by R. E. Butler
But…he didn’t need to know that just yet. Acksel was her mate, and eventually he’d be her husband. She didn’t want her last chance to be wooed before she committed herself forever to be rushed. He could work for her ‘yes’ and she’d enjoy every second of it.
Smiling to herself, she went to the bathroom to shower and change before the big meeting.
* * * * *
Acksel thought the meeting with the males went much better than the females. The males weren’t threatened by a human alpha female. The protectors watched over her closely as the males came forward one by one to welcome her. While many of the females had embraced her, the males knew not to touch her. The older males, like his father and the council members, went to one knee and pledged themselves to her individually. The protectors had their own pledge, involving a salute with their fists over their hearts and a chorus of howls that echoed around them.
The males treated Brynn with respect. Even the ones that he thought might not care to have a human alpha female were appropriately respectful of her position as his mate. Acksel was glad that he was enough of a badass that they were afraid to be disrespectful. The females, on the other hand, were used to being able to challenge for the alpha female position. He was glad that there were no males who wanted to challenge him for Brynn. Not that he would lose, but he’d hate to have to wash blood off himself before he took her out to dinner.
She had changed before they came to his house for the meeting, dressing for their dinner out, her long, dark hair clipped up at the sides to show off the blood-mark on her neck. She was wearing a long, black skirt that swirled around her when she walked, and a pretty white sweater with gold thread woven throughout.
Malachi and Sam stood off to the side and several other protectors were stationed around the house and yard.
His dad walked over to them and said, “I’d like to invite you to dinner on Sunday, Brynn. It’s a family tradition.”
“Thank you so much. We’ll be there,” she replied, and Acksel couldn’t hide his grin at her willingness to eat dinner with his family.
His dad gave him a wink before he sauntered away, and Acksel put his arm around her. “I’m going to change and we can go.”
“Okay,” she smiled up at him and he bent and kissed her briefly before leading her back into the house. She waited for him in the family room while he quickly shaved and changed into a pair of dress slacks and a pullover.
He stooped and opened the bathroom cabinet, pulling out a small purple gift sack. He had taken Brynn’s words to heart. She wanted him to prove that he cared for her and knew her, to show that he wanted to be with her because of who she was to him, not just because of the pup. And he so did want to be with her. She had quickly thawed around him after their conversation on Sunday afternoon where she had asserted her independence, and he was having a hard time keeping his hands off her. She’d said she was his in front of the pack. She’d snuggled with him on the couch while they watched a movie. She’d kissed him. Again and again. She might have said she wasn’t his mate officially yet because he hadn’t asked her first, but as far as his wolf was concerned, she was his from head to toe and every part between.
Walking into the family room, he placed the bag on her lap as he sat down next to her.
“What’s this?” She ran her fingertip over the edge of the bag.
“Proof.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a curious smile on her lush mouth, and then put her hand into the bag and pulled out the small gift he’d had Jeremiah, one of the pack omegas, get for him.
The leather-bound edition of Jane Erye made Brynn gasp. Stroking the leather cover with one finger, she looked at him in utter shock. “This is my favorite book. I don’t think I ever told anyone that.”
His wolf, grinning like a fool in his head, preened like a peacock. The day before, he had contacted Jeremiah and asked him to find a nice copy of the book about the “nanny and the rich guy with the psycho ex,” because Acksel couldn’t remember what it was called. Jeremiah had known what it was just based on that loose interpretation of the plot and had given the bundle to Acksel through one of the protectors before the meeting with the she-wolves that morning. Acksel wasn’t certain where Jeremiah had procured the book, but he was glad he’d found it.
Brushing a lock of hair from her shoulder, he smiled. “You did a report about the book once for English. We were maybe in tenth or eleventh grade.” He could picture her so clearly in his mind; hair pulled back into a neat braid, lips coated with something pink and glossy, emerald eyes bright with excitement to share her report.
Her eyes glittered with unshed tears as she looked between him and the book.
He tapped the cover lightly. “Don’t ever doubt that you were on my mind.”
“I, uh,” she stuttered, her voice soft with emotion as a fine tremor wove through her. “Thank you.”
She pressed the book tightly to her chest and hugged him, wrapping one arm around his neck and pressing against him.
“You’re welcome, baby.”
After a lengthy hug and a few stolen kisses, Brynn insisted on fixing her make-up and carried her purse back to the bathroom. When she was finished, just as beautiful as she was before she ‘fixed herself up,’ he held her hand and walked with her to his SUV parked in the driveway. He shut her in and climbed in behind the wheel. As he pulled out onto the street, he saw Sam’s red pickup leave the curb and follow. Malachi was in the truck with Sam, and they followed Acksel across town to Luna’s. The only restaurant in town, Luna’s was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and served an all-meat buffet every Friday and Saturday. It was run by Quentin and Paula Smythe, who were pack members. Their son, Zander, was one of the pack protectors, and worked as a cook at the restaurant.
When they arrived at Luna’s, Acksel opened Brynn’s door and escorted her into the restaurant. Sam was not joining them for dinner, instead standing outside of the restaurant after a perimeter sweep to keep an eye on things. Malachi walked in behind them, and Brynn waved at Mia who was sitting at a large table at the back. Eveny and Luke were there as well, talking quietly.
The six of them sat down after the females hugged in greeting. Kaitlyn, one of the human waitresses, rushed over with glasses of water for everyone.
“Hi! What can I get everyone to drink?”
Acksel was pleased when everyone looked at Brynn first. She peered up from the menu, her lip caught between her teeth, and said, “Oh, me? Sorry. Root beer?”
“You bet.” The other orders were taken and Kaitlyn disappeared.
Acksel kept his arm over the back of Brynn’s chair. He didn’t need to see the menu because he always got the same thing: two double cheeseburgers and extra fries.
Kaitlyn returned and once more everyone waited for Brynn to order. She looked at Kaitlyn. “Could I get the double cheeseburger but without the bun or any of the other stuff?”
“So just two hamburger patties with melted cheese?”
“Skip the cheese.” Brynn closed the menu and then said, “And add an extra patty.”
Mia giggled and Brynn said, “Sue me, I’m hungry for meat.”
“Baby’s making demands already? Watch out Momma,” Mia chuckled.
Brynn pressed her hand over her stomach and made a snarling sound. “He’s an angel, and don’t tell me otherwise.”
Acksel couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin that lit his face. Already so fierce with their pup. Brynn was going to be a force of nature when the pup was born.
“I promise. You are naming me godmother, right? I’ll spoil him or her rotten.”
“You already asked me to name the baby after you.”
“Excuse me?” Acksel’s smile slipped immediately. “What if it’s a boy?”
Eveny laughed. “Before this goes any further we should let Kaitlyn take the rest of our orders so she doesn’t stand there all night while you guys argue.”
Brynn rolled here eyes and made the motion of z
ipping her lips. Her eyes were dancing with happiness, though, and it made Acksel feel all warm and squishy inside. Not that he’d ever utter those words out loud.
Acksel ordered next, and then Mia and Eveny, followed by Malachi and Luke. Once Kaitlyn was gone, Brynn took a drink of root beer and said, “If it’s a boy we’ll call him Mi for short. Problem solved.”
His eye twitched. He wasn’t sure if his mate was joking or not, but he chose to err on the side of teasing and not threaten Mia with bodily harm until she withdrew her request of being the baby’s namesake.
Brynn leaned back in her chair and gazed at Acksel with a look that told him she was feeling mischievous. “I’m thinking if it’s a boy that we should name him Jack.”
He frowned. Jack? Why would she want to name his pup Jack?
She pressed her lips together for a moment, clearly trying to suppress a grin, before she said, “You know. For Jack Daniel’s.”
Shit. That night when he came to her, he’d tried to drown himself in whiskey. His cheeks reddened and Mia and Malachi both coughed to cover up their laughter. Brynn held his gaze, her eyes dancing with mirth. “It’s not nice to tease the alpha.”
“I think I can handle you,” she countered.
He chuckled, very certain that she’d already very effectively wrapped him around her finger. The food arrived, and he watched her dig into her three burger patties with gusto. Conversation dropped off as everyone ate, and then resumed again as dessert was ordered and Brynn shared her brownie sundae with him. Acksel handed cash to Malachi to pay the bill, and they all said goodnight.
Before Acksel could shut Brynn’s door, Malachi said, “I’m heading home with Mia. Zander is done with his shift at the restaurant and he’s going to ride along with Sam. What time should I arrive tomorrow?”
Acksel looked at Brynn and she said, “For what?”
“To drive you to work,” Malachi answered.
“Oh, right. 7:15. I need to clock in by 7:30.”
“Yes’m. See you tomorrow Alphas.” He ducked his head slightly and then turned and walked to where Mia’s car was idling. Zander gave a short wave before climbing into Sam’s truck. Acksel shut her door and climbed in behind the wheel, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.
“Where are we going?” she asked, noticing that he wasn’t going towards her home.
“Just for a little drive. Did you have a good time?”
“I did. It was weird that everyone waited for me to go first. Why is that?”
“Because you’re the alpha female. I know I haven’t asked you officially and you haven’t said yes, but the mark on your neck and our new laws make you the most important female in the pack. It’s something related to natural wolves. The alphas always eat first because they’re in charge. For the other females, it’s just our way to ensure that the females are taken care of. Even in a restaurant, you’ll always see the females ordering first.”
She hummed in her throat but said nothing. Quiet settled in the SUV, but it was a comfortable silence. The evening had gone as perfectly as he’d hoped. He’d gotten to take her out on a date, keeping things light by having friends along, and he’d felt himself relax right along with her. For as long as he’d been alpha, he’d held himself apart from all but his highest-ranked males. At the time, he’d convinced himself that showing any softness would be dangerous to his position. He’d never socialized. Never dated. Although the leader of the pack, he’d led a fairly solitary private life. Without his father’s weekly dinners, he probably would have been all business all the time. He couldn’t forget that he was the alpha; the strongest and the best. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t find a balance. And Brynn was worth finding balance for.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?” she asked.
“Something my dad said a while back, about not wanting to be alpha when he was younger because he didn’t want to always be fighting for his position and endangering his life when he had my mom and us kids to look after.”
“You can’t just declare yourself alpha-for-life?”
“No. Any wolf could challenge me. I have the right to ignore the challenge, but doing that invites the pack to wonder if I’m losing my abilities. A pack that has no confidence in their leader is a pack that isn’t happy.”
“Do you get challenged often?” He could hear the worry in her voice.
“One of the males that took you challenged me. I’ve put a few wolves in their place since I’ve taken over, but I haven’t had anyone else challenge me outright for the position.”
“Your people seem happy with you. When you made the changes to pack law, there weren’t any who challenged you, and they could have then, right?”
“True. I think you’re heralding a new age for our pack. We’re not bound by the stodgy, ineffective laws any longer. Although completely re-drafting the laws of our people is going to take months. Some of the laws in our history have been in effect for hundreds of years.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t.”
“Are you always so cocky?”
He put the truck in park and turned off the engine, glancing at her. “You’ve known me a long time. What do you think?”
She folded her arms with a grunt. “You don’t want to know what I’m thinking right now.” Before he could ask, she grumbled, “They better not think about challenging you.”
“Taking on the whole pack for me, sweetheart?”
She made a face and shrugged with a light laugh. “I’m liking being the alpha female so far, even if it’s not official yet because you dropped the ball six weeks ago.”
“Are you ever going to forgive me?”
“About two weeks after never,” she quipped.
Other men might have thought her statement meant it wasn’t even worth trying, but Acksel didn’t look at it that way. Walking away from a challenge wasn’t anything he’d ever done. She might be joking, but underneath the joke was a thread of truth. She wasn’t ready to forgive him, and he had no right to expect her to just because they’d had a good couple of days and sorted some things out.
“I’m up for the challenge.”
He got out of the truck and walked around to her side, noticing that Sam had parked just off to the side. He and Zander were standing outside the truck, but keeping their distance. “Where are we?” she asked as he opened her door and held out his hand for her. She took it immediately and he helped her out and shut the door.
“This is the water reservoir. If I’d asked you out when we were teenagers, I would have probably taken you to dinner at Luna’s and then brought you here. It’s where all the wolves brought their dates.”
“A wolfy make-out place?” Her amusement at him lightened his heart.
They walked down a sidewalk and turned to the right, heading towards where the water rushed over the manmade waterfall and into the pool below. She leaned against the metal railing and he caged her with his arms. There were lights along the sidewalk and parking lot, but it was still quite dark.
He leaned forward to rest his chin on her shoulder. In her ear he said, “We like it here because the noise of the waterfall drowns out everything. In the dark, you can have privacy in a crowd.”
She shivered and placed her hands over his. He could barely pick up her scent among the overwhelming aroma of nature around them, and he couldn’t hear worth a damn, but he liked having her here in the place he would have brought her years ago if he’d had the balls.
She turned suddenly and placed her hands on his face. There was only the briefest of pauses before she went on her toes and pressed her lips against his. The roar of blood in his ears was second only to his wolf howling in happiness that she was kissing him willingly and not because it was bedtime. Her hands slid around to his shoulders and she pulled him close, swiping her tongue against his lips until he opened his mouth for her.
Most of the kisses they’d shared had been of the chaste sort, closed mou
ths or just the lightest touch of tongues. But when he’d kissed her earlier in the day and the decadent flavor of her had hit him full force, he’d been unable to think of anything but kissing her again and again.
He released his grip on the railing and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply, chasing her tongue and devouring her with every ounce of passion he possessed. The air was cool around them, but the heat between them scorched him from the inside out.
He wanted to be burned by her. It was the sweetest agony.
They eased away from each other slowly and his wolf snarled at the loss of her warmth.
She turned in his arms and looked out into the darkness. She snuggled into him and he kept his arms around her. He could see better than she could in the darkness, making out the glint of the churning water below, but she seemed to enjoy herself, and he didn’t want to break whatever peaceful spell had surrounded them.
An hour later, Sam and Zander left them at Brynn’s home. Caleb, Mia’s cousin and a protector, stood on Brynn’s front porch as Acksel unlocked her door and ushered her inside.
“I’m patrolling around the perimeter every hour, Alpha,” Caleb said.
Acksel nodded and said goodnight, closing and locking the front door. Leaving Brynn in the entryway, he checked all the windows and doors and scented in each room. When he was satisfied that no one had been in the home aside from them, he went back to her.
“Walk me back to my door?” she asked, dropping her shoes in the hall closet.
“Of course,” he smiled. “We’re still technically on our date.”
“If this were when we were teenagers, the porch light would be on and my dad would be watching through the curtains to make sure you didn’t do anything more than give me a quick kiss.”
She stopped at the bedroom door and turned to face him, leaning against it. “I had a really good time tonight, Acksel. I feel like I’ve learned more about you in the last couple of days than I have in all the time I’ve known you. Thank you for my book and thank you for dinner and sharing the reservoir with me.”