Saved By The Alpha
Chapter 2

Thankfully, no one had noticed when Bella and I snuck downstairs in the early hours. I barely had anything to drink, but I still felt like hell. All this traveling hadn’t exactly been great for the healing process, and the stress of meeting Eli’s extended family hadn’t helped either.

I knew rest would do me some good. I also knew carrying around a toddler wasn’t the best thing to help me get back into fighting form as quickly as possible. I even knew it would be better if we got on UK time instead of some bizarre jet-lagged schedule, but…I was still seriously considering flying back to Texas. But a small part of me felt bad for abandoning Eli in what was clearly some sort of familial clusterfvck…

I had to shake it off. I couldn’t make a decision based on Eli, especially when his mother had treated me worse than the dog shit she found on the bottom of her Louis Vuitton shoes. He didn’t even seem to think it was that weird. Admittedly, she hadn’t seemed to be particularly maternal toward him the night before, and I strongly suspected there was an entire story behind that, but…

This was my life. I couldn’t stay here if I was going to be treated like what the cat dragged in, and I certainly couldn’t leave Bella here to be treated like that, either. I might not have any idea how to take care of a child, much less have the resources to do it by myself, but I knew it would be better than being looked down on. Besides, Luna was—

Was she my friend?

After talking to her last night, I at least felt closer to her — and besides, she was a mother — of twins, no less. I was pretty sure she’d help me with Bella, even if whatever Eli and I had — if we — if—

I shook my head and straightened my shoulders. The ‘ifs’ came tinged with a bit of sadness, and that was not something I could handle right now.

I took a deep breath of the outside air and looked down at Bella. Even though the Archers had a massive estate, we were still in the heart of London. There was no yard for her to play in, but there was a small garden outside the front of the building. I probably couldn’t even take two large steps from the front of the building to the brick wall separating the property from the road, but it was something.

It was almost private if you ignored the sound of traffic rolling down the street and random footsteps on the sidewalk. I’d left my phone inside but judging by the light slowly filtering into the pristine garden, I assumed people were starting to head to work. Bella was awake, but she wasn’t energetic — not yet.

When we decided to come outside, she’d sat down on the stone bench and leaned into my side. I had asked if she wanted a story, and Bella had shaken her head no. It seemed like the little girl just wanted a moment of quiet outside the large house, and I couldn’t blame her for that. I never thought I’d feel that way, but…

I really miss Texas right now. Hell. I even miss Alaska.

And that — that was big. I had loved the place I’d grown up in with every fiber of my being, but the loss of my parents… really soured my affection for fireweed fields and tidal riverbeds.

I wondered if Bella had memories of the place she’d been taken from or if she’d been too young when Project Night Moon grabbed her and her parents. Are all her childhood memories of that sterile building? A pang of sadness followed, and I wrapped my arm around Bella’s shoulders, tugging her a little closer to me.

She finally made a little noise, looking up at me with sleepy eyes. “Pancake?”

I blinked, warmed by the soft sound of her voice. “Sure,” I replied, stroking her hair away from her face. “We can have pancakes for breakfast.”

There were a lot of things I couldn’t fix right now — but I could at least make sure Bella was fed.

We endedup having to go out to get pancakes for her. The kitchen was absolutely mammoth — it felt like it shouldn’t even be called a kitchen, and I certainly didn’t feel like I was qualified to cook in it — but one of Eli’s aunts had found me as I was looking through cupboards to replace flour. Louise all but insisted we didn’t cook, and, tired of fighting, I allowed her to escort us to a small cafe less than a block from the family home.

One-on-one, Louise really wasn’t too bad. She had her own kids, and though they were grown, she treated Bella nicely. When Bella didn’t want to say anything, she didn’t push the little girl — I didn’t have to intervene. She didn’t even chatter just to fill the silence when we sat and sipped at our coffee before heading back. I don’t know why she took us out, but…

It wasn’t that bad. If Eli’s mother had been Louise instead of Viola, well, perhaps I wouldn’t be having all the same doubts about staying in London.

Oh well.

As we returned to the Archer family home, Bella gave a big yawn, squeezing my hand a little tighter as she leaned against my leg. I smiled and scooped her up, heading toward the stairs. “Ready for a nap?” I asked, and she gave a nod, pressing her face against my shoulder. Now full of pancakes and hot chocolate, Bella was barely awake by the time I got her to her room. I eased her shoes off and tucked her in gently, smiling as she reached for the plushie wolf and crushed him against her middle.

I hovered for a few moments, but once I was certain she would stay asleep, I crept out and across the hall. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Eli sitting on the bed, blankly staring up at the ceiling. I paused, hovering there. The air was so thick with tension within this bedroom, I could have cut it with a knife.

“You can come in,” Eli muttered, his voice gravelly.

I took a step in and then scowled as I shut the door. I don’t need permission to enter the room I’m staying in.

But I also didn’t know where Eli and I stood, not after that fight we’d had last night. I didn’t want to have another one. I didn’t feel bad about standing up for myself, but I also didn’t want to keep fighting, not if I didn’t have to. I just… I wanted…

Hell. I don’t know what I want right now.

My wolf clearly wanted Eli, and if I was being honest with myself, the offer to join another pack was…tempting. It was. I had been alone for so long, the idea of having other wolves to rely on — hell, even having other wolves to run with, to hunt with — that sounded pretty amazing. Hanging out with Eli in our shifted forms had been incredible, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until he’d pulled my wolf forward.

“Are you just going to stand there? You can come in,” Eli prompted, finally looking over at me. “I can leave.”

I snapped out of my gaze and shook my head. “No. It’s fine.”

He paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly before looking back at the ceiling. “How’s Bella?”

“She’s fine. She went back to sleep. She’s having trouble adjusting to the time change.”

Eli huffed and nodded. “And you? Are you adjusting okay?”

“I’m fine.” I shrugged. “I can drink an extra cup of coffee if I need to.” Which was true, even if I was strongly considering saying “f**k it” and getting the hell out of this posh country. I paused, eyeing him a little bit longer. “Are you okay?”

I knew we had just had a fight the night before, but…he seemed off to me. More than an argument would merit, anyway. All the far-off staring, for one thing.

Eli shrugged. “I’m fine,” he answered, in a voice so monotone it didn’t sound like him at all.

I rolled my eyes and walked across the room, folding my arms over my chest. “Look, I know we argued last night, but I didn’t suddenly forget who you are,” I muttered, raising an eyebrow at him. He gave me a quick side-eye and resumed his staring into the middle distance. “If you’re still pissed at me, you can say so.” I was a big girl. Even if I was furious with him, I had said some…unkind things. If he didn’t want to be around me right now, I could understand that.

My wolf whined at the thought but didn’t protest otherwise.

We were adults, after all. We didn’t need to be liked every second of every day. Honestly, being liked by someone was a bit of a novelty for me — being liked by another werewolf was definitely out of the ordinary for her, too.

Eli looked up at me, his brow furrowed together. “It’s not you,” he said almost too quickly. He seemed to realize that and corrected himself a moment later. “Well. I’m not— that wasn’t great,” he said, struggling for words. “My mother’s mate confronted me for ‘being rude to her’ last night. He’s— yeah.”

I scowled, shaking my head. “What kind of woman—?” I stopped myself; I knew exactly what kind of woman sent her mate to confront someone. And her own son, no less! I sighed and sat down next to Eli. “I’m sorry she sent her mate after you. That’s some bullshit,” I said instead.

He nodded. When he looked back at me, the glazed look was finally starting to leave his eyes. “It is,” he agreed, watching me carefully as if waiting for some kind of scolding.

I was quiet for a moment and tipped my head. “Is that why you were in such a mood last night? Your mom?”

“I wasn’t—” Eli stopped himself again. “Yeah.”

“Yeah, me too.” I grimaced. Eli did the same.

“I’m sorry. I was looking for you, but people kept coming up to talk to me. I didn’t think Viola would—” He shook his head. “I don’t know why I didn’t think she would. Of course, she would. I’m sorry, Iris.”

I shrugged. “I…I would have appreciated a warning,” I said after a moment. He couldn’t control his mother’s actions any more than she could control his, after all, but she had caught me off guard. “So, thank you.”

I reached over and squeezed his knee. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I could have explained how I was feeling without yelling like that. Or cursing.” I gave him a wry smile, feeling a little sheepish. I knew I could be a little crass, but I tried to reserve that for when I was trying to intimidate suspects — that wasn’t how I wanted to treat Eli. “It’s been really overwhelming being here.”

“Yeah…” Eli sighed, blowing air out between his l!ps. “And I’m used to it. I don’t know why I thought this time would be different.” He huffed and flopped back against the bed. “If you really want to go back to Texas, Iris, I wouldn’t blame you. Right now, that sounds like a really good idea.” I leaned over, offering him a small smile.

“It could be worse, I guess.” My smile grew by a fraction. “The city has, like, a little charm.”

“Just the city?”

“Maybe one or two of its inhabitants. Maybe.”

I fell silent again, and so did he. It felt awkward, not at all like the comfortable silences we’d shared before. Pressing my l!ps together, I gave a nod and shifted my weight, moving to leave the room.

“Are you still mad at me?” Eli asked a moment later.

I paused. “I… No?”

“Then why are you leaving?”

I glanced toward the door before looking back at the bed where Eli sat. “I don’t know. It just seems…” Right? Did it, though?

Eli scowled and rolled his eyes before directing his frown at me. I frowned back, folding my arms over my chest. “You’re never going to change, are you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Likely not.”

He sighed, and the frown fell away, giving way to a wry smile turning up the corners of his l!ps. “No, you probably aren’t. And maybe that’s for the best.” Before I could ask, he motioned for me with a hand. “Come here.”

I blinked, a bit taken aback. “Are we…are we not fighting anymore?”

“Nope.” He shook his head.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Eli shrugged. “Why linger on it?”

I stepped forward, reaching out gingerly to wrap my fingers around Eli’s wrist. He twisted his arm, tangling our fingers together before tugging me. “Eli,” I said softly, allowing him to gather me into his arms, pulling me close as we fell back together on the bed.

“Iris,” he replied, his voice soft as he pressed a gentle k!ss to my cheek. Another to my jaw. One to my ear. I shivered as he traced his free hand down the length of my spine, pausing to cup my a*ss and give it a little squeeze. When I squirmed on top of him, he gr0aned.

“It’s all right, Iris,” he said, even quieter. There was an edge to his voice I didn’t quite recognize, and it ripped through me like a lance.

“Eli,” I said again, untangling our hands so I could spread my fingers over his chest. I dragged them down the length of his torso and slipped them underneath his shirt, desperate just to feel his skin against mine. It felt like bottled lightning as his muscles rippled beneath my touch. With every shift, he made another soft noise, and I realized his d!ck was already half-hard, pressing up against his jeans.

“Eli,” I said like it was the only word I could remember how to say. There was so much longing in my voice, but I couldn’t bring myself to be sorry for it.

“All right,” Eli said, moving his hands to bunch up in my shirt, dragging me against his body like I was the most precious treasure, and he couldn’t bear to let me go. I could have laid there forever, slowly k!ssing him, but desire continued to curl and spool in my belly until I felt like a tightly wound coil. When I squirmed again, I could feel the damp heat between my legs, and I whimpered.

Eli gr0aned in response, rolling his h!ps up to meet mine. “Shirt off,” he growled. As soon as I reared back to comply, he grabbed the hem of his own shirt and pulled it away. I quickly discarded my b*ra, lifting myself off Eli just long enough to start unbuttoning my pants. It was like a race to see who could get na*ked the fastest, but in reality, I knew it was because we couldn’t stand to be apart.

I needed to be near him. I needed to touch him. I need him inside me. Now.

Eli moved to sit upright, but I crawled forward, pushing back on both his shoulders. “No,” I said firmly, sending him back into the mattress. Eli’s brows bounced upwards, but he didn’t argue as I crawled over his h!ps, my knees against his th!ghs. I hovered there for a moment, savoring the warmth radiating off his body before I reached down between us, wrapping my slender fingers around his length.

If he had anything to say, it was lost then. Eli gr0aned as I began to slide my hand up and down his c0ck, rolling his h!ps in little circles as he tried not to thrust up against me. “Iris,” he m0aned. I grinned, feeling a bit wicked as I smeared the pre-cvm beading at the tip against his skin. I swept my thumb over the slit, and he shuddered, helpless beneath my ministrations.

Part of me wanted to tease him forever — but the rest of me wanted — needed more.

I slid my hand down to grip him at his base before adjusting myself once more. Nudging his tip against my damp folds, I paused, gr0aning as he just barely brushed against my opening.

“Iris, please,” he m0aned again, expression a little frantic. I grinned back at him.

Patience was a virtue and all, but I slid down slowly, inch by inch. I could feel the muscles in his legs tense and bunch as he fought not to squirm, but the more of him I took, the harder he had to fight. There was only an inch or so left when Eli’s eyes flashed open, and he grabbed me by the h!ps, nails digging into my skin. He bucked upward, and I yelped, pleasure-pain-pleasure signals sparking through my brain.

“Oh!” I gasped, unable to form any other thoughts. I was going to make him work for it, but —

Oh, he was still working, all right. And the bruises already forming on my h!ps? Those were really working for me. I gr0aned again, my pvssy clenching around his c0ck as he continued to thrust up into me. I ground down, trying to meet his messy rhythm. It wasn’t quite in sync, but it was wild and frantic and perfect. The only sound in the room was our gasping breaths and the frenetic slap of skin on skin.

My arousal built swiftly, a forest fire fueled by dry timber and with miles left to rage. “Eli,” I whimpered, already trembling. I pitched forward, grabbing at his shoulders as I tried to steady myself. I rocked myself against him once more, whining as the motion provided friction on my cl!t.

His eyes brightened, and he shifted, shoving one hand between us. The angle was awkward, and I was sure it would hurt his hand, but he didn’t seem to care. Eli was a man on a mission, and that mission was to make me forget my name. Forget the rest of the world. I was his, and only his at that one moment.

My org*asm crashed over me like a rogue wave, and I came with a shout, my entire body shaking. I squeezed my eyes shut as I continued to rock against him, ignoring the burning in my th!ghs. “Eli,” I panted, desperate for him to follow me into bliss. “Eli, Eli, Eli.”

“That’s it,” he panted back, his thrusts becoming more powerful. More erratic. “That’s it, baby doll. F**k, you’re so gorgeous like this. I could—”

I squeezed my pvssy around his c0ck just then, and he cut himself off with a gr0an, pushing his h!ps as thick ropes of cvm pulsed from him. “F**k,” he m0aned, eyelids fluttering. “F**k. F**k. You are so hot when you do that, Iris, f**k.”

The last ounce of strength sapped from me, and I sunk down, laying against his chest as my sides heaved. We were silent as we caught our breath, but it was the most comfortable silence I’d felt in days. When I finally felt like I wasn’t about to topple over, I propped myself up on one arm and k!ssed his chin delicately.

Eli’s steely eyes fluttered open. “What was that for?” he murmured, sounding well-fvcked and sleepy.

I smiled at him, adoration welling up in my chest. “I missed you,” I answered simply. And it was true. He hadn’t gone anywhere, but I had missed him. I’d missed him terribly.

His smile grew, even as he closed his eyes and dropped his head back into the mattress. “I missed you too, Iris. I missed you too.”