I was pulled from sleep as Bastian shifted on the bed behind me. Once I realized what it was that woke me up, I pretended to sleep as I waited for my usual morning wake up but the sound of the door opening and then closing had me sitting up in bed with blurry eyes. Disappointment surged through me. Bastian always woke me up by kissing me all over my face. I was usually always awake when he did so but I pretended because I liked it and I liked him doing it. It was sweet and cute and I loved him for it.

I looked around, Bastian had indeed left the room and I couldn't help the pout I had on my face as I laid back down, curling up underneath the comforter. I was not only disappointed but a little hurt at it. I wondered if Collin's dickish remarks had upset Bastian more than I had thought. I didn't want him to be upset at me for it though. I couldn't control the fact that the guys had been hitting on me and propositioning me. I had been forced to deal with them while he had his meeting with Azrael and the other Alpha.

I hadn't liked the thought of being separated from him in a place I didn't know. He had to understand that. Bastian was my only constant in this world and without him I felt like I was floundering, like a boat without an anchor. He was my steady, my calm. He was the one thing I could always rely on and I didn't want him thinking that I was off flouncing around with some guys because I wanted to be.

I felt a little surge of guilt at the thought. I hadn't really given him a reason to believe I wasn't like that. I hadn't exactly told him I loved him. I had wanted to wait for the right time but it never seemed to come and despite how ridiculous it was, I wanted it to be special. Our bond, our life together, didn't start out special. It was forced and horrible and it tore my life to shreds so I wanted just some part of our relationship to be special. Something that we could both look back at and smile because that was when it became official and where we knew that we would be okay.

I rolled up in the blanket, covering my face. I felt stupid and ridiculous for wanting that special moment but I also forced myself to give it a pass. I didn't get a beautiful proposal, I didn't get a stunning engagement ring, I didn't get to plan the perfect wedding, but I could have that one moment. The moment when I told Bastian that I loved him as much as he loved me. It was all I had, all I could do to revive my childhood dreams of happily ever after. There would be no big white dress or seven tiered cake and I had accepted that but I had that moment and I was holding onto it because it needed to be special for me, for us.

I closed my eyes tightly, hating that Bastian hadn't given me my normal wake up. Those acts were what made me fall in love with him. The small gestures, the simple ones that told me that no matter what his day had been like, that he had been thinking of me. The kisses in the morning were the biggest one because they told me that I was his first thought when he woke up in the morning. I didn't like when they were missing because it meant his mind was elsewhere rather than with me.

I pressed my face further into the pillow, trying to drown out the disappointment that was still surging through me. Perhaps Azrael had called him through the pack link and he didn't have time to give me my usual wake up. I settled on the thought and forced my brain to accept it as reality otherwise the hurt would just get worse underneath the disappointment. I didn't want to feel hurt over something so ridiculous but I also couldn't help it.

I was finding I couldn't help a lot of things when ti came to my life with Bastian. I couldn't help tickling him when I caught him napping on the couch. I couldn't help my hand drifting to his thigh, my energy sinking into the twisted muscles to try and help the ache he felt. I couldn't help the blush that heated my cheeks when I caught him staring at me, a soft look of adoration in his eyes. I certainly couldn't help how aroused I got when I watched him train. All those muscles rippling underneath tanned skin as he threw his opponents around.

The thin man who had kidnapped me was long gone, he had packed on serious muscle since taking the Beta position and it made him looking like the hulking shifters I was familiar with but it also attracted me on a very primal level. I blamed all those historical romances I read as a teenager where a burly, muscle bound warrior was soothed by his beloved. I just happened to be the mate and beloved of a shifter who had been born with an Alpha Claim. Although it seemed his touch soothed me more than mine soothed him. He just had to envelop me in his arms and I felt calm and at peace. Not to mention I felt very secure when he held me, like the world couldn't touch me.

The sound of the door opening perked me up and I forced myself to breathe evenly, once again pretending to be asleep. There was a strange little clunk sound before the comforter was pulled back from my face and I had gotten what I had wanted when I first woke up as Bastian gently nuzzled my ear and kissed my cheek before kissing the side of my nose and my temple. I tried hard to fight back the smile that wanted to emerge but I couldn't help it. "Damn, you are already awake." Bastian gave a small sigh of disappointment as I cracked my eye open to look at him. He looked a tiny bit upset and I tucked the blanket underneath my chin as I opened my eyes fully.

"You woke me up when you left." I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, wondering what had taken him away from the bed before he scooped me up, blankets and all, and shifted me over on the bed.

"I knew I should have been quieter." He muttered it out before he sat down beside me. I wanted to tell him that he could be as quiet as he wanted but the moment he moved out of my reach, I woke out but I kept my mouth closed as he grabbed something from the bedside table. "I wanted to get you something to eat. Like a mini breakfast in bed." He held a plate of fruit in his hand as he tugged some of the comforter away from my grasp and slipped underneath it.

I sat up slightly, wiggling closer to him as I eyed the plate with interest. "Breakfast in bed?" I spotted the grapes, apples and orange slices, as well as the peeled and sliced kiwi that had my mouth watering.

I glanced up at him and he nodded. "Yah, I wanted to surprise you." Disappointment tinged his eyes a bit darker than normal as his mouth turned down a bit at the corners.

"I'm pleasantly surprised." I sat up a bit more and reached my head up, pecking the corner of his mouth before snagging a slice of kiwi and popping it into my mouth as I snuggled against his side. He set the plate on his lap before reaching around me and pulling me closer as he tucked me underneath his arm and close to his chest. I grabbed two grapes off the plate, eating one and reaching up to feed him the other.

He took it from my fingers before kissing my fingertips gently. "Thank you." I wanted to melt into a puddle of mush as my cheeks flared bright red with my slightly embarrassed happiness I got from the action. He picked up an apple slice before holding it to my mouth and I dutifully opened my mouth to let him feed me. I had come to learn that the act of sharing food was a very intimate and wanted things between mates.

It had also explained why he had seemed to be so happy eating at my parents, it was because I had shared food with him and in shifter culture that was me accepting him and the bond in a way. I hadn't wanted to ruin it for him and tell him that sharing food between plates and dishes was considered normal in Japan and that was how I was raised because it made him so happy to think of it in the context of his own culture.

I avoided the slices of oranges as I grabbed some more kiwi. Bastian knew I wasn't a fan of eating oranges cut into slices, they had to be already peeled and separated. Anything but cut. I figured those were for him rather than me. I chewed the kiwi, closing my eyes in bliss. Breakfast in bed with my hunk of a man. I didn't think that life could get better than that.

Bastian's fingers danced up my bare side and I shivered underneath his touch. One of his fingers found one of the scratch marks he had left on me last night and he made a sound low in his throat. "How are you feeling? You aren't sore are you?" He sounded so concerned that it turned my heart in my ribcage, warmth emanating from deep within my chest.

"Why would I be?" I asked it innocently as I picked up an orange slice and held it up for him before grabbing a grape for myself.

Bastian took the orange from my fingers and I could tell he was trying to formulate a response to my question. "I was a little rough with you last night." He said it low and I blinked up at him innocently as I did my best to hide the flushed feeling I got when I remembered just how forceful and rough he had been. I wanted to rub my thighs together because, despite the ache I had definitely had in my core, just remembering it made me ache for him in a completely different way.

"Oh? I couldn't tell." I said it evenly as I popped a grape into my mouth and chewed before holding one up for him as he set the orange peel onto the plate. "Although that would probably explain the bruise on the back of my neck from you, how would you put it? Oh yes, pinned me down onto the bed and fucked me like a bitch in heat." The vulgar words escaped me easily and I purposefully made them sweet and innocent and Bastian choked, coughing harshly as he thumped his chest.

I looked up at him, blinking innocently as I picked up another piece of kiwi. "Are you okay?" I gave him a sweet smile, enjoying the redness in his face as he coughed loudly, thumping on his chest. For a brief moment I wondered if he was choking before he inhaled deeply.

He looked down at me with alarm. "I bruised you?" He grabbed my shoulder, turning me as he pushed my hair from my neck. I smirked when he smoothed his fingers across my skin as he gave a sigh of relief before he gave a small noise of frustration. "Lynn, there isn't anything here." There was a bit of a grumble to his voice as he once again tucked me back to his side.

"I know. Do you want to keep trying until there is?" I looked up at him and smirked as he met my gaze. His eyes narrowing before realization flooded them, darkening them with such a heated desire that it made my lower stomach clench with need. "Because I'm game for that." My answer was him quickly setting the plate on the bedside table before kissing me hungrily.

He tasted like oranges and heat as our tongues danced together. He pulled the comforter away and I felt a small chill as the room's air moved over my bare skin, sending goosebumps cascading down my body. His hands chased away the chill as his broad palms smoothed across my exposed skin, sending a different type of goosebumps across my form.

I hitched on my leg around his thigh, pulling him on top of me as I gripped his arms tightly in my hands. I might have been a little sore form last night but that didn't seem to register as he kissed me as if each time was the last time he ever could. I let his arms go to bury my hands in his shaggy hair, holding him to me as I rolled my hips, urging him to get on with it. He gave a rumbling chuckle that made me shudder as he moved his lips to my neck, biting and sucking the skin in such a way that I knew there would be a hickey but I didn't care. I wanted him to mark me up a little. It gave me a bit of a thrill to have him that possessive over me.

He let my neck go with a low growl that had my breath hitching in my chest as he moved lower, his lips trailing across my skin. I arched my back as he drew closer to my breasts before he stiffened, letting out a heavy groan. "Fucking really?" He muttered the words against my skin with a low growl.

I was flushed and nearly panting and did not appreciate the stop in activities. "What?" I scowled slightly and he kissed the skin above my breast with what looked to be longing.

"Our Alpha has ordered me to gather you and head to the main house." He moved to my sternum, brushing his lips across my skin softly.

"Can't he wait like ten minutes?" I knew I was whining but when one awesomely attractive male was about to get seriously hot and heavy with you and you were cockblocked by what was essentially his boss, you got a little upset.

Bastian's eyes narrowed and he smirked as he slowly trailed his lips lower and lower. "Let's see if I can do this in five." His hot breath brushed my belly and my stomach erupted into eager butterflies as I reached down, tangling my hands into his hair as he spread my thighs. "Try and time me." He gave me a rakish grin that had my breath hitching in my chest. He knew full well that I wouldn't even be able to say my name, let alone watch a clock once he started.

The overbearingly sexy jerk.

~~~~~~~~~

We made it to the house in ten minutes. My legs were almost still wobbly and I most definitely had a dopey grin on my face when we entered the house but I didn't care. I had felt a bit bad that Bastian had gotten me off but I hadn't been able to return the favour so as he was getting dressed I had told him that he should expect me to return the favour once we got home. The promise seemed to satisfy him immensely and for that I was thankful. I wanted him to know I was open to reciprocating pleasure given.

Bastian adjusted his shirt on my shoulders before kissing the top of my head. I had tormented him until he had allowed me to put on his t-shirt so I wouldn't be in an entirely strange outfit. I had a weird thing about wearing stranger's clothing. I didn't like doing it and I made a point to avoid doing so at all costs. It was bad enough that I had to wear some strange jeans and underwear. I had pouted until Bastian had let me wear his t-shirt. Which I knew was another thing that made him happy. It made me happy too. I was enveloped in his scent and as a bonus it showed off the hickies on my neck.

I usually did my best to hide them but with Collin running around, I wanted them to be seen. A little reminder that I was definitely taken and to back off. I didn't appreciate being hit on, especially when the guys knew I had someone I was essentially married to. I walked into a very busy kitchen and Angie smiled at me from the stove before her mate Seamus shoved a plateful of pancakes at me. I took it with wide eyes before he gestured at the large dinner table. I shrugged before carrying it over and setting it down in the middle with the various other dishes.

Most of the pack was up but I couldn't see Azrael or Lace anywhere. I figured they were with the woman who had miscarried. The pack had spoken about it in low and hushed tones, sadness painted all their faces as they did so. I had been surprised, the loss had seemed to hit everyone in the pack hard, as if they had a personal stake in the pregnancy as well as the parents.

"Come here, Lynn. I saved a spot for you." Collin pushed away from the table, slapping his thigh with a shit eating grin.

I shook my head as I felt Bastian move up behind me. "I've got a spot already." I moved around Bastian, not so subtly patting his thigh in response. He was just as subtly glaring daggers at Collin before he sat down in an empty chair, a low rumble in his chest He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his lap rather abruptly. My cheeks heated but I found a small smirk on my face as I trailed my fingers through his hair before reaching over and snagging a piece of bacon from a plate that seemed overflowing with it. "Much more to my liking." I said it loud enough that I knew the guys would hear it and I watched as Jay laughed, smacking Collin's shoulder with the back of his hand.

Collin himself grinned wide. "Nice pissing mark." He tapped his neck, more than likely trying to gesture to where the hickies were. "Your male trying to say something?" He pointed at me and Bastian stiffened before relaxing in a way that concerned me that he was going to throw me off and attack the shit head. I slowly ripped the piece of bacon in half, holding one out for Bastian.

"Yeah." He gave a slow nod as he took it from me. "That no matter how much you talk, I'm the one who gets to touch." He smoothed his hand up my side as he started putting various things onto his plate. "What do you want, love?" He asked it gently and leaned against his chest a bit more at the pet name.

"One of the muffins please." I kissed the corner of his mouth, not caring about the public space even as my cheeks heated up at the action.

"You know you probably wouldn't have been so roughed up in my room." Collin called it out and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Jace slapped him upside the head as he came around the corner. "Hey!" Collin rubbed the back of his head as he glowered at the older man.

"Stop being a little shit to the guests." Jace settled at the head of the table before grinning. "Good morning everyone." At the warm welcome, the various pack members that I couldn't remember the names of said good morning back in eerie unison. "Mabel, did you sleep well?" One of the smaller women hunched her shoulders forward as if trying to be unnoticed but didn't reply as she tried to hide behind her hair

"Remember the therapy, Mabel. It's alright to respond honestly, it's encouraged." The blond doctor I had met yesterday sat down, a baby in a sling on her chest. My heart twinged at the sight but I fought it down. She and her mate had apparently had the baby, Lula, just a month previous. They were also Maricella's parents, which was weird for me that they were pregnant at the same time but I also felt for the woman I hadn't met because she had just lost a baby and she would be forced to see her parents with what she had lost.

"I had some nightmares and had to sleep with my light on." The small woman hunched forward and to my surprise Jay reached over and rubbed her back.

"That's very good, Mabel. You are doing very well." They were firm words of encouragement from an unexpected source. Mabel seemed to shudder under them but she gave Jay a very shy, very tiny smile of thanks.

"He's right and don't worry about needing a light. Maybe we can pick you up a night light? Just to help keep the dark away." Collin's input had me wanting to drop my jaw but I settled for blinking rapidly in shock.

"Did you and your female sleep well, Beta Bastian?" Alpha Jace asked the question with a bit of sincerity but there was a part of me that was skeptical about the innocence of the question but I wasn't sure if that was just Collin colouring my perception. Bastian nodded as he held out a forkful of eggs up for me that I took without pause.

The guy in question gave a snort. "Doubt they got much slee-" His voice trailed off and everyone at the table turned to look. I found my own gaze trying to see what was going on. "Hey, sugar." Collin's voice dropped to a degree of softness that I wasn't sure he had ever been capable of making as Lace lead a pale faced woman in to the dining area. Collin and Jay immediately vacated their seats as Lace murmured low in the woman's ear. Jay gently grasped Mabel's chair, sliding her down the table a bit further.

Lace held the woman with a softness that was surprising as she lead her to the table. A large man pulled a chair out for her, his expression worried and lined with grief and both Lace and him helped sit her down. There was a still hush in the kitchen as she sat down, her shoulders slumped as if a great weight shoved them down. Alpha Jace reached over and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze before looking up and nodding at Lace in a clear gesture of thanks as she sat beside the woman.

"You need to eat." Lace's voice was sharp but it lacked the edge it normally carried as she pulled a bowl of fruit in front of the female. I watched as she slowly started to pick at the food with her free hand as the man sat beside her, taking over holding her hand from Alpha Jace. I felt a larger pang in my chest as I watched her, she looked so utterly fragile and sad that it damn near broke my heart.