Page 37 of Alpha's Secret Baby
When Dylan arrived back, we took a break to have coffee, and he mentioned that he’d made a dinner reservation for us this evening.
Looking downcast, I said, “I’m afraid I can’t. I need to put in a bit of overtime tonight here in the studio.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “I’ll cancel it. We’ll do it another time.”
Soon, he’d left me to get on, and I heard him helping Kendra and Nina cash up and tidy the store for the night. When Maisy packed up and left for the night, too, I descended the stairs to see whether Dylan wanted to get some food yet.
As soon as my foot touched the store floor, Dylan swept me into his arms, crushing me against him. His lips crashed against mine. As he surfaced for air, he walked us back into the small room where my clients had their fittings, away from the open storefront. He backed me against the wall, moving his assault to my neck, biting and sucking. He drew gasps and whimpers of need from me.
“I want all of those sounds,” he demanded, kissing me again. “I want to drink them down,” he murmured against my neck, his breath hot on my neck. “I want to hear how much you want me, mate.” He licked my collarbone, trailing his fingers up my arm and making me quiver with anticipation and longing. Suddenly, he cupped my ass forcefully, and a heady moan escaped my throat. He growled possessively, his hands becoming rougher as he lifted my skirts and dragged my knickers down.
Heat pooled between my legs, and then his pants were loosed, the delicious pressure of his cock already at my entrance. I gasped with want and longing to feel more of him. With a rumble from deep in his throat, he obliged, rolling his hips and thrusting into me.
With abandon, I cried out as his fullness stretched me out and obliterated the ache that had built over the day. As he rocked and ground into me, I moaned, desperate and needy, as the delicious pleasure built in my body. Once again, he fulfilled my desire as his thrusts and rocking pushed me over the edge until I cried out in a blinding climax. Then with a growl, Dylan pulsing and throbbing inside me came. His seed filled me in hot waves, which only had me quivering and shuddering again.
As we came down from our highs, our heaving breaths calmed, and I felt deliciously tired and sated. Eventually, we untangled ourselves from one another, and somehow, I managed to do the work I needed to finish while Dylan ordered us some Chinese takeout.
The late-night dinner that we shared in my studio office felt better than any candlelit dinner I’d ever had out before, the sight of my mate opposite me nourishing me even more than the food.
By eight o’clock, we made it back to my apartment, just in time to tuck Fern in and tell her a bedtime story.
After browsing the various books our daughter had, Dylan returned to sit on the other side of the bed with a book and a smile, “I think I like the look of this one. Positively Preternatural.” He held the book, The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt, in his hands.
I stifled a smile, knowing that the shifter topic of conversation wasdefinitelysoon going to come up between us. But the thought melted away as his deep voice resonated through the room, and I watched Fern become entranced by the story and… her father.
But as we turned Fern’s light out, worry crept in. Eventually, my mate would have to return to the Starsmoon Pack.
The thought was like a blow as I realized the devastating hollow that Dylan would leave in my now full life.
Chapter 24 Dylan
“Bert?” I answered the phone quickly, tension vibrating through me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Dylan.” My Beta’s voice rumbled reassuringly. “I was just phoning to check in,” he explained, sounding surprised at my troubled tone.
I unclenched my jaw, feeling my shoulders relax too. I didn’t know why, but I’d been on edge the last couple of days like I was waiting for something to happen… something bad.
I was sitting in the study of my townhouse, having come over here to work in my study on a bit of pack business. I generally only used the townhouse for my work. I’d basically moved into Cherry’s apartment, knowing it suited her and Fern best to stay there. It was Saturday, so Cherry was doing overtime in the store. The gentle whisper of Fern’s voice soothed me, her tones stirring from the living room where she was playing.
“Are you all right?” Bert asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered mechanically. I think. I wondered if I should try to unpack the uneasiness I was feeling. I sighed. “I guess I’m just feeling a bit frustrated that I can’t do more for the pack from here.”
In fact, there was very little that I’d been able to help with remotely. Bert had sent me various community emails and phone calls that I’d been able to deal with from Berlin. These were things that my mom, as the old Luna, had dealt with. She'd already said she was happy to continue, but I knew it would be another source of contention between her and my father if I allowed her to. Yet, until there was a new Luna, any in-person events still fell to my mom to attend.
But my Beta replied supportively, “What you’re doing from there is great.”
Guilt swirled through me. The majority of the pack jobs were very hands-on jobs. I knew Bert and the other guys were up to their eyeballs in cutting the hay and transporting the silage orders ready to go out for the fall. They were a man short, too, on the forestry side of things. The copses I usually tended would be giving the other guys more workload.
I knew my Beta would be picking up the slack and carrying the rest of the pack. I worried that I detected a weary note in his voice.
“Bert, when was the last time you slept?”
“By Nuu-Chah, Dylan, stop fussing. You sound like my mother. Next, you’ll be asking if I’m eating enough!"
As if it was a back handed comment and completely unrelated, he asked, “So, any word on when you might be heading back?”
A mixture of guilt and frustration churned through me. But I knew I couldn't yet leave. As much as Fern and I were getting on, I worried that I hadn’t been a part of her life long enough for her to fully accept me.