Page 31 of The Rabbit's Foot
“Yeah, I knew. You have the potential to be an amazing First, Malachi, but you needed to figure out your place in the world before you could be a leader. And I’m proud to learn you’ve done that, even though it took a lot longer than I thought it would. Now, tell me, what can I do for you?”
“I need an army,” Mal said, not caring that it sounded ludicrous. “I want to kill every one of those sons of bitches for what they’ve done to Alp. What they’re still doing to others. I can’t sit back and let them continue. They have to die.”
“Do we have any idea of their strengths? Their weaknesses?”
“No, sir. I’m going out today to see if I can find where they’re operating from.”
“So we’d be walking in blindly. This could well be a suicide mission.”
“It could, sir. I won’t be upset if you refuse to help me. I know this is my fight.”
“I’ll tell you right now, Mal. One of the lessons we have to learn as Firsts is when it’s okay to ask for help. This is something the old you would have rushed headlong into without a second thought for what you were leaving behind.”
“I… was going to do that,” Mal admitted. “When I look at Alp, see his missing hand, I want to storm in there and slaughter them all. But now that I understand Alp is not only my pack, but my mate? I can’t do that to him. I need to be smart about this.”
“Yes, you do. Let me talk to the pack. I will gather as many volunteers as I can, and we will come to assist you.”
“Thank you, First.”
A throaty chuckle. “I’m no longer your First, Mal. Call me Damon.” He sighed, like he was settling in. “Now, tell me about this mate of yours. It sounds like a wild story, and I want to hear it all.”
Talk about Alp? That was something Mal was more than happy to do.
* * *
A heavy hand settled on Alp’s shoulder, giving a firm but gentle squeeze as the car pulled away, with Nura sticking her hand out and yelling to Alp to behave himself.
“Is it stupid I miss them already?” he asked, as the car vanished from view.
“No, not at all,” Mal replied. “Believe it or not, I kind of miss them too. I like how your mom can embarrass you so easily.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. You’re so funny.” He turned and stepped into Mal’s embrace, laying his head on the broad chest. “She brought me clothes, so I can stop wearing yours.”
“Hey, I like you in my clothes,” Mal whispered in his ear. “I love how your scent mixes with mine. It gives me no end of pleasure.” He kissed Alp’s neck. “Hello, mate.”
Maker, the word made Alp shiver. He was fucking mated to someone.
“You owe me an orgasm,” he blurted out.
Mal snickered. “You wanna cum, my little bunny?”
“Oh, Maker yes,” Alp moaned. “As much as I enjoyed what we did, I never got off.”
“That’s a lie, and you know it.”
Fine, sucking Mal had caused Alp to shoot off without touching himself. But he longed to know what it was like to be touched, to have actual sex.
“Mal,” he whined. “I need you.”
“And I need you. Always.” He hefted Alp into his arms, smiling when Alp wrapped his hand around Mal’s neck. “Can I claim you tonight, Alp?”
“I thought you already—oh, you mean…. Um, you’re kind of, you know, big.”
“I am, but I swear to you I’ll be gentle. At least until you’re begging for more.”
Alp raised his brows. “Rather high opinion of yourself, yeah?”
“No,” Mal replied, squeezing Alp. “The only opinion of me that matters is yours.”
