The Alpha's Other Woman by Vielle Nye (read a book .txt) 📗

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.

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