Page 48 of The Alpha's Mates

I moved out of the way so he could lay her out on the bed and spread her legs wide. I watched him lick his lips as he stared down at our mate with lust in his eyes. He wasn't going to prolong this. He would take her first next time so that he could draw out their pleasure together as long as he wanted, but this time was going to be fast so that our mate could rest.

He notched his cock at her entrance, and my own dick twitched with interest as he slid into her welcoming body. She moaned, her hands reaching for him, pulling him closer. He didn't hesitate to lean over her and press their chests together, giving her everything she wanted. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him close as they moved together in perfect sync.

I scooted closer, watching them with rapt attention. I loved seeing them like this, lost in each other and the pleasure they were bringing one another. It wouldn't take long before Calder's knot started to form. Like us, he wouldn't shove it into her until she was prepared to take us in that way. It was a bittersweet agony for us, but one we happily shouldered so that our mate was safe and protected.

Calder grunted, his hips moving faster as he neared his release. He pressed his lips to Reese's ear and whispered to her how much he loved her and how good she felt wrapped around him. Then he moved his head lower, fangs extended and sank them into her shoulder at the base of her neck, right below Soren's bite mark.

I watched my mate's body tense, her mouth opening on a silent scream as Calder's bite sent her over the edge. When her jaws clamped down on his shoulder, a mirror image of her own bite that he’d given her, I knew exactly what he was feeling.The high was fucking incredible. Feeling that bond forming and connecting was like nothing I’d ever known before. He groaned, thrusting deep inside her and froze as he came.

Reese's eyes were closed, but I could tell that she was still with us. She was tiring quickly, and Calder seemed to realize it.

"You pleased us all so well, Minx. Rest now." He kissed her forehead before pulling out of her and moving off the bed. I started to roll off the bed as well, but he shook his head.

"Let me."

I nodded in agreement and laid back down. Soren was already pressed against Reese's side, giving her comfort as she drifted off to sleep. She turned toward him, burying her face against his chest as her breathing evened out.

Calder came over with a bowl of water and a rag. It wouldn't erase our scent on her, but that pleased me in a primal kind of way. He went to work cleaning her skin, and between her legs, making her shiver in the cool night air. He placed the bowl back on the small dresser nearby, then crawled into bed, wrapping his arms around her.

Normally, it was Soren and I who slept with her sandwiched between us, but this time he got to hold our mate as she slept. Closing my eyes, I put my arms behind my head as a pillow and let my mind drift. We'd waited for so long. I'd begun to despair at ever finding our mate. She wasn't an omega, like so many dreamed of, but honestly? She was even better. So strong. So brave. She stood next to us, an equal in her own right and we fucking loved her for it.

My brows shot up as the word love popped into my mind. I knew that the protectiveness and possessiveness of her would come with the claiming bond. Shit, those were there the minute I set eyes on her and knew that the Goddess had earmarked her for us. But love? Was that only because of the bond? I didn't think so. It didn't matter that we'd only known one another for ashort time. I started falling in love with her almost immediately. She was so selfless and kind to those around her, except her enemies of course. They got to see the feral side that would kill to protect those she loved. No. I wouldn't have chosen anyone other than Reese as my mate. If the Goddess had given us any other, it would have been a mistake.

CHAPTER 22

Soren

The loud squeal had me looking over my shoulder and grinning when I saw Emma jumping up and down and hugging Reese all at the same time. Seeing them together, the friendship they’d forged, so close it was more of a sister relationship, eased something within me. I knew Reese hadn’t grown up in a good environment. Between her haunted eyes as she spoke of her family and the information Calder had relayed to us about the way Haron was leading his pack, it didn’t take a genius to figure things out. Whatever the case, I was glad the two females had each other to lean on.

Emma was plucking at Reese's shirt so she could see all three of her claiming marks. The bites had healed up overnight, but they were permanent fixtures to Reese's skin now, just as hers were to us. No other bites we gave our mate from this point on would scar the way those three had. They were a physicalmanifestation of our bond. They told all of Elaria that she belonged to us, and we to her.

Reese's eyes met mine and my heart stuttered in my chest. She was so fucking beautiful. I couldn't believe she was mine. She'd been terrified of me when I'd first approached her, but now, despite the blush staining her cheeks, she was confident in what she had with us. She knew where she belonged.

Do you want to be a part of the meeting?

She jumped as my words formed in her mind. Thanks to the link created by the claiming, she could now hear and speak to us using only her mind. I grinned when her jaw dropped. She cocked her head as though she was trying to figure out how to use her new power.

Just think it.

She didn't have the control yet to conceal thoughts from us. It would take her time to figure it out, but we'd help her. Every male alpha had to master that skill lest he project his thoughts out to anyone listening.

No. I'll stay out here. You guys can fill me in when you're finished.She paused for a minute then shot me a smile.This is so cool.

All three of us chuckled under our breaths as her thoughts reached our minds. Jessu was busy pretending he hadn't heard anything at all. Any alpha male in the vicinity had. We needed to teach her quickly because, being an alpha herself, her ability was strong. Only the women, children, and beta males in the village hadn't heard her. None of the women could mind link until they were claimed. The beta men would only be able to do so if they were in a situation like the twins were. Once the four men claimed Emma, she would connect them all together and Reign and Bane would have the ability, same as Emma. The ability would come to them from Griff and Holden.

That's fine. Stay inside the village, I told her.

I didn't really need to. They were likely going to talk about her claiming from last night. My cock hardened just thinking back on it. I couldn't wait to get her alone again, but with this damn quest looming in front of us, I wasn't sure when that would be. Griff came with us as we stepped into the hut that Jessu used for meetings. Holden and the others would wait outside and watch over our women while we had this meeting. There was a large table and chairs and not much else inside the space. We sat when Jessu motioned for us to do so.

"It'll be a quick easy day trip up to Celinda's cave," Jessu started as soon as we were comfortable.

"Have you tried talking to her before?" I asked.

"Of course. She always shut me down. Just keeps saying it isn’t time. As if I know what that means," he replied with a shrug. "I'm hoping that now is the time."

"The Moon Goddess has never been clear on anything," Griff said. "I don't see why this would be any different."

"You're right, but it's worth a try," Jessu said with a smile.