SWNOVELS Chapter 46
Chapter 46: Kingston
I watched Ayla walk away through the trees. It must have been a good day. Her mood was happy and playful and her energy was intoxicating. I followed her through the woods until we came to the shore of the lake. She was heading
toward a small dock down the way.
“What are you doing?” I asked as we walked onto the wooden dock.
“It’s just so nice out. I figured the water would be nice.” She sat down near the edge and started unfastening the straps of
her boot.
“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.
“It’s fine,” she said with an eye roll. “Doc says I’m healing great. I won’t even need it much longer, anyway. So are you going to join me or not?”
I shook my head with a smile and sat down next to her. I removed my shoes, rolled up my pants like she had, and hung my legs over the side. I threw my arm around her and pulled her against me, pressing my l*ps to her hair.
“I’m glad you had a good day,” I whispered.
“I hope yours was good, too,” she said.
“It wasn’t bad,” I replied, burying my face in her hair. Being out here in the woods with her had Lennix itching to be let loose. “I missed you.”
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She turned her head, leaning against my chest. “I missed you, too.”
I tipped her chin up, pressing my l*ps to hers. As much as I wanted to keep going, there was something I wanted to talk to her about. And seeing she was in such a good mood, this would have been the best time.
“I did get some news today,” I said.
“Oh?” she asked, a little disappointed that I had stopped, which made my heart skip.
“It’s actually news I’ve been expecting to get,” I explained. “We have the annual Alpha’s Gathering coming up. The Blue Fang Pack will be hosting it this year. It’s scheduled for two weeks from now. I was hoping you would go with me.”
She sat up and looked at me. “But that’s the Luna’s… What about Pierce?”
“Pierce will still be going,” I said. “But I would like you to be there as well.”
“I’m not sure I would have much to contribute,” she said.
“Babe, you being there is contribution enough,” I teased. “I want to show you off. Is that so bad?”
She looked a little concerned. “Theo will be there.”
“And he won’t be coming anywhere near you,” I insisted. “He wouldn’t be foolish enough to cause a scene at the
Gathering.”
She gave me a look. “Maybe if he is in his right mind,” she said. “You saw him. I’m not sure that’s the case these days.”
Chart #6 Kingston
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She wasn’t wrong. Theo seemed to be struggling, but it was hard to have sympathy for him with the way he treated Ayla. I still intended to make her my Luna, which meant she would need to be at these functions in the future. I wasn’t going to deny either of us that just because that stupid pup couldn’t live with the mess he made. And I wouldn’t stand for him making her feel scared or uncomfortable when she did nothing wrong.
“Babe, I promise I won’t let him do anything stupid. I’ll bring a few extra warriors to keep an eye on him and ensure he keeps his distance,” I said.
She still looked unsure.
“Ayla, you were born to be Luna,” I assured. “You were meant to be here with me by my side. I won’t let anyone stand in the way of that.”
“Then why aren’t you my fated mate?” she asked quietly, looking out over the water.
“Hey,” I said, forcing her to look at me, “they say Alphas find their fated mate more than anyone because it’s the goddess‘ way of ensuring the she–wolves she wants to become Luna do. Who’s to say I’m not.”
She shot me a look.
“Think about it, Ayla,” I insisted. “Your family was destroyed because they were too powerful. They were the Alphas of all Alphas. It’s in your blood. Mating you to any Alpha would ensure you your rightful place. We just had the bad luck of you meeting Theo first.”
She started to think about what I was saying. “Do you think
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Chapted in Kingston
that’s eve
possible?”
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“It could explain why my touch takes away the pain of the mate bond,” I said. “And why you’re healing so quickly without Dasha. A mate’s proximity always helps the healing process. And Lennix feels something for you. He wants you, too. Both of you. Wolves only respond to their mates.”
“So, you think my bond with Theo is blocking ours?” she asked. I could tell it was starting to make sense to her. I had been thinking about the possibility for a while now myself. “Maybe with more time, ours will overtake his. That could be why I’ve been feeling better lately.”
“What do you mean?” Despite my hope, I didn’t think time was the answer here. Time never had an effect on any bond.
Except to make it stronger.
“The pain in my chest hasn’t been as bad lately,” she said, rubbing the spot over her heart.
My gut twisted. Ever since Theo turned up at Ayla’s office, I’ve been waiting for a sign that he would try to get her back. There was no way he wouldn’t figure out Kylee had lied about Ayla. I thought he would try to reach out to her or even return to my territory. But if she wasn’t feeling pain from their bond anymore, then it may be healing. That would mean Theo had fully accepted her as his mate.
I didn’t want to tell her that. It may have been wrong, but my only hope was that I was right about us being mates as well. Especially as I watched the same hope grow in her. Lennix agreed with me. We would do whatever it took to keep her.
Taking her face in my hand, I k*ssed her, long and hard and deep. She returned it, pulling me against her, her hands
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roaming my b*dy. My need and desire for her took over. I had been holding back for so long.
I pushed her back against the wooden boards of the dock, supporting her back as I moved us further from the edge. We continued to taste and tease each other, our hands and mouths exploring. She tugged my shirt over my head. Hers followed. I surveyed every curve with my mouth, tasting her exposed flesh.
I took her mouth once more, my hard length pressed between her thighs. She moaned as I ground my hips against her, and her arousal filled the air around us. I moved my hand between us, unbuttoning her jeans. But as I began to tug them off, she shot up, pushing me off and gasping for air as she clutched her chest.
“Ayla, I’m sorry,” I rushed. “I pushed too far again. Are you okay?”
“It’s okay,” she breathed. “It… I don’t think that was the bond.”
“What?” That scared me even more.
“It felt like Dasha.”
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Chapter 47 Ayla