Page 27 of Link with Me
“Are you having fun?” she asked and curled her arms around his waist.
He hugged her tightly to him. “Absolutely.”
“Good. Because I needed to butter you up.”
He raised his brows and grinned. “Um, we’re going to my mother’s for a family dinner next.”
“Should I be concerned?”
“Only about the number of questions regarding our love life, children, marriage, and maybe even if I’m currently pregnant.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You’re not.”
“I mean, I know, but how do you know?”
“I’d smell it. Shifter senses are superior to any other animal in the world. Your body chemistry scent would change and I’d know.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay. Good to know. Um, Alex?”
“Yes, love?” he sat and pulled her onto his lap.
“Not that I’m planning on anything, but if the day comes that I am and you know, can you act surprised when I tell you?”
He kissed her again and held her close. “I’ll be very surprised.”
She laughed and rubbed her nose over his neck. “Good. Not that I’m planning on getting pregnant any time soon, but we should practice making babies a lot.”
His chuckle reverberated into her. “I agree. A lot.”
The vintage arcade was a cacophony of 8-bit music, flashing lights, and the excited chatter of gamers. Lena couldn’t suppress her grin as she watched Alex take in the sight, his eyes widening with childlike wonder.
“Ready to have your butt kicked in air hockey?” Lena teased, leading him toward the table.
Alex raised an eyebrow, a competitive glint in his eye. “Bring it on, my little gaming nerd.”
They took their positions on opposite sides of the table, mallets in hand. The puck dropped, and they were off, batting it back and forth with increasing speed and intensity.
Lena scored the first point, and she couldn’t resist a little victory dance. “Take that, Mr. Alpha!”
Alex growled playfully, his focus sharpening. “Oh, it’s on now.”
The game was a fierce battle of reflexes and trash talk. They were evenly matched, their laughter ringing out over the electronic beeps and boops of the arcade.
In the end, Lena managed to sneak the winning point past Alex’s defenses. She threw her hands up in triumph, her face flushed with exertion and joy.
“I demand a rematch,” Alex declared, but he was grinning, his competitive edge softened by the sight of Lena’s unbridled happiness.
“You’re on, but first, I’ve got another challenge for you.” Lena pointed to the Dance Dance Revolution machine, its platform lit up in an enticing neon glow.
Alex blanched. “Oh no, I don’t dance.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun. Unless you’re afraid of losing again...” Lena’s tone was pure mischief.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Alex squared his shoulders. “All right, but if I embarrass myself, it’s on you.”
They stepped onto the platform, and Lena scrolled through the song options, settling on a high-energy J-Pop tune. As the first notes blasted from the speakers, they began to move, their feet tapping out the patterns on the flashing arrows.
It was a sight to behold - the formidable alpha of the pack, his face a mask of concentration as he tried to keep up with the frenetic beat. Lena, beside him, was a whirling dervish of laughter and flailing limbs.