Alpha Gray by C.J. Primer
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Gray
When morning comes, I wake feeling more relaxed and rested than I have in ages. This was the first good night of sleep that I’ve had in… I don’t even know how long. I’m often plagued with nightmares replaying the shadow pack’s attack on mine, of my mother screaming at me to get away as she’s torn down. Needless to say, I don’t get much sleep after those nightmares rear their ugly head- but last night, they didn’t come.
The first thing I’m greeted by upon waking is Fallon’s delicious scent. She’s lying on her side with her back pressed against my chest, and before I even open my eyes, I bury my nose in her hair and inhale deeply. She smells like sunshine and wildflowers and the sweetest fruit, stirring my wolf from his slumber. Mine.
I’ve been resting with one arm under her body and the other draped over her, and I’m careful not to wake Fallon as I slide them free. Then I sit up, gazing down at my stunning she-wolf sleeping so peacefully. Her long blonde hair is pooled around her on the pillow; she looks like a goddamn angel.
Memories from the night before flood back to me, and paired with a naked Fallon on my bed, it’s no surprise that my dick’s already standing at attention. Last night with her was nothing short of incredible. She’s so beautiful, so fucking responsive to my touch. I’ve been with other females, but none of them can hold a candle to Fallon. After last night, there are no more doubts or lingering questions in my mind- she is mine. I want to worship at the altar of her body like she’s my religion.
Quietly, I get out of bed and make my way over to the dresser, pulling on a pair of boxers, athletic shorts, and a t-shirt. I glance over at Fallon’s torn blue dress on the floor and grab another t-shirt and a pair of boxers from my dresser, laying them out on top for her to wear whenever she wakes up. Then I head to the door, pausing to steal one last glance at her naked, sleeping form before I slip out and close it tightly behind me.
I make my way down the stairs and to the kitchen, and before I enter, I can hear the sounds of cabinets closing and rustling from inside. When I stroll in, my beta, Deke, is there tearing open a package of pancake mix.
“Good morning, Alpha,” Deke greets, tossing me a smile. He’s always so damn chipper in the mornings.
“Good morning,” I reply groggily, running a hand through my hair to smooth it back. “Pancakes?”
Deke grins, sliding a bowl of blueberries across the counter toward me. “Blueberry pancakes.”
“Mmmm…” My mouth is already watering.
Deke gets to mixing up the pancake batter as I lean against the counter, taking a blueberry from the bowl and popping it into my mouth. I must still be riding the high of last night, because the fruit tastes sweeter than ever before.
“You slept late,” Deke comments, picking up the bowl of batter and holding it in front of his chest to stir.
“I definitely needed it. It’s been a long week.” I pop another blueberry into my mouth.
“I’m afraid it’s going to be another long one ahead,” Deke sighs. “The alpha from the Denver pack called to ask if you’d go out there this week for a meeting.”
I blow out a breath, folding my arms across my chest. “Do you know what it’s about?”
Deke’s jaw stiffens, his lips drawn in a tight line. “What else?”
I nod. Of course, it’s about the shadow pack. We’ve been in contact with the alpha in Denver about a possible alliance, which would essentially double our forces to defend an attack. He was resistant at first, but as the shadow pack presses closer, he’s starting to come around.
I hear footsteps padding across the floor of the great room and I look over to the doorway of the kitchen just as Fallon peeks her head in. She must’ve found the clothes I left out for her, because she’s wearing them- though my t-shirt is way too big and hangs off of her narrow frame. Her pert little nipples are hard underneath, pushing at the fabric. My dick twitches in response. She looks so good in my clothes; my wolf preens with satisfaction at seeing her in them, like it’s a symbol of our claim on her.
“Good morning,” I drawl, holding out an arm. She has this adorable deer-in-the headlights expression on her face, but she quickly hides it with a little smile and blush, walking into my outstretched arm. I pull her close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head and sliding my hand down to rest on her hip.
Only then do I turn back to Deke, who looks like he’s just seen a fucking ghost. I suppose this is the first time I’ve had a girl join us for breakfast, but I’m a young, single guy- it shouldn’t be that shocking.
“Fallon, this is my beta, Deke,” I say, gesturing to him. “Deke, this is Fallon.”
Deke clears his throat, wiping the dumbfounded look off of his face and replacing it with a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Fallon,” he says, resuming stirring the batter. “Hope you like pancakes.” He tosses her a wink, and I glance down to see a deep blush form on Fallon’s cheeks.
“Nice to meet you too,” Fallon breathes, pressing herself closer to my side. “Pancakes sound delicious.”
Holly appears in the other doorway across the kitchen, little Mason in tow. Mason is Holly and Deke’s three-year-old son, and he’s the cutest little kid- he’s got curly blonde hair and Holly’s big green anime eyes.
“Uncle Gray!” Mason squeals, tearing across the kitchen in my direction. He slams into my leg, throwing his arms around my thigh to hang on.
“Hey buddy,” I laugh, ruffling his hair. I look up at Holly, and she has the same shocked look on her face that Deke had moments ago upon seeing Fallon. She’s better at hiding it, though- she quickly plasters on a smile.
“Hi! I’m Holly,” she chirps, giving a little wave.
“This is Fallon,” I say, glancing down at Mason. “Mason, can you say hi to Fallon?” I ruffle his hair again.
Mason looks over at her, his face lighting up. “Hi!” He lets go of my leg and steps back to peer up at Fallon. “You’re really pretty.”
Fallon laughs, stooping down so she’s at eye level with the kid. “It’s nice to meet you, Mason.”
“Are you pack? Are you eating breakfast with us? Are you wearing Uncle Gray’s shirt?” Mason asks rapid-fire questions, blinking at Fallon.
“Mason, leave her be!” Holly sighs, striding over and taking his hand.
“He’s fine,” Fallon chuckles, rising to her feet. “Cute kid.”
“Thanks,” Holly beams. She leads Mason over to the large table in the corner of the kitchen, situating him at one of the chairs. “So are you on the squad, Fallon?” Holly asks over her shoulder as she gets Mason settled.
Fallon doesn’t miss a beat. “Hope to be,” she replies, darting me a sideways glance. “I’m at training camp this summer.”
Deke sets the bowl of batter down on the counter, moving a pan onto the stove and cranking the dial to turn on the flame. “I hope Gray’s taking it easy on you,” he smirks.
“Hardly,” Fallon laughs.
It feels so natural having her in my kitchen for breakfast with my beta and his family. It’s like she fits right in. I find my mind wandering to whether she could be a part of my life, a permanent fixture. My wolf definitely wants her to be. The more I watch her chatting and laughing with Deke and Holly, the more I want her to be, too.
Before long, Deke has a towering stack of blueberry pancakes on a plate and he’s urging us to come and eat as he carries them to the table. I guide Fallon over to the table with a hand on her back and once she’s seated, I settle into the chair beside her, using my fork to pull a few pancakes onto each of our plates.
While we eat, Mason peppers Fallon with questions and I can’t help but notice how good she is with him. I find myself picturing us sitting in this kitchen with pups of our own one day, but quickly push that thought out of my head. We still barely know each other and there’s that whole fated mates problem that could ruin everything. Fuck, I’ve gotta get it together.
“Is the training camp pretty intense?” Holly asks, stuffing a forkful of pancakes into her mouth.
Fallon nods. “Definitely. I think I’ve got what it takes, though.” She turns to look at me, grinning.
I swallow a mouthful of pancakes, washing them down with some orange juice. “Fallon’s one of our most promising recruits,” I say. “But there are some others that are right up there with her, and we’re only halfway through.”
Fallon furrows her brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just… never get comfortable,” I shrug. “You’ve gotta stay consistent, work harder every day.”
I don’t say it to be mean, I say it to push her, support her. I know how badly she wants to make the squad- I want to help her achieve that goal, even if it means being a little tough on her at times.
Holly rolls her eyes. “C’mon, Gray, lighten up.”
Aside from the other alphas, and now Fallon, Holly’s the only one who calls me by my first name. I’ve tried to get Deke to follow suit, but he insists on using my title; says it’s out of respect for me in his position as beta. I suppose Mason uses my first name, too, when he calls me ‘Uncle Gray’, which sounds cute as hell in his little kid voice.
I glance over at Holly and she’s giving me her ‘stern mom’ look.
“What?” I ask, shoving another forkful of pancakes into my mouth.
Holly just rolls her eyes again and chuckles. “Don’t listen to him, Fallon. I’m sure you’re doing great.”
“Thanks!” Fallon chirps, whipping her head around to look at me with a smug grin.
“Do you want some more?” Deke asks, picking up the plate of pancakes and holding it out toward Fallon. We’ve all eaten a bunch, but there are still a few left.
She shakes her head. “No, thank you. They were so good, but I’m stuffed,” she says, patting her belly.
“We’ve probably gotta get back to the complex,” I sigh, pushing out my chair. The legs screech across the stone floor.
Holly stands, too, and begins collecting the empty plates around the table.
“Do you have to leave?” Mason asks, his eyes wide and his bottom lip shoved out in a pout. Then I realize that he’s not asking me, but Fallon.
“Yeah, sorry kiddo,” Fallon says, rising to her feet.
Holly dumps the dishes in the sink, walking back over to the table. “Fallon, why don’t you come with me and we’ll find you some clothes that actually fit,” she suggests.
“Yes, please!” Fallon laughs. Holly gestures for her to follow and the two of them head out of the kitchen together.
As soon as they’re out of earshot, Deke turns to me and cocks an eyebrow. “So… Fallon, huh?” He waggles his eyebrows teasingly.
I shake my head, rolling my eyes. “It’s just a casual thing,” I say.
I’m starting to hate that word.
“Okay,” Deke replies, holding up his hands. He stands and begins clearing the rest of the table. “I like her. She’s feisty.”
I blow out a breath. “Yeah.”
I like her, too- that’s the problem.
Deke doesn’t press any further, he just starts filling me in about the arrangements he’s made for me to travel to Denver this week. After a few minutes, Holly and Fallon reappear in the doorway to the kitchen and I crack a smile when I see that Fallon’s borrowed clothes from Holly don’t fit much better than mine did. Holly’s a pipsqueak, so it’s no surprise that her leggings are basically capris on Fallon and her t-shirt fits Fallon like a tight crop-top.
When Fallon notices my amused expression, she shakes her head. “Don’t you dare say a word.”
I let out a laugh, waving her over. “Wasn’t gonna. C’mon, we’d better get going.”
After we say our goodbyes to Deke, Holly, and Mason, I lead Fallon outside to my Jeep in the driveway. It’d be a nice walk back to the complex, but it would probably be more discrete for us to drive over rather than risk being seen together on the trail.
We both hop in and I fire up the engine, backing out of the driveway.
“They’re really nice,” Fallon breathes, leaning back in the passenger seat and kicking her legs up on the dashboard.
I grunt in agreement. “They’re basically family.” I put the car in drive, starting down the street. “Hey, I hope you know I wasn’t trying to be mean this morning, about training camp.”
Fallon narrows her eyes, tossing me an annoyed glare.
“I’m just trying to give you some advice,” I sigh. “These last few weeks are even tougher than the first three. Just make sure you’re giving it everything you’ve got.”
“I know,” Fallon scowls. There’s a long pause and she just stares out the window. When she turns back to me, there’s a hint of a mischievous smirk on her face. “Guess I’ve been a little distracted.”
I look over at her, the corner of my mouth turning up into a half-smile. “Yeah… me too,” I mumble, my eyes trailing to her long legs slung up on the dash.
I make the turn onto the road that goes into the forest, to the squad complex. “You won’t have to worry about that this week. I’m headed to Denver on pack business.”
“Oh?” Fallon asks, fiddling with the ends of her hair and feigning disinterest. “When are you coming back?”
“Not sure.”
The complex is less than a mile from Goldenleaf, so it’s a quick drive. I swing into my usual spot just past the gate and throw the car into park, looking over at Fallon.
“Why don’t you head in first?” I suggest. “I’ll wait a few minutes. Say you were…”
“Yeah, yeah,” Fallon interrupts, waving me off and sliding her feet off of the dashboard and onto the floor. “I’ll say I went for a run or something.”
She opens the passenger door, stepping out of the Jeep. I cut the ignition and get out, too, and Fallon circles around to approach my side.
“Thanks,” she says. “For breakfast.”
I grin, leaning back against the Jeep. “Anytime, babe.”
She gives an awkward little wave and takes a step away, then turns back around with a sly smile on her face. “Oh, and Gray?”
“Hm?”
Fallon’s smirk deepens. “This doesn’t mean we’re together.”
I stalk toward her, wrapping one arm around her waist and sliding my other hand up into the back of her hair at the base of her neck. My advance catches her by surprise, but she immediately presses her body forward into mine, gazing up at me with those big blue eyes.
I lean down to crush my lips against hers and they immediately part to accept my kiss. So damn responsive. Mine.
I twine my tongue with hers, savoring the kiss, making it last. It’s going to have to last me until I get back from Denver. I always hate leaving my pack for trips like this, but this time, I’m struggling more with leaving Fallon.
When I finally pull away, she looks a little dazed. It’s cute as hell.
“Go on,” I say, spinning her around and swatting her ass.
Fallon turns back around, bringing two fingers to her forehead in a little salute. “Yes sir,” she says, jogging backwards.
I just chuckle and shake my head as she spins back around, jogging off toward the gate of the squad complex. I watch her the whole way, admiring those long legs and that perfect ass of hers.
I hate to see her go, but damn, I love to watch her leave.
