Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies

Kissed By An Alpha

*Rose*

As Mark walks me out of the dining hall, amidst several other couples who are also leaving, I can’t help but raise my free hand to my nose.

That Emily is awful! Why did she have to do that? Pointing at her nose to remind me that mine is too big?

“Is everything all right?” Mark asks me, concerned.

“Oh, yeah,” I say, smiling at him and pulling my hand away. “I’m just… uh… itchy.”

His eyebrows knit together. “Are you okay? Allergies?”

“I'm fine,” I tell him. I want to do more to reassure him, but I can’t even think of what to say.

“Well,” he adds, “I was going to ask if you wanted to join me in the garden for a bit before we, uh, come back inside… but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable if you’re allergic to something outside. Or is it a food allergy?”

“Cats,” I blurt out. “I’m allergic to cats.”

He slows his pace and turns to look at me, not any less confused than he was to begin with. “But… there were no cats at dinner.”

Of course, he has a point.

I stammer, my mouth moving, but nothing coming out, when he continues. “Although, that chicken dish was a little questionable.” He laughs, and I do, too, though I don't get it at first.

When I finally do, I laugh harder. Is he implying that the chicken meat was really cat?

By the time I can speak again, I put forth the idea, “I think someone I was sitting next to has a cat at home.”

“That makes sense,” he agrees, taking me down a side hall and out the door. Whether or not he truly believes me is a whole different question.

The sky above us is ablaze with bright stars that make the moon look dimmer than usual and lend a purple tinge to the rest of the darkness between their twinkling lights. I gasp at how beautiful it is out here, and Mark pauses, holding my hand, and confesses, “It’s beautiful, but it’s not the most beautiful sight I’ve seen tonight.”

I look at him, my eyebrows raised, thinking he means the flowers in front of us, but then, when his cheeks tinge a slight shade of pink, I realize he means me.

“Oh… thank you,” I say, my eyes larger than the saucers from dinner.

He is charming. It’s almost like he means it.

Mark keeps his fingers wrapped around mine as we stroll through the garden, smelling the flowers, and gazing at the fountains. This is a different garden than the one I was in the other day, and around every corner, there seems to be another lovely sight that takes my breath away.

“Were you pleased when you won?” he asks me as we sit down on a bench near a fountain depicting a howling wolf gazing up at a full moon.

I am surprised by his question, and I don’t know how to answer it. “Uhm… I was surprised,” I tell him.

“Yeah, me, too,” he admits, and once again confusion washes over me. He was surprised I won? “I have never thought I was particularly fast. I’m a good fighter, but this was a race. So I didn’t expect to win. When they showed us the photo finish, and I was slightly ahead of the others, I was shocked.” He gives me a humble smile, and I feel my heart warm.

He is not quite who I thought he would be, based on my first impression of him. I just assumed that someone who looks like him is probably pretty stuck on themselves. But so far… he’s been very humble.

“This whole situation is completely contrived, and that could make it very awkward,” he says, reaching over and brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “I’m just glad that the winner is a sweet girl like you and not some… loud, pretentious brat who acts like none of us are good enough for her.”

“Not good enough?” I echo. “Do you ever feel that way?”

He shrugs, the warmth from the brush of his fingertips still heats my cheek, and I don’t want him to withdraw his hand. “Not usually. But some girls….” He stops talking and shakes his head.

Emily comes to mind. She would be that way, wouldn’t she?

“Rose, if it were up to me, I’d take my time. I’d get to know you. I’d spend as much time as I can with you before… before I even attempted to see how compatible we might be in the bedroom. But… this is a different situation, and I honestly can’t afford to let my chance go when there are three other guys that I know won’t be as willing to take it slow.”

My breath catches in my throat as I consider what he is saying. “I understand,” I tell him.

“But I don’t want to force you to do anything you’re not ready for either.” His voice is so soft and considerate, I can’t help but place my hand on top of his where it lay on the bench between us.

“You’re not,” I assure him. “I’m… terrified.” An uncomfortable giggle escapes my lips. “But I understand my duties as well. I can’t let my pack down or the king.”

“It sounds like we have similar allegiances, then,” he says, his hand squeezing mine. “I don’t take my responsibilities lightly.”

“Neither do I,” I affirm to him.

He nods and then, there in the moonlight, he leans over, and his lips brush against mine. His mouth is warm and soft. I envision this is what the brush of an angel’s wings must feel like.

He lifts his hand to steady me, his thumb caressing my cheek as I feel my heart begin to pound in my chest. His kisses are slow and sweet, with no pressure at all, and when he does finally nudge my mouth open with his tongue, it’s slow and simple.

And natural.

He tastes like mint, though I suppose I still taste like the cake I have just eaten. He doesn’t seem to mind as he kisses me even deeper, and I find myself lifting a hand to place on his shoulder to keep from sliding off of the bench.

I have never kissed anyone before, so this is all new to me. New and… exhilarating.

After a few minutes, Mark puts some distance between us, leaving me breathless and wanting more. “Do you want to go inside?” he asks me. “I promise, I’ll take my time. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I feel like my entire body is vibrating with adrenaline and fear, but I can also feel an ache between my legs like I’ve never felt before.

I believe I read about that in the romance novel….

Apparently, there’s only one cure for that particular ailment, and it’s currently tucked inside Mark’s pants.

“Yes,” I tell him, and his smile widens, his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

Without another word, he stands, taking my hand, and gently pulling me to my feet.

We walk inside, and I have to wonder if Emily will appear out of nowhere, dropping into the hallway to sabotage me. But she’s nowhere to be found, and when Mark pushes open his bedroom door, I feel like my knees might give way.

Here we are, in his bedroom, dozens of candles lit around the room, with rose petals spread all over the dark blue satin bedspread.

He pauses next to the bed and gestures for me to sit down, which I do, trying not to let him know how unbelievably nervous I am.

Mark drops to his knees in front of me, and my heart begins to pound. Is he going to do that swirly thing I read about?

No, he’s reaching for my shoes. He unbuckles them and slides them off, and I feel like I can breathe again. Then, he stands and carefully removes his jacket and his own shoes, tossing his suit jacket on the back of a chair before he sits down next to me on the bed.

Brushing my hair back again, he says softly, “Why don’t we just go back to kissing and see how that goes, okay? That seemed to work well.”

I nod, afraid to try to speak for fear nothing will come out.

He smiles at me and leans in. I hold still, afraid I might poke his eye out with my nose if I move too fast, and he kisses me over and over again, one hand on my waist, the other on my cheek.

Kissing him is delightful. It makes me feel like I am floating away, but when his hands begin to explore my body, I find myself breathless again.

I’m not sure I’m mentally ready for this!

My body seems to disagree with my conscious thought as I respond to him.

But… it’s happening either way, so I may as well accept it.

Mark tugs at the zipper in the back of my dress, and I know I will have to stand up for him to get it off. He helps me to my feet, rising with me so that he doesn’t have to stop kissing me. My dress pools on the ground around my legs, leaving me in the white lacy bra and panties Vienna picked out for me.

“You’re so beautiful,” Mark says, his eyes roaming me before he returns to kissing me.

In the book, the woman undressed the man, but I am too afraid to even loosen his tie. Mark takes care of that, pulling his tie off, and then he unbuttons his shirt and disposes of that as well.

Hesitantly, I place my hands on his chest, and I am immediately entranced by the feel of his muscles beneath my palms. He pulls me closer to him, his hands roaming the bare skin of my waist and hips. I feel that sensation deep within me growing as my head swims again.

Mark pulls back and looks at me, and I smile at him, which makes him smile in return. “Are you ready?” he asks me.

Am I ready for this?

I nod, and he reaches for the button on his pants.

Yes, I think I am.