Chapter Nine

After a long, hot shower and applying bandages, Angel sat on Alex’s bedroom couch in a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. She’d pulled on a thick pair of gray socks to keep her feet warm.

As soon as they’d finished cleaning up, Alex’s phone started to ring. The Alpha, Chase, Marcus and even Caspar had all called to check on the situation.

Knowing something was on his mind, Angel waited until Alex had finished with answering questions. Alex had grown quiet while they’d bathed together. Unsure if it was just the excitement or if there was more bothering her mate, she was worried. She wanted to make things easier on Alex. Now that all the rogue Guardians had been captured, Alex’s Pack should be able to get back to living their lives.

Clamping her hands together, she warily watched as Alex approached her.

“Everyone is excited that all this is over,” he told her.

She nodded. “Aren’t you?”

“I’m happy that my friends and family are safe.”

“But?” She just knew there was more.

“But I don’t have a reason to keep you here with me,” he said, looking away.

Angel couldn’t contain her gasp. Was Alex kicking her out? After all they’d been through in just a few short days—was he no longer interested in being with her?

Standing while trying to control her emotions, she wasn’t sure what to do.

“I just…” Alex was still talking but she hadn’t heard a word.

Instead of letting him break her heart any more, she jumped for the bedroom door just as her tears started to fall.

Strong arms gripped her around her waist. “Hey.”

She struggled out of his hold but couldn’t hide her face.

“Angel? What the hell?”

“Just let me go,” she ordered. “I won’t bother you anymore.”

“You want to leave?”

“I promise you never have to see me again,” she replied. Of course she never planned to come anywhere near the entire state of Texas.

“What are you…?”

Still attempting her escape, she sucked in a breath as she found herself lifted off her feet.

“Fuck this,” Alex growled.

“I…” She didn’t get any further before he tossed her onto his large dark bed before following to pin her.

“You’re mine,” he stated, peering down at her.

She tilted her head in a show of submission. “I’ll always be yours,” she confessed. “Even if you don’t want me.”

“Don’t want you?” he repeated.

“You said you didn’t have a reason to keep me here,” she told him, trying her best to keep the hurt and anger out of her voice. Now that she’d started to calm, her hurt was taking a back seat to the fury swamping her.

“We need to communicate better,” he demanded.

“Okay.” What in the hell was she agreeing to?

His hands were gentle as he cupped her face while wiping away the traces of wetness. “How could you think I would want you to go?”

Blinking rapidly at the sudden turn of events, she opened her mouth to reply but no words came.

“My mate belongs by my side. I know you have a job to do. I’ve been thinking about how to make things between us work. I’ll talk to my brother and sister today to see how much they can take over here at the ranch for me and what we’ll need to hire out for.”

“You’re leaving the ranch?” She was missing something big. Damn it, why couldn’t she think straight. Oh yeah, Alex had her pinned to the bed with his hard cock brushing her stomach. She couldn’t concentrate because she wanted him so badly.

Wait, he had an erection. Shaking her head almost violently, she forced herself to really listen to his words. “Say that again.”

“I said.” He paused to smile. “That I go where you go. If you have to leave then I’ll be at your side.”

“Oh, oh!” She shoved up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But we don’t have to!” Her laughter released the ball of dread in her gut.

Alex was chuckling along with her. “Care to explain that?”

She pulled back enough to gaze into his eyes. “I live in one of the dorm rooms but I don’t have to stay there. I’ve just never had a place of my own. I thought you’d want to wait and get to know each other better so I was going to stay with Justin in Lubbock until I found a place of my own. That way whenever I’m not working I’ll be close by.”

“See!” Alex barked. “We need to talk about these things. That’s almost a perfect plan.”

“Almost?” she teased.

“Other than you staying with Justin I totally agree with you. You’ll stay here with me. I won’t have my mate living two hours away.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” she had to ask.

“Yes, are you? I’m kind of a bear to live with. I have to have my coffee before I can string together a full sentence.”

“I can deal with that,” she promised. “I might sleep some weird hours. Especially when I come back from an assignment.”

“Lucky for me I work from home so I can take naps if you keep me up,” he replied. “My sister and brother live in houses on the property. They’re over here a lot.”

“I like your family. But if I’m staying here you’ll see a lot of Remy and Kieran.”

“I like Remy and I guess Kieran will grow on me.”

She punched his shoulder. “I can already tell you like Kieran too.”

He held his hands up. “Fine, just don’t tell him.”

“It’ll be our secret,” she vowed. “Anything else you think you’ll scare me off with?”

He scrunched his nose as he thought. “I’ll have to have you…a lot. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of touching you, being inside you.”

Angel was already nodding. “If you don’t, then I’ll just jump you.”

Grinning, he leaned forward. “I want you to stay. We’ll figure everything else out.”

She brushed her lips over his. “I want to stay.”

Gripping his shoulders tightly, she tugged him to cover her body. As she slid her hand down his back the muscles beneath her palm moved while he rocked against her. It felt good to have his weight pinning her down.

“I want to feel your skin,” he demanded, sitting back on his heels. He yanked off his shirt then reached for hers. She brushed away his hands so she could speed things along.

Alex refusing to stop touching her didn’t help, but she was determined to get naked with him. By the time she unhooked her bra his hands where on her breasts, kneading.

Reaching for the button of his jeans, he lifted up but kissed her neck.

“We should have just stayed naked,” she told him.

“I couldn’t talk to you without clothes on,” he confided.

Well, he had a point there. Wrapping herself around him, she pushed until he flipped back. Straddling his legs, she tugged off her pants before finishing removing his.

Already hot and hard for her, he moaned as she grasped his cock, pumping several times.

“Are you going to ride me?” he asked as his eyes gleamed in anticipation.

“Is that what you want?” she teased. “Or maybe…” Leaning forward, she licked at the head of his cock.

He moaned.

“That’s what I thought,” she said smugly, before taking him deeply into her mouth.

Wrapping her fist around the base of him, she set an easy pace that was sure to drive him wild. Alex pumped his hips, trying to get her to stop teasing, but Angel wasn’t having any of that.

“Please! Angel, I need more.”

Popping off, she grinned up at him. “What do you want?”

“You, always you.”

He deserved a reward for that answer. She straddled his waist. As she reached back to position him at her entrance she locked gazes with him.

Sliding down, she didn’t look away. “You’re mine,” she claimed him.

“Yes,” he hissed.

That’s all she wanted. Everything else would work itself out. Raising and falling, she took him hard and fast. With his nails digging into her hips, she knew she would have bruises but she didn’t care.

All that mattered was the connection she felt as she made love to her mate.

* * * *

Sunlight was barely breaking over the horizon when everyone gathered in his den. Alex kept his arm around Angel’s shoulder once they’d settled on the couch together.

Kieran and Remy had arrived from Lubbock to take over guarding the rogue Guardians. With his Alpha and Caspar speaking quietly about how’d they transfer their prisoners, Alex and content where he was.

“I take it you’re staying here?” Caspar asked, glancing over at Angel.

“Unless you need me?”

“No, it should be fine. Keep your phone on just in case, but we can handle getting these three back,” he told her.

“Then I’d like to stay.” Angel peeked over at Alex. “We still have some things to work out but I’ll return soon to get my stuff.”

Caspar’s wide grin lit up his entire face, making him look years younger. “So…?”

“He’s my mate,” she declared proudly.

Caspar laughed. “I figured, but you hadn’t said anything. Take as much time as you need. Bring Alex with you when you come to collect your things so he can meet everyone,” Caspar said as he rose.

Alex stood also as Caspar offered his hand.

“I’m very happy for you both,” Caspar told him.

“Thank you,” Alex replied sincerely. He knew from the way that Angel had spoken about her boss that she valued Caspar’s opinion.

Alpha Shawn had also risen and was now hugging Angel. “Welcome to the family,” Shawn said quietly to Angel.

His heart was full as he overheard those words.

“Thank you.” Angel hugged Shawn back.

Caspar released him only for Shawn to wrap him in a bear hug, lifting him off his feet.

“Alpha!” he protested.

Shawn just laughed.

Once he was back on his feet, Alex reached for Angel. She came into his embrace immediately.

“Thank you both. We’ll have a celebration once Angel gets settled in,” Alex shared.

“That’s great,” Caspar replied. “We’ll make sure to be around.”

“You’re always welcome,” Alex told them.

“We’ll have to work out a story about how you met Angel for the rest of the Pack but I’m sure they’ll welcome her with open arms.”

Alex had no doubt that everyone would love Angel as much as he did. But the other thing? “Story?”

“We still have to keep the Guardians a secret. It will be your job to help protect any of them who stay with Pack lands,” Shawn explained.

“Of course!” He looked over the three Guardians there. “My entire family will safeguard you.”

“We appreciate that. What we do is important. But it’s better left in the dark. There are some things the humans are just not ready for. Now there is one thing we have to discuss,” Caspar grew serious.

Angel stiffened against him. “What’s that?”

“Who gets custody of Kieran?” Caspar asked gravely.

“What?” Alex asked confused.

“Not me!” Caspar and Angel shouted at the same time.

“I swear, I never get any love.”

Alex glanced over his shoulder to see Kieran walk through the open sliding glass door.

“I thought you were helping guard?” Caspar asked, placing his hands on his hips.

“Too many puppies. I thought I’d see what was going on in here,” Kieran answered with his usual smirk.

Now that Alex knew Kieran a little better he didn’t get insulted. Instead he smacked Kieran in the back of the head as Kieran walked past him.

“Ow!” Kieran bitched.

“See, your man already knows how to handle K!” Caspar claimed.

“I don’t know,” Kieran said flopping on the couch. “I guess I like it here.”

Alex knew they were joking. Okay, he hoped they were joking. They had better he joking! He tightened his hold on Angel, glancing at her. She shrugged.

“He does grow on you,” she said, trying not to smile and failing miserably.

He groaned.

“Hey, look at it this way,” Caspar told him, “you’ll have help mucking out the stalls.”

Alex turned an evil grin toward Kieran.

“Hey, I just remembered I need to finish some paper work,” Kieran said jumping up.

“You don’t do paper work.” Angel stated laughing. “You pass it off to me and Remy.”

“Shh,” Kieran hissed at her.

Alex chuckled, glancing around his home at the additions to his family. The threat might be over but things were going to be far from boring.