The Alpha's Other Woman

27 Optimism

Double update, this is the second chapter today!

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Carrie

I slept well that night. I had been so worried about Jason's reaction to my past that now that he knew and hadn't thrown me away I was on cloud nine.

Rejection had been the source of my fear, and he had relieved it by being himself. I should have known better than to think he would toss me away over something like that.

He was still sleeping, his arm slung over me, his breathing deep and even. Memories of the previous night after everything had come out—what I had done, his hands and his mouth—ran through my mind, and I could feel that increasingly familiar hunger for him building inside of me. Looking at him made it no better, even at rest he was all angles and banked strength.

I squirmed closer to him, but the nearness of his body only made the way I ached for him worse. A glance at the clock told me I didn't have long before I had to get up for work, so I relaxed back and just enjoyed the comfort of his presence.

Soon he began to stir as well. He opened his eyes, and I saw the gold of his wolf stirring along with his normal color, and I smiled at the sight. "Good morning."

"Good morning, babe."

I leaned forward and pecked his cheek, when really all I wanted to do was rub myself up against him.

"What did I tell you about proper kisses?"

"Haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"Didn't say it had to be on the lips."

He didn't even give me a chance to respond before he was in motion, and I ended up pinned underneath him, his mouth tickling my ear before moving down my neck. He bit it lightly, and I moaned.

"This is what you get for waking up smelling like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you want me as much as I want you."

"I was just thinking about last night..." I trailed off as he squeeze my ass. I had fallen asleep in only panties, so there was little between my skin and his hand. Instinctively I moved into his touch.

And then my alarm went off.

Jason groaned and pulled me closer. "Why?" he asked with a dismayed groan. "You know, if you just ditched work and stayed here I could make it worth your while."

The huskiness of his voice was like a siren song that tempted me to ignore my obligations, but I still said, "Because I owe the humans who helped me out. And you have a lot of work to do too, Alpha."

"That is exactly why I didn't want to be alpha in the first place," he complained. I turned my head enough to peck his cheek again, and he growled teasingly.

It didn't take me long to get ready after I wiggled out of my mate's clutches. As I left, Jason kissed me in a way that made me want to forget about work and stay locked in with him for the rest of the day. He knew what he was doing to me, and he smirked as I left with an affected huff.

Max joined me outside. "Ready to go?" he asked.

It was the last day to return what I owed to the humans who had given me a chance, and then I could turn my focus solely to being a luna and growing my young pack. I smiled at the thought. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

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Nothing in the first part of my shift gave cause to contradict my optimism. It went smoothly, and pretty much as normal. Amanda caught me in the break room. She seemed normal. I was tempted to ask her about Porter, but I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to interfere unless one of them wanted me to.

After my break, I helped a frail old human lady get a case of pasta sauce off a high shelf. She was grateful, and chattered about her grandson's coming visit while I did so.

While I focused on my customer, in the back of my mind I was aware that there was another couple quietly waiting for my attention. I kept my usual work smile pasted on my face, but then the gamey scent of rogue hit my nose.

I tried to stay calm and not to look like anything was amiss since they weren't making any moves while I set the case into the little old lady's cart. She thanked me profusely in her creaky voice, and then went on her way. I didn't pause to appreciate how sweet and fragile she was, because my mind was already on the rogues.

Assuming their sanity was still intact, it was unlikely that the rogues would try anything in a human store since it would just get them into a mess with the hunters, but I still wished that it was past the full moon so could mind link Max, who was unsurprisingly nowhere to be seen. Trying not to be suspicious to the mundane humans, he only came in a few times during the day to check on me before resuming his watch outside at the truck. I was too far from Jason to have any luck with him, either, since the link only stretched so far. And my phone was locked up in the break room.

Heart pounding, I focused on the rogue couple with my forced smile still on my face.