My Mate (The Alpha Shifter Collection #23)

Chapter Eight

Dex had gone from storing the wood in the shed, to now loading it up in his father’s truck, ready to distribute. He didn’t know why he couldn’t have just taken it to the people they were helping.

His father had tasked him with doing this side of the pack business. He had a list of the men and women that needed the firewood. After already going to five homes, he now understood why. They were much older, and they didn’t get around as well. Dex knew it meant they were not going to survive many more winters.

This is what happened to a wolf—they lived for a very long time, until their light started to burn a little too bright.

Several of the people he went to had seen close to two hundred years, as they were granted at least double a human’s lifespan. It was just how they aged. He knew it was going to be a long time before he no longer looked eighteen.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the premonition Lucinda had shared with him, but also Casey’s fear. He had a horrible feeling his mate would attempt to flee the pack. So far, she was sticking around, but he had learned she was attempting to interrogate pack members.

Casey wasn’t known for being very … open with the pack. She’d always been nice and kind, and the pack loved her. Now, she was even more chatty, asking questions, finding out what the pack really thought of her not being able to turn into a wolf.

By the time Dex finished unloading the truck, he headed back to town and parked outside the diner, where his father waited with his lunch.

He came to the truck window, and Dex rolled it down. The cold was getting worse.

“How are the deliveries going?” Klaus asked.

“Good. I think.” He opened the foil-wrapped package and took a large bite out of the sandwich. He was starving and needed all the food he could get.

“Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?” Klaus asked.

“Nothing’s bothering me.”

Klaus crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Fine, how about you tell me why Casey is taking it upon herself to start asking the pack how they feel about her not being able to transition?”

Dex swallowed a lump of the sandwich. “You’ve heard about that, huh?”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“It’s nothing. I think it is just her frustration.”

His father took another step toward the truck. “Dex, if you don’t tell me the truth, there is no way I can help you. I want to help.”

Dex took another bite of his sandwich, only this time he didn’t quite taste it. He didn’t know if Lucinda had shared this premonition with him to be kept secret.

His father would find out. If Casey had known he’d gone out to Lucinda’s, then his father already knew. Just looking in his eyes, he knew it was true.

“Don’t get mad,” Dex said.

And he told his dad everything he knew, including the premonition that his death is caused by the fact Casey doesn’t change into a wolf and save him. She’s not able to.

“You’ve got to promise me that if this happens, you cannot hunt her down. It is not your fault.”

“Fuck!” Klaus’s jaw clenched.

“Dad, please,” Dex said.

He knew his father loved him, but seeing his anger was quite a shock to him.

Klaus shook his head in a similar way to Casey.

“No, son, this is not going to happen. Casey is doing the right thing by asking the pack. We need to find out who would dare touch you, and I’m going to Lucinda. She has been warned about this.” He opened the door of the truck. “Move over.”

Dex had no choice but to move out of the way.

His dad was currently no longer his father, but the Alpha of the pack, and Dex had no choice but to follow what he ordered.

“Dad, I don’t want you to get upset over this.”

His father didn’t say a word but pushed the truck into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot.

Dex was hungry, but food was the last thing on his mind. He didn’t want to start eating his sandwich until he knew his dad wasn’t going to do anything stupid.

“You’ve got to listen to me—”

“No, you need to stop giving me warnings, and what you need to do is eat your food and let me deal with this. Lucinda knows she shouldn’t be sharing this with you. The future is too easy to get wrong. People make different and difficult choices all the time.” He slammed his hand on the steering wheel.

He knew his father was already showing restraint as the steering wheel didn’t cave under the pressure of his hand.

“I asked, okay? I did, Dad, and now there is something we can do about it.”

“You don’t get it. This kind of magic has a price, Dex. Did I not warn you about this?”

“I didn’t ask to see. I tried to understand her warning better.”

“There is already a chance that because she shared this with you, your path is sealed. Messing with decisions or trying to change something has consequences.”

“If what you’re saying is true, then it means I am going to die, and Casey is going to be the cause.”

He saw his father’s hands clench on the steering wheel.

“Dad, you’ve got to promise me that no matter what, you will take care of her. She’s my mate. She is everything to me. Dad.”

Klaus didn’t respond and Dex couldn’t stand this. He needed to know his father would do everything to protect her.

“If you don’t, then I’m taking Casey and getting the hell out of the pack. I’ll take her far from here, and we’ll live our life away from all of this.”

His father brought the truck to a stop and turned to glare at him.

He faced his father. He knew they were in a battle. A silent one, but a battle nonetheless.

“No,” Klaus said.

“Casey is the love of my life, Dad. She is my soulmate. I can’t even describe it, but you know what she has meant to me all these years. If you cannot guarantee her safety, then it is simple, I will take her far away from here, where I know she will be safe.”

He watched as his father’s anger grew. The last thing he wanted to do was to give the man an ultimatum, but it was essential for Casey. Dex would fight for her until he took his last breath.

“This is my wish,” Dex said.

Klaus’s teeth were clenched.

Seconds passed, possibly even minutes, before he turned back to look at him. “I will not kill her.”

“No, you will not allow her to die because of what might happen to me,” Dex said.

“Agreed,” Klaus said.

“And you better not hurt her, or allow her to be punished.”

Klaus shook his head. “I will keep my word, son, that she will be well taken care of.”

“Casey wouldn’t allow me to die, Dad.”

“And yet, you tell me she allows it.”

Dex rubbed at his temple because he didn’t know if his dad was being dense on purpose.

“It is not a choice. It’s not like she wants me dead. She loves me.”

“And she should fight.”

Klaus came to a sudden stop at the edge of Lucinda’s land, but they didn’t need to go looking for her as she stood at the edge, waiting.

“So much for the element of surprise,” Klaus said, and climbed out of the truck.

Was Dex the only one who wasn’t surprised by the fact they couldn’t sneak up on Lucinda? The witch knew everything.

“You’re angry,” Lucinda said.

“I want you to tell me who would dare attack my son!” Klaus finished with a final roar.

Lucinda shook her head. “You know that is not what I can do.”

“Damn it, Lucinda, I’m getting tired of all these games. Dex is my son. He is the heir to this pack. He is all I have left to secure the pack’s survival.”

“And he will live on,” Lucinda said, as she turned to look at Dex and gave him a tut. “I told you he wouldn’t be happy.”

“That is not a conversation you had with me,” Dex said.

Lucinda frowned. “Huh, that’s right. Another reality.” She laughed. “Look at me, getting everything confused. She turned toward Klaus but the laughter died. “I showed him what I could without bringing risk to his life.”

“He’s going to die.”

“No, depending on all parties, he might die. It is a possibility. Casey is so consumed with turning into a wolf. She doesn’t know her place within the pack, but soon you will all see.”

He noticed Lucinda kept touching her stomach.

Dex frowned. “Are you trying to tell us that Casey is pregnant?”

Lucinda gasped. “Why would I do such a thing?” But then, she winked at him, as if they were sharing a secret.

Casey hadn’t been pregnant in the vision.

“Our future has changed,” Dex said.

“Maybe, maybe not, but I would say you need to go to Casey and tell her to start enjoying more waffles. The kid is going to enjoy them.”

Dex looked from Lucinda to his father.

His dad waved at him. “Go, go on, go to her.”

He didn’t even look back but went toward his pregnant mate.

****

“I thought you said you didn’t lie,” Klaus said, turning toward the witch he wanted to throttle.

He liked Lucinda. She was a rare, nice witch, and using all those words in one sentence never suited a witch. He’d met his fair share of nasty ones over his lifetime.

“I didn’t lie, but I gave him hope, and in doing so, it might help him to enjoy what is … happening.”

“You were going to say what life he has left?” Klaus asked.

She pressed her lips together.

He couldn’t bring himself to cry, but the thought of losing his son was more than he could bear.

“You told me, looking into the future, giving anyone the chance to change theirs, runs the risk of throwing everything out of balance, and yet here you are, sharing the future with him. Why?”

“Dex’s path is still not decided.”

“Should I kill Casey?” Klaus asked. Dex would hate him, and it would cause them a few problems, but at least his son would remain alive.

“Dex has brought this upon himself,” Lucinda said quietly.

“What?”

“Casey did not ask for this. She did not want this. She is in love with your son, always has been, always will be. She will fight for him, but Dex’s decisions are what has brought them to this point. He is responsible for his death. No one else. Casey is nothing more than a victim of it.”

****

Casey helped the young girl off the climbing frame, and she held onto her quite tightly, until she had put her back on the ground.

“Thank you, Miss Scott,” the young girl said.

“Please call me Casey,” she said.

She wasn’t expecting the kiss on the cheek, but it was so sweet and adorable. Today, she got to volunteer at the nursery. The next generation of wolves, all together, enjoying playtime.

They were adorable, and some of them a little violent. She had to break up a couple of scraps they were getting into, but nothing too severe.

She had no choice but to stifle a yawn, which she hid behind her wrist. One of the teachers had warned her never to show any kind of weakness. It was like the kids sensed it, and then took full advantage.

From the moment she arrived at the nursery, she’d been on full alert, waiting for any of them to strike. She had felt tired the past couple of days, but she’d put that down to the longer hours she had spent trying to turn into a wolf. Even when Dex was asleep, she snuck away to stare at her reflection, to focus on that inner voice, to try and wake it up.

Nothing.

No inner voice.

She folded her arms across her chest, as one of the teachers came toward her.

“You did good today, Casey,” Miss Newton said.

“Thanks. This is amazing. I bet you love your job.”

“It’s a good one. Watching the young kids is certainly an eye-opening experience. Is teaching something you have considered?”

“Uh, no, not really. I hadn’t really thought about what I would do after this next year.”

She didn’t even know if she would have a permanent place within the pack. This was all new territory for herself, for the pack, and for everyone.

“Oh, that is right. You haven’t been able to fully transition yet, right?”

Casey tried not to show that her words did in fact hurt. She didn’t know if Miss Newton was being cruel on purpose, or she simply didn’t see how hurtful her words were.

“That’s right,” Casey said.

The parents were in the process of picking up their kids, and much to her surprise, they ran back, and Casey expected them to be going to Miss Newton, but instead, they rushed toward her, throwing their arms around her waist and hugging her.

“Wow, the kids like you,” Miss Newton said.

“I imagine it’s because I’m new.”

“Well, we will have to see about a possible position for you here. Of course, it will only be recommended if you are able to transition completely. You were advised as you’d not shown any signs of it.”

Miss Newton walked away, but Casey watched as the other woman suddenly paused, and she turned her head to the left. Casey followed her gaze, and sure enough, Dex was walking toward them.

He walked straight past Miss Newton and came toward her.

Casey didn’t have time to ask him what was going on, before he’d cupped her cheeks, tilted her head back, and then kissed her. It was such an intense kiss, that at first, she was taken completely aback by the power of it, and then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

She didn’t know when the kids had started whistling and screaming in joy, but it made her break away from the kiss. Dex was already laughing. He turned toward the kids, kissed his fingers, and blew it at them.

“You’re such a tease,” Casey said.

“Are you ready to get out of here?” Dex asked.

“Yeah, I am.”

He didn’t even give her a second before he was pulling her out of the school, and they were running from the main town square and heading straight for the forest. The ground was covered in a light layer of snow, and she was bundled in thermal clothes, as well as a Dex’s sweater and thick socks. She didn’t feel the cold quite so much at this second.

“Dex, what is going on?” she asked, then giggled as he suddenly pressed her against the nearest tree.

“Does something have to be wrong for me to want to come and take my mate?” he asked.

He kissed her again and she couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t know, now that you put it like that, I don’t see why not.”

He chuckled. “You’ve got to stop being so pessimistic.”

Casey was tempted to remind him of what her lack of ability would cause, but she also didn’t want to put a downer on his good mood. Their future already felt doomed, and they had barely begun.

“You’re right,” Casey said, wrapping her arms around him.

Dex ran his hands down toward her ass, pulling her closer to him, and there she felt the hardness of his cock pressing against her. She couldn’t help but gasp at the sheer size and width of him.

“That is what you do to me,” he said.

She moaned.

“Tell me, Casey, are you wet for me?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

She didn’t even get a chance to ask him why, as he suddenly spun her around and began to attack her jeans. She worked her zipper down herself, and Dex growled as he tore at her panties. His palm cupped her pussy, and she gritted her teeth, feeling the pleasure rush through her whole body. She couldn’t think, all she could do was feel.

His touch was everything. Dex pressed two fingers deep inside her, stretching her.

“That’s it, baby, I want you,” he said. “I want you soaking and ready to take my cock.”

Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she tried to contain her sounds, but it was impossible to do so.

“Please!”

He growled against her neck, and then his teeth sunk down, not piercing skin but commanding in his grip. She whimpered, feeling her arousal start to build.

“I need to be inside you.”

He pulled his fingers from her pussy and tilted her body so he could slide inside her from behind.

She held onto the tree as she felt him start to sink inside her, inch by inch. She closed her eyes, basking in each new sensation, not wanting it to stop.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he growled out as he began to rock back and froth inside her.

At first, he was gentle, giving her a chance to get used to the feel of him, but slowly, little by little, he began to pound inside her. All too soon, he just couldn’t take it anymore, and he stopped, sliding his fingers between her thighs and working her clit.

“Come for me, Casey,” he said.

Her body belonged to him. Her heart belonged to him. Every single part of her being belonged to this man, and the moment he commanded it, she gave herself to him. Dex owned her, and she didn’t care what the fuck other people thought. She trusted him. She loved him, and she screamed his name as he pushed her right over the peak of pleasure.

Before she had finished her release, he grabbed her hips and began to fuck her, hard, building toward his own. She wanted it, pushing back against him, feeling his hard cock throb as he came close. The moment he did, she felt each spurt fill her pussy.

Dex let out another growl, and then she heard him.

“You’re pregnant,” he said.