Only Her- ON HOLD

Chapter 27.

*A/N: I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! This chapter is a tad shorter but I wanted you to see a moment in their normal life before their next steps begin full force. I hope you enjoy this little moment. As always, I love seeing your comments and votes for the chapters and what you're feeling! :)

Dani's POV

We walked hand in hand back into the pack's common grounds, the overwhelming sense of belonging hovering around us both. Our own bubble of bliss had been circling around us the entire time we'd been gone, and now it was time to rejoin reality. All I could see were the remnants of a long night of partying in our honor, and I couldn't help but giggle as I caught a glimpse of several wolves still asleep at the scene.

As we returned to my parents' home, time seemed to suddenly move into overdrive as my parents greeted us happily. We quickly packed up our things as well as my own items I wanted to bring with me from my room and carried it all over with help to our new home just up the path. We were still nestled in the Alpha homestead, tucked in our own little nook of the woods the same as the other Beta and Delta families were scattered nearby.

The house was smaller than the Alpha's for obvious reasons, but it was still a good size. It was large enough for the two of us and future pups until the time came for us to eventually move into the Alpha's home, a day I prayed would be a long time from now.

The Alpha didn't have to die for leadership of our pack to change. He could be challenged or simply age out, the latter being the most typical option when a lineage is confirmed through a son or heir. Thankfully my father was still young enough to lead for quite some time and his lineage was secure in Noah and my mating.

I walked into our little cabin and smiled, already feeling the sense of its warm welcome surrounding me. The ceilings were tall and lined with wood beams. The walls were all natural wood, but I was already making plans in my mind of ways to make it our own. A coat of paint and a few changes would do the trick. The back of the house had large picture windows as tall as the roofline that opened into the picturesque view of the forest we were nestled in.

Noah walked in behind me and dropped some of our boxes on the floor and I felt his arm circle around my waist, pulling me in close. My body leaned into him instinctively as he exhaled deeply.

"This will be perfect for us Dani." He said, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

I nodded and then a thought hit me. I felt Noah's hold on me change, turning tender as he stroked his hand against my skin.

"This home was meant for Wyatt wasn't it?" He asked softly.

I nodded as my mood turned somber for a moment. "I was never meant to be here at this point in my life." I paused and tried to reign in my emotion. "But we can do some things to make it meant for us." I said finally.

Noah's finger wrapped around my chin and tugged my face up to look at him. His deep blue eyes were filled with understanding and I could sense his empathy. "We can do whatever you want to this house babe. It's our home."

I smiled up at him and leaned up on my toes to kiss him gently. "Thank you." I whispered.

"Now, come help me with the rest of these boxes. Someone has a lot more stuff to bring in." He said with a chuckle.

———

I felt myself gently pulled out of my sleep as the warmth of Noah's body engulfed me. He seemed to be his own furnace before, but now he radiated heat at night. The sun was slowly rising and the soft morning rays began to trickle into the bedroom. The huge window in front of our bed ran the full length of the wall up to the ceiling and it truly felt as if we were immersed in the woods, asleep and tucked away from everyone.

I felt Noah stir and his grip on me tightened, pulling me in until my back was flush against his body. He lazily placed a kiss against my shoulder and nuzzled in to press his head into the crook of my neck.

"Good morning." His deep voice was raspy and thick with sleep and I felt my heart stall at the sound of it.

I rolled back against him and looked over my shoulder to see his messy blonde hair tousled and his sleepy face as he gave me a crooked smile.

"Good morning." I replied sleepily, stretching out until I was lying on my back with his arms draped loosely around me.

He kissed me softly before settling back into the bed and my eyes fell to the black ink on his arm. My fingers slowly traced the lines of his wolf as it looked back at me, seemingly real enough to jump from his skin. That feeling was all too familiar now.

"So what's on the schedule today?" I asked.

"I think your father wants me to train with him today. He wants to show me around and let me start learning my way here." Noah seemed more serious now, more alert. He knew this was important. The pack accepted him, but he was still an outsider training to be their Alpha.

I rolled over to face him fully, placing my hand on his cheek with a smile. "You'll do just fine. It's the same training you did at home. Just here instead."

He rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss me before his thoughts shifted from anticipation for today to more sultry ideas. My body responded and my hand tangled into his hair, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. My own thoughts were now fully aligned with his and my body tingled as every part of us was now touching. He finally growled, only this time in frustration as he reluctantly and slowly separated himself from me. I blinked my eyes open in shock, staring back at him in disbelief.

He brushed my wild morning hair from my face and smirked at my confusion. "Baby, there's nothing I'd rather do right now than stay here and show you how incredible you are. But I can't go meet your father with your scent all over me like that." He leaned forward and kissed my jaw, just below my ear and sending chills through my body. "No matter how painful it is to say no to you." His breath was warm and I felt myself leaning closer but he chuckled in response and rolled away with a long groan. "You're killing me babe. I have to go shower. Or I'll never leave this bed with you. And I don't think your father would appreciate that."

I laid back with a huff as he got up from the bed and began walking around to the bathroom. As he was closing the door his words popped into my mind and I sighed.

"I promise I'll make it up to you later tonight." He said.

"You better." I replied.