When we reached the compound, Alpha Alexander and I ran to the front porch, but our clothes still got soaked. I grinned as we stood on the porch, watching the rain fall, washing the front yard and long driveway in cool water.

"I love the rain," I said softly.

"I do not," he said gruffly. "It is a terrible inconvenience for tracking. It washes away the scent."

I turned to him. He was staring at the sky, his brow pulled down in a frown. I said, "That's the whole point of rain. It naturally cleanses the world for a fresh start tomorrow."

He didn't respond. I sighed and stepped off the porch, swatting away his hand as he reached for me to pull me back under the dry safety of the roof. I stood in the grass, my arms parallel to the ground, my face toward the thundering sky. I spun around once, laughing.

"Rain, rain, stay all day—don't you ever go away!" I sang poorly.

"Phoebe," he called. "Get inside. Now."

"Come and get me, Alpha!" I shouted, running for the training yard. He gave me a few second's head start before I felt him chase after me. He held himself back, allowing me to run ahead of him for a full minute before large arms wrapped around me, lifting me off the ground. I laughed as Alpha Alexander spun me around once before setting me back on the ground. He leaned forward, our foreheads pressing against one another. "You will catch a cold," he said softly.

"Will you nurse me back to health?" I asked playfully.

"Always."

My stomach dropped. His thumb brushed against my cheek, his eyes pierced my soul. The heat inside of me flared once more. I tried to keep my breathing even. I failed.

He broke the trance. His arms around the back of my knees and he lifted me over his shoulder. I fell forward, bending over his shoulder. I shrieked with laughter. "Put me down!"

"Let's get you dry, my little mate."

He walked into the house, barely shutting the front door before heading up the stairs. He entered the bedroom and set me on my own two feet in the middle of the room. He turned to the wardrobe and pulled out a dark blue thermal and set it on the bed before go into the bathroom and returning with a folded towel. He wrapped the towel around my shoulders; his hands rubbed against my upper arms, warming me up.

"Take a shower," he said. "It will warm you up."

I didn't hesitate. If I did, I would have lost my nerve. "Only if you join me."

His hands ceased their movements. He didn't respond, only stared as me as I stared up at him through my lashes. My fingers found their way to his belt and hooked themselves into the band of his pants, pulling him closer to me. He kissed me deeply—more passionate than the one at the restaurant; more fervent than any other kiss we shared, not including the night he marked me. The towel dropped from around my shoulders and I felt his hands sliding up my abdomen, lifting my shirt pass my belly button, over my breasts. I raised my arms; we barely broke apart so he could lift the wet article of clothing over my head and toss it across the room.

His own shirt came off and soon I found myself stripped, laying on the bed with his wide, strong body covering mine as his lips assaulted the mark at my throat. The heat grew unbearable as I wrapped my limbs around him. He trailed from my throat to my lips. I nipped his bottom lip and his chest rumbled with a growl. He positioned himself and my heart missed several beats before thudding against my chest as my excitement and anticipation surged through me. His hand moved between us and my stomach curled in on itself. His first two fingers slipped inside of me, his thumb rubbed my clit. I inhaled sharply, my hand grabbing a fistful of the silk sheets. He removed his hand. My toes curled in anticipation.

He waited, his eyes taken in my naked body as though memorizing every detail. I wiggled my hips and flexed my thighs that were on either side of his torso. I started to grow impatient after a full minute of him gazing at me.

I opened my mouth to say something when he finally spoke, "Do you trust me, Phoebe?"

I frowned, confused, but answered anyway. "Yes."

"Good. I need you to trust me now." I couldn't ask what he meant. He moved too quickly for my eyes to follow. His hand was suddenly at my throat and his eyes were a burning, frightening silver, not unlike his eyes when he accepted the title of Alpha Rex. His canines grew, denting his lower lip. His features became more angular . . . more frightening beautiful. He spoke, his voice low and dominant, sending a small shiver of fear throughout my body. "Submit."

For a moment, I didn't understand, but then it clicked, and a surge of something powerful filled my veins, buzzing from my fingertips to my toes, electrifying my entire body. I moved just as quickly as he did, locking my thighs around him and rolling him over until I was straddling his hips. My hand curled around the wrist of the hand at my throat. My other hand reached between our bodies until my fingers wrapped gently around his large hardened member, positioning it at my entrance. His hand around my throat tightened and he rolled me onto my back once more.

"Submit, Phoebe," he growled. The tip of his erection slid inside of me and I lifted my hips, but he pulled away. I growled in frustration, my fingernails digging into his extended forearm. He slid his erection against my wetness, teased me with the tip once more. His free hand caged mine against my chest and I practically snarled at him. "Submit!" he barked, his voice edging with a fierce growl.

I didn't know what to do, I just did it. I tilted my head, exposing his mark, and lowered my eyes. His hands released me as his nose dug into my throat. He entered me, my walls tightening around him. His teeth sunk into my skin and I moaned, our bodies finding a quick, rough rhythm as his tongue sealed the fresh mark. I cried out as something inside of me shattered and I was suddenly bombarded with voices that weren't familiar to me—they passed through my mind, sealing themselves inside. My heart throbbed with pain and my stomach burned as we reached climax. His scent wrapped around me and I for a moment all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat. Then I realized it wasn't just mine—it was ours, beating together at the same pace.

He wrapped me in his arms, held me against his chest as the voices locked themselves away in the back of my mind and our heartbeats slowed. He inhaled my scent—our scent—as his fingers idly ran up and down my arm.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked softly, his lips moving against my bare shoulder.

"No," I answered honestly. I hadn't had sex in a long while, so my body was sure to be sore tomorrow morning, but at the moment, all I felt was his warmth surrounding me. I rolled over until I was facing him. "What was that?"

He didn't ask me to clarify. "Your packmates."

I frowned. "I don't understand."

"Now that we are fully mated, as an Alpha, you are mind-linked with every member of our pack."

I let that sink it, remembering the conversation I had with my friends at the mall, about tuning into each other's "station" and talking telepathically to other pack members. It was another thing I had to get use to since being pulled into the life of an Alpha Female.

"Is this the part where you kill Bambi for me?" I asked.

His lips twitched. "No. This is the part where I pleasure you endlessly."

I grinned. "I like this part." I rolled out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, throwing in a little more sway to my hips than normal as I walked. At the door, I looked back to Alpha Alexander over my shoulder. He laid on the bed, naked and beautiful, with his head propped up by his hand. He watched me, his eyes burning silver once more as his gaze moved up and down my body. "The pleasure starts now, Alpha. Are you gonna join me?"

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Author's Note:

Just a quick tidbit: the submission in this steamy scene was 100% patriarchy at work, but I wanted something more than "Oh, he put it in me and now I hear all the voices." By Phoebe submitting to her Alpha mate, she's now an actual member of the pack and has earned the full right of the title Alpha Regina. To be a member of the pack, you must submit to the Alpha—but to be his mate, you gotta throw in a little sex, too. 😅

Let me know if this is still a little fuzzy. I didn't really expand on this very well in the actual story.

Comment and vote if ya like where this is heading!!

Xo -Willow