Chapter 50 - Finding our rhythm

Max returned with some food, and at first their prisoner wouldn’t even look at it. He just snarled at them and crept deeper into the corner of the room. Alaric mind linked Max and told him that they should leave the prisoner alone with the food. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling this new strategy would work. It was the strangest feeling to walk out of there and not have beaten up the rogue, but for once he actually didn’t even want to.

No wolf ever became a rogue out of its own free will. At least, not the ones he had come across. Most of them turned rogue when they were forced out of their packs or exiled for some reason, and that reason was hardly ever a good one. Some wolves really were just rotten to the core and usually those were the ones that turned feral the second they became rogue.

Alaric checked in on Ben who was still fast asleep in his bed and, thankfully, completely oblivious to what could have happened. He found Lena and Rebecca in their room having … He sniffed the air and he could smell the chamomile. They were drinking chamomile tea. Rebecca hung around until after he explained what he had decided to do with the prisoner and she looked almost proud when she left.

“She’s really proud of you, you know?” Lena smiled and Alaric wondered if she had read his thoughts or something, but she’d never done that before. He knew that wolves were capable of communicating that way, but he hadn’t heard of other species doing it unless they had the supernatural power to read thoughts.

She lay back onto the pillow and she looked tired. Alaric sat down on the bed beside her, unsure of not just where he stood with her, but also what to do next. She had been through an incredibly traumatic experience, and he wanted to comfort her. He really wanted to comfort her.

“I’m really sorry that the rogue got in. He shouldn’t have and Max and I are going to find out how he did it. I just know that the rogue isn’t going to talk tonight.” Alaric sighed, looking at his nails. Lena sat up and leaned her chin on his shoulder.

“I think this new approach, as you call it, is going to be the way you figure it out.” Her calm voice calmed his nervousness and he stroked her hair before leaving a kiss on the top of her head.

“I’m just grateful that you guys are safe and that I got to you before he did. I would hate to think what could have …” Lena’s lips crashed down on his before he could say another word. Alaric went rigid at first, but that didn’t last long as his arm snaked around her body. He could feel where her body had changed after Ben’s birth.

Her delicate young woman's body now replaced by the body of a mom. A hot momma! His wolf snickered in the back of his mind and Alaric rolled his eyes as he carefully lowered Lena. His hormones were running wild. He hadn’t been able to … Since she left all those years ago … He never believed people who said after they met their mates, they couldn’t … Now he had experienced it for himself!

Ripping her shirt so he could touch the soft skin underneath, his eyes grew wider, but when he looked into her eyes and she smiled, he grinned.

“I’ll buy you a new one.” He laughed.

“That’s what all men say!” She squealed with laughter as he dropped a kiss on her abdomen. Well, at least that hasn’t changed! She was still incredibly ticklish and he just loved it. She helped him out of his shirt and he closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling of her fingers stroking his chest. He wanted to take his time and really make love to her, but he also wanted her so damn badly that he didn’t know if he would be able to hold out for too long.

When she moaned under his touch, it was his total undoing. What happened between them disappeared and all his hesitation flew out of the window. Lena was in her own little world as his hands stroked her back to unhitch her bra.

She almost cried out when he got off the bed to get out of his pants. Her body felt abandoned even though he was gone for just a second. His hand slipped up her waist and he pulled off her skirt, leaving her almost bare except for her panties. When he lowered himself over her, she felt so safe and protected. His lips softly touched hers and she was his again.

They hadn’t even gotten to the really good part and she knew she could never leave this man again. Not just because of Ben, but she loved him with all her heart. Gasping as he entered her, it felt as if it was their first time. It was the first time they were together that she had fully accepted him as her mate.

Alaric drove both of them to new heights and when they fell on the bed side-by-side, they were completely out of breath. It had never been like that before. It felt almost as if he had been dying of thirst and she was the water. She sure as hell felt as if she had been dying of thirst and he was her water. She rolled onto her side and he pulled her up close as she rested her head on his chest.

They didn’t need to say anything. They could both feel it. True love. True acceptance. Feelings between them had definitely changed and they were both happier. That was when Lena remembered something and she burst out laughing while she told Alaric about the book and the story she told Ben. He frowned, pretending that he didn’t like that she lied, but he soon laughed with her.

“Yeah, I know all those books by heart. I haven’t read one of them to Ben without adding my own little twists.” He laughed and she smacked his chest, making him flinch.

“We are going to have to stop doing that!” Lena laughed. “I’ve always told Ben that I would never lie to him. I lied about only one thing.” Lena took a deep breath as Alaric looked at her. “I’ve never lied to him about anything else.” He nodded. He agreed with her that they should never lie to their son just to spare his feelings. His parents did that and look what happened!

Their son had to know exactly who he was and what he was. He deserved to know and maybe if they were lucky, his life would be much better than Alaric’s was.

“I want a little girl.” Alaric sighed.

“What? Are you mad? We have Ben. That’s enough child for the whole pack to deal with!” Lena sat up feeling a bit nervous.

“Haven’t you ever thought of a little girl running around with pigtails and beautiful eyes?” Alaric tilted his head to one side.

“Nope.” She wouldn’t look at him.

“Not ever? Didn’t you want a little girl?” He frowned, feeling something was wrong as she shook her head.

“I had a little sister once. It feels like such a long time ago that I have trouble remembering some of it. I was very young and … Anyway, she died. It broke my heart to watch my parents go through that.” Lena’s eyes filled with tears as she explained and Alaric pulled her into his arms, holding on tight.

“That doesn’t mean our second child will die, Lena. Do you know what happened? How did she die?” He frowned and she took a deep breath.

“No, all I can remember is how incredibly frightened I felt on the day of the funeral. My parents never spoke about her again after that and I made up my mind that I would have only one child if I ever had children.” He nodded. He could understand why she felt the way she did, especially since she seemed to be very little when it happened.

Unfortunately, it didn’t change the fact that he wanted more children. He wanted more than just a girl. He decided to leave it up to the fates. They were brought together by destiny against all odds. If that could happen, then whoever was up there deciding their destiny would decide if they had more kids. If they didn’t, he would just be glad that they had Ben at least.