Jackson strode through the edge of the woods, heading back to the house. Two were-cougars walked beside him, and his arms were full of wiggling, squirming, muddy wolf puppy. He held up the puppy with a relieved grin of his own, a smear of mud on his face.
I launched myself at him, pushing past the others. “Is that—“
“It is,” he said, and held the puppy out to me.
I pulled the cub into my arms and inhaled. Sure enough, the puppy smell of wolf was mixed with Eddie’s familiar baby scent. My little guy had figured out how to turn wolf before he’d even figured out how to walk. Figured. I laughed, and my laughter turned into sobs as I pressed frantic, relieved kisses onto his ruff.
Baby Eddie was home. The pack was whole and safe. I continued to kiss my squirming bundle, ignoring the puppy tongue that tried to lick my face and the happy, relieved conversations of the other shifters around me. Someone pulled out a walkie-talkie and began to murmur into it, but I was oblivious. I just needed to get Eddie inside and to the others so they could see he was okay.
I cast a grateful look at Jackson over my shoulder. He was the best, but then, he knew that.
Chapter Eleven
It took a few hours for the others to come in and head out. Someone had brought a couple of cases of beer and people relaxed and celebrated while Dan, Holly, Trina and I fussed over the baby. We gave him a bath and put him to bed, and Holly opted to sleep in his room. She pulled her bunk across the door to ensure that he couldn’t shift again and get back out. We’d clearly have to watch him closer, but judging from the chastised look on Trina’s face, it wouldn’t happen again.
Spence and Len had returned home from the concert, embarrassed to find the house crawling with shifters and caught red-handed. They were horrified to hear the news about baby Eddie, and as punishment, Jackson was taking them under his wing and apprenticing them for his plumbing company. I didn’t think that was much of a punishment and said so.
“You haven’t had to deal with sewage much, have you?” he said with a grin.
Judging from the smirk on Dan’s face, it wasn’t going to be a good punishment. I let it stand. Spence and Len needed jobs anyhow. This would give them something to learn, at least.
True to his word, Roscoe had taken one look at me and Jackson, hugging baby Eddie. He’d turned around and left in his car. I hoped we never saw him again, but it didn’t matter. Virginity didn’t matter, either. Jackson and I were a cohesive team, and it was obvious to everyone present. He was part of our pack - alpha, leader, and father to the others, and mate to me. Roscoe would never be able to worm his way in. Not now.
Bathsheba and Beau had pulled us aside and ensured that everything was fine before they left. I thanked them for their help, but Beau simply shook his head. “This is exactly what the Alliance is for,” he told me. “Banding together to help each other out. No thanks are necessary.”
“We’re still grateful,” I told him. I glanced over at Jackson, who’d stayed at my side ever since returning. “And we’d like to talk about having the Savage pack join, after all. I’m starting to see the benefits.”
Beau looked pleased. “We’re having an alphas meeting of the various groups on Wednesday night. I’d love for you both to come.”
“We’ll be there,” Jackson said, his arm going around my waist.
They left, and the house was silent. The others were in bed, and it was late at night. Jackson locked the door and I moved through the house, checking everything before we met at the stairs and headed up to my room for the night.
As soon as we shut the door, I was on Jackson. My mouth went to his, and I began to tear at his shirt, overcome by a wealth of emotions. Pride in how he’d handled things tonight. Relief. Pleasure.
And overwhelming lust. Seeing him take control? A turn on. Seeing him return with baby Eddie in his arms, safe and secure? Turn on. Every time he put his arm around my waist or absently touched me, letting the others know I was his mate? Turn on.
And right now? I was incredibly, undoubtedly turned on. My tongue slicked against his, my movements more fierce than practiced. My nails dug into his shirt and I tore at the fabric, wanting it off of him.
He kissed me back, then pulled away, clearly surprised at my passion. “You okay, Alice?”
“I am so incredibly attracted to you right now,” I told him breathlessly.
“You are?” He looked surprised, though his hands went to my waist and he pulled me closer. “You’re not exhausted by tonight?”
Oh, I was. But more than that, I was aroused. Seeing Jackson be a leader? Leaning on Jackson while he handled things? It had done crazy stuff to my libido. “I’m ready to move forward with the mating. All of it. Everything.”
He pulled back, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “This…isn’t some sort of gratitude thing, is it? I want it to be your choice, Alice, not something you do because you think you have to—“
I kissed him again to shut him up, brushing my breasts against his chest. My tongue slid against his parted lips, and I whimpered at how delicious he tasted. “Can’t I just be aroused by you being all alpha?”
“You can,” he agreed, and his hands slid to my ass. “I just want to make sure you don’t feel coerced.”
“I’m not. Roscoe’s gone. The baby’s safe. The pack is good. And I…I want my alpha. Now shut up and kiss me.”
He chuckled, his lips moving closer to mine. “Ah, the sweet charms of the female alpha. So demanding.”
“Shut up,” I told him breathlessly. “You like it.”
“Hell yeah, I do,” he admitted. “But I might be equally demanding. Especially in bed.”
A shiver ran up my spine at the thought, and I gave another hard tug at his shirt. The material split down the front, his collar gaping. “I can give as good as I get,” I told him. The scared virgin that I’d been? Gone. All fear had somehow gone out the window, leaving me only ravenous with need and excited to experience everything that mating an alpha would bring me.
He wanted to take charge in bed? He’d have to fight me for it.
And I was so, so looking forward to that.
“You just ripped my favorite shirt,” Jackson said in a low voice. “Bad girl.” His hands fisted on my tee. “You wouldn’t like it if I did it to you, would you?”
I gave him an arch smile, though my skin was prickling with excitement and awareness. “Go ahead and try it.”
He did, his big hands ripping the front of my shirt away and exposing my bra. And oh god, that was such a turn on to see him ripping my clothing away from my body. My nipples were hard through the soft fabric of my bra, and my breathing was coming in short, excited pants.
“Learned your lesson?” There was a low growl in his voice that was oh-so-suggestive.
I snorted. “I learned that you tear clothes like a sissy,” I taunted. “Asking permission and then barely backing up your threats.”
“That so?” His big hand went to the front of my bra, and before I could say anything else, he tugged and snapped the material. My breasts flew free.
I gasped, startled at that move. I hadn’t been expecting that. My nipples ached, though, and when his hungry gaze turned there, I instantly got aroused. Oh boy.
But I couldn’t let him get the upper hand in the clothing-tearing war. I dragged my nails at his shirt, ripping away more of the material until his chest was fully bared. Then I stopped and admired, licking my lips. God, he was pretty to look at. Those hard pectorals, that sprinkling of chest hair. All of it was incredibly appealing. He stilled, letting me admire him unmolested, and I couldn’t help but rake my nails over one rock-hard slab of muscle. Just doing that made me shiver with want. “Is it weird that I like just looking at this?”
“Not at all,” he said in a husky voice. He reached out and cupped one of my loose breasts. “I know just how you feel.”
I whimpered at the sensation of his big hand on my breast. It was the first time I’d ever been touched there. It was ticklish and arousing and squirm-inducing all at once. And when his thumb lightly brushed over my nipple? I
