Alpha Gray by C.J. Primer
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Gray
I wake the next morning from the best night’s sleep of my life. I spent hours alternating between fucking and making love to Fallon, coaxing moans from her pouty lips and watching her pant and writhe in pleasure. I’m still completely in awe of her, still in disbelief that she’s finally mine, forever. We’ve sealed the mate bond; nothing can separate us.
I was so wrapped up in Fallon last night that I totally forgot about the full moon run, or the fact that my pack was probably wondering where the hell I went after it ended. My bedroom’s far enough away from the main area of the packhouse that I doubt anyone could’ve heard us- but then again, with the way Fallon was screaming, it’s anyone’s guess.
There’s no concealing my contentedness when I enter the kitchen of the packhouse the next day. Deke’s cooking something in a pan on the stove and I stop in the doorway, leaning idly against it and clearing my throat to announce my presence.
“Alpha. Where the hell did you go last night?” Deke asks, his eyes flying up to meet mine. They widen as Fallon slides up behind me, snaking her hands around my waist and peeking at Deke over my shoulder.
My mouth spreads into a smug grin. “Call the pack together,” I say, gazing down at Fallon. “They need to meet their new Luna.”
Deke’s face splits into a bright smile, his eyes alight with excitement as he leaves the pan on the stove, striding over to where Fallon and I stand in the doorway. “Congratulations!” he laughs, reaching out to envelop me in a hug, clapping me on the back. When he lets go, he immediately slides beside me to pull Fallon in for a hug, too, which she graciously accepts. “Welcome to the family!”
“What?!” Holly appears in the other doorway across the kitchen, wide-eyed and frozen. “Are you…?”
I grin, nodding, and Holly flies across the room in one second flat, launching her tiny body into my arms. “Oh my god, Gray!” Holly squeals as I squeeze her tightly, picking her up off of the ground.
When I set her back down, she immediately throws her arms around Fallon, tears in her eyes. “I’m so happy for you guys!” Holly gushes, wiping at a stray tear that’s slipped down her cheek. “This calls for a celebration… Deke, do we have champagne? Mimosas all around, stat!”
Fallon laughs, and damnit if it’s not the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. I slip an arm around her shoulders, pulling my stunning little mate into my side, holding her close.
I could get used to this.
My nose twitches- my eyes flying to the stove. Something’s burning.
Deke realizes it too, cursing under his breath and pulling the smoking pan off the stove, tossing it into the sink and turning on the faucet.
“There go the eggs…” Deke mutters, agitated that he inadvertently ruined the breakfast he was cooking. He stalks over to the fridge, pulling it open and surveying the contents, then doing the same with the freezer. “I think the only other thing we have to make for breakfast is toaster waffles.”
“I love toaster waffles,” Fallon pipes up.
I give her shoulders a little squeeze, smiling down at her.
Deke heaves a sigh, retrieving a box from the freezer. “Toaster waffles it is.”
“What about the mimosas, hon?” Holly asks, crossing the kitchen to join Deke.
I chuckle, leading Fallon over to the table. I pull out a chair, its wooden legs squeaking across the stone floor and sink down into it, pulling Fallon onto my lap and nuzzling her neck.
“When can we get the pack together?” I ask Deke as he starts rummaging in a lower cupboard for the toaster.
Fallon cranes her neck to look back at me from her spot on my lap. “Whoa now… don’t you think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves? I’ve still gotta bring my dad’s car back to him, and…” she glances down at herself, smoothing the front of the t-shirt that I dressed her in this morning. I fucking love the way she looks in my clothes. “I’d like to look presentable before I meet your whole pack.”
“You look incredible in anything you wear, baby,” I growl into her neck, pressing my lips to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. She giggles, wriggling around on my lap, the stimulation making my dick harden beneath her perfect little ass.
“You mean the blue car in the driveway?” Deke asks over his shoulder as he pops a pair of waffles into the toaster. “The interior may need to dry out, when I got back from the run last night the drivers’ side door was wide open and the engine was still running.”
“Oh crap,” Fallon sighs, spinning herself to sit sideways on my lap and draping her arms around my neck. “I was a little eager when I got here last night.”
“Found some!” Holly announces triumphantly, pulling a bottle of champagne out of the back of the fridge. “Pop this, will you honey?” she asks as she hands the bottle to Deke, ducking her head in the fridge again to retrieve some orange juice.
Deke gives Holly a disapproving look, but he starts peeling the foil off of the top of the bottle, nonetheless. Even as a shifter, Holly’s a lightweight- so champagne in the morning isn’t always the best idea for her. Especially since she’s got a kid to take care of. I glance around, suddenly realizing that their kid is nowhere to be seen.
“Hey, where’s Mason?” I ask.
“Still sleeping,” Holly replies, kicking the fridge closed behind her and walking to the counter with a bottle of orange juice. “He woke up after we got back from the run last night and was wired for like two hours,” she groans, opening a cupboard and rising on her tiptoes to poke around inside for some glasses
“Ah,” I nod, tracing my fingertips along Fallon’s thigh. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I can’t wait to have pups with her someday, start a family. I’ve never been so excited for the future.
I startle a little bit at the pop of the champagne cork, eyes flying to Deke as he passes the bottle to Holly. She takes it from him, grinning, and starts pouring champagne into the four glasses she’s lined up on the counter.
“I found some clothes on the lawn after everyone left last night,” Holly says as she pours, waiting for the fizz to go down before she starts adding orange juice. “Any chance some of those are yours?” she asks Fallon over her shoulder. “I threw them in the dryer.”
Fallon heaves a sigh of relief. “Yeah, I totally forgot I left them out there!”
Holly grabs two of the glasses, spinning around with a grin. “I think you were a little preoccupied.” She tosses Fallon a wink, striding over and shoving the mimosas at us.
Fallon and I each take a glass, watching as Holly returns to the other two, taking one for herself and thrusting the other at Deke.
“At least I’ll have something to wear home,” Fallon muses, leaning sideways against my chest.
Holly raises her glass, grinning at Fallon and me. “A toast!”
I grin back at her, raising mine.
“To our alpha and our new luna,” Holly smiles. “We’re so happy for you guys!”
Deke beams at me, holding his glass in the air. “Cheers.”
I clink my glass with Fallon’s, then bring it to my lips, the bubbles of the champagne tickling my throat as they go down. I finish the whole mimosa in a couple of swallows, setting the glass on the table beside me and returning my hand to rest on Fallon’s waist.
“I’ll follow you back to Summervale in my Jeep,” I say quietly, planting a soft kiss on Fallon’s shoulder. “So I can meet your parents.”
Fallon’s blue eyes fly wide. “Oh crap, I didn’t even think about that… they’re probably still wondering where the hell I went last night!”
I chuckle, squeezing her tighter. She’s so damn cute. “Then we’d better go explain.”
I’m excited to meet Fallon’s parents, see where she grew up. Chances are I’ve met her dad before at a six-pack function. My parents have been gone for so long now- it’ll be nice to count Fallon’s as family.
I nuzzle her neck again, so blissed out by the thought of us becoming a family. She’s everything I ever could’ve wanted, and now in hindsight, I think I knew deep down that she was my true mate all along. The way I was so drawn to her, the fact that it physically pained me to keep my distance. The way she challenges and compliments me. She’s absolute perfection, and she’s mine. I’m the luckiest man alive.
Fallon
I pull into the driveway of my parents’ house just after noon, actually remembering to cut the engine and close the door of the sedan behind me this time. The cloth drivers’ seat is still damp, but hopefully my dad will forgive my carelessness once he receives my good news.
Gray’s out of his Jeep and by my side before I can even take a step toward the house, slipping an arm around my waist and guiding me to the front walk. He doesn’t seem nervous at all, which is crazy because I’m so anxious for him to meet my parents. I hope they’ll love him as much as I do.
We don’t even make it up the front steps before Brooke throws the door open, a huge grin plastered across her face. “Well?!”
I laugh, nodding.
“I knew it!” Brooke screams, rushing toward me and throwing her arms around me. She squeezes me so tightly that the air’s sucked out of my lungs, then steps back and looks up at Gray. “I… um… welcome to the family,” she says awkwardly, sticking a hand out toward him.
Gray chuckles, shaking his head and going in for a hug instead. I don’t know why, but I swear I feel a little pang of jealousy when he embraces my sister. Must be the mate bond.
“What’s going on out here?” Dad asks, appearing in the doorway.
“Fallon found her mate!” Brooke gushes, stepping aside.
Dad’s eyes widen, his mouth slightly agape. “Oh, uh… Alpha Gray,” he stammers, stepping outside and thrusting a hand in his direction.
Gray takes it, shaking my dad’s hand respectfully. “Kent, so nice to see you again.” His voice is so smooth, his stance so confident. I’m so fucking attracted to him it’s unreal.
“Please, come in,” Dad says, gesturing to the door. “My wife is going to be thrilled to meet you.”
Dad glances down at me, a proud smile spreading across his lips. Warmth blooms in my chest.
I take Gray’s hand, leading him inside my family home. Brooke and Dad follow us in, closing the door behind them and weaving past us into the living room. I can hear mom rattling around in the kitchen, probably getting lunch together.
“Who was it?” she calls out, craning her neck to see through the doorway into the living room.
“Fallon,” Dad supplies. “And she’s got some news.”
“More news?” Mom asks. “She already told us about making the squad, what could…” her voice trails off as she appears in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. At the sight of Gray and I standing hand-in-hand in the entryway, she drops it to the floor, her jaw going slack.
“Honey!” Mom sighs, rushing over to me.
I let out a soft laugh. “Mom, this is Gray,” I say, glancing up at him. “My mate.”
Mom looks like she could burst at the seams. She squeals and throws her arms around me in a bear-hug, then sidesteps to do the same to Gray.
“Welcome to the family, Gray!” Mom beams.
Dad clears his throat. “Alpha Gray,” he corrects.
A flicker of recognition crosses Mom’s face, her lips puckering to form a little ‘ooh’.
Gray chuckles, shaking his head. “Just Gray is fine.” He gazes down at me adoringly, and the look in his eyes absolutely melts my heart. “We’re family now.”
We all settle in the living room, sinking onto the comfortable furniture and chatting about everything that’s transpired over the past 48 hours. Mom has so many questions- like how Gray and I met, how long we’ve been seeing each other, and whether I’ll be moving to the packhouse in Goldenleaf. My mind is absolutely spinning- this is so much, so fast.
“My daughter, mated to an alpha?” Dad muses, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Of course she is,” Mom clucks. “Fallon’s all Luna.” She looks to Gray, sighing. “She was such a challenge growing up, so spirited, so stubborn…”
“Mom!” I object, laughing and shaking my head.
“So not much has changed,” Gray smirks, waggling his eyebrows at me.
Mom rises to her feet. “I’m gonna fix us some lunch,” she says, breezing into the kitchen. She stoops to pick up the dishtowel she dropped earlier on her way in.
“I’ll help,” Dad sighs, pushing up off of the couch and following her.
It feels so good to have Gray here, in my space, with my family. He fits right in. I’m still in awe of the fact that this whole thing actually worked out- Gray’s my mate. I chose him, but he was meant to be mine all along.
Gray slips an arm around my shoulders, leaning his face down beside my ear. “They’re great,” he says, looking after my parents.
I smile, snuggling into his side. He’s right, they are- and I’m so glad he thinks so, too.
“Boyd was all bent outta shape that you weren’t at the run last night,” Brooke comments, reclining back in the overstuffed armchair beside the couch.
I feel Gray bristle next to me.
“What? Why?” I ask.
Brooke shrugs. “Don’t know, but he asked if you went back to Goldenleaf. I think he may be onto you guys…”
“Probably wanted to keep you for himself,” Gray mutters.
I roll my eyes, pushing at his chest. “Oh, stop.”
“Don’t mind Boyd, that’s just how he is,” Brooke adds, then looks to me. “And now that you’re taken, he’ll just creep harder on me.”
I can’t help but giggle. She’s not wrong!
“We should probably head back soon,” Gray grumbles. “Deke’s calling the pack together.”
I blow out a breath. “Do we have to?”
He gazes down at me, an amused smile on his lips. “You’re their luna now, babe. You’ve gotta meet your pack.”
Brooke furrows her brow. “Jeez, I didn’t even realize. You’re not pack anymore, you have a new one.” She frowns. “That’s so… weird.”
My eyes meet hers, wide as the awareness creeps in. I’ve never really contemplated it before, but she’s right… as Gray’s mate, I’m no longer part of my family’s pack.
Gray shakes his head, rubbing my shoulder reassuringly. “You’ll always be pack. You’re family. Fallon may be bonded to the Goldenleaf pack through me, but she’ll always be part of the Summervale pack by blood.”
I stare up at Gray, resisting the urge to throw my arms around him, kiss him until neither of us can breathe. How is it that he can always calm my fears, quell my doubts? He’s the missing piece I never knew I needed- so strong and sure and heart-stoppingly sexy.
I can’t believe he’s mine. My perfect mate.
