Page 50 of His Temporary Alpha Mate
Shift,I suggested.I’ll unlock the door and follow. We can get our clothes another time. Or, I have an idea.I sent a mental picture. Ourbond was so clear already.
You have the best ideas.Dalton grinned, fingers working on the buttons of his shirt.
I stripped off my shirt and bundled his dropped things into it. After unlocking the door, I waited until Dalton shifted before cracking it open. Once I wrapped all his clothes in my shirt, I quickly took off the rest of mine and added them to the pile and tied up my shirt. The shift came over me easily.
Dalton tried to pick up the bundle in his cute raccoon form, but it was too bulky for him to handle. I took it in my mouth and followed him out of the room towards the exit.
We didn’t get far.
“Wait!” Teagan cried. “You can’t just leave! We have to check you.”
I paused, unsure. We must have looked ridiculous, this massive lizard and little fluffy raccoon stood in the clinic’s corridor. The bundle of clothing hung from my jaws.
What do we do?Dalton asked.
No idea.
“I can give you both robes,” Teagan offered.
Fuck. We have to stay, don’t we?Dalton was resigned to it.
I still think my plan has merit.
Dalton laughed.Yeah, until we need their help. We did sign a contract.He reminded me.
Fine, but we’re going home like this after. We can just pretend this bit didn’t happen.
I didn’t care if he was laughing at me. I just loved seeing him so happy. He was finally mine.
Deal.
Supply Run
Larken
Mated life was pretty sweet. As the babies started sleeping through the night, I could spend more nights with Dalton because Tate and Hiroshi needed me less and less at home.
Let me tell you, those were the sweetest nights. We didn’t have to do anything special, either. Just dinner, then maybe something on TV or we would read together. He learned of my love of graphic novels, especially manga, manhwa, and manhua. I wasn’t all too picky on where the story came from as long as the art was good and story entertaining.
Dalton loved fantasy novels. He filled his e-reader with them. He liked to crochet little outfits for Spice when it got colder and he did a mean crossword. I noticed his habit of using random words in documents or when he was talking to people.
From him I’d learned the word scintilla. I’d overheard someone asking if he had feelings and he’dused the word. As soon as I could get my phone out of my pocket, I was googling it. My smile lasted all day. Every time I thought about the confession, a smile would stretch across my face.
Given his background, he was well educated, having used every resource he could get to grow and learn as a child and well into his teens. When others, okay people like me, were teens, we played sports and tried dating. Not Dalton. He was earning money, raising his siblings, and just trying to survive.
I was in awe of him. His siblings were all grown now, thanks to him. He spoke to them occasionally, but they weren’t close. I hated that for him. He’d given so much and received so little in return. They weren’t there for him when he had to leave his pack with almost nothing to his name.
In the weeks after mating with Dalton, I fell deeper in love with him.
My smile stretched across my face as I walked to Deke’s office. Deke had asked me to meet him for a training session. The gym was full of enforcers putting themselves through their paces. Every enforcer was duty bound to keep themselves in peak condition. Under the Sweetwater pack, I’d learned other martial arts disciplines, helping me subdue targets easily. Most of us learned something new and passed itaround the enforcers, keeping outside contact to a minimum.
Sticking close to the compound itched at my skin. My lizard wanted the freedom to roam. In the wild, he would track prey for miles. Staying at home was foreign to him. It was easier having Dalton around, it didn’t itch as badly, but he was busy with work.
“Hey, Larken, could you do me a favor and go on a supply run?” Deke asked as I approached his desk. Paperwork surrounded him, a frown on his face. “There’s a warehouse on the other side of Northarbor where we’ve got essentials waiting to be picked up.” He glanced up to check for my response,
“You sure Lark should go?” Chase asked. I hadn’t noticed Chase in the corner.
“Why are you even in my office?” Deke growled at his cousin. “When did you get here?”
