The Mating(66)

She suddenly noticed that Kane was looking expectantly at her and decided to speak plainly. “Kane, I have to admit that I hadn’t even considered this, which was silly of me, I know. I really don’t like taking the heat drugs—I usually react badly to them—and I’m not opposed to the idea of having your pups someday, but we’ve only been together a short time. I...I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mother yet. I know I would like to have a family someday, though.” She shrugged and smiled at him shyly. “I’m waffling here, aren’t I?”

“Yes, but it’s understandable.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking gently over her skin. “It means a lot to me, to hear that you do want a family someday. I don’t want to pressure you if you aren’t ready. How about I take care of protection next week? It won’t be one hundred percent but it will minimize the odds, and then maybe next cycle you’ll feel ready.”

“And if it does happen—if I end up pregnant this time—I’d be okay with it. A miniature Kane wouldn’t be all bad; after all, his father’s sort of growing on me.” She brushed his hair from his forehead.

Kane grinned up at her, his eyes shining with delight and Elise couldn’t help but grin back. They were having a real conversation about something important, and she’d learned something meaningful about him. He wanted a family. It wasn’t earth shattering news—most wolves had a strong instinct to procreate—but it gave her a sliver of information that she didn’t have before.

A shiver of anticipation shot through her. One of her mated friends had gone off her heat medication and had said the urge to copulate had become almost overwhelming. She and her mate had spent almost the entire week in bed. Mmm, a week of sex with Kane sounded eminently appealing. Leaning over him, she placed a lingering kiss on his lips. “Maybe we should start practising for next week.”

“I like how you think.” Kane chuckled as he stood, pulling her to her feet and hugging her.





*****





Back at the Alpha house, Kane and Elise headed upstairs, their arms wrapped around each other’s waists. The house was quiet and dark, only the lamp in the entryway left on. As they reached the upper landing, Marla’s bedroom door popped open, spilling a wedge of light across the darkness. She peered out at them and smiled. “Looks like you two had a good time.”

“It’s about to get even better.” Kane nuzzled Elise’s neck, not even looking in Marla’s direction.

Marla giggled as Elise playfully smacked Kane’s arm while giving him a dirty look. “Elise, I promise I won’t keep you away from your mate for long, but can I see you for a minute?”

Elise looked at Kane. He shrugged and then nodded. “Make sure it’s only a minute.”

“I promise. I just have a phone message that I said I’d deliver personally.” Marla explained.

Kane gave Elise a quick peck on the cheek and went down the hall to the bedroom. Once the door was shut, Marla turned to Elise, speaking in hushed tones. “Someone named Bryan kept calling for you tonight. At first, I just let the answering machine pick it up, but after the third time I thought I’d better see what he wanted since he sounded so anxious in his messages. Apparently, you’re supposed to meet him outside the Grey Goose tomorrow at one o’clock.”

“Really? Wonderful! He’s an old friend from back home. I heard he was going to be in town and was hoping we could get together for a while.” Elise felt a bubble of excitement rise up inside her.

“He sounded pretty pleased about the prospect, too.” Marla winked at her. “Well, that’s all I wanted to tell you. You better get going before Kane comes looking for you. I think he has some very definite plans for the rest of your evening.” Giving her another friendly smile, Marla turned and went back into her bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.

As Elise walked down the darkened hall, she wondered what it would be like to see Bryan again. They’d had such good times together while they were growing up; he’d been her best friend for years. Pausing outside her bedroom door, a nasty revelation hit her. What kind of a person was she? She’d just been excitedly contemplating a meeting with Bryan tomorrow afternoon, and now she was off to have sex with Kane! There was something wrong with this picture. She wasn’t some sort of a slut... Was she?

She knew she loved Bryan. They’d been together for years but... There was something about Kane that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though she wasn’t sure what to call it. Bryan’s kisses never made her feel the way Kane’s did. She’d never ached for his touch like she did for Kane’s. The love she had for Bryan seemed totally different than the love she had for—