Punished by the Alpha Book 2
Autor:in
B. Luna
Gelesen
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Kapitel
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Daddy Alpha
Book Two
NINE MONTHS LATER
ALEXIA
âHey, baby...wake up.â
The sexy murmur pulls me from my sleep. I blink my eyes and wake up slowly. I realize Iâve fallen asleep on the couch...again.
My tired arms are curled around the newest addition to our family, our perfect baby boy. I look up into Rainierâs golden eyes.
âHi,â I smile. I just woke up, but my life feels so special it could still be a dream.
âMy female,â he whispers. âDid you have a good nap? I would let you sleep, but dinner is ready.â
âYes. Thank you,â I reply.
He touches my face and his eyes soften further, then grow dark with animal longing. I can tell his wolf is just under the surface, wanting to go for a romp in the forest.
Itâs been WAY too long since we had time to ourselves.
There is just too much to do these days. Being parents to an infant and six-year-old twins is more than a full-time job. And thatâs not to mention running the pack...
But itâs more than worth it. Our baby, Adam, has brought a rush of excitement and love into our lives.
Adam.
We decided to name our third child after my beloved brother. Adam is only one month old, but he already has my brotherâs easygoing spirit.
Heâs a happy baby, not a crier like Artemis and Raiden were.
Rainier kisses me softly, and I close my eyes. Weâve been together for seven years. Weâve made a family, but my mateâs kisses still give me butterflies.
And Iâve never loved my alpha male more than I do right now...
As my male pulls away, he looks down at the baby in my arms.
Our child coos up at his father and wraps his tiny hand around his finger.
Rainier lifts our baby gently and puts him down in the rocker, then strides over to the open window.
âDinnertime!â he calls to bring in the twins after a summer afternoon of playing outside.
âThank you for making dinner,â I say as I stand up and walk over to my mate.
Rainier situates himself behind me, his strong arms wrapping around my waist.
I lean against my male, knowing heâll support me.
When he kisses my neck, my wolf purrs in delight.
âItâs just frozen pizza and salad...again,â he replies with a wry smile.
âSounds delicious.â
These days, with two rambunctious kids and a newborn, I donât have time to make nice dinners like venison stew...
And it means the world to me that Rainier has stepped up to help with mealtimes.
âLetâs eat and get the kids to bed, and then youâre all mine,â my mate growls in my ear.
I smile, biting my lip. Some quality time with my male is exactly what I need right now.
A moment later, the door bursts open and the twins tumble in. Artemis and Raiden both rush toward me, chanting âMom! Mom! Mom!â
âShhh, your brother is sleeping,â I say softly to them as I brush the hair from Raidenâs eyes.
âLook what we found!â Artemis whispers excitedly, uncurling her fingers to show me a large stone.
âItâs a diamond!â Raiden exclaims.
âHmmm,â I reply, âit looks like quartz to me. It is very beautiful.â
âItâs for you, Mama,â Artemis says, smiling proudly. Her eyes shine bright and golden, just like her dadâs.
âThank you so much. Now go wash your hands for dinner.â
As they rush off, I put my new stone on the shelf where I keep all the treasures from my kids. In my collection, I have various sticks, autumn leaves, some rocks, and an owl feather.
Before we head to the dining room, I check on Adam, whoâs sleeping soundly in his crib.
Rainier takes his place at one end of the dining room table, and I sit beside him. Artemis already has a mouthful of garlic bread.
âWhat have we told you two about waiting until weâre all sitting at the table?â I ask them.
âIâm waiting!â Raiden protests.
âGood job, son,â Rainier encourages him. Artemis smiles innocently and I canât help but smile back.
Rainier passes the tray of pizza to me and I take two slices of pepperoni. I bite into the cheesy goodness and let out a little moan.
âI wish I could hear that sound all day long,â my mate mind-links to me, and I meet his eye with a coy smile.
âWe played dodgeball with other pups in the pack today,â Raiden says excitedly.
âI was a captain!â Artemis adds. âAnd Raiden was the first person I picked for my team.â
âThatâs great. Itâs important to look out for your siblings,â Rainier replies encouragingly.
Beneath the table, I squeeze Rainierâs leg. Part of why it means so much to him that our kids get along is because he never had that with his own family.
Silas, his long-lost brother, wanted him dead, and Rainier had no choice but to kill him.
When we started our family, Rainier knew he wanted to do things differently than his own father had.
âWhen will we see Aunt Gennie?â Raiden asks. âI want to give her a rock I found as a present.â
My sonâs thoughtfulness makes me smile.
âShe and Ardon are taking care of you guys next week,â I tell him, and Raiden grins.
Now I feel Rainierâs hand on my knee. He can tell Iâm thinking about my brother, Adam. He knows that I wish he could be here with our children.
Gennie and I often talk about how much we miss him. My brother was Gennieâs mate, and I know she thinks about him every day.
Ardon lost his mate, too, so they both understand that pain.
Gennie and Ardon have created something as special as a mate bond. They are happy together, and Iâm happy for them.
âI ate three whole pieces of pizza,â Artemis says proudly.
âThatâs my girl. Youâll need the energy for our training session tomorrow,â Rainier replies.
âReally?! Weâre training tomorrow?â She squeals with delight.
âYes. Now letâs get you guys ready for bed so youâre nice and rested tomorrow.â
Artemis jumps from her chair and bolts up the stairs. Raiden pouts. âBut Iâm not tired.â
âIâll read you a story,â I tell him, and his face brightens before he follows after his sister.
âIâll clean up and take Adam upstairs,â Rainier says, leaning in to kiss me quickly.
âAnd Iâll help the twins,â I reply.
I make my way upstairs, feeling bone-tired but happy.
Thank you, Moon Goddess. I say a silent prayer as I enter the twinsâ room. I must be the luckiest female in the world.
After not one, but two stories about the Norse god Thor, Raiden and Artemis are finally asleep.
I tiptoe to the door and glance back at their sweet, sleeping forms.
âGood night,â I whisper before trotting down the hall to find my mate.
Having an infant has meant that we havenât had much time alone, and Iâm so ready to be intimate with RainierâŠ
But when I open our bedroom door, I see Rainier sitting up in bed, with Adam held against his bare chestâŠboth of them fast asleep.
I admire the view for a moment, my heart swelling with love.
My male deserves to rest. Our alone time will come soon enough.
Rainier stays asleep as I take the infant from his arms and place him in his cradle at the foot of our bed.
I wash up in the bathroom, then cuddle beneath the covers. Rainier sinks down and pulls me into his arms, and in an instant Iâm asleep.
Eventually, I find myself in a strangely vivid dream.
Iâm walking through the woods when a savage growl punctures the air. I sense that something is wrong, so I follow.
I get closer and hear the murderous snarls of two wolves. My heart is pounding as I race through the trees, and then I reach a clearing.
Now I see them. Two lone wolves dueling.
Cheers and shouting rise from the woods, and a crowd of men materialize around the fighters.
Those men are ENJOYING this, I realize.
I finally get a good look at one wolf...and I realize I know him.
I would recognize the black wolf with a white mark on his snout anywhere.
Because heâs my brother.
âADAM!â I shriek, but my voice gets lost in the cheers of the men. As the other wolf attacks him once again, I try to shift to my wolf, but I canât. Iâm helpless.
Suddenly the sky opens and a ray of light shines down on my brother as he fights for his life.
The voice I hear is strong, yet soothing. It envelops me, and I know it can belong to no one other than the Moon Goddess herself.
âYour brother needs you, Alexia.â
With that, I wake up. I sit up straight in bed, and Iâm covered in sweat.
Rainier stirs beside me in the dark. My heart races as I try to catch my breath.
It was just a dream, but it felt so real.
Could my brother really be alive?!
