Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads)

by Hunter, Adriana

  Chris moved his grip from Alex’s arms to Ben’s.

  “Okay,” she said. That’s exactly what she’d hoped they’d say. Except now her stomach sat in her throat. She stood next to them for a second.

  “Go on,” Ben said. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

  Alex pulled out her cell and walked to the far end of the field. She didn’t want anyone to overhear. She also wanted to make sure she had enough bars. When she found the perfect spot, she stood and stared at the phone for a few minutes, her palms growing damp.

  She should just do it. It couldn’t be worse than any of the other times she’d called and left a message. She hit speed dial and listened while the phone rang.

  When their message came on, her stomach dropped. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to her mother’s voice saying they weren’t available. They hadn’t picked up. They still didn’t want to talk to her.

  Maybe they just weren’t home. But Alex knew there was usually someone at home. Someone.

  The machine beeped. “Hi,” she said. “It’s Alex. I…um…I wanted to talk to you.” Tears rolled down her face in earnest. “I’m so sorry. You were right about Brett all along.” She took a deep breath.

  “But something good came from this. I found my mates. They’re amazing. Chris is the Alpha of Roanoke pack and Ben is—Ben. Anyway, please call me back? I miss you.” She said the last in a small voice then hung up.

  She stood at the far end of the field and cried until the tears dried up. Would they ever forgive her? Would she ever see her family again?

  With no bathroom, she couldn’t splash cold water on her face or freshen up at all. She dried off her cheeks and walked slowly back to her mates, hoping any puffiness would disappear before she got to them. Good luck.

  As she approached, Ben was helping Chris back into his clothes while Sophia packed her bag up. The pack wolves streamed all around them, many heading back for their cars. They stopped to congratulate Chris as they walked by.

  When she reached her mates, she kept her head averted. She was a messy crier, always had been. The only real cure was time, and she didn’t have that.

  “Hey,” Ben said. He tipped her face up. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Ben pulled her into a hug.

  “They wouldn’t talk to me.” She felt the tears welling up again. Damn it! She’d thought she was all cried out.

  Chris put his hand on the back of her head and she felt that same calm she always did when the three of them touched. “What did they say?”

  “They didn’t pick up.” She held the tears back, just barely, sucking in big gulps of air.

  “Maybe they weren’t home.” Ben rubbed her back.

  “Maybe. But there’s usually someone home. And it’s like eleven o’clock at night there.”

  “I forgot what time it was,” Chris said. “Are they usually awake this late? Maybe they’re asleep.”

  “No, they stay up late.” She disentangled herself from her mates. “It’s fine. I’m okay.”

  “Did you leave your number?” Ben said.

  “They have it. I gave it to them the last time I called. This time I just told them about you two and asked them to call me.” Now she wished she’d said more, but she didn’t know what.

  “Maybe they just need some time to digest it all,” Chris said. “Maybe they’ll call in a few days.”

  “Maybe.”

  Chapter 16

  Alex pushed her hair behind one ear. She couldn’t think about her parents any more or she’d go crazy. “Ready? Let’s get going.”

  Chris took a deep breath. “Let’s wait.”

  “What’s the matter?” Ben said.

  After looking around at the wolves still there, Chris said, “I just want to wait until everyone leaves.”

  Of course. He’d re-injured his leg and now his back was messed up, too. He’d need help getting to the car. And Mr. Macho Man wouldn’t want anyone to see him accepting help.

  “You think we could drive the car closer?” Ben said.

  “Maybe,” Chris said. “But not just yet.”

  They waited while the rest of the pack straggled toward their cars. As the last one reached the makeshift parking area, Ben said, “I’m going to go get the car. They’ll be gone before I even get there. Just wait here.”

  “How’s your back?” Alex said. She had waited until all the other wolves were out of earshot to ask. “Did Sophia give you painkillers?”

  “Yeah, but they won’t last long. Hopefully long enough to get home but maybe not.” He shifted from one leg to the other and winced.

  Werewolves had such fast metabolism that their bodies burned medicines away very quickly. “I heard what she said. You’re on bed rest for a few days.”

  Chris smiled. “Bed sounds good.”

  “None of that. Flat on your stomach, healing.”

  “I bet if I lay on my side, you and Ben could—”

  ”Men are such horndogs. Healing. Not fucking.”

  He laughed at her crudeness. “You don’t usually swear.”

  “Sometimes it’s called for.”

  Across the field, Ben reached the car. He got inside and waited a few minutes while the rest of the wolves left. Then he drove toward them slowly.

  “I hope he doesn’t hurt his car,” Alex said. The last thing they needed was to get stranded out here at midnight.

  “It’ll be fine. The field’s pretty flat.”

  Ben stopped not too far away from them. He hopped out and opened the door for Chris.

  “This is going to hurt your back,” Alex said. “Can you lie on your stomach in the back seat?”

  “I’m too tall. If the painkillers hold on, I’ll be okay.” Chris folded himself into the back seat.

  Alex and Ben got into the front and Ben drove slowly back to the road. Chris held himself very carefully away from the back of the seat. The rest of the ride home was hard, particularly when Chris started to cringe and she knew the painkiller must have worn off.

  “Did she give you any extra drugs? Could you take another dose?” Alex said.

  “She did, but I can wait until we get home,” Chris said.

  “No need to be a hero,” Ben said. “I saw your back. You have every right to be in pain.”

  “I’ll be okay. If I take it now, it’ll wear off before I go to bed and then I won’t be able to get to sleep.” Chris cringed again as they went over a pothole.

  “Sorry,” Ben said.

  The rest of the trip passed in silence. Alex wished she could do something more for Chris. Even helping him into the house hurt him, since they couldn’t give him good support for his leg without touching his back.

  When they got inside, they stopped at the foot of the stairs, gazing up its length. That was going to hurt like hell.

  “You could sleep on the couch,” Ben said.

  “I can make it.” Chris put his foot on the bottom step.

  “Why don’t you take the painkiller now?” Alex said. “It should last long enough for you to fall asleep.” And help him get up the stairs.

  Chris gazed at her and finally nodded. “It’s in my jacket pocket.”

  “I’ll get water,” Ben said.

  Alex carefully pulled a bottle from Chris’ pocket. He didn’t move an inch. “How many?” she said.

  “Two.”

  She shook two pills into her palm. When Ben came back, Chris swallowed the pills and stood there for a few more minutes.

  “I’m afraid if I move it’ll hurt,” he said.

  Her heart broke. She knew he’d had to fight and he’d done it for them as much as for their pack, but it hurt to see him in so much pain.

  “It probably will,” Ben said. “But then we’ll get upstairs and you’ll be in bed and the pain will be over.”

  “For a while,” Chris said.

  “Until morning.” Ben moved behind Chris and put his hands on Chris’ hips. “I’ll help you as much as I can, but there’s not room for us to go up side by side
. Just take it one step at a time.”

  Several minutes later, Chris stood at the top of the stairs, a sheen of sweat on his brow. “Sophia might be right about a few days of bed rest.”

  Alex could barely believe he was even admitting he hurt. He hated to show any weakness; if she knew anything about him, she knew that. But they were his mates. He trusted them. A warmth spread through her chest.

  They undressed Chris and put him to bed. Alex knelt beside him and stroked his hair until he drifted off. Then she went downstairs.

  Ben was in the family room watching television, sprawled on the couch. He patted the seat between his legs. “Come sit with me.”

  She sat down with her back to his chest and rested against him. “It kills me to see him like that.”

  Ben wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against hers. “Me too. But he’ll be okay.”

  “I know.”

  “At least Brett’s gone for good.” A hint of something—smugness?—tinged his voice.

  “And we’re safe. And we’ve found each other.”

  “And everything’s good.” His hands rubbed her belly. “You know, just because Chris can’t have sex tonight doesn’t mean we can’t.”

  “But doesn’t that seem wrong, to leave him out? Won’t he be hurt?”

  “Do you feel hurt that Chris and I had sex that first night?”

  She hadn’t even thought about it that way. “No.”

  “I figure we’ll mostly have sex together, all three of us. But that doesn’t mean we always have to. Just like we’ll have a relationship with all three of us, but also between each of the two of us. And that’s okay.”

  That’s how it was with her parents. Not the sex part—she didn’t know about that—but the relationship part. They even went out on dates and stuff, just two of them at a time. Although she partly thought that was so the third one could stay home and babysit.

  Ben slid his hands under her shirt, rubbing the skin of her belly. “Sound okay?” One of his thumbs brushed the underside of her breast.

  “Yeah, it does.”

  “Good.” His hands covered her breasts completely. “Just keep watching TV. We’re going to do this nice and slow.”

  She laughed. “A man’s greatest fantasy—TV and sex at the same time.”

  “Damn straight.” His fingers tugged at her nipples through her bra. They beaded in seconds, becoming tight points of need that he flicked with the edge of his fingernails.

  Alex squirmed a little as her pussy became wet. If he was going to do this to her, it was only fair she tease him right back. What could she do?

  She drew her nails up his thighs, but figured he probably didn’t feel it that much through his jeans.

  “Relax,” he said in her ear. “Let me do the work.” One of his hands roamed down her body to settle between her legs.

  She had jeans on, too, so she figured she wouldn’t be able to feel anything. But he suddenly closed his hand over her, gripping her tightly, then letting go.

  Her pussy gushed. Somehow he’d hit her exactly where her clit was, and hard enough, hard…wonderfully hard.

  But he moved his hand away, bringing it back to her tits with the other one.

  A commercial came on the television. Ben immediately shifted her, one hand coming out from under her shirt and tipping her head back so he could kiss her. His tongue stroked hers. Alex held on to his shoulder, squeezing him, trying to hold him in place.

  They kissed for a few minutes and then Ben lifted his head. “Commercial’s over.”

  “What if I don’t want to stop kissing?”

  He gave her a peck. “There will be more of that later.” He rearranged her back to where she’d been before and slid his hands back under her shirt.

  “Is there going to be intercourse at the end of all this?” she said.

  His breath felt warm against her ear. “Do you think man’s greatest fantasy wouldn’t end in an orgasm?”

  She chuckled. This was perhaps the strangest sex she’d had yet, but it was fun. And her mate was happy.

  Ben unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. He left them like that and returned to playing with her tits.

  “You’re a tease,” she said.

  “Today I am.” He kissed her under her ear. His fingers pulled at her bra, tugging the cups down until they sat under her breasts. Then he pulled at her nipples. Not enough to hurt, just enough to feel good. Good, and super-sensitive.

  Another commercial came on.

  Ben flipped her around so she lay on her back on the couch. He lay on his side beside her, one leg resting between hers. In seconds, he’d pushed up her shirt to bare her breasts and latched his mouth onto one nipple.

  Alex threaded her fingers through his hair and moaned. “Good.”

  While he sucked and licked one nipple, he played with the other, still pulling at it, stretching it, then releasing it.

  Alex rubbed his shoulders but when she tried to reach down and stroke his cock through his jeans, he pushed her hand away.

  “Not time for that yet.”

  “You’re not hard?”

  “I’m hard as a rock. But I want to draw this out.”

  She’d said he could be in charge. For today. “Okay.” She leaned back, just running her hands over his shoulders and head.

  This time when the show came back on, he didn’t stop. After a few minutes, he switched breasts, lying more fully on her in the process. She loved the feel of him heavy on top of her like that.

  After a while, he rose above her to run his teeth over her marks, not biting down, just teasing.

  “Are you trying to make me come?” Because playing with her marks was a surefire way to do that.

  “Soon. Not yet.” He rolled off her enough so he could push her pants down to her upper thighs. His hand settled over her mound on top of her panties, lightly rubbing and tapping at her clit. “I can smell your arousal.”

  She smiled. “So can I.”

  Ben laughed then kissed her, pushing his finger hard against her clit at the same time. Her hips bucked but she didn’t come. Yet. He went back to that light rubbing—not quite enough to push her over the edge, but plenty enough to tease.

  Such a tease.

  She noticed he hadn’t looked at the television in quite a while.

  “Would you like me to go down on you?” he said.

  Alex wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re asking? I thought you were in charge today.”

  One edge of his mouth tipped upward. “That’s right, I am.” He nodded. “I’m going down on you.”

  “You know you don’t need to ask. Ever. That’s something that I will always say yes to.”

  “Oh, yeah?” His hand left her pussy to trace up her side, almost tickling. “What if we’re in public?”

  “Then no.”

  “Or in the car in a parking lot somewhere?”

  “Are there people around?”

  “What if there are other people in the house?”

  “Okay, almost always. I’ll almost always say yes.”

  Ben grinned. “I’m going to put that to the test.” Before she could answer, he grabbed her jeans and yanked.

  He probably meant to pull them off her legs in one smooth move, but they were tight and she was lying down and it just didn’t work quite right. He wriggled one way then the other, pulling at them. Alex started giggling, covering her mouth so she wouldn’t wake Chris.

  “Oh, so that’s how it is?” Ben jerked her jeans off the rest of the way. He put one knee on the couch and leaned over her. “You’re laughing at me?”

  Chapter 17

  Alex took big breaths, trying to stop laughing.

  Ben tickled her side. “You’re laughing at me. Go ahead, keep laughing.” He brought his other hand into play, tickling her on both sides of her belly.

  “Stop!” She couldn’t catch her breath.

  “Are you sorry for laughing at me?”

  She gasped in air, unable to st
op laughing. “Yes, yes!”

  “All right, then.” His hands skimmed down her hips, hooked in her panties and yanked them down her legs. This time the move worked flawlessly.

  Still trying to breathe, she lay pliant as he spread her legs wide, draping one foot over the edge of the couch.

  He gazed down at her. “That’s what I want.” After kneeling, he tilted her hips up and spread her even wider, pulling her pussy lips apart.

  Alex lifted her head. “What are you doing?”

  “Just looking. This is my pussy now.”

  “Really?” she said. “Are you going to do the periods and childbirth too?”

  Ben chuckled. “Fine. It’s not mine. I’m just borrowing it.”

  She didn’t know if that description was any better but decided to let it go. There was a grain of truth in it, after all. No one other than Ben or Chris would touch her pussy for the rest of her life. She liked that idea.

  Ben settled himself between her legs, his mouth hovering over her. He started with a light kiss against her lips, then touched just the tip of his tongue to her clitoris and waggled it up and down, the strokes getting longer then slipping between her lips to slide down the strip of clit that sat between them.

  His tongue slipped into her pussy a few times but he concentrated on licking her clit for several minutes before sucking it into his mouth.

  Her hips bucked. “Yes.”

  Ben pushed down on her thighs to hold her in place, continuing to suck on her clit while lightly rubbing it with his tongue.

  Alex ran her hand over his head. “Coming,” she whimpered.

  A few seconds later, she rolled into an orgasm that undulated through her body. Ben held on the entire time, continuing to massage her clit with his mouth. The orgasm finally stopped, but Ben didn’t.

  Alex looked down her body at him. “It’s finished.”

  “I’m not.” He licked her some more, pressing one of his thumbs into her pussy while still sucking on her clit. His finger slid in and out of her in a wet, steady rhythm.

  He kept it up for a few minutes as her body slowly warmed up again, picking up speed, steaming toward another orgasm. She fell over the edge into a well of shaking shuddering pleasure even more intense than the first time.