Her Pack by Tamara White

Chapter Thirty-Three

A massive smileis plastered to my face as I stare up into the sky. Pete is laying back on the blanket, his arm under my head and my body snuggled into him. The night is warm enough that laying naked is actually quite enjoyable.

“You know I never expected anything, right? I mean, I’m extremely happy you mated with me and marked me as yours, but that wasn’t why I came with you. I honestly was just excited to spend time with you.”

I nuzzle into his chest, a smile playing on my lips. He sounds so vulnerable right now. It’s cute.

“I know you weren’t expecting anything, and you didn’t pressure me in any way so please just relax and enjoy the moment,” I tell him, leaning back to let him see the sincerity in my eyes. “I’m glad we’re now tied together permanently. If you’re happy too, then that’s all that really matters.”

“I’m definitely happy,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

We snuggle back together and even though I know there is a party going on, where I’m supposed to be the one celebrated, but this right here is enough for me to push the guilt away.

“You think they’re missing us?” I ask, referring to the party and all those in attendance. There were a ton of people there when we left, so I think our disappearance went unnoticed for the most part, but I’m sure some people will ask after me.

“Oh, I’m sure there are going to be many people who will be waiting to get their grubby hands on you, but Nate has it handled. He’s told everyone that you are with me, so they know you’re safe. Jake and Rick aren’t too far away. Far enough they can’t hear us speak on a normal level, but not too far so that they’ll hear us if we yell for help.”

He sighs softly, running his hand over my hair gently. “So long as we make it back when the Elders arrive, we should be fine.”

“Ugh, that’s right, the Elders will be there. What’s the bet that I won’t get to have any fun when they see me?”

“Sorry, Dani, but I guess it’s something we need to get used to. Your life is going to revolve around every pack, every wolf. The Elders may be a pain sometimes, but they are the point of contact between each Alpha and you. Besides, I think they will need you to help them decide on who to be added to the next council seats. With Sonja and Erick gone, there are two spots that need to be filled, eventually. If not, the others in the packs may find a reason to rebel even more.”

Wow, I didn’t even think of that. I guess I assumed they would be the ones to replace the members who were no longer alive. It’s yet another reason I should sit down with them. There are so many things I should discuss, just like how much this change in procedure is going to affect my coronation. I know they wanted me to be Queen before I made my mates mine, but unfortunately that’s not how it’s turned out.

I groan at the thought that this won’t be the only time the council will come hounding me. “Ugh, I’m never going to be alone again, am I?” He doesn’t need to answer, I know the truth. “That’s it, when we find our own place, I’m going to build myself a woman cave. It’s going to have an intercom system at the entrance and only I will know the passcode. You guys can live in the house, but when I want to escape, I’ll have a place to go.”

“Really? A woman cave? Isn’t it supposed to be a man cave? Like you know where guys can play with tools, drink beer and watch tv?”

“Well, yeah,” I say slowly. “But mine will be better. I’ll have wine, chocolate, maybe some other snacks hidden away to prevent you guys from eating them. Then I’ll have a sound system set up, and then all the streaming services so I can watch whatever I want without having to fight for the remote. It’ll be the perfect getaway without ever leaving our home.”

“You know, that sounds pretty cool,” he muses. “Do you think there could be a room for me too?”

“Nope.”

“What? You’re not even going to compromise?” He seems a little taken aback by my answer.

“No, if I have to glue tampons all around the structure to keep you guys out of there, I will. You want your own space, you build it.” I snark, leaning back to poke my tongue out playfully. I mean, I may give in and let him come in, or one of the others. But if I slowly let them in, then how long until they take over the space completely?

I’m going to be living with seven men in my life. That’s a lot of testosterone going around. As it is, our house has to be big enough to give us all our own space. The commonly used areas will be probably grouped together so we can spend time together as a unit, while also being able to enjoy our own individual relationships too. It’ll be the most amazing thing in the world for us to have our own home.

“What are you thinking about? You just went real serious suddenly.”

He sits up and stares down at me, his eyes full of worry. I cup his cheek, meeting his eyes with a soft smile. “I was just thinking about our home. The happiness we’ll feel when we finally don’t have all this horrible stuff hanging over our heads. It will be nice to just spend time with you all without having to fit you in between everything else. To live life like our very own family.”

Pete smiles and presses a kiss to the tip of my nose. “We’ll get our happily ever after soon enough,” he assures me. Not that I need it. I know sooner or later, I’ll get to live my life with my mates.

I sigh, reality seeping in. “Do you think we should head back? I don’t know about you, but my ass is getting cold.”

“Really? Your ass is cold? You know I could easily warm you up,” he growls, rolling to prop himself up over me. His blue eyes sparkle down at me with nothing but pure happiness. He runs his nose over mine, and while my body responds to his, I know I have to be responsible right now. I can’t give in to the hormones that course through my body.

“Ugh, you’re not thinking of round two, are you?” He smirks down at me.

“Oh, I am. But I also know that it’s rude for me to be away from my party longer than we have. So, I think we get up, get back to the party and then tonight,” I run my hand down his chest, until I reach his hard length and stroke it in my hand. “Tonight, you can crash with me, okay?”

He shudders above me, but still rolls away. He climbs to his feet with a groan. “You better get dressed, Dani, because if you expect me to wait until later, then you need clothing. Take away my temptation.”

I smirk to myself and sit up, reaching for my clothes. It’s a thrill to know my mates aren’t tired of me. That my body causes a physical reaction to them, that it weakens them.

Once I’m up and dressed, Pete packs up the blanket and stuffs it in the duffle bag. He hikes it over his shoulder and holds out a hand for me. “Come on, I’ll get us back in no time.”

“How did you even know your way here? I was lost a few feet after we left.”

“I’ve been spending time with Eli and the others scouting the land, to get my bearings. If an attack were to be made, then I need to be sure where I’m going. If I got lost, then it would be pretty damn stupid. Not to mention, it could be the difference between life and death.”

Huh, that makes sense. I should have been doing the same too. But, I’ve just been relying on my sense of smell to get me where I need to be. Maybe I need to get out and explore a bit more. Maybe Eli can take me when he has some spare time too.

Hopefully, he won’t mind me tagging along with him.