Between a Brother and a Mate

I know it’s a little perverse, but as I look down at my furious little spitfire mate, glaring angrily between my brother and me—who outweigh her by three or four times—I get a little hard.

She’s so passionate, and when she’s all worked up like this, all I want to do is grab her, carry her upstairs, and redirect that anger.

“Ella,” Roger sighs, looking down at his feet. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Damn right you don’t,” she growls, spinning on him and advancing again.

“Enough,” I groan, reaching for her arm (the one without the baby) and wrapping my hand firmly around it. She turns, looks up at me, a little snarl on her plump lips, but seeing the coolness on my face and in my eyes, she hesitates. Then she huffs, relenting against her will. Her expression reflects the words she sends directly to my mind: Fine. But you’re going to pay for this later.

I smirk, letting her feel a little of my arousal through the bond. Oh, baby, I say back, I’d better.

Her lips twitch with amusement, but not enough to quell her anger entirely. She turns back to Roger, and I let go of her arm, trusting her to contain herself.

“I’m sorry, Roger,” she says stiffly, surprising him. “I meant what I said, but…it’s complicated. And this wasn’t the time or place.” She shrugs, clearly communicating that she’s not really sorry, but ending the fight nonetheless.

“Okay,” Roger says awkwardly. My brother looks up at me, shame and regret in his eyes. “I think I’m going…”

“Stay,” I say, meaning it, taking a step toward him. “Stay overnight, at least—we’ve got plenty of room—”

“No,” he says, giving us a half-smile as he looks between us. “It’s all right—I’m not far, and all I want is my own bed.” He yawns, stretching.

“All right,” I say, putting my hands in my pockets and studying him. “Thank you, brother, for everything.”

“Anytime,” he murmurs, hugging me, then giving Ella an awkward kiss on the cheek and chucking baby Rafe under the chin. “See you guys around,” he murmurs, lost in thought as he heads for the door.

With both godparents gone, our other guests quickly take the hint and say their goodbyes. I see the last few out the door as Ella takes the baby upstairs.

I stand at the bottom of the staircase, sighing, delaying going upstairs as long as possible. Because I know that the minute we get up there, we’ll have this fight.

Sighing, shaking my head, I start up the stairs.

She’s ready for me when I enter the room.

“How could you not back me up, Dominic?” Ella says, standing by the bassinet, arms crossed.

“Ella,” I say, leaning against the doorframe, covering my eyes. “It’s not that I don’t back you up—”

“But you didn’t!” she insists, her fury evident. I sigh, tired, but try not to show my frustration. She’s entitled to her feelings, and I don’t want to invalidate them. “You told me to stop,” she continues. “You took his side!”

“No,” I disagree softly. “I didn’t take his side—I asked you to stop because we had other guests, and I didn’t want to make Roger and Cora’s business everyone’s business.”

“Is that what you’re saying I was doing?” Ella asks, getting steamed again. She opens her mouth to speak, but I cross the room quickly.

“Ella,” I say, placing my hands evenly on her shoulders and looking into her face. “Please. I know you’re upset. But please, you know that’s not what I meant. Right?”

She pauses, checks herself. I smile, loving the ferocity with which she protects those she loves. I open this feeling to her through the bond, letting her see how I truly feel—that I don’t hold it against her.

She bends, sighing, leaning against me. I wrap my arms around my angry, fiercely loving little mate, holding her close, protecting her. As much as she loves and fights for those she loves, I’m right there with her, protecting her just as fiercely.

“You know I’ve always got your back, Ella,” I murmur, tucking my face against her hair.

“I know, Dominic,” she sighs. “I just…got mad. I’m sorry I took it out on you.”

“I can take it,” I reply, smirking. “Plus, you’re really sexy when you get all worked up like that.”

“What!?” she replies, shocked and slightly pleased. “Seriously?”

“Sure,” I say, running a hand over her rose-gold hair. “The sight of you taking on two alphas like that, looking ready to take us both out with a baby on your hip? Damn, girl.” My last two words are a lusty snarl. “I’m going to be thinking of that look for a long time.”

Ella smiles, pressing against me, turning her face up. “Okay, now tell me I was right. That’s what will get me all worked up.”

“You were right,” I whisper, hoisting her into my arms. She laughs, wrapping her legs around my waist.

“Oh baby, say it again,” she murmurs, her voice a throaty whisper. But I just laugh and kiss her neck, running my lips down her shoulder and over the mating mark I left there. I feel a shiver as I run my tongue over it.

“How long do we have to wait?” she asks, breathlessly.

“Doctor Hank said three weeks. Half the time as a human pregnancy.”

She sighs. “So, one more week. But thank the goddess for wolf biology. I don’t think we’d have made it to six.”

I shrug, smiling at my little mate, letting my hand rove over her ass. “We’d have found ways to be creative.”

“But I don’t want to be creative,” she whispers, nudging my nose with hers. “I just want you. Pure and simple.”

I kiss her again, slowly, deliberately not giving her everything. I don’t want to get myself worked up when I can’t get her worked up too. Then, I carry her to the bed and lie down, with her on top of me.