Chapter 44

Chapter 44 - Dex. pov

I could guess what Lucy had said about my mate. It took all I could do not to seek her out and ask her where she got the nerve to talk badly about Lilly, her future Luna. The only thing holding me back was Lilly, who clearly wanted to let it go, who could only muster up understanding for Lucy. My chest filled with pride; she'll be a perfect Luna. MY perfect Luna.

It took even more effort not to immediately take her upstairs and claim her, completing the mating bond. I didn't want to be too obvious, so when the boys suggested a beer, I agreed. But I was relieved when Lilly announced she was going to bed.

On my way upstairs, I thought about all the ways I could make her feel good, how I would worship her body, make her forget everything about tonight for a moment.

Those thoughts quickly vanished when I saw the doubt in her eyes.

I'm a jerk. I was so preoccupied with my own needs that I didn't think about hers. It's clear that all she needs right now is a sense of security, someone to care for her. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

And damn, that's hard. Not the caring part. But the part where I had to hold back while she stood naked before me. She's mouthwateringly beautiful. It's a wonder my cock didn't instantly become rock hard.

When she's washed all the blood off me, I return the favor. I hesitate as I sense her sadness, wondering where it's coming from. I slowly continue, making sure I don't miss a single part of her. I resist the temptation to kiss her shoulder and pull myself close. Under my touch, she seems to relax more and more, and besides her sadness, I sense something else I can't quite place.

"Are you okay? Am I doing something wrong?" I ask softly. She turns and looks at me with a smile.

My hands naturally move to her hips, and she wraps her arms around my neck. "No, I'm okay," she answers. "As much as possible, anyway." I look at her searchingly. "Then why do I sense your sadness?" I ask cautiously. She seems to pause for a moment, thinking about her words. "You can tell me," I encourage her, hoping it has nothing to do with me.

"I was thinking about my time with Brent..." she says hesitantly. "But in a good way. He was always caring and tender, too," she explains. "So I'm sad about losing him, but I'm also grateful that I get to experience that kind of love, that special bond we had, once more. With you." She smiles. "I know it won't be the same, but I know the bond of fated mates is special. And while I will always miss Brent, I'm grateful to your Moon Goddess for letting me experience it once more, with you."

I pull her closer. "I'm grateful for you too," I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She closes her eyes and leans against me. When I pull away, she looks at me. I see a glint in her eyes, and then she rises on her toes and kisses me. Short and soft, and I think that's it. But she doesn't lower herself. Instead, her eyes linger on my lips. Something shifts in her eyes, and I can no longer contain myself.

I press my lips to hers, and when she responds by invitingly opening her mouth, it's over.

My hand naturally finds its way to the back of her head, and with my other hand on her ass, I turn us around in a single motion and place her against the wall. Her hands grip my hair, and she presses my face closer to hers.

I groan and force myself to ask if she's sure, if she really wants this. She bites her lip and nods before pulling me back toward her. I deepen our kiss and push myself against her, my hardening cock pressing against her lower abdomen.

She moves her hips, searching for friction, and moans as my hard member slides over her clit. She lets out a little squeal when I lift her, but she immediately wraps her legs around my hips. I moan when I feel how wet she is; I know it's not just from the water. I move my mouth from her cheek to her neck. Willingly, she tilts her head for better access. She guides my head to where she wants me most, and when she feels my tongue brushing against her skin, she moans.

If I wasn't already hard, I was now. Her delicious moans made me so. The fact that I'm the one making her make that sound is satisfying.

Her fingers glide over my shoulders and back. "More. I need more." She moans in my ear as I move my cock along her clit again. And well, her wish is my command. I move a hand between us and rub her clit. It's not enough for her; she tilts her hips so my fingers slide along her lips. She moans, and her fingers press into my skin as I slide a finger inside her.

I add a second finger, and she presses her mouth to mine to stifle her moans, probably afraid of waking Claire.

"Please," she says softly as she pulls away from me. I don't have to ask what she means; the look in her eyes says it all. With an arm around her waist, I lift her a little higher and slide my member through her slit, covering myself more with her juices.

"Fuck," I mumble under my breath as I remember we didn't agree on protection. "Don't worry, I have an IUD," she says as if she can read my thoughts. After those words, I let myself slide into her, bit by bit. I moan. She feels so good. I expected it to feel different, since she gave birth to Claire. Nothing could be further from the truth; she fits perfectly around me, as if she were made for me. I slowly pull back and then slide all the way inside her again. I'm about to do it again, but just as I'm about to slide back in slowly, she has other plans. She lowers herself while pressing her heels into my ass, and in one quick movement, I’m deep inside her.

She holds me tightly, her nails digging into my skin as I quicken my thrusts. She bites her lip to suppress her moans.

I resolve to quickly make sure Claire gets her own room. I love hearing her moans, love hearing her moans when she doesn't hold back. The thought of her loudly calling my name soon makes me thrust even harder. The sound of our bodies slapping together drowns out the sound of the splashing water. Her muscles begin to contract around my cock, a sign that she's nearing her climax. I reach for her clit, bringing her closer.

She tightens her legs around me as her muscles tighten around my cock, making it harder to keep fucking her hard. I'm almost ready to cum myself, but I try to hold myself back. Determined to let her come first, I rub her clit hard. Her nails dig into my skin, and she moans my name as she finally cums. It pushes me over the edge, and with a few deep thrusts, I empty myself with a groan.

I bury my head in her neck as I catch my breath.

"So much for taking it slow." She chuckles after a few seconds, and I give her a wry grin. "Yeah, I could tell you wanted to take it slow," I tease as I gently set her down on the floor.

I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss the top of her head. We stay like that for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other. "Let's go to bed," I say when she tries to suppress a yawn.

Once in bed, she snuggles up to me and falls asleep within seconds. Even though I'm quite tired myself, it takes a while for sleep to find me.

I wake up to Claire's soft babble. When I look beside me, Lilly is still fast asleep and doesn't seem to notice her little one's babble. With the care of defusing a bomb, so as not to wake Lilly, I get out of bed. I'm surprised that I feel reasonably rested, considering it's still early in the morning. Normally, I'd be exhausted after such a short night.

"The perks of sleeping next to our mate." Drake remarks.

Meanwhile, Claire is watching with interest as I get dressed and try to gather her things. I hope she'll let me take her with her, and that she won't start crying loudly and wake Lilly up. Before I get Claire out of her crib, I write Lilly a note so she knows where her daughter is.

"Okay, let's go, little one," I whisper as I pick her up. She looks at me happily and waves her arms. With Claire in my arms, I sneak out of the room. I breathe a sigh of relief when I close the door behind me and see Lilly still sleeping peacefully.

"So, what should we do, little girl?" I ask Claire on my way downstairs. She doesn't answer, of course, just looks at me quizzically and babbles. My own stomach starts to rumble. "Let's eat something first," I tell Claire. At the word "eat," she starts bouncing up and down. "Looks like someone's hungry." I chuckle. But the laughter fades when I realize I don't actually know what to give her.

I push my worries aside. Mrs. Jackson is probably already busy in the kitchen; she can surely help me. Claire is getting impatient; it's as if the mention of food has changed her mood. I rush to the kitchen, and to my relief, Mrs. Jackson is indeed already busy preparing breakfast. "Alpha Dex," she says, surprised, looking from me to the little girl in my arms. "Is Lilly okay?" she asks worriedly. "Yes, yes. I just thought she deserved a good morning of sleep," I explain. "And... Claire's going to stay with you? No offense, of course." She adds that last part hastily. "That's the plan," I answer confidently. A look that says, "I want to see that," appears on her face. "Although I could use some help," I confess, scratching the back of my head with my free hand. She looks away to hide her smile.

"She's hungry, but I don't know what to give her," I continue. "Okay. If I make her a bowl of porridge, you can change her before she gets all wet," she says, and I think for a moment. "Don't tell me you don't know how to change a diaper," Mrs. Jackson says, laughing. I don't say anything because I really don't know. It's not that I never spend time with the youngest of the pack, it's just that I've never had to change one; their mother was always nearby.

She walks to the refrigerator and returns with a carton of milk. "Give her here, you. Stir the milk carefully." She takes Claire from me. "I can do that," I answer quickly, somewhat embarrassed.

"You know, now that you're going to be a stepfather, you'd do well to practice these things," Mrs. Jackson remarks lightly when she returns. My face darkens. I hadn't thought about that, and I break out in a sweat. She pats my arm. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fill the fatherly role perfectly. You've had a good example," she tries to reassure me. I swallow and look at Claire. "What if she doesn't want that?" I ask, suddenly feeling very small and insecure. I don't like that. I'm the Alpha, for God's sake. "Oh, don't worry, why wouldn't she want that?" She hands the girl back to me, and I now look at her with different eyes.