by Aria Grace
“Yes, like that.” I close my eyes and let the cloudy feeling of being afloat take over as I just bask in Jude’s warmth and protection. And when I feel myself drifting to sleep, I’m only vaguely aware of Jude’s lips brushing over mine and across my jaw until they’re tickling my earlobe.
“Promise you won’t regret this later, baby. I won’t be able to live with myself if you do.”
My legs wrap around his thighs in a wordless promise. Jude lowers some of his weight against me as I give in to the relief of breaking my heat with a real alpha knot.
My alpha’s knot.
* * *
I’m probably only out for a few minutes but when I open my eyes again, Jude’s no longer attached to me physically, but he’s exactly where I last saw him, lying on top of me and watching me with concerned eyes.
“Wow.” I smile and run one hand up his torso. “That was…wow.”
Jude’s concern quickly turns to relief and he lowers his face to the crook of my neck with a chuckle. “Yeah, it was.”
“Is it always like that?” I slide my other hand up so I’m holding his back, keeping him tight against me. “I mean, when it’s good, is it usually that good?”
Jude chuckles again and then props himself up on his elbows so he’s looking down at me. “I’ve never experienced anything like that before. And I’ve done it a lot.”
I frown and my lower lip pops out involuntarily. I don’t like that he’s done it so many times…but I guess the fact that this was better than all those other times is something for me to hold on to.
Jude captures my lip with his and sucks it into his mouth before releasing it with a smile. “That’s a compliment, in case you’re not sure.”
“So, I did everything right?” I ask, insecurity inching its way back into my mind. “I just kinda laid here.”
Jude slides his hands beneath my back and then rolls us both over so I’m draped across his body with my chin resting on his chest. “You were perfect. In every way.”
“Are you okay with not using a condom?” I ask, feeling guilty for pressuring him to do something that was not very responsible but seemed absolutely necessary at the time.
“I’m okay with it if you are.” He lifts my right hand and kisses the back of it. “Are you?”
I smile shyly. “I like knowing a part of you is still inside me.”
Jude’s eyes darken and he slides me up so my mouth is aligned with his. “You were in heat so a part of me could be inside you for the next nine months…”
I know I should be afraid of that, and maybe even guilty at that possibility, but I can’t hold back a smile from forming. The way Jude’s eyes widen tell me he might not share my excitement but I’m not going to apologize for wanting what I want. “I hope so.”
“Oh yeah?” Jude’s cock begins to harden against my thigh and a shot of slick coats my channel in anticipation of more. “Well, in that case, maybe we need to do it a few more times just to make it stick.”
* * *
It’s only four am when I wake up the next morning but my whole body is sore, and I need to pee. I slip out from under Jude’s muscled arm and get out of bed. The shirt he wore earlier is on the floor so I grab it and slip it over my head as I walk to the bathroom. After getting cleaned up, I head to the kitchen for a glass of water.
All my heat symptoms are gone, and that makes me wonder if we really did stop it the way nature intended…by creating a baby. A warm feeling settles in my belly and I realize how badly I want that to be true.
Jude barely knows me, and it’s stupid to get pregnant so young if I’m not mated, but no amount of logic can dampen my excitement. I want a baby, and I want it to be Jude’s.
When I get back to the room, Jude is awake and staring right at me. At first, I can’t tell what he’s thinking, so I just stand there, waiting for him to tell me to leave or get in. My heart starts racing as the possibility that he’ll reject me now begins to seem more and more likely. But then Jude glances down at my shirt and raises an eyebrow in question.
“Do you mind?” I ask, tugging on the hem.
He nods without taking his eyes off me.
“Oh, sorry.” I reach for the hem and pull it off. “I was a little cold.”
Before I can seek out my own clothes to get dressed and leave, Jude releases a deep breath and lifts the covers. “Much better. Now you can get back in.”
I stop mid-bend and look at his face, wondering what he means. “So, you still want…”
He reaches out to me with his other hand. When I grab it, he gently tugs me forward so I fall onto the mattress and into his arms. “You think I’m gonna let you go that easily?”
I cuddle up against his warm body, seeking the safety I’ve never felt anywhere other than in Jude’s arms. “You looked mad so I wasn’t sure if you were the one with regrets,” I admit quietly.
Jude closes his lips over mine in a soft kiss before cupping my cheek with his hand. “I’ve never felt more right about something in my life. I wish I’d followed my instincts sooner, but I’m exactly where I want to be. And if you’re forced to be in my life as a result of our night together, I’ll consider myself a lucky man.” He laughs and slides his hand down my body until he’s cupping my ass. “And if you actually want to stay in my life without a forced connection, I’ll consider myself the luckiest man on earth.”
I don’t have the words to respond, so I respond with my body instead.
My lips on his mouth.
My hands on his body.
My channel cocooning him in all the confusing and wonderful emotions I’m feeling.
43
Jude
Andy insists on going into the office since he’s no longer symptomatic. That means I have to face Matt sooner than I expected. But when he agreed to let me take Andy home, he knew what would happen. He could see it in my eyes as much as Andy did. So even though it puts the project at risk, Matt wouldn’t have tried to stop me from something I wanted so badly.
Instead of our usual sandwich for lunch, I take Matt to a sushi restaurant down the street to break the news to him. His obnoxious grin from the moment he saw me is telling. He knows what I have to say, but he’s gonna make me buy him lunch before letting me off the hook. Or letting me go.
Either way is fine with me.
Andy loves his job so if one of us has to leave, it’ll be me. I have plenty of other contracts to work on, and I want Andy to pursue this field if it interests him. I’ll just need to have a little chat with that Xander dude before I leave. I need to make sure he knows to stay the fuck away from my omega.
Okay, Andy isn’t technically my omega. Not yet anyway. But he will be. And though I’m not sure if he feels as strongly as I do yet, I think he does. And I think he wants me to be his alpha. It’s probably something we could have talked about this morning, but we were a little busy with more carnal desires to chat about anything heavy.
There will be time for that later. But if he’s carrying my child, all bets of a slow courtship are off. He’s mine either way, so the sooner he comes to that realization, the better life will be for both of us.
Matt sits at the table and immediately calls to the waitress that we’ll take a round of sake. I settle in across from him and wait for his stupid grin to die off…but it never does.
“Fine, you were right. Is that what you’re so happy about?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest with a stupid grin of my own.
Matt just laughs. “I always am so that’s not a surprise. What is a surprise is how different you are in just twenty-four hours.”
“What are you talking about?” I give him an incredulous look. I do feel different but not in a physical way that he could see.
“You’re already hooked.” He just shakes his head. “He must have some magic ass or something because you’re a completely different man.”
I smile at the memory of just how magical Andy’s ass is. “It is epic.”
Matt laughs again as the wa
itress drops two shots of sake in front of us. “To epic ass.”
I roll my eyes and take the shot before correcting his assumption. “It’s not just sexual, man. We have a connection…a bond. I don’t know how to describe it but I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
The smile fades from Matt’s face as he realizes I’m being serious. “No shit? Like actual mates? You’re serious about him?”
“Completely and totally serious.” I give him a sheepish grin, unable to believe this is actually happening. “I knotted him bare. And I’m happy about it. So is he. When I reminded him he could be pregnant, he actually smiled. I think he’s…the one.”
Matt’s amused expression does a one-eighty. “Dude, are you high? You barely know him. I’ve been with Troy for almost a year, and I’m still not sure he’s the one.”
I raise an eyebrow and look my friend in the eye. “Then he’s not. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but if you don’t feel like a vice is tightening around your chest when you’re not with him and if the idea of having a family with him doesn’t make your whole body light up, you need to keep looking. Don’t settle for ‘just okay.’ I swear to god, when you find the right man, you’ll know it instantly.”
* * *
Although we haven’t had a conversation about declaring our status yet, Andy has spent every night at my place since that first night. He’s gone home every few days to get clothes and to prove to his brother that he’s still alive and not being held in a dungeon somewhere, but he always ends up in my bed at night.
At first, I wasn’t sure if maybe I was just projecting my hopes and dreams onto this relationship to make it into more than it is. But Andy shows me in little ways just how happy he is with me by being thoughtful and loving. Like when he cooks dinner when I mention being tired. Or how he gives me a scalp massage whenever I get a headache from looking at the computer screen for too long. And when he kisses me every night with his eyes open so I’m the last thing he sees before falling asleep every night.
It’s only been three weeks since that day of his heat, but our connection has not waned in the least. In fact, the bond between us feels stronger every time he’s in my arms. And when he’s not in my arms, the pain of longing is distracting as hell. Even now, he’s just in the bathroom while I wait for him on the couch, and that need to be with him has me looking down the hall every few seconds until he finally appears with a strange look on his face.
Since Andy is always happy or at least content around me, I’m immediately on alert. “What’s wrong, baby. Are you okay?”
He holds out a plastic stick and bites his lip, waiting for me to look at it.
The pregnancy test looks like all the ones I’ve seen on TV or in movies, but when the word Pregnant is displayed on the stick Andy is holding, it seems like the most profound and unique moment anyone in the world has ever experienced.
“That’s yours?” I ask, taking the stick from his outstretched hand. “Ours?”
“I just took it.” He nods his head and a small smile breaks through. “Is that okay?”
I pull him into my arms and lift him off the ground. Andy laughs and wraps his legs around my waist. “Yes, baby. Of course it’s okay.”
He lowers his forehead to the crook of my neck and holds me tight. “Thank god because I think I’m in love with you.”
My arms squeeze just a little tighter and I carry Andy to the bedroom, the movie we’d planned to watch forgotten. “I think I was in love with you the moment I saw you, baby. It just took me a minute to man up and go for it.”
“Are you glad you did?” He presses his lips to mine, not letting go even as I lower him onto the mattress.
“More than you’ll ever know.” I release Andy and scoot down to rest my cheek against his belly. “And you, little one, will be loved more than any baby ever could be.”
Happy tears roll down Andy’s cheek as he chuckles. “Does this mean you’re my boyfriend?”
I narrow my eyes and crawl back up to press my mouth against his in a possessive kiss. “I’m your mate and your alpha. And someday, I hope you’ll want me to be your husband.”
44
Andy
“Moving in together? Andy, it’s too soon.” Ethan is livid at my announcement, but Freddie isn’t surprised at all.
“I know it’s sudden, E, but I’m happy. I love him.” My brother has been apprehensive since I told him about Jude. He sees the difference in me and knows I’m happier than I’ve ever been, but it’s been hard for him to accept that I’m going to be moving in with an alpha he hasn’t even met yet.
But that changes tonight.
Freddie insisted on a double-date at La Fondue, one of my favorite restaurants, for the official introductions. I arrived early to make sure Ethan is going to be on his best behavior tonight but his scowl has me worried the effort was moot.
“But you’re still in school. You have so much to accomplish before settling down. Are you sure this is what you want?”
I’m about to answer when I feel the pull in my belly that always indicates Jude is nearby. I turn toward the door and see him watching me from across the room. His jaw is tight, but that’s how he always gets when I’m out in public and he’s not around. After what he witnessed at O-Ring, I’m not surprised he worries about my safety all the time. I just wish his worry didn’t manifest in clenched teeth and lines in his forehead. The man is going to make himself grey before he turns thirty. Although, I’ve always thought salt and pepper was a good look on an alpha…
He immediately strides toward me and I stand up, ignoring my brother and brother-in-law because all my attention is on my man. When Jude finally pulls me into his arms and kisses me hard, the tension in my limbs falls, and the weight in my chest lifts.
I can breathe now.
“Hey, baby,” he says against my lips. “I missed you.”
I laugh and pull away. “I just left twenty minutes ago. You act like it’s been weeks.”
“Felt like it.” He leans forward to give me another kiss before helping me into my chair. Then he finally looks at the other people at our table, immediately homing in on Ethan. “You must be Andy’s brother.”
Ethan stands up and accepts Jude’s outstretched hand. “Yeah, I’m Ethan. It’s good to meet you, Jude. Andy hasn’t stopped talking about you in months.”
I smack my brother’s arm. “It hasn’t been that long…” But it totally has. Since the first day I started working with Jude and realized he wasn’t the man I thought he was, I haven’t stopped thinking about him. Or talking about every stupid thing we do together as if I’m the first omega to ever have a crush on a co-worker.
Jude just laughs and sits down beside me, holding my hand on the table proudly. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ve been a little obsessed myself.”
Freddie squeals and offers his hand to Jude. “I’m Freddie, Ethan’s mate. And I’m so happy for both of you.”
My cheeks pink up, and I glance at Jude. We haven’t decided if we would tell Ethan and Freddie about the baby tonight. We planned to play it by ear and see how things went. But by the giddy look on Freddie’s face, he can tell. He has a sixth sense about these things. “Thanks, Freddie.”
“Uh, yeah.” Ethan coughs and then pats my arm from across the table. “Me too. I wasn’t sure if you were serious about this relationship, but it’s pretty obvious that you guys mean a lot to each other. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you, Ethan. That means a lot to me.”
Freddie waves his hand at me, urging me to continue. “And, isn’t there something else you have to say?”
I just smile and squeeze Jude’s hand. He should be the one to make the announcement. I get to carry the baby so it seems only fair he gets the fun job of sharing the news.
“Well, now that you mention it, there is one other thing.” Jude leans over to give me another quick kiss before turning to Ethan and Freddie. “Andy and I are expecting a baby next spring.”
Freddie jum
ps up and rushes around the table to hug me. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so happy for you.”
I feel silly wiping a tear from my eye but they aren’t exaggerating when people talk about pregnancy hormones being a bitch. “Thank you.”
Ethan pulls me into his arms next. “Me too, little brother. I know this is what you want and I’m happy that you found it so quickly. You’re a lucky man.”
I nod against his chest then turn to Jude. “I am a lucky man.”
“And hungry, right?” Freddie sits down and opens up his menu. “When I’m pregnant, I eat like a pig. That’s one of the perks so don’t be one of those annoyingly healthy types and go all organic on us. That baby needs junk too!”
“Don’t worry.” I laugh and pick up the menu. “So far, this baby has only wanted junk.”
45
Andy
Jude has worked hard all week to wrap up another project he’s been working on. So, when I get home early, I decide to make one of his favorites for dinner. I scan through the pantry, taking note of the ingredients I’ll need to make a lasagna. I’m missing a few items and will need to run out to grab them. Once I think I have everything listed, I hop in my car and head to the fresh market that’s about a mile from the house.
Finding what I need is easy since I mostly need the basics of tomatoes, cheese, and fresh pasta. We have everything else I need at home. One thing I can say about my alpha, he definitely doesn’t let me go without. If I even hint at wanting something, it shows up on one of the shelves before I know it.
I have to remind myself to watch what I say because even if I tease about wanting something extravagant, Jude takes me seriously. And as much as I believe I could eat five gallons of ice cream in one sitting sometimes, we definitely don’t need that much in the freezer for me to attempt the feat.
I don’t need to gain more weight than I already have. I can’t even tie my shoes anymore.
I continue to ask the doctor at every visit if I’m having twins, be she continues to assure me I’m not. Even though I have a feeling one kid is playing peek-a-boo behind the other during the ultrasounds I’ve had. At least if I were having two, I could excuse away all the weight I’ve gained.