Chapter 35: Theo
I collapsed onto the mattress. I pulled Ayla against me, holding her tightly as we both struggled to steady our ragged breathing. We would be okay for a while now so our bodies could rest and replenish. When my mind finally began to clear, a wave of happiness washed through me. It was sheer and utter happiness that had my heart practically bursting from my chest.
Ayla giggled in my arms.
“It was pretty incredible for me, too,” she murmured against my chest.
She would have felt my joy through our connection. I supposed part of that was me feeling hers as well. At least, I hoped that it was. I grinned against her hair.
“You know it’s not just about the sex, right?” I asked. “Although, experiencing a she–wolf’s heat for the first time definitely lived up to the expectations.”
She looked up at me curiously. “You mean the first heat since being mated?”
“Nope,” I chuckled. “I’ve never seen any other she–wolf through her heat.”
“But…”
“It was my biggest rule,” I told her. “It didn’t matter if we were dating. I told them they should have someone else ready to get them through should it happen.”
“Why?” she asked, still seeming surprised.
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“Because that experience is yours.” I shrugged as my fingers played
with her hair. “Our heat is meant for mates. I know she–wolves have no control over it, but as a male, I did. Inever wanted to experience that with anyone but you.”
Ayla cupped my cheek and leaned in to kiss me firmly and lovingly This was one of the proudest moments of my life. While most males felt seeing a she–wolf through her heat was a favor, albeit a very enjoyable one, it was never a temptation for me. I couldn’t risk a pregnancy. Children produced outside the mate bond weren’t common, but it did happen. Being the future Alpha, I couldn’t let that happen. Knowing that was a possibility and taking that chance felt hugely disrespectful to my future mate. I never wanted to take that from her.
“Any regrets on that choice?” Ayla asked with a wicked grin.
“Absolutely not,” I insisted, burying my face in her neck and nipping at her mark.
She laughed beneath me, pushing me away. “So, is that why you’re so happy?”
“That’s part of it, yes,” I said.
I shifted our position, pushing Ayla to her back as I kissed down her chest. I stopped at her stomach, inhaling deeply as I rested my head there, my arms holding her waist. Her fingers trailed through my hair, sending me into an even more relaxed state.
“You know it may not happen this time,” she said gently. “It doesn’t always take during the first heat.”
I smiled knowing she was also thinking about whether we just made a pup or not. Not that we didn’t have a few more days to keep trying.
“That’s okay,” I assured her. “It just feels like such a real possibility
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now:
I wanted so badly to tell her what I had done that morning. It was even harder to hold back now. But it wasn’t time yet. Soon. I just had to
wait a little while longer. I started to drift off, thinking about what our future would look like, when Ayla’s stomach growled loudly in my car. I laughed, lifting up to look at her.
“I guess I should be more worried about taking care of my mate first,” I said, moving up to kiss her.
“Let’s head to the cafe,” she said. “Annabelle said she was making her beef wellington, and I could eat the entire thing right now.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Sorry, babe, we’re not going anywhere. We’re stuck here for the next few days until your heat passes.” I brushed her hair away from her face. “But I’ll tell you what. Jimmy is bringing some groceries by anyway. I’ll have him drop by the packhouse café and pick some up for you.”
Ayla looked around the room like she was finally registering where we
were.
“Yeah, um, where is here, by the way?” she asked shyly. “I wasn’t exactly paying much attention to my surroundings carlier.”
“No, I wouldn’t think so.” I smiled. “This is one of the family houses near the packhouse. There was no fucking way I was traipsing you through a packhouse full of unmated males in the state you were in. I picked the closest place we could have immediate privacy.”
Alya made a face as she thought about the events of the last two hours.
“Good thinking,” she stated.
I laughed as I kissed her again. I started to deepen the kiss just as her
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stomach growled again. I grunted as I pulled away.
“I’ll go raid the cabinets,” I told her. “There may be something still stocked up. I’ll make something to tide you over until Jimmy delivers.”
I kissed her again and she snaked her arms around my neck.
“Or… you could just distract me until then.”
Her lips trailed along my jaw, creating a distraction of her own. I breathed deeply. This wasn’t a result of her heat, just my beautiful mate being insatiable.
“As tempting as that sounds, love,” I groaned, “we need to get you fed. We don’t know how long we’ll have before the next wave. And it’s only going to get more consistent from here. There’s no way I’ll be able to hold out that long again.”
And I wouldn’t. I managed the first time because her pheromones hadn‘ t fully begun to affect me yet. That ship had sailed now. I’d probably know when the next wave hit before she did.
I dragged myself off the bed and pulled the covers down to cover Ayla before slipping my boxers back on. She sat up and looked around the
room.
“Someone’s going to have to bring me something to wear, too,” she
said.
“Why?” I looked back at her with a mischievous grin. “I’m not planning on letting you wear anything for the next few days.”
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