Filed to story: Claimed By The Alpha Nursing His Baby (Grace & Alpha Theodore) Book PDF Free
His hand motions for me to grab it, curling forward a few times. I lift mine slowly, sliding it into his and reveling in how warm his skin is.
Walking backward, he leads me out onto the dancefloor, a wide berth being created for us. I trip over my dress, my nerves already completely shot as what feels like the entire attention of the ball is drawn our way.
He chuckles lightly, catching me before I can fall flat on my ass. “Careful.”
“What are you doing?” I whisper to him, just as the quartet picks up another song.
“What do you mean?” He’s playful as he sways my body into his. His hand comes up to rest on my hip in a tight hold that feels close to a brand. “We’re dancing.”
“Theodore-” I’m spun around the dance floor in some kind of waltz that I can barely keep up with. This is probably not that complicated, but I’m so damn focused on everything else besides my own two feet that it feels like I have two left ones.
“Let me show you off.” His words have my body heating up. “I can’t claim you yet. Not until I talk to my elders. But I want my pack to recognize you and know who you are.”
My eyes shoot up to him again. “You were serious about that?”
“Of course I am. I meant what I said, Grace. What you saw was a complication that I’m trying to fix. It has nothing to do with you. My relationship with her was put in place a long time ago. Trust me, I don’t want it any more than you do.”
I’m spun again, but this time, under his arm. I twirl, my dress fanning out around me in a magnificent display. I feel so beautiful, for once in my life.
As much as Theodore isn’t telling me, he is giving me enough hints to try to put the pieces together. As a newly risen alpha, it isn’t uncommon for arranged marriages to be suggested or put in place.
After all, an heir needs to be secured as quickly as possible in the severe case of a death happening.
Maybe that’s who that female was-a potential arranged match, or even a breeder.
Breeders are rare nowadays, though. With shifter numbers and pack birth rates being healthily maintained, the need for breeders has all but died out. The last I heard, they haven’t been used since decades before I was even born.
“So, you’ll claim me?” I ask.
He nods. “When I sort things out here, I’ll come get you and claim you in front of your pack.”
Relief floods through me.
A plan. A promise.
Soon I won’t have to answer to Daniel anymore. I’ll be free from my pack and their humiliating torture of me.
Soon I’ll be here, back in Pollis lands, where no one will know me as the daughter of a disgraced beta. I’ll be able to make my own life. I won’t have to live in the shadows any longer.
“I wish I could kiss you,” I admit.
His eyes widen and then a smile crosses his face. “Come to my room tonight. I’ll be waiting there for you.”
Grace
Weeks pass by after I come back from Pollis.
The letter in my hand crinkles as I reread it again, Theodore’s loopy handwriting as comforting as a blanket wrapped tight around my body on a cold night.
Since getting back, I’ve been secretly sneaking into town to send him letters and check the PO Box that I opened up with some of the money Delilah stashed for me when she’d come to visit a few days after we’d gotten back.
“So you can write to your mate back in Pollis,” she’d said with a twinkle in her eye.
I still haven’t told her who I’m writing to specifically, but sending a letter to him was a genius idea that I’ll never be able to thank her enough for.
Getting up to head over to my desk to write him a new one, my body stiffens and a shot of pain shoots up through my hip to my spine.
I’m pretty sure Daniel popped my joint out of place when he beat me after I came back home. That night had been horrible, and honestly, I don’t know how I survived it without passing out.
My only saving grace had been thinking of Theodore and his promise of coming back soon to claim me.
Daniel’s excuses for beating me-or rather, in his words, punishing me-never make sense, and they hardly did that night either.
From what I gathered between his ranting and raving, he was pissed that I’d come back empty-handed with no information for him on the politics of Pollis and their newly appointed alpha. Even if Theodore had told me anything, I never would’ve given it up.
Especially with him being my mate.
It’s taken me almost three weeks to heal from that beating, and I still have pain from time to time. The unfortunate part about my wolf’s healing is that she can only give me so much before she also exhausts herself.
Lately, it’s been like that a lot. Being separated from her mate has made her restless and agitated, which isn’t good for either of us.
A knock at my cabin door has me tensing up.
“It’s me!” Delilah says, rattling the handle before popping it open.
Relaxing, I smile. “Hey.”
She grins. “Hey, you. Got you some food.”
I hide the letter amongst the other papers on my desk before turning to her. I’ll tell her about Theodore eventually. Until I know he’s on his way to claim me, I’m going to keep it to myself.
I trust Delilah with my life, but some secrets need to be kept close to the chest until absolutely necessary.
“What did you bring me?”
“Soup! It’s gotten so rainy and cold out, I figured you could use the comfort food.” She walks through my living room and over to the small kitchenette. “My mom just made it this morning.”
My stomach growls at the memory of her mother’s food.
Delilah’s family hasn’t exactly ostracized me like the rest of our pack, but they’ve definitely kept their distance since my father left. While they don’t exactly discourage Delilah from being friends with me, they aren’t keen on it either.
Still, any ounce of kindness from anyone is something that I’ll soak up until it’s gone.
Within Andromeda, that’s so few and far between.
She sets the pot down onto one of my burners and lights up the fire underneath. “Should take only a few minutes to heat up. You hear back from your mate at all?”