Falling for an Alpha (12 page)

“Should
you ever what?”

“Tell
a woman that I love her.”

It
was Amber’s turn to swallow hard, and twice in quick succession.

“Take
it back. Can’t you take it back and say that you didn’t mean to tell me you
loved me.”

“I
couldn’t do it, not even to save myself—because it’s true.
 
I love you.”

Chapter Twelve

“Is
something wrong, Sadie?”

Sadie
looked up at Lucy. All her couples probably knew her well enough by now to know
when she wasn’t her usual perky self.

“I’m
a little tired today,” said Sadie.

“It’s
just that you have slice of my chocolate peanut butter pie sitting in front of
you and you haven’t touched even the smallest piece of it.”

Sadie
smiled and looked at her plate, not realizing she hadn’t eaten any of her
favorite pie in the mortal world.

“Something
is wrong,” said Lucy, putting her hand on top of Sadie’s.

“Work-related
problem,” said Sadie.

“You
want to tell me about it? Maybe I can help. You help us so much that I’d like
to return the favor. So come on, spill.”

Presley
chose that moment to walk out onto the patio with one of her dolls and slide
onto Lucy’s lap.

“Is
it something Presley can help you with?” asked Lucy.

“No, no, much too powerful for her.
This isn’t
something I want Presley getting mixed up in.”

“Can
I have Sadie’s piece of pie?” asked Presley, pointing to the plate.

“Sure,
sweetie,” said Sadie.

Before
she could push it over to her, Presley had lifted her finger and it slid over
the table to the little girl.

“Honey,
no,” said Lucy sliding it back to Sadie.

Presley
crossed her arms and pouted. “She said I could have it.”

“You
know that’s wrong,” said Sadie. “I’ve told you magic can’t make you lazy.”

Sadie
felt more depressed. Maybe she was hurting these mortals more than helping
them.
The mess with Presley and taking her to the Other Realm,
and
its
foolish consequences.
Gabriel and the
mess she made of handling Mavis.

Lucy
slid the plate back and then Sadie handed it to Presley. “That’s the way we do
things, and no other way,” she said.

“Something
is wrong, let us help you,” said Lucy.

“I
have to deal with an evil, evil witch.”

“Then
maybe Brad can arrest her.”

“In
the world of witchcraft things aren’t as easy as that,” said Sadie.

If
only it were. Poor Gabriel, how could she ever live with herself after the mess
she’d made for him? Maybe she should resign from Perfect Pairing and hand the
business over to someone else.

****

“Will
you marry me?” asked Amber.

“Under
any other circumstances, I would have said yes, but I know why you’re doing
this and I can’t let you.”

Gabriel
was the one who told Amber to think positively about the future and what it
held. She was just following his advice, so why was he suddenly being so damn
stubborn. Wolves were stubborn creatures, right? Maybe that’s where he was
getting the sudden attitude.

“What
sort of life would it be for you, married to a man who was a wolf?
he
asked her.

“I’d
always know you were inside the beautiful creature.”

“But
what about sex and children, do you really want a marriage and future without
either of those things? You deserve a lot better than that.”

“It
doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re in my life in some shape or form.”

He
held her hands and sandwiched them together with his own. “You’re going to need
someone, a human to look after you when…”

“When I can’t see so well anymore.
When I’m most likely blind.”

He
nodded his head.

“I’ll
have a service dog…wait a minute,
Katey
could train
you. Who says you can’t have a guide wolf.”

His
lips turned up and she was hoping that last comment would make him laugh.

“So
are you going to marry me or what?”

“Amber,
I won’t let you throw your life away.”

“Then
it’s over.
 
Either you marry me or you
never see me again.”

“Amber…”

“That’s
a yes. We can go get a license today and just have a small ceremony, a few friends
along with our families.”

“And
what are they going to say when in a month’s time I’m not around anymore, that
I ran out on you? That should break your parent’s heart.”

“We’ll
break the news to them gently, but the bottom line is this is about us. We’ve both
finally found someone we want to be with forever.” She held up her hand,
obviously sensing his objection. “Not matter what form it’s in,” she continued.

“You’re
not going to let this rest so I suppose I have to give in.”

She
threw her arms around him and kissed him. “The honeymoon is going to blow your
socks off,” she said.

****

Sadie
always cried at weddings, but this time around she cried for a different reason.
Could she call this her first Perfect Pairing disaster? Not really, because
they’d fallen in love and right this minute were exchanging vows. That was the
aim of the Perfect Pairing service.

“And
do you, Amber, take Gabriel to be your lawfully wedded husband?” asked the
judge.

“I
do,” said Amber.

“I
now pronounce that you be husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Sadie
wiped a tear away as the two of them wrapped their arms around one another and
kissed for what seemed like forever.

“May
I introduce Mr. and Mrs.
Miller.
”

Amber
winked at Sadie as they walked by, hand in hand. She had to do something. She
couldn’t let this poor girl lose her groom in less than a month’s time. By hook
or by crook, she’d defeat Maris White once and for all. The first step would be
finding her again. And this time she’d probably be on her guard.

Chapter Thirteen

“I
guess coming to a beautiful spot like Glacier National Park for your honeymoon
is sort of stupid,” said Gabriel. “We’re going to stay in our room and have
nonstop sex, aren’t we?”

Amber
slid down his body and unzipped his pants. “What, you’d rather go out and look
at the view?”

“The
one in here is all I need.”

She
pulled out his cock and rubbed her hand up and down, each pass making him
harder.

He
closed his eyes, feeling her lips around its tip. He was going to enjoy this
and not think about what it would be like to never make love with her again.

Amber
took more of his dick into her mouth, flicking her tongue up and down its side.

God, that
felt so good.
He gripped the quilt he was
lying on and gathered it up in his hands. She was going to make him come very
soon and it was going to be wonderful.

He
raised his hips off the bed and her teeth grazed his shaft, causing him to see
fireworks and allowing him to find instant release. He felt dizzy as
if
 
he
was going to
shift. What if this was it?
 
What if this
was the last time? What if Mavis White hadn’t even given him a month?

What
was it going to be like when he shifted for the very last time? Should he be
looking at Amber, or would that be too painful?

Gabriel
felt his blood pounding through him, felt his cock growing hard again, and smelled
Amber’s arousal. He wanted to fuck her, mate with her, and there was no
stopping him because the wolf inside him wanted to be free. But he wasn’t going
to let him, just in case this was in fact the grand finale.

“Sorry,
baby, but I’m going to be rough.”

He
pulled her panties down, ran his hand over her mound, and quickly skimmed his
fingers through her folds before plunging two fingers inside her. She was wet,
which was lucky for her, because he was going to plunge inside her within
seconds. Gabriel got up, tore off her panties from her ankles, and then parted
her legs.

The
smell of her arousal made him harder, his cock pulsated, and pre-cum bubbled from
him, almost dripping onto her body. He grabbed her thighs, pulled her toward
him, and speared her pussy until he was deep inside. Poor Amber, she didn’t
deserve this, but it was the only way he could keep the wolf at bay.

He
howled and almost screamed as he plunged deeper and harder. One, two, three,
and that’s all it took until he climaxed. He was going to shift, and he
couldn’t be locked inside her when he did. He
pried
himself loose and ran toward the bathroom before the wolf sprang free.

****

Amber
stayed on the bed. Gabriel had probably thought that was awful to be taken so
quickly and roughly, but it had actually turned her on and she’d climaxed, too.
Not the best one of her life, but a woman
never
said
no to any orgasm.

 
Gabriel hadn’t worn a condom and she hadn’t
used any protection. What if she was conceiving right now? She tried to count
how many days since she’d had a period. Her friend who’d had trouble conceiving
told her she and her husband were told to make love midpoint between her last
and next period for the best results.

Amber’s
last period had been about two weeks ago. That was about as midpoint as you
could possibly get. Not that she wouldn’t want Gabriel’s baby, but she’d be
giving birth all by herself and raising a child as a single mom.

Think
positive—that’s what Gabriel had taught her. Sadie had assured them she was
going to deal with Mavis White and that there was no way she’d let Gabriel turn
into a wolf on a permanent basis. She’d save the day, and Amber believed her.

Amber
sat up and looked at the bathroom door. She knew why Gabriel had fled so
quickly. She’d seen his eyes changing as they made love. What if this was it,
his final shift?

She
got off the bed and headed to the bathroom door. She
knocked
.“
Gabriel
, you okay in there?”

No
response, but what sounded like a paw tapping against the door.

“I’m
coming in, and don’t try and stop me.”

She
opened the door where Gabriel in wolf form near the shower
stall
.

He
was so beautiful. She reached out and touched him, stroking his head and back.
This was her husband, and she’d love him no matter what he was or what he
looked like. She rested her head on the top of his.

“I
have a feeling that everything’s going to be okay. And even if it’s not, we’re
going to buy some land and turn it into a wolf sanctuary so you’ll be safe
there, and so will other wolves. Maybe there will even be other shifters out
there who need our help.”

She
couldn’t believe she’d just said that. Not the part about buying land, but the
part about shifters. Until a week ago, she never knew such things existed, let
alone believed in them, but here she was thinking about being a shifter’s
advocate.

Gabriel
put his paw on her lap. She placed her hand on top of it. Yeah, everything was
going to be just fine.

Chapter Fourteen

“I
think it’s going to be perfect for us.”

Gabriel
loved the enthusiasm in Amber’s voice as she spoke to the realtor who was
showing them the land.

It
was beautiful, mountains to the right, and a stream by the edge of the property.
There was even a house that was move-in ready.

“We’re
anxious to close on the property and get moved in within the next couple of
weeks,” continued Amber.

Nine days,
eleven hours, three minutes, and forty seconds.
He knew exactly
how long they had.

The
house was beautiful. How happy they would have been living in it and
raising
kids. If she ever decided not to do this and wanted
to take a lover, another husband even, he was going to let her. It would break
his heart, but love was all about not being selfish.

“So
what do you think?”
 
She turned to him.
He nodded, too choked up to speak.

“I
guess that means we’d like to make an offer. Now, it’s zoned for keeping
wildlife, right?”

“There
won’t be any problem with that,” said the realtor. “I’ll get all the paperwork
drawn up and we’ll present your offer, and I’ll mention that you’d like a
speedy closing.”