Rejecting the Alpha

Kissing Kylie felt right. I was painfully hard against her, but if she noticed, she didn't seem to mind. I moved away from her lips and kissed a trail down the curve of her neck, making my way to the hollow of her throat.

As I brushed her hair away, my eyes caught on the mark her twisted first mate had given her. The bite was healed, but it looked darker than they normally did, as if a part of her had fought accepting his claim. I kissed over it, wishing my mark could cover it, that I could smooth away all her pain.

I didn't know what marking her would do under the circumstances, so I ignored my wolf's desperation to do just that. It was not worth it, not if it might hurt her. Nothing was worth hurting her.

I worked my way back up to her mouth, and then I reached between us and moved my hand up to her breast, giving her time to protest if she wanted to. She didn't, so I cupped one with my left hand, my right on her knee. I moved it up to her thigh just above her knee and squeezed her leg gently.

Deep down, I knew I should stop, but I didn't want to, almost as much as my wolf was protesting the idea. I wrestled with him and myself, and was saved from possible defeat by the sound of my phone going off on the counter.

The timing was terrible and excellent. We broke our kiss.

"I should get that.”

She nodded her understanding and smiled at me as she shifted back into her own chair and resumed eating her now cold food.

I grabbed the phone and brought it to my ear. Jack's familiar voice came to me.

"Hey, Vander, how's it going?" He always asked some version of that, ever since Darlene had passed away. Everyone had been worrying about me, more than they needed to. I’d grieved and accepted her death.

"I'm great, yourself?" I asked him. I wasn't the only one who had lost her, even if the loss of a mate bond had been excruciating to bear. She had been very close to her brother, and he still hadn't found his mate, although he never really spoke about it or seemed to care.

"Now I’m curious. What makes you great?"

I wasn't sure how he would take it, but I figured he'd manage. "I think I've found my second chance," I told him. I glanced over at Kylie, who seemed to be doing her best not to listen in. I grinned, indicating it was okay.

His voice was incredulous, and then a hint of amusement broke through. "Your second chance mate? And you think? How do you not know? I hear it’s supposed to be like an explosion, hard to miss.”

"This time it’s complicated."

"Oh? Sounds like a human social media status."

"I'll explain later, once everything is clearer."

"I should come for a visit and meet my new...I don't even know what she would be to me. Maybe a step-sister-in-law-in-law?" He was joking, but his voice caught on the word sister. I still felt his pain. Like him, I would never stop loving Darlene, but I sensed it would take little for me to love Kylie just as much, in a new but equally powerful way.

"I'm guessing this isn't why you called, though," I said, in an attempt to get him back on track about the reason he phoned me.

"True. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Lenora is riding my ass about an acquisition meeting we're having tomorrow at two, looks very promising. Want to be there?"

"I'll join remotely," I said. Somewhere in the back of my mind had been a plan to visit the physical offices and also see my brother-by-bond sometime soon, but it would have to wait a little bit longer. I glanced over at Kylie, who had finished eating and was now looking out the picture window in the alcove beside the living room, before wandering to the book shelves. Maybe she'd like to come with me and see what had been built when I did go.

"Figured you'd say that, in light of what you've told me. Serious, I don't know why you're such a chick magnet—"

"I'm hardly that. With the number of women who trail around after you…”

"Right. Well, they’re not my mate. It’s you who found a second chance so quickly..."

"It's been a couple of years," I said, my heart heavy at the memory. A lifetime would not be enough to forget how I had loved my first mate. Watching Kylie pick a book and curl up in an arm chair soothed the pain, though. She was beautiful, entirely in her own way.

"Haven't found mine yet."

"Didn't know you were looking.”

"Isn't everyone?" His laugh was easygoing and casual.

"Maybe. Although if you left the offices once in a while..."

"Hey, someone's got to keep this operation together."

"And I appreciate all you do, Jack."

"Aw, you make my heart sing.”

"Too bad it's off key. Maybe that's why you can't find her?"

Jack laughed. His mate would be a lucky woman. I was sure he'd find her, most people did. "Maybe. Anyways, I can tell you're preoccupied, so I'll let you go. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Absolutely. Later, man."

I set my phone back on the counter. My mind went back to what we had been doing before the call, but she looked entirely contented curled up in the chair, so I decided not to disturb her, much. She smiled up at me, so I leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"If you're good, I'm going to do a bit of work this morning." I immediately regretted my words, since I would much prefer spending the time with Kylie now that I had found her.

But still, both my delta duties and my business responsibilities could only be put off so long.

"Okay, I'll try not to bother you."

"You could never bother me. I'll be in my office if you need me."

She nodded, so sweet my wolf just wanted to eat her up. She turned her attention back to the book, one that had once been Darlene's. I was glad that it was getting some use again.

Retreating to my office, I got down to work on everything I had been neglecting the last few weeks. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, because the beta and gamma had been picking up the slack—they understood that I was in a confusing situation—but I still wanted to pull my weight in the pack.

In light of Kylie's appearance in my life, I was glad I had turned down the beta position a year ago when the old beta had retired. I didn't want to waste a minute away from her.

By lunch, I had made satisfactory progress, and I went out to discover that Kylie had taken it upon herself to cook. My wolf was pushing me to provide for her in every way possible, but at the same time it warmed my heart to see her doing the same thing for me, so beautiful, in my kitchen. The sight awoke that slumbering yearning inside me yet again.

I walked up behind her and put my hands on her waist and kissed her neck, basking in her warm sweet scent.