Saved By The Alpha
Chapter 28

I stood staring at the bed. The clothes I’d laid out earlier stared back at me as if I were an alien who’d never worn them before. It was ridiculous. I dressed myself every day like every other adult. I’d been picking my own clothing since I was twelve, maybe even earlier.

So why is picking something to wear so damn hard?

“I like the navy blue one if that helps at all,” Luna suggested from nearby. She was perched on the edge of the bed. “But I think you should wear whatever makes you comfortable.”

I frowned. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to a restaurant so classy before.”

Luna gave me a knowing smile. “The only restaurants I’d been to before dating Remus were fast food joints or local diners,” she said. “It won’t be so bad. And the desserts are usually to die for, so…” She trailed off with a little laugh.

I smiled as the thought of a divine chocolate cake or creamy creme brûlée made my mouth water. Food was one thing, but a fancy dessert? Those only existed in my dreams.

“Still,” I said, gazing back at the outfit choices I’d laid out. “I don’t want to embarrass anyone by being too casual — or too dressed up — or, I don’t know. The wrong kind of dressed up. Is that possible?”

Luna shrugged. “Maybe? I’m the wrong girl to ask.” She stood and walked over, giving my shoulders a squeeze. “Seriously, I think you should wear whatever you feel best in. That’s the perfect outfit.”

My eyes fell on a pair of slim, dark jeans. I had the cutest boots to go with those, and truthfully, they made my as*s look fantastic. “Are you sure?” I reached for the simple top that matched. It was getting a bit cool out, so I would probably have to wear a light jacket as well.

Luna nodded. “Very. If you aren’t a dress girl, don’t wear a dress. If you’re a jewelry girl, wear that, but if it bugs you, don’t.”

I frowned. “But Eli…”

Luna huffed. “Eli will adore you in whatever you wear, Iris. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

I opened my mouth to argue but couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t just an excuse. Luna was right. Even I’d seen the way Eli looked at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. There was a wonder in his eyes that made me feel like someone special. I’d felt people look at me like that before, but it was for all the wrong reasons like I was odd, weird, or unwanted. Eli, though…Eli made me feel like I was exceptional. Like he’d never met anyone like me, and he liked that. I still had a hard time believing that, sometimes, but…

The feeling didn’t make me want to duck and run anymore. Quite the contrary. It was even something I was starting to look forward to.

“Jeans it is,” I finally decided, giving myself a firm nod. I started to strip out of my clothes, quickly changing into the slick outfit I’d settled on.

“Good,” Luna said. “Because I’m starting to get hungry, and I really don’t want to be late for our reservations.” While Eli and I weren’t going out with Remus and Luna, we had agreed to get drinks first before going our separate ways. It was fine with me, as I was glad to have Luna’s company while we got ready.

Once I’d gotten dressed, I gave myself a once-over in the mirror. I looked pretty damn fine, if I did say so myself, but as soon as I had that thought, the doubts started to bubble back up. My brow furrowed, and I glanced over my shoulder at Luna, watching as she adjusted one of her earrings.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked.

She sighed. “Iris, he asked you on a date. I think it’s a very good idea.”

That was a different problem entirely. “No, I mean… We haven’t solved this case. There are still some loose ends.” We had gotten Dr. Brenner, yes. Three of the four lieutenants had been eliminated, and the pair of girls acting as moles inside Remus’ pack had been detained, but that wasn’t everything. The last lieutenant was still at large, and we still had no idea who the general was.

Luna stepped over to me and reached out, squeezing my elbow. “If you’re always waiting for the perfect moment,” she said quietly, “you’ll always be waiting, you know? I know it’s not ideal, but working yourself into the ground isn’t going to help anything or anyone. Not you, not Eli, not Bella, nor the wolves you’ve rescued, either.”

I frowned. “I know, but they’ve been through so much. I—”

“So have you,” Luna replied, leveling me with a firm look. “I’m not saying you should disappear for a week and gamble away someone’s life savings in Vegas. But one night away from the case will be refreshing.”

“But—”

“Iris! Seriously, you deserve this, and if you can’t handle that, then just tell yourself you aren’t good to anyone if you run yourself ragged, okay?”

My frown deepened. ‘Deserving’ something made my guts squirm, but the expression on Luna’s face told me she’d argue this point until she was blue in the face. I didn’t have the energy or the conviction for that. “Fine,” I said, straightening up. “Just let me go and check on Maverick and Bella one last time.”

Luna gave me a knowing look. “Don’t loiter.”

I slipped out of the master and walked across the hall to Bella’s room. I knocked on the door and let myself inside. Bella was sitting on the floor across from Maverick. It was almost comical to see the large alpha hunched over, watching intently as Bella pointed at the board game they had set out. I realized at once it was Candy Land, and she seemed to be explaining the rules to him. My heart swelled in my ch3st.

She glanced up as I approached, beaming. “Play? ‘Ris play?” she asked, holding up another piece.

I smiled back at her. “Uncle Mav is going to play with you,” I replied, glancing over at him. “‘Ris and Eli are going to have some ‘Ris and Eli time.”

Bella seemed to digest this for a moment before nodding. “Okay,” she said simply, turning her focus back to Maverick.

Maverick glanced up at me, giving me a wry smile. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re one hundred percent sure you’re okay with this?” I asked.

He raised a brow. “I’ve dealt with criminals and war and feral wolves, and you’re asking me if I’m okay with one little girl?” He turned his eyes back to Bella, smiling at her. “One sweet, well-behaved little girl?”

She giggled, ducking her head. I had to admit, she was a very mannerly child. I didn’t think Remus’ twins were that poorly behaved, but Bella made them look like wild creatures sometimes.

“All right,” I said, exhaling. “But I have my phone on me if you need anything. So does Eli. If you can’t reach us for whatever reason, you have Remus’ number and Nic’s, so—”

“Iris.” Maverick fixed me with a firm look. “We’ll be fine. You won’t even be far away. Go have a good time with Eli.”

The entire sceneat the Commodore Perry Estate was out of a dream. Luna had described it to me as “a bit of Europe in the heartland of Texas.” Having only been to London, I couldn’t say if that was true, but the estate had an approachable elegance. I didn’t feel nearly as out of place as I thought I would with all the gardens and stone details.

If I had been a little nervous about leaving Luna and Remus as they departed for their own dinner plans, any concerns I might have had were completely forgotten as Eli pulled out a chair for me at the table. I glanced around the small room.

“Where is everyone?”

He smiled as he sat across from me. Eli always looked handsome, but he looked especially charming tonight. His dark hair was styled loosely. He wore dark slacks and a button-down that brought out the blue in his eyes. Somehow, Eli managed not to look all that formal. I felt like…well, I felt like we matched. And that felt good.

“I booked the entire room,” he said simply as if that were a normal thing to do. “I didn’t want anything to ruin the night.”

It seemed like an absurd notion, but I smiled anyway before I glanced out of the large picture frame windows. The sun was going down, painting the estate in a rosy light. “The view here is amazing.”

“And you don’t have to share it with anybody,” Eli teased.

A waiter came over to take our drink orders. I hadn’t had anything at the bar we’d visited beforehand, so I decided to treat myself to a single glass of wine. Of course, Eli picked the most expensive bottle of red on the menu when I told him to pick for me, but…I supposed I had opened that door.

After he returned, we ordered our dinner, and then we were left to each other’s company again. I took a sip of my red and sighed happily, gazing back out at the darkening landscape. “This is lovely,” I admitted, taking another sip. “Thank you.”

“You deserve the best,” Eli replied simply. “You don’t have to spoil me, you know. I like a good milkshake just as much.” I took another sip. It was divine. I had to give him that. “I don’t need the fancy extras.”

“Need and deserve are two very different things,” Eli countered, smiling over the rim of his glass. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget how much you like bacon cheeseburgers, too. You can have both.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. He wasn’t wrong. “Maybe not at the same time.”

“Have you ever tried red wine and cheeseburgers? Maybe it’s great.”

This time, I outright laughed. “Okay, you got me there. I haven’t.” And not just because I generally avoided drinking either. “Consider it on my bucket list then.”

“What else is on your bucket list?” asked Eli, leaning across the table.

“Well…” I trailed off, looking away again. Truth be told, I hadn’t put much thought into it. When I was young, it was just survival mode all the time. Once I got out of foster care, it was all about my career and how I could support myself. I thought one or two weeks into the future — at best, maybe a year. That was it. There was never a dream scenario, though. I never dared let myself do that.

Eli must have picked up on some of my uncertainty. “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia,” he told me, looking out the window. “New Zealand, too. I’ve heard they have some of the best landscapes in the entire world, and I’d like to see it for myself.”

I leaned against the back of the chair and smiled, trying to imagine what Australia would look like. Most of what I’d seen was in movies, and somehow, I didn’t think The Rescuers Down Under did it justice. “I want to see the northern lights,” I admitted, feeling a little shy. “I grew up in a place I could see them, but I didn’t really appreciate them when I was a girl. I thought they’d always be there.” I paused. “But maybe not in Alaska…maybe somewhere like Norway or Iceland. I think that would be neat, now that I have a passport and all.”

Eli beamed. “Sounds frigid and excellent,” he said.

“I wonder if Bella would like it,” I mused. “I don’t know that much about dire wolves, but they were around during the last Ice Age, right?” I blinked. “Oh — I bet she hasn’t even seen snow! Between the facility and being so young…”

“We should take her somewhere snowy this winter,” Eli suggested. He pulled out his phone and then stopped himself. “I can look later,” he said, setting it on the table. “Maybe the Alps?”

I frowned, even though I knew the expression was ruined by my smile. “The Alps, Eli? She’s three. Maybe four. She doesn’t need to go to the Alps. I think just like…going to New England or something would be fine.”

He snorted, unable to bite back his grin. “Aspen, at least. Come on, Iris. You can’t guarantee snow in New England, but you can in the mountains.”

“Can you, though? You’re rich, but you aren’t a weather god.”

Eli laughed heartily, his eyes twinkling. My heart soared. “No, but I can take us to a resort that will manufacture snow if none falls.”

“Fine,” I replied, unable to resist joining in. “We’ll take Bella to see some snow this winter if we’ve wrapped up the case.”

“Of course,” Eli agreed. “We wrap up the case first.”

My spirits were still high when the waiter returned to serve us our first course. I really didn’t need anything other than a main meal, but Eli had insisted. Once I tasted the bacon-wrapped scallops, I had to agree. They really were excellent. The night became a blissful blur of delicious mouthfuls peppered with cheeky banter. It was my favorite version of Eli, really. I’d known this version all along. It had just taken me some time to warm up to him.

I’m glad you insisted,I thought to my wolf.

She wasn’t smug, exactly, but I knew she was pleased with herself as she basked both in my praise and Eli’s attention.

We had made it to dessert when the conversation circled back around to travel.

“Would you want to go back to London?” Eli asked as I took in a forkful of chocolate cake. It melted in my mouth, and I almost had a hard time focusing.

A girl could get used to this!

I must have taken a little too long to answer because he cleared his throat and added, “Without my family, this time.”

I set my fork down and smiled at him. “I’d love to see London,” I admitted. “I think I’d like to see the rest of England, too. I had a foster brother who was obsessed with knights and castles. He shared his books with me sometimes. I’d like to see some in real life.”

Eli laughed, relief blossoming over his face. “I can show you all the castles you want,” he replied.

“I want to see more than just castles,” I clarified. “I’d like to see all the parts of London you like, not just the touristy bits. Honestly, I don’t care much about that at all.”

Eli’s smile grew, and he dipped his head. “I’d love that.” He hummed. “Maybe we can take Bella for tea. She seems to like playing tea with her wolf toy.”

“Yes!” The idea filled me with warmth — but it only lasted a moment. I paused, my eyes taking in the half-eaten cake on my plate when another thought bubbled to the surface.

Eli rumbled softly. “Iris? What’s wrong?”

I took a deep breath and looked back up, steeling myself as I met his gaze. “Eli — look. I know you’re an alpha, and one day you’ll be the pack alpha of Longbow. You’re expected to produce an heir, and maybe you want to.” He opened his mouth to speak, and I held up a finger. “Please let me finish.” If I didn’t get it out now, I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to try again. “I…well, there’s a very high chance I can’t have biological children with everything that’s happened to me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I want to be upfront about that so that you can make the best choice for you, and—”

“Iris.”

“—if that’s not me, I won’t hold it against you because—”

“Iris.”

“—I know that lineage is probably very important and—”

“Iris.”

I scowled. “What?”

My reaction made him grin. “You’re the best choice for me, you wild thing. Yes, yes, tradition, all that.” He flapped a hand. “We’ll have Bella. She’s an alpha. She’s already a wonderful little girl, and I’m sure she’ll grow up to be an even better woman. She’s the perfect future alpha for Longbow.”

I blinked, trying not to gawk. “Are you — you’re serious?”

He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be? I love you. I adore her. Why would I want to give all that up because some stupid tradition tells me to?”

The smile that broke out across my l!ps could have lit up the entire room. I didn’t have anything else to say to that, so I stood up abruptly, walking over to pull him into a searing k!ss. I let my body say the rest.

Honestly,I’m not really sure how we made it back to the bed. I was so full of warmth and affection for Eli, I felt like I could burst. It was all I could do not to sit in his la*p in the middle of the restaurant, but at that moment, I was plenty glad he’d opted for a private room. It was a good thing he’d thought ahead to book a room at the same estate. I might have spontaneously combusted if we had to wait for the waiter to bring us a check.

As soon as the suite door closed behind me, Eli’s fingers were already tugging at the hem of my shirt. I fumbled with the button on his slacks before he pushed my fingers away as he pulled my blouse up and tossed it. Those expert digits immediately unlatched my br*a, and that fell to the ground too. I shivered as he bent forward, dropping butterfly k!sses against tender skin. He brought one hand up to cup one of my bre*asts, rubbing his thumb over my n!pple. It hardened beneath his tender care while a soft gr0an escaped me.

“Tease,” I murmured, trying not to squirm, as I brushed my fingers through his dark hair.

Eli peered up through his lashes at me and winked. “Am I really a tease if I always deliver?”

I huffed, trying not to smile and failing spectacularly. “You’re killing me,” I complained.

“You started it. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so hard in my life so fast as I did just now after the way you k!ssed me downstairs.” He moved his hand from one bre*ast to the other, gently plucking at my other n!pple. I gr0aned again.

Before I could say anything else, Eli was moving. In one swift motion, he had one arm at my knee and the other at the small of my back. He scooped me up bridal style and carried me to the bed as if I weighed nothing, laying me down on the sheets. The alpha descended upon me, k!ssing me with such heat I thought I might melt away to nothing.

“Boots,” I panted when he finally broke away. When he gave me a half-puzzled look, I wiggled one foot. “Boots!”

I hardly wanted to stop, either, but more than that, I wanted to be n*ked. With him. Now.

Eli growled softly but tugged at the zippers on my boots before depositing them on the floor. His own shoes followed, and his dress shirt was left in a heap. He was like a force of nature, and I was here for it.

It didn’t really seem to matter if we were making love or having a rough tumble. Eli wanted me so powerfully I could scarcely comprehend it. He was as powerful as a storm itself, so it made sense he fvcked like a hurricane: he left me breathless and exhausted in all the best ways.

Honestly, Eli checked every box on my mental list. The thrill of being taken now sent shivers down my spine. I never thought I’d enjoy that, much less crave it, but then I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted this man. I never knew exactly what he’d do next, especially when it came to the bedroom, and that made me hornier than I’d ever been.

I loved it.

I loved everything about the man, though, at the moment, I was struggling to think of anything that wasn’t his skin against mine, the feel of his l!ps, or the hard line of his er3ction pressing into my th!gh. The suggestion of it alone made my mouth water. He always made sure to prep me just right as well, stretching me open before filling me with his big c0ck. When he bottomed out, it felt like we were two puzzle pieces perfectly aligned. Made for one another.

And maybe we were. Maybe that’s what mates were.

This time, the thought didn’t fill me with dread. Instead, I felt an electric zing run through me, and I squirmed, suddenly impatient with the attention Eli was lavishing on me. “P*nts off,” I gr0aned.

“Bossy,” he mumbled against my skin, giving my collarbone a little n!p. The sharp pinch ripped a gr0an through me. My pvssy clenched, and I squirmed again, already feeling slick between my th!ghs.

And he hasn’t even reached south of my h!ps yet…

Eli grinned against my skin as he reached a hand down, undoing the fly of my jeans. He started to shimmy my clothing down my th!ghs, and I writhed again, impatiently trying to hurry him along.

“What’s the rush?” he cooed, mischief glimmering in his eyes.

“You,” I huffed back, trying to loop a leg around his waist.

Eli wiggled out of the way. As soon as he’d pushed my pants off, he reached up, gathering both my wrists in one hand and pinning them over my head. My breath left me in a rush; I felt so exposed, and that alone sent a heady rush through me. Heat curled in my stomach.

“That’s a good girl,” he murmured, brushing k!sses down the length of my neck. I tipped my chin back, exposing my throat. Eli made an appreciative noise. “Ah, yes. That’s my good girl.”

“Yes,” I panted, whimpering. “Yours.”

I loved the way it sounded.

He must have, too, judging from the growl that rumbled through him. I shivered again. Eli crawled over me, peppering me with little k!sses and sharp bites. He hovered over my stomach and k!ssed my h!p. His knees bracketed mine as I panted. I was vaguely aware of a whining noise but was barely aware at all that it was coming from me.

Eli leaned forward, dragging his teeth over the pulse point on my neck, and I almost shrieked. Yes! Do it!

He hovered there, gr0aning softly before he finally moved. This time, he pulled away, and I whined again. I watched through narrowed eyes as he finished undressing himself — not moving my arms even though he’d briefly let me go.

When he came back, I thrust my h!ps up, desperate for the friction. Desperate for the feel of him, just a touch. Anything. I felt like I might cvm just from proximity alone.

Eli hushed me, squeezing my wrists. “Shh,” he hummed, squeezing his knees around my h!ps until I stilled. “Now, that’s not how this is going to go, baby girl,” he cooed. His voice was lower than usual, almost gravelly. I swallowed hard, not trusting myself to speak.

Eli smiled and leaned down to k!ss me, slow and lazy. His tongue swept against my l!ps before moving into my mouth. I gr0aned against him, but I laid still beneath his torso, just as he’d said. It was almost torture, but I savored every second of it. I tried to move my hands, even just to brush my fingers into his hair, but Eli squeezed my wrists again and gave a little warning n!p to my lower l!ps.

I whimpered, squeezing my th!ghs together and my eyes shut. I’m so close. I’m so close, and he hasn’t even touched my pvssy yet.

Eli hummed quietly, almost maddening in his calm, and put a few inches of space between us as if sensing how close I was.

“Eli,” I whined; my voice sounded reedy and frayed like a chord kept well past its prime.

Eli smiled, petting one hand down my side like he was trying to gentle a filly. “Shh,” he murmured. I wanted to be annoyed that he was taking so long, but it was somehow soothing.

Perhaps that was exactly what he was looking for. Finally, finally, Eli dipped his free hand down between my th!ghs. I had to focus with all my might not to whimper and gr0an as he finally slid a finger inside of me, eased by how wet I’d gotten for him. Eli had already figured out exactly how I liked it. His motions were slow and deliberate as he worked me open first with one finger, then two, and finally three.

I rolled my h!ps down, whimpering. I felt like I was just barely held together at the seams, but before I could ask for more, the fingers were gone, replaced by the heady girth of Eli’s er3ction.

My head lolled back, and I m0aned, my body arching to meet my mate’s. I could come just like this. “Eli,” I whimpered.

“I have you,” he murmured, folding over me. He laced k!sses over my neck and throat while his fingers danced over my clit, making me see stars as I clenched around his thick length. I choked on a breath, once again at a loss for words. There was only one I could remember, anyway.

Eli, Eli, Eli.

I felt like I’d been broken wide open, the intensity of the moment almost painful. My vision started going blurry around the edges, and I cried out, tipping my chin back again.

“Eli, please!”

At my word, he tipped his head and sunk his teeth over my pulse. I shrieked as I came, shaking with the rush of emotions as my wolf howled. Already, I could feel Eli’s wolf closer, but I couldn’t let myself go entirely, not yet. I didn’t know how I knew, but instinct urged me to tip my head toward my lover.

The moment Eli drew back, running his tongue over the mating mark, I nudged his cheek with my nose. As soon as he tipped his chin, I mirrored his action, biting down on his pulse point. Eli gr0aned and dipped his head, fingers clutching hard where he was holding me. I m0aned along with him, clenching around his c0ck as he came.

“Iris,” he panted, still k!ssing the mark he had left. “You’re mine. All mine.”

“Yes,” I agreed with all of my heart. “Yes. I’m yours.”