The Alpha's Other Woman

39 Expedient

Jason

I woke up in our bed, utterly spent from the sexual marathon she had put me through. I had been right, although I was far too smart to rub that in my mate's face. Her heat had stretched out for four days, but it was finally winding down. I'd lost track of how many times I had taken care of her during this time.

Besides her need to procreate, I'd made sure her other needs were met, both because I wanted to, and because that was what my wolf wanted to do. Our mate was vulnerable right now, and so we took care of her.

She was also probably pregnant, and the knowledge was as deep as my wolf. He wanted to protect and provide for our new offspring as well. She was his focus and it was easy enough for me to go along with that. The deepest, most primal part of me was delighted at the idea of reproduction with this female who was so genetically suited to me.

I liked the idea, too. A daughter who had her mother's sass, or a son with Carrie's determination; either of them appealed to me, or any combination of our traits. I wasn't fussy, and as simple as it was I just liked the idea of her bearing my offspring—offspring I had barely considered before I had met my mate.

But now, my mate and my possible offspring were one in needs. I wanted to pull her closer to me and relax now that it was over, but I decided instead it would be a better idea to provide her with sustenance. She'd be starving when she woke up, and I'd score points for being thoughtful if I had food ready. Deciding that pampering her was worth more now than my comfort, I reluctantly pushed out of bed and away from her soft naked form covered only by a thin sheet and plodded down the hall to the kitchen.

The fridge and cupboards were much more full than when I had lived alone. I had no interest in becoming a chef, but eggs were easy enough to whip up. I added some bell peppers and cheese that she had brought home for nutritional bonus points, because her fixation on healthier eating was easy to predict. While I cooked it I made instant coffee. She wasn't a fan of the instant kind, but she tolerated it because she had decided buying a coffee pot just for our use was "a waste of pack funds that could better be used elsewhere", especially when she would just stop by the pack kitchen most mornings anyway. Saving funds for other use was becoming a frequent refrain she used when she decided where to put resources.

Since she was competent at it and instantly invested, I had let her completely take over expenditures the moment she was official luna. I could do it, as could my beta or delta, but why bother when she seemed to get satisfaction from the task? Micromanaging my capable mate wouldn't get me anywhere but headaches and frustration. And why even try? She clearly knew what she was doing. More than one idiot alpha overextended himself because he wouldn't trust his luna, and while I might have fallen into being an alpha, I was no idiot.

Once breakfast was cooked, I piled everything on a couple of plates and poured two cups of that less than wonderful instant coffee along with glasses of orange juice. Balancing them into our room, I set everything on the nightstand and gently nudged her.

A moment later she stirred and opened her eyes to blink blearily at me. Her irresistible heat scent had faded, leaving only her nearly-irresistible normal scent. "Jason?"

I shot her the grin I knew she appreciated, even though she still pretended to be unaffected by my charms most of the time. Not when I had her in bed, though, she wasn't that good at pretending. "Morning babe. I made breakfast."

"Oh, good, I'm starving." She smiled gratefully and pushed up, her curly hair a wild mess of chaos around her head. I liked it, especially since it was me who caused the disorder. Flashes of different ways I had messed up her hair the previous night flashed through my mind, and I felt nothing but guiltless pride at her unkempt state.

I handed her a plate, and she took it, grabbing the fork and digging into the eggs without hesitation. I sat back on the bed beside her and grabbed my own, drinking coffee in between bites. Even though I had made the breakfast entirely with her in mind, I ate a heaping serving and had room for more. As much as she had complained about pacing, she had put me through my paces, too.

Once we were done eating, I placed the dishes on the side table for later, and I reclined back beside her. Without prodding, she snuggled closer, resting her head on my shoulder. Her touch wasn't sexual in any way, the energy of her heat had worn off leaving only satisfaction, but it felt good to have her initiate contact.

I wasn't complaining, While I obviously wanted to bury myself in her every chance I got, I also wanted something more with her beyond that. If I had my way we'd still be rutting like rabbits when we were eighty-five, but I did want to enjoy the lull between with her as well. She was mine, and my wolf liked the way she was using us as a living pillow.

Her light snores told me she was falling back to sleep, and I closed my eyes. Flashes of the previous nights—and days—ran across the back of my eyelids. Her bent over on the bed, or squirming underneath me, or riding me furiously, or...

Quieter times, too. Showering together, eating quickly grabbed meals in our bed with sheets askew, her falling asleep on my chest in complete exhaustion after the last time we had sex.

Things I would remember, things I wanted to repeat every chance possible.

I wrapped my arm around her, and held her more securely. I was tired, too, and it was easy to follow her into much needed sleep.

—————

Carrie's lips touched my own softly. I cracked open an eye. By the light streaming in the window I knew it was probably already the afternoon. She was leaning above me, looking down with an odd expression I couldn't quite interpret. It wasn't that she didn't look happy, it was more like she was overthinking again.

In our short time, I had discovered she was capable and practical, but she had a habit of wallowing in her concerns until she tried to make extreme decisions I didn't like, such as her attempted rejection. Damn, it was a good thing that I could move faster in panic than her tongue could angry.

It wasn't her fault she was like that. She saw problems and charged ahead to the most expedient solution—most of the time.

I smiled at her.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously back at me. "What is it?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb to vex her.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

I shrugged. "You make me happy."

Another scowl, as if I wasn't to be believed. "Uh huh."

"I don't know why you're so suspicious, babe. Look at this face."

"Exactly. You look like you're doing something wrong."

"Oh, I'm always doing something wrong," I drawled.

Her smile peeked out and my smile grew. She had been trying so hard to be disagreeable, but I could make her drop the act with only a few words. "That I believe." Her smiled became more cocky and I kissed her. The low sound she made only encouraged me, but I regretfully pulled away. Being the alpha of the pack was inconvenient most of the time. The original pack members had insisted I would be the best fit, but maybe I just looked like the biggest sucker of the group in retrospect.

"I should go and find out what has built up while we were busy. Are you up to it or do you need another day to rest?"

She paused. "A shower, and then I'll come with you."

I helped her up, and then followed her for a shower.