The Alpha’s Other Woman
48 Punchable

Jason

The alphas were spread out before me, their lunas beside them. I counted the votes, but I wanted to hear the final verdict with my own ears from the head alpha before I reacted.

If he were a younger werewolf I would have thought he was trying to drag out the suspense, but I suspected the wait was down to his great age.

“The nays have it, fifty-four to fifty-one.”

I exhaled. By three votes we had escaped Bluegorge’s attempt to dissolve us.

“We won we won we won,” Carrie said in my head. Randy’s whoop across the pack link almost drowned out her excitement, except I would always hear her over everything else. “They can’t stop us now, without making their own decision sound invalid. They’ll have to certify everything! Ha! Take that!”

I grinned at the sound of our triumph in her voice. If she was happy, I was happy. I’d stood up here, but she had helped me prepare for this fight. She was my other half, and I was proud of her.

The old werewolf nodded at me. “You’ll be sent copies of all the report documents shortly.” More fucking documents, but I might just frame these ones. Too bad I didn’t have a picture of the Bluegorge alpha’s pissy face when he lost to hang right next to it.

I nodded in return and took the nod as permission to leave. I walked back over to my corner and was greeted with wide smiles. The other lowly spectators seemed generally happy to see the underdog win against an established pack. I held out my hand to Carrie, and she took it excitedly. “Let’s go,” I said to them, and they followed. “We should celebrate.”

“On the AA’s dime,” Randy added as we exited the room.

“Hell yeah!” Even quiet Lee was getting into the spirit.

Carrie was holding on to my arm. “You were amazing, Jason. I’ve never seen anything like that. If I hadn’t already fallen in love with you, that would have been the moment.”

I pulled to a stop and turned her to look at me. I already knew she loved me because it was kind of obvious, but this was the first time she admitted it. Randy and Lee kept walking before realizing we stopped, but I ignored them.

“I love you, too, babe,” I told her, and then I kissed her.

Her happiness swept through the bond, and our kiss deepened.

“I see what Porter keeps complaining about,” Lee commented from somewhere far away, while Randy just laughed.

—————

We had a party that night, drinking in the hotel bar. Carrie had been quick to let everyone back home know the results, but then she turned her attention to me, like I was the hero of the day. I wasn’t complaining in the slightest about the treatment. My wolf revelled in her adoration.

While we celebrated, a few people came by and joined us. One of the more surprising was the Lightwood alpha and luna, and a few of their pack members. He was huge, probably the largest wolf I had ever seen and she looked tiny in comparison, but he came across as a calm soul, as did she.

“Congratulations. I’m glad you prevailed against those spurious accusations,” he said, extending a hand in greeting.

“Thank you,” I said, shaking his hand firmly.

He ordered a round of fairy juice and vodka—I really hoped on the Alpha Association’s tab rather than Lightwood’s—and we all drank up, except Carrie, of course. The Lightwood luna noticed and she smiled knowingly. “You’ve got one on the way?” she asked my mate.

“I guess there’s no hiding it?” Carrie looked happy to share the news in spite of her words. I was too, especially now that we weren’t going to have to pick up and move the pack to start over. We could have managed, but this outcome was better.

“Then double congratulations are in order. Your pack prevailed, and you’ve got a heir on the way. Goodness, that Bluegorge alpha is so terrible to stress you out at such a delicate time. Shame on him.” She turned to her mate. “Timothy, order the luna something she can actually drink!”

He smiled and the huge wolf did exactly as his mate asked. I laughed at him knowingly, because I reacted to Carrie’s directives exactly the same way. I would do anything for her. Everything was sweeter, because she was here, so trying to make her happy was the least I could do in return.

The Lightwood luna smiled at us with a secretive expression. “The future is full of promise...and, I believe, surprises.”

“What do you mean?” Carrie was quick to ask.

“If I tell you, it’ll ruin the surprise, darling.” She winked.

Carrie looked at me questioningly, and I just shrugged.

The Lightwood party stayed with us for a while, until another member came walking up. I didn’t pay her much attention because my focus had moved to my own mate and seeing how far my hand could slide up her smooth thigh before she swatted me away again, but my delta’s gaping expression caught my eye. The newcomer was a brunette with large eyes that glared back at Randy like she wanted to kill him.

“Oh, no. No, no, no. I do not have time for that right now,” she snapped, and she yanked her gaze away from my pack member and focused on her own leader. “The alpha from Mountainrose wants a word, Alpha.”

He grinned widely. “Please come with me, Serena. Emily, you can take my mate’s spot and keep Luna Carrie company while we’re gone.”

She looked dismayed at the obvious matchmaking. The luna got up with a sweet smile, leaving the spot between my mate and Randy open. Emily very reluctantly took the place the Luna had vacated.

Alpha Timothy winked at me and said in an undertone. “You’ll find this is the best part of being an alpha. Facilitating the future.” Then he took his mate’s hand and led her from the bar.

Randy began talking quietly to his mate while she continued to glare at him, and Lee went to the bar to get more drinks courtesy of the Alpha Assembly.

“She looks about as happy as you did when we met,” Carrie commented with a smirk.

“Will you ever let that go?”

“Probably not...although maybe you could find a way to convince me if you try really hard.” Her voice was heavy with promise.

“I guess I could. Are you feeling as tired as I am?” Now seemed like the perfect time to start convincing her to forget.

“How tired are you?” Her smile barely peeked out.

“Very very tired. I think I might need to go straight to bed.”

“I’m so tired you might have to carry me there.” The suggestive tilt of her lips only made her more enticing.

“Maybe I’ll throw you over my shoulder and drag you off to my cave.”

“Still not sexy,” she said.

“Then why are you turned on?”

I pretended her eye roll and pout weren’t hilarious. “I always am with you.”

“Then I’m a lucky bastard.”

I took her hand, wondering if she would be angry if I took her teasing literally and carried her up to our room again, but then she suddenly stiffened. Instantly alert, I followed her gaze.

Asshole Dane was walking towards us, stiff and tense. My wolf was instantly on edge at the sight of him and his wary stance. I got to my feet and shifted myself slightly in front of Carrie, ready to protect her if need be. My wolf howled to attack first, but I wouldn’t do it unless he provoked me.

Plus, his little blond mate was also with him, along with five other Greenwoods pack members. They outnumbered the four of us—and Carrie didn’t count because she would not be joining any fight considering she was carrying our pup, whether she wanted to or not—but maybe the members from Lightwood would back us up if he made trouble.

It wouldn’t be good for her if I started that trouble, so I’d hear the asshole out first, and only then would I break his face if need be. I sort of hoped I would need to. His inflexible face looked satisfyingly punchable. My knuckles begged to test that observation.

Asshole Dane got really close to me, and I tensed in readiness, prepared in case he decided to lunge.

A moment of tension passed, and then he extended his hand. I looked at it for a long moment of surprise, and then shook it tentatively. He squeezed a bit harder than was strictly necessary, but otherwise it was a fairly normal gesture.

“Congratulations on your win,” he said. “I doubt our packs will ever be close friends, but I hope there will be peace between us, and you’ve got an ally in Greenwoods if you need one.”

I glanced at my mate to get her take on his words.

“I think...he’s being genuine. He’s a pompous asshole, an insensitive jerk, and completely inferior to you, but he loves rules and has this sort of honour code as an alpha.”

I wasn’t quite convinced. “What’s in it for you, Alpha Dane?”

“Well, I do suspect your pack will become a force in time, so my descendents will thank me.”

His flouncy mate jabbed him in the ribs and stared up at him with wide blue eyes.

He exhaled heavily. “And I’m glad Carrie found a place where she’ll thrive.” He looked at my mate, and I had to resist the urge to step in front of her again to block his line of sight. How dare he even look at Carrie after what he had done? “I’m sorry for how I handled everything. I failed you in many ways. And congratulations on finding your place.”

Carrie nodded at his words. “Thank you.” She met the other luna’s eyes. “And I am sorry for the challenge. I just lost my temper, Luna Heidi.”

“I understand. It wasn’t a good situation.”

Asshole Dane continued. “And I believe that the bonds between our packs will only strengthen with time.” He nodded to one of his members. “My fighter John and his mate Samantha have informed me of their intention to transfer packs.”

Carrie’s excitement spilled through the bond. The one who I assumed was John looked at Carrie. “Sam really misses you, and she says you need medical staff.”

“Absolutely,” Carrie said. “Of course we’ll accept you two!” Her excitement was tangible inside me, and I couldn't help but smile slightly in spite of the tense situation.

John grinned.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Carrie’s parents are the next to transfer since both their kids are gone. I believe they’re debating which pack. I’m sure you’ll hear more about that. But I’ll let you get back to your celebrating.”

“See you soon,” John said, and the Greenwoods wolves left.

After they were out of sight, Carrie turned to me and threw herself into my arms. “You know, I’m still not ready to stop calling him Asshole Dane yet,” she said with a laugh.

“Me neither.”

But things were going in our favor, and I wasn’t going to question it, I would just enjoy it. With a quick movement I swept up my laughing, protesting mate and carried her off to our room.

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