Filed to story: Owned by the Alphas Novel
I shot up. “I’m just going to go find my mom. Thanks for getting me back,” I grinned, then left them to it.
I wasn’t innocent anymore, and I would probably be the same with my alphas if I was needy enough. Something told me that winter made them all needy enough.
I moved across the lobby, the cobblestones clicking under my boots as I went through the door to the humans.
I figured Mom would be there like usual and went looking. The rooms were even warmer than the rest of the place, the fires roaring, and warmth filled my heart.
The women and children were smiling, laughing, talking, eating, sipping wine and ale, playing games. They were happy.
It was everything I wanted for them, even after the existence they had given me in the village. It seemed so long ago.
The way they were now was what I wished for them all, but the others were never going to know such fullness.
A sinking stone in my stomach warned me that it wasn’t permanent, that the other humans I had thought of were making plans, and we had no idea what they were.
But for now, I was going to let the happiness live.
I moved through them, saying hello and chitchatting when I was talked to, but I still couldn’t find Mom.
Ryleigh was sitting down on a cushion by the bookcases with a baby-name book, and I knelt down to her.
“Hey.”
She smiled up at me. “Lorelai. How are you?” she asked with a bright smile.
“I’m okay. How are you? Are the pains gone?” I asked.
She nodded, rubbing her stomach that was smaller than mine. I had no idea how I had surpassed her but then figured the wolf thing played a huge part.
“Yeah, nothing to worry about, just growing. Galen reassured me this little mite will stay tucked in through the winter, so no winter born here, thank goddess,” she breathed.
I tried not to take offense, but it was a strained effort.
“Oh shoot, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I…just, the shadows and the–“
Ryleigh rambled, but I wasn’t a stranger to contempt and shook my head.
“It’s fine, Ryleigh, I get it. Have you seen my mother around?” I asked, looking around the room again.
Ryleigh nodded toward the door. “Galen called on her. She had some herbs he needed.”
She shrugged, and I nodded, standing up, about to head off when I slammed straight into Vaughn. He steadied me with an easy smile.
“Easy there, you’ll pop.” He laughed, looking down at my swollen stomach.
I grinned, rubbing the ache in it away. “I can only hope it will be that easy,” I joked, then moved past him.
“Being a winter born, I doubt anything comes easy to you,” he said, and I had to agree.
Well, everything except my alphas. They came quite easily for me. I didn’t say that though, leaving with a smirk as I headed to Mom’s chambers.
I climbed the stairs, shaking my head with a smirk, my face flushing as I heard Beenie and Cain fucking in the room beside the lobby.
She was not shy or quiet, but if Cain was as good as my alphas, I couldn’t blame her.
I took the stairs faster, wincing as my stomach tightened, an ache settling low in it, like I had strained the muscles there.
I held it, pausing as I clutched the railing. The ache lasted for a few seconds, and then it was gone, thank the witches.
I tested the link of my alphas, backing off when I felt the strain in it.
They were saying goodbye to Tobias as alphas and as friends of who they had just put down, so I left them to their private moment and stopped at Mom’s door. I knocked before heading in.
“Mom?” I called, her room dark, the only light coming from under the door to the bathroom.
I heard rustling and hushed voices before she burst from the bathroom, smoothing her dress down and touching the curls in her hair like she was self-conscious or something.
I frowned at her, about to ask why she was being weird when Galen strode from the bathroom, his face showing no emotion as he wiped the shine from his lips.
“Have a good evening, precious.” He nodded toward Mom before looking at me.
“Lorelai,” he said, then left.
The door shut, and my jaw dropped as I turned to Mom, a grin spreading across my face. “Mom!”
She blushed, holding her cheeks. “Oh hush, Lorelai. I don’t want to talk about it.”
She fanned her flushed face before heading to the small table with her teapot on it.
“We’re definitely talking about it. Pour the tea.” I grinned again.
She said nothing, but she poured the tea.
***
An hour later, after a lot of tea and laughing about her blossoming relationship with a werewolf, Derik knocked on the door before coming in.
His expression was tight, his face sad, his heart heavy with mine. My smile faded, and I stood up, knowing they needed me now.
“Mom, thanks for the tea,” I said, and she nodded.
“Of course. Now go, I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, hugging me.
I nodded, then moved into Derik.
“She won’t be at training tomorrow. Can you run the class with the humans?” Derik asked, and my mother nodded.
I didn’t ask why I wasn’t or what he was thinking. I didn’t even go into his mind to find out. Instead, I said goodnight and left with him to our room.
I got there just as Brax finished the bath. Kai was peeling off his bloodied shirt, chucking it in the fire before turning to me, his eyes dark.
“Little Human,” he breathed, and I went to him, hating the pain that surrounded my alphas. They were empty, hollow, a darkness circling that I hated being there.
Kai pulled my mouth to his, covering it softly as I sighed into him, my nails raking down his chest.
He lifted me into the bath, and I leaned up against Derik, Brax between my legs as Kai sat next to the tub.
He picked up a cloth and began bathing me as I relaxed, watching every movement, the room silent aside from the sloshing of water.
Once I was clean, Kai moved the cloth over my breasts before leaning in and meeting my mouth. His kiss was sensual and slow but just as intoxicating as ever.
Derik’s hand moved down between my legs, teasing my pussy with pressure that had me rolling my hips against him.
I savored the feeling, my body lighting up under their touch.
Brax climbed from the bath, grabbing towels for us. Kai stepped back, his eyes never leaving mine as Derik helped me up, holding my hand as I climbed out.
I knew that for the next few hours, I was not leaving the bed. There was a nagging feeling in my lower stomach, that niggling ache still there, the pressure still pulling a snippet of my attention.
But my alphas needed me, and I had to be there for them, considering what they had just done to protect me.
I also felt my shadows.
They were darker, prickling, swirling, and I knew it was a warning that winter was going to change everything, that the other humans had been waiting for it, that the boundary was more of an issue than Derik had made it.
I knew it meant that something was about to happen, so if this was the last night I had to be with my alphas in blissful peace and pleasure, away from what the realm was demanding of us, then so be it. I’d take the night for us.
I just hoped that we got even that much because even as I thought of it, the warning got stronger.
31. The Alphas
LORELAI
My alphas worshipped my body like it was the last time they were going to get to see it.
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