Rylan returned from his run, fatigued and still unsatisfied. His run had temporarily quelled his desire and he moved silently up the stairs. Halfway up, he could hear the soft, even breathing of the children indicating they were fast asleep. Suddenly he turned and went back downstairs. He found himself in front of Evie’s bedroom door. He froze when he heard her breaths coming in soft pants. He scented her arousal as it wafted under the door and enveloped him. His wolf surfaced, bright yellow eyes glowing in the dark. He heard something slide into her slick wet folds, heard the sloppy sounds of sex and he leaned his head against her door as his erection returned. He braced his hands on the frame and began panting, trying to calm his wolf. He knew Evie was in her bedroom alone. Touching herself intimately, sliding her fingers inside of herself. Masturbating instead of asking him to fuck her. He nearly kicked down the door and demand that she submit to him when he heard her muffled groaning as she climaxed. Her breathing slowed and he forced himself to walk stiffly to his room.
Rylan stripped and stepped into the cold shower. He used the soap to lather his painfully hard cock. He groaned as he stroked himself quickly. His cock throbbed with unfulfilled need and it hurt each time he stroked it. Slowing down made it worse, as his sac seemed to be on fire, burning deep within. He cursed his mate and cursed Evie for being so tantalizingly near yet still out of his reach.
Evie still loves her mate. She will never care for me as a man. Never ask me to fuck her.
He curled his hand into a fist and struck the tile, breaking it and slicing the top of his hand in several places. He swore loudly at his destructive behavior and forced himself to calm down. Evie would send him away if he couldn’t control his temper around her children. He thought of her sweet children and it helped him calm down.
The cold water fell on his upturned face, slid down his massive chest, down his belly and over his fully erect cock. The pain had subsided enough for him to touch himself without grimacing. He closed his eyes and stroked himself slowly as he thought about Evie. She usually put her hair up in a ponytail and his fingers always itched to take it down, run his fingers through it. He thought about her mouth, her smile and hearty laughter. His eyes darkened as he envisioned her on her knees, mouth open to receive his cock. Imagined sliding it in slowly into her hot cavern and nearly lost his seed at the thought of her mouth enclosed on his cock. He envisioned Evie, on her knees, sucking his head, taking him further into her mouth, all the way to the back of her throat. Could she take the long length of him to the back of her throat or would he choke her? Would she bob her head up and down on his cock and moan with pleasure as she worshipped his cock with her sexy mouth? He imagined that she did and his body tensed as his sac tightened and he spilled his seed into her mouth. His hips jerked as he spilled copious amounts of his seed all over the shower stall. He fell to his knees, weakened by the force of his release. It took several moments for him to recover and stand up. He finished his shower and dried off, barely making it to the bed. Within seconds of lying on the bed, he was fast asleep.
Chapter 14
The next day Evie avoided him as much as she could. She cooked breakfast, served him and the children then disappeared, claiming she had to tend to the laundry. She was gone until they finished breakfast. He enjoyed spending time with the children but he missed Evie’s presence. After breakfast was over, she came back and cleaned up. Rylan explained he had to go into town to get some supplies to fix a broken tile in his bathroom.
Leaving the children at home with Evie, Rylan drove into Tarchannen. It was a quaint town comprised of old Victorian houses of varying sizes interspersed with more modern store fronts. Although the buildings were mostly Victorian, they were freshly painted and showed no signs of disrepair. The contrast between old and modern buildings seemed to work for Tarchannen, creating an odd yet cohesive look. Perhaps it was because they shared similar color schemes.
Rylan pulled up in front of the hardware store and parked Evie’s SUV. He entered the hardware store, unaware that half the town was already gossiping about his arrival. A female wolf was restocking supplies in an aisle. She turned as Rylan entered and greeted him with a smile.
“How can I help you today?” An odd look came across her face as she recognized the scent of an alpha. She lowered her eyes in submission, waiting for his answer.
“I need supplies to fix a broken bathroom tile.” He held up a piece of the tile he had broken the night before. “Do you have a tile like this one?”
Kainda glanced up. She studied the tile in his hand then nodded.
“Yes, Sir. We have some in stock. I can show you where we keep the supplies. I can arrange for the tile to be fixed for you, Sir, if you will tell me where you live.”
“Thanks ah…?” He waited for her to supply her name.
“Kainda.”
“Thanks, Kainda, but that isn’t necessary. I can fix it myself.” Rylan was used to being alone and taking care of things himself. He had forgotten what it was like to be treated as an Alpha. Lower ranking pack members took care of all the boring tasks so the Alpha could focus on more important tasks, like fucking his mate and keeping the pack safe.
The door opened and a group of female wolves entered. They didn’t bother hiding their interest in Rylan. Within minutes he was surrounded by the women. The scent of their lust reached his nostrils. A tall svelte blond spoke first.
“An alpha is always welcome in our town, right ladies?” Celeste asked as she lowered her eyes in submission. Following her lead, they all did.
“We certainly know how to treat an alpha. Anything you wish will be yours,” she purred seductively.
Rylan, unsure of exactly what she was offering, raised a brow.
The woman stepped closer and fell to her knees in front of him.
“I can pleasure you right here, Sir. Unless you prefer somewhere else?” She licked her lips seductively.
“Or someone else,” another woman chimed in, as she too fell to her knees.
“We are willing to be shared, Alpha,” another woman told him as she too fell to her knees.
“Ahh—” He glanced at Kainda. She stood silently, observing him.
“I wouldn’t want to offend your Alpha, ladies...,” Rylan began.
“Offend him? It is our duty to provide for you, Alpha. Perhaps you will choose one of us as your Alpha Bitch?”
I see, thought Rylan.
“I’m a Wandering Alpha ladies. I have no pack.” They made small sounds of disappointment.
“Well, you can always fight another Alpha for his pack,” Celeste suggested.
The other women fell silent. Celeste wasn’t worried. She had chosen her words very carefully. At no time did she suggest that he fight Remington. That might be considered treason.
If he was smart enough, he would understand exactly what she was saying.
“I’m not interested in leading a pack. I’m simply here to protect Evie and her pups.”
“You’re the one?” They stood up, still interested in him. They sniffed loudly. Not finding Evie’s scent on his body, they stepped closer, brushing against him. At least two different women grabbed his ass and he was certain he could feel Celeste’s delicate hand on the front of his jeans, stroking him gently.
“If you need…company, give me a call,” Celeste said with a final stroke. “I’ll be happy to oblige, any time.” She released him and walked away, swaying her hips seductively. The other women released him and made similar offers before following the first woman out of the store.
Rylan shook his head in disbelief. If only Evie would proposition him that way. Sighing, he turned to find Kainda glaring at him. Rylan tilted his head, wondering why she seemed upset with him. Perhaps she knew Evie?
“Wait a minute, I didn’t encourage them in the least,” he protested.
“The supplies are over here, Sir,” she replied as she led him down the aisle. She stopped and pointed to the shelf which contained grout and mortar.
“Are
they always so…friendly with strangers?” Rylan inquired.
“You will need a trowel,” she added as she pointed to shelf containing tile trowels of different sizes and shapes.
“Why are you upset with me?” He wondered why she wasn’t throwing herself at him, not that he was interested in anyone but Evie.
“You will also need two buckets. One to mix the grout and another to mix the mortar,” she continued.
“Kainda.” Hearing the warning in his voice, she finally faced Rylan. She opened her mouth to answer, reconsidered and closed it again.
“You may speak freely, Kainda.”
“Remington is cut from the same cloth as his father, Jordan. They are both set in their ways. Old ways.”
“Which ‘old way’ are you unsatisfied with, Kainda?”
“My talents are being wasted. I am forced to work in this store, as a cashier.”
“And what would you like to be, Kainda?” She hesitated.
“I won’t laugh, Kainda.”
“I want to be the pack Tracker,” she admitted.
“Can you track?” he asked.
“I’m much better than the current one. I can track anything.”
“Then why aren’t you the Tracker?”
“Because I’m female. The Alphas in this pack think a female’s worth only lies between her legs,” she said as she turned away.
Rylan frowned at her back as she walked away from him. He followed her down the aisle. She had resumed her restocking duties. “I’m not of that mindset, Kainda. But why are you upset with me? I have no control over how your alphas run their pack.”
She gave him a knowing look. Rylan shook his head.
“I meant what I said earlier. I have no interest in becoming Alpha of this pack. I’m only interested in one thing.” Evie, he thought silently.
“Then I shall be stuck here until the Alpha decides it’s time for me to have a mate. Then I will have to be whatever my mate decrees,” she said with disgust.
“Aren’t you afraid you will be accused of treason?”
“My loyalty is to my Alpha and my pack,” she said as she stood. “I want what’s in the best interest of the pack. Encouraging a challenger, someone who will benefit this pack, is not treason. I would never do anything to undermine my Alpha. Celeste wants to be Alpha Bitch and is willing to fuck anyone who will give her that status. I simply want a chance to prove myself.”
She even sounds like a Tracker, putting the pack’s need first, Rylan thought. What she said had some merit. Alphas could be challenged at any time for their position. An unfit Alpha could expect to be challenged unless he could show that he was the best leader for the pack.
“I’m sorry, Kainda. I have to protect Evie and her pups. I have no interest in becoming your Alpha. There are many Wondering Alphas out there. Perhaps one of them will challenge him and win. But there is an inherent danger in having an outsider, Kainda. He might be worse than your current alpha.” Leaving her with that thought, Rylan returned to the previous aisle to gather the tools he would need to fix the broken tile.
When Rylan returned to the cabin, the children rushed out to greet him. Smiling at their warm welcome, he asked if they would like to help him fix the tile. Happy to be included, they helped him carry his supplies to the bathroom. By the time Evie called them for lunch, the broken shower tile had been replaced with a brand new tile.
Lunchtime was a repeat of breakfast. Evie served them food on the picnic table outside and then disappeared into the house instead of joining them. Each time she was near him, he could scent the faintest trace of an arousal. It made his wolf crazy. If the children weren’t there, he knew his wolf would have fucked her already. Understandably, she was hesitant to ask him to her bed since she still loved her mate. His wolf wanted to bury itself between her legs. Needed to feel her tight channel wrapped around his hard cock. His wolf would find a way to convince her to accept him as her lover.
“Rylan?” Gabby asked softly. Rylan swallowed his food and turned to Gabby. He scented her worry and asked, “What’s the matter, Sweetie?”
“Is Mommy mad at you?” Rylan’s eyes widened and he took a moment to consider before answering very carefully.
“I think your mommy…isn’t used to having another adult around.”
“When Mommy is mad at me I just give her a big hug and a kiss and she isn’t mad at me anymore. Maybe you should do that,” suggested Finn. Rylan smiled at his suggestion.
If only she would let me, I would do much more than just give her a hug and a kiss, Rylan thought.
“Thanks, Pal, but I don’t think your mom will let me hug or kiss her. She still loves your Daddy.”
“Mommy says that there’s always room in your heart for people you love. We love Daddy and we love you, too,” Gabby said brightly. Rylan’s eyes misted and his throat constricted. He looked at Finn and Max. They nodded and grinned happily.
They love me? He blinked quickly and looked over at the house. If only she felt that way….
They ate in comfortable silence while he contemplated how to convince Evie to accept him as her lover.
“Maybe you could buy her a present,” Finn suggested.
“That’s a great idea, Finn. What do you think she’d like?” Finn shrugged.
“Who knows? She’s a girl, and girls are weird.” Rylan smiled at the five year old’s response.
“Gabby, do you have any idea of what your mommy would like?” Gabby shook her head.
“Hmm. I think we need professional help with this. How about we go to the mall? I’m sure someone there could help us,” Rylan suggested.
They carried their dishes inside and found Evie in the living room, doing some light mending. Rylan told her he was going into town and the kids wanted to go with him. He assured her they wouldn’t be in the way, and she didn’t object. They showered and dressed for their trip. Evie gave him Max’s diaper bag and they headed to the mall.
At the mall, Rylan and Evie’s children headed straight to the jewelry counter. A Fine Jewelry Specialist smiled as she greeted them.
“How can I help you today?” Before he could respond, Finn gushed, “Mommy is mad at Rylan and we need to buy her a present so she isn’t mad at him anymore.” A bit embarrassed, Ryan smiled wanly.
“We’re looking for a gift for…their mother,” Rylan amended.
“Did you have anything specific in mind?” she asked.
“Not really. I was hoping you might have some ideas,” he confessed.
“Tell me about her. What kind of jewelry does she wear? Earrings? Rings?” He thought about Evie. She always wore a small pair of dainty gold and diamond earrings.
“She wears earrings.”
“Then let’s look at some earrings.” The Fine Jewelry Specialist showed him a variety of earrings.
“What’s her birthstone?” she asked. Rylan gave her a blank look.
“What month was she born?” Rylan glanced at the children.
“Mommy’s birthday is in April,” replied Gabby.
“Ah, diamonds!” replied the Fine Jewelry Specialist.
“She already wears a pair of diamond earrings,” Rylan said, a little disappointed. He considered other gemstones, but felt they were too ostentatious, too garish. Evie was classy. She needed something sophisticated yet timeless. He walked along the jewelry counter an something caught his eye.
That’s perfect, he thought.
Delighted with his purchase at the Jewelry story, Rylan and the children wandered through the mall. They walked by a kiosk selling Dipping Dots ice cream. Outnumbered three to one, he quickly gave in and bought each of them some ice cream. They sat on a bench across from a store and he fed Max.
They watched as a store employee packed up the current display and removed the mannequins. Another employee joined him and they began setting up a new display. They pushed in a few fake boulders then added some green turf. She spread a red checkered blanket over the turf and he helped her set up the ne
w mannequins on the blanket. A half an hour later, the picnic scene was complete with a picnic basket and fake food.
A picnic. Innocent yet romantic. This is what I need to make Evie mine, thought Rylan.
He cleaned up Max’s ice cream covered face and they entered the store. Shortly after making his purchase, Max had a little accident. Rylan, armed with his diaper bag, marched them into a nearby family bathroom. Finn and Gabby helped Rylan by taking out the diaper wipes and a new diaper.
Rylan nearly fainted as he changed the diaper.
How does Evie manage to do this? How does any woman manage to do this? he wondered.
He cleaned Max as quickly as he could then placed him in a clean diaper. He dressed Max and washed his hands. He waited outside with two of the children while the third used the bathroom.
“Can you guys handle a trip to the grocery store?” Enjoying their time with him, they eagerly replied, “Yes!”
It was almost dinner time by the time they returned home. Evie opened the door as soon as they pulled up.
“Mommy!” Finn and Gabby shouted excitedly as they jumped out of the car and ran to hug her. Rylan removed Max from the car seat and carried him to Evie. Max reached for Evie and she took him from Rylan.
“Did you miss us, Evie?” Rylan asked softly. Evie blushed and looked away. Rylan could scent her sudden arousal and his wolf purred.
“Yeah, did you miss us Mommy?”
“Did you? Did you?”
“Miss us?” the three children asked at the same time. Evie smiled and answered, “Of course, I did. Now come inside. Dinner’s almost ready.”
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