The Alpha's Queen

Chapter 22: Regrets

Beckett

The next morning, I wrote a note for Devany before leaving the room. I placed it on her nightstand on top of her phone where I could be certain she would see it. Chasing after her in the dead of night was bad enough, but I couldn't risk her wandering about alone during the day. There were too many who would delight in hurting her. Omegas did not receive the same protection as the Alphas.

Pria waited for me outside the bedroom. The moment the door opened, she pushed off the wall. I waited for her to start talking since was a chatterbox in the mornings, but she merely stared at me, eyes wide and lips slightly parted.

"Are you okay?"

The corners of her mouth turned up. "You dog."

Glaring, I turned away from her. She chased after me as I walked down the hallway, following the smell of breakfast and hoping they had a way to pack some to go. After shifting and staying up so late, Devany would likely sleep too late to eat, but she needed to keep up her strength if she was going to stay safe in the mate run.

Pria caught up to me. "Okay, you're going to ignore me."

"Because you're being a child."

"I am not!" I cut my eyes at her. "Fine. But can you blame me? You've lived like a priest ever since we were mated. I'm just glad you got laid."

I grabbed her arm and pulled her into a corner, nodding at one of my wolves as they passed. "I didn't–we didn't...I didn't get laid. And keep your voice down."

She rolled her eyes. "Beckett...I'm a lesbian werewolf. You don't think I don't know what pussy smells like? I can smell her on you."

"You're a pervert."

"But I'm not wrong."

"Yes, you are. I told you. I didn't get laid."

She lit up when she caught my drift. "Such a gentleman. Taking care of the girl like that."

Running my hands through my hair, I sighed. "I should never have touched her. There's too much at risk right now, and if you can tell what happened, others will too."

Guilt ate at me. It had kept me awake long after Devany fell asleep. Bad timing wasn't the only thing that made me regret what had happened between us, but also the fact that she didn't really understand why she wanted me like she did. If she knew there was magic fueling her desire, would she still choose to chase after it? Until I knew that answer, I needed to control myself.

"Come on. You're being too hard on yourself. She's your mate. I'm shocked you held off this long." Pria poked my chest and scrunched her nose. "So, what pushed you over the edge?"

I looked around and lowered my voice. "When I got back to the room last night, I couldn't find her."

My heart rate sped up just thinking about it. Never had I been more terrified than the moment I realized the bed was empty. Her scent hung in the air and led me outside. When I followed it into the woods, every rational thought fled, and I shifted, letting my wolf take the lead as we raced after her. If I hadn't been so overcome with emotion when I found her, I might have been able to control myself after we shifted.

Liar.

"Earth to Beckett?" Pria waved her hand in my face.

"Sorry. I found her in the woods. She'd shifted to heal herself, and she went for a run."

"Alone?" She sucked air through her teeth. "Shit."

"Exactly."

"But look at it this way. She shifted by herself. That's something to be excited about."

"Sure, but I didn't know that's what had happened at first. I thought someone took her, and when I found her, I was so mad, I commanded her to shift back."

Understanding flickered across Pria's face. "Alpha rage and a naked mate. You may actually be a mythical creature."

"What do you mean?" We resumed walking.

"Just that I don't know any other Alpha who wouldn't have taken what was his in that moment. Especially if she was willing."

Oh, she'd been willing. I swallowed a groan as I remembered the sound she'd made when I put my mouth between her legs. Pria pursed her lips together as if fighting back a laugh.

"I'm in such deep shit," I muttered.

She patted my arm. "That you are my friend. That you are."

Twenty minutes later, I made it back to the room with two to go plates filled to the brim with bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I set them on the table and headed to the bedroom to check on Devany.

Once again, the bed was empty, but before I could panic, the bathroom door opened. Devany walked out wearing nothing but a towel, and I muttered an apology, stumbling backward and slamming the door as fast as I could. Her laugh reached me through the doorway, and I sat on a chair, putting my face in my hands.

"Did I do something to offend you?" I asked the goddess as I focused on getting my cock to stand down.

"Something smells good."

Shooting out of the chair, I rubbed the back of my neck as I took in the sight of her. Her lavender hair hung in damp curls around her makeup free face, and she wore a cozy oversized sweater and jeans.

"I thought you'd still be asleep, so I brought breakfast to you."

"Thank you." She bit into a piece of bacon with relish. "I'm starving. I thought I would need more sleep too, but I can't tell you the last time I felt this refreshed. So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well," I said, sitting back down at the table with her. "The Full Moon feast is tonight. It doesn't start until late, so I was thinking we could go for a run. I wanted to show you somewhere special."

"A run..." She leaned toward me. "Like a wolf run?"

Her excitement was infectious. "Yes, like a wolf run."

She squealed. "Let's go now."

"We'll go as soon as you eat everything in that box. Shifting takes a lot of calories," I added in a rush when she opened her mouth to protest. "It's nonnegotiable."

"You're so bossy," she muttered.

Possessed by madness, I dragged her chair around the table until it was next to mine. Grabbing her chin between my forefinger and thumb, I pressed a hard kiss to her lips, tasting the maple on her tongue. She chased after me as I drew away, but I didn't let her catch me. We would never get out of here if I did.

"What was that for?"

"I'm not bossy." I slipped a piece of pancake into her mouth. "I'm your Alpha. Now eat."

"Yes, sir."

She said it mockingly, but I didn't care. I suddenly wanted to hear her say those words while I had her on her knees. And now we were going to go on a run together. Alone. In the forest.

Really deep shit.