of bed, throwing her clothes on. She was eager to be a part of the conversation I knew was happening downstairs. I kept catching bits and pieces of Soren and Atlas speaking with the others through our mind link. She must have as well. I followed her downstairs at a slower pace.

CHAPTER 39

Reese

Everyone looked up as I came into the room. Mom got up from the table and hugged me tight before we both sat down. Soren was seated across the table from me, and his gaze was penetrating. I knew, thanks to our link, that he knew what Calder and I were doing upstairs. Neither he, nor Atlas seemed upset about it, so I slowly relaxed. Atlas was seated on the other side of me and he reached under the table and linked our hands together.

"I know you have so many questions," Lyas began. She looked exhausted. I wasn't sure whether she had slept or not. Did Goddesses even sleep? Despite my time with Shroul, he hadn't answered very many of my questions about the inner workings of Gods and Goddesses. "I'm going to do my best to answer them now."

"I have one," Soren said, his gray eyes landing on her. "What happened out there?"

"In the ocean?" Lyas asked.

He nodded, his face pinched with anger and worry. "Why did Reese drown?"

"I'm so sorry for that," Lyas said, her gaze drifting to me. "When we're as close to death—because that's where I was heading—as I was, Fate doesn't allow for one of us to be regenerated easily."

"But you're immortal," Calder said with a shake of his head, as he joined us at the table.

"We're actually not," Lyas stated. When all our brows drew together in confusion, she sighed. "This will be easier if I explain life spans. We consider shifters and humans as mortal. Humans live, maybe one hundred years, if they're lucky. Shifters, a little over three hundred." There were nods all around the table. "Other magical beings, like golems, sprites, griffins, they'll live up to one thousand years. Minor and Demi-Gods live even longer. Tens of thousands," she explained. "Then you have the twelve. My sisters and I are the strongest of the twelve, but we aren't the most powerful out there."

"Drennen and Shroul are," I guessed.

She smiled and nodded. "And more. There's so much you don't know because, once Arune attacked Celinda and I, so many of the Gods went off the radar. Everything about us was lost to you over the years. There are more than just Father and Uncle. There's Drea, Mother Nature, and Fate, as well as Destiny-"

"Wouldn't Destiny and Fate be the same?" Mom asked, confused like the rest of us.

Lyas's laugh was low. "No. There are subtle differences between the twins. One being, Fate's a fickle bitch. Destiny is a lot sweeter. Trust me, if you ever meet them, stick close to Des."

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