Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 35

Willow

I wanted to protest sitting in his lap, really just because of the innate intimacy the position implied in front of the others, but I was afraid it would call even more attention to myself.

My face was already red as a tomato as it was, and I kind of did need the comfort of his arms surrounding me while I adjusted to all of the changes, if I was being honest with myself.

I would apparently have to get used to public displays of affection though if Jax’s current actions were anything to go by.

My wolf warned me that he would be more possessive and protective of me with other males around, seeing as we had still not taken that last step together.

Rather than listen to my wolf yammer on about the same thing in my head over and over again, I reached down, grabbing the fork Jax had retrieved for me, and took a big bite of the savory enchiladas that had been taunting me with their delectable aroma ever since we had walked in the front door a few minutes earlier. The flavors exploded in my mouth, successfully shutting my wolf up in the process.

I felt Jax’s arms tighten around me in response when a small, involuntary m**n of delight escaped my lips as the piquant flavors flooded my taste buds.

I glanced up in response to his loud growl that had sounded shortly after my sound of pleasure had, noticing the silence that had filled the room.

Ronnie allowed the chair to scrape across the floor as she pulled it out to take her seat at the table with her own heaping plate of food.

As she did so, she laughed before saying, “Well, I guess that means you do like my cooking after all Willow. Don’t mind Jax. He will calm down after he officially claims you. Well, some anyway.”

It seemed the red was destined to never leave my face, but I allowed the moment to pass without comment, relieved when the other males retreated to make their own plates without even so much as looking in my direction.

Jax settled then, but he kept his arms locked tight around my waist as I continued to eat and casually talk with Ronnie. The other alphas returned and began eating without wasting anymore time, but I noticed that Jax was the only one left out in this scenario.

Ronnie had been telling me about a few things she had picked up for me when she was in town earlier. I was excited, and a little apprehensive to be honest. I was not used to other people doing things for me simply out of the kindness of their hearts.

However, my wolf continued to press me to rectify the issue of our mate not eating, preventing me from fully being in the moment with her.

When she paused to finish the last bit of food on her plate, I used the opportunity to turn slightly in Jax’s lap and looked up into his tawny colored gaze saying, “Aren’t you hungry too? You have not eaten since around lunchtime today either unless you snuck off and nabbed a deer or something while I was napping earlier by the river.” I finished lightheartedly, loving the small smile that pulled at the edge of his lips.

Nevertheless, before he could answer, Ronnie’s loud laugh intruded, swiftly cutting off any reply he might have made. She went on, “Oh, he will eat, but not until he is absolutely positive that you have gotten enough to eat first. Have you seen the size of my brother? The amount of food he can demolish in one sitting is unbelievable.”

I was again embarrassed by Ronnie’s reply, though I should probably just get used to feeling this way at this point. Her response did make a lot of sense too. Jax was huge, at least 6 foot 4, maybe taller, but definitely several inches taller than Zeke’s 6 foot 1.

It also helped explain why his wolf was so much bigger than I was used to seeing, though my own stunted size might have something to do with how big he had seemed to me. All in all, it made sense that he could put away a lot of food.

I was touched that he was waiting, ensuring that my belly was full, like I imagined he always would from this point forward. It was an unreal feeling to know that I would never have to worry about whether I would be able to eat or not again.

Keeping that thought in mind, I urged Jax to eat now, not wanting him to wait on my account. There was more than enough food to go around based on what I had seen earlier anyway, even with three hungry alphas devouring the mouthwatering meal that Ronnie had prepared.

That was something else. I loved to cook, but it was so nice to have someone else take the time out of their busy day just to prepare a special dish for me. Favorite foods had been one of the things Ronnie and I had talked about in our spare time while we had waited for Jax to appear yesterday.

I felt overwhelmed and overjoyed that Ronnie had remembered and taken it one step further by actually cooking the meal for me. Perhaps, I had hit the jackpot with my new sister-in-law as well.

Before my mind could wander too far down that rabbit hole, Jax’s words interrupted my thoughts. He had said something reassuring, but I distinctly noticed that he did not start eating, despite me expressing my desire for him to do so.

Seeing that Ronnie was almost done eating, I took a few more bites myself before finishing the glass of milk Jax had poured for me and pushing to get up out of his lap. His hold restricted me from doing so, but it was not painful or uncomfortable in anyway.

I decided it would be best to make my intentions clear, rather than engage in a battle of wills with my overly possessive mate at the moment.

Looking over at Ronnie, I said, “Did you want to give me a tour of the lodge while Jax eats and talks with the other alphas? Maybe show me to those clothes you had mentioned…” I trailed off, leveling a pointed glance Jax’s way, hoping he would take the hint.

Ronnie quickly responded, moving to get up as well, “Sure, sounds like a great plan. The boys can do the dishes too since I cooked dinner.” She finished with a light laugh and a mischievous look on her face.

I observed as she gathered her dishes and walked over to the sink, rinsing them out at least before turning back towards me with a warm smile on her face.

I turned towards Jax with a questioning expression on my face.

He appeared reluctant, his arms tightening fractionally around me for a moment before resignation crossed his face.

Seeing an easy win, I did not expect for him to pull me in close and lay a scorching k**s on my dazed lips before he released me suddenly, setting me gently on my feet by the table.

I blinked a few times to clear my head before turning to Ronnie, who I noticed had an amused expression on her face, but she did not say anything to my relief, simply strolling forward and grabbing my arm as she continued striding out of the room with me in tow.

I did not dare chance a glance back at the other alphas, but I walked as confidently as I could manage out of the room with Ronnie, after pulling the hem of the large t-shirt I wore down as far as it could go that was.

I let my shoulders relax as we cleared the doorway, allowing myself to relax and take in my surroundings. I had never been in any of the other dwellings here in the South, no surprise there, and I found myself mesmerized with the small details that made the lodge seem more comfortable than the pristine mansion, severely slowing our progress. Thank Luna, Ronnie did not seem to mind the delay.

As we walked down the hall, through the living room, and into one of the two master suites the lodge offered, thank you for the detailed descriptions Ronnie, I admired the homey touches I saw along the way, like the furry faux blanket thrown over the arm of the recliner I had noticed in the living room or the small, framed photo of Jax and Ronnie as children that I saw sitting on the nightstand when we walked into the bedroom.

The pack house had always seemed so cold, despite its numerous luxuries, but somehow it already felt like home here in this lodge with Jax and his family, notwithstanding the provisional nature of the abode.

He may not have said it, but it was clear by his demeanor and the way he spoke with the other alphas how he felt about them. They must have forged a close bond as they came together as new leaders trying to end the devastation wrought by the bears during their avaricious bid for more territory.

I was more than gratified that they were all willing to allow me in on their shared closeness, to truly make me feel like a member of a family again. I felt truly content, despite the niggling worry in the back of my mind about Zeke’s treacherous ways. My wolf and I knew that we had not seen the last of him yet.