“Loaned, he loaned it to me.”
Bailey snorted. “If you don’t think he’ll try pushing you to keep it, you’re dumb. Tate is an Alpha, Havana. That means his level of protectiveness toward you will be off the charts. He’ll need to know that you’re as safe as you can possibly be. You know that.”
Aspen nodded. “My advice? Just roll with it, Vana. You’re both natural-born alphas, which means you’ll clash over certain stuff. Choose your battles wisely rather than butting heads with him all the time. You won’t get him to compromise on matters of your safety—no mate ever would, especially not an Alpha.”
“Pure truth,” said Bailey. “And you have to admit that having bulletproof windows is just plain cool.”
Havana folded her arms over her chest. “Hmm.”
It wasn’t long before he arrived at the center. Havana had expected him to text her once he pulled up outside, but he came right into the building and tracked her down, and then hauled her close right in front of God and everyone.
“Hey.” He dipped his head and kissed her. “Hmm, needed that.”
She smiled. “Always happy to be of service.” She didn’t fail to notice how many female eyes drifted his way. She could understand it. He was one of those people you just couldn’t help but look at. That didn’t mean she was good with them ogling him—especially when she was right there. It was just plain disrespectful.
She could be the bigger person and just ignore it. But even as she told herself that, she tossed some frowns at the oglers. They averted their gazes quick enough.
He slid his hand up her back. “You ready to go?”
“I am. Bailey’s going to drive the car you loaned me back to the complex.”
He interlinked his fingers with Havana’s. “I figured she would.”
After saying her goodbyes to Bailey and Aspen, Havana allowed Tate to lead her outside.
Opening the rear passenger door of the SUV, he said, “In you go, baby.” Once she was inside, he slid in beside her while Luke took the front passenger seat. In the driver’s seat, Farrell briefly greeted her as he switched on the engine.
Tate took her hand. “Come back to my place with me.”
She pursed her lips. “Hmm, what’s my incentive?”
“There’ll be food. And sex. Lots and lots of sex.”
“Then I’m in. Sounds better than laundry.”
Tate smiled, satisfied. He wanted some time alone with her. Wanted some uninterrupted time with her. Wanted them to be at a place where people like Dieter wouldn’t show up.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at his house. As he planned to stay home the rest of the day, he politely dismissed Farrell. Luke didn’t see the point of leaving, since he’d be attending the takeout celebratory meal, so the Beta opted for hanging out in the back yard.
When she and Tate were finally inside the house and he’d closed the door firmly shut behind them, his cat rumbled a contented sound, pleased to have her in his lair. Just the same, something in Tate relaxed. And not just because she’d be safe here. He’d always liked having her on his personal slice of territory, but he liked it a fuck of a lot more now that he’d finally acknowledged that she was his mate. It gave him a deep sense of peace that settled into every bone.
He liked that her scent would mark his things and linger after she left. Liked that he no longer had to worry about giving her mixed signals—he could touch her as much as he wanted, could ask her to spend the night in his bed, could pepper her with the many questions that had floated around his brain for months.
Right then, Tate really wanted to tumble her into bed, but he wrestled down the urge. It mattered to him that she felt comfortable here, and he worried that it would taint things for her that he’d only ever brought her here to hook up before now. He wanted her to see this place as her future home, and that meant making her feel at home. He doubted that burying himself inside her right this moment would be the best way to communicate that things were different now.
Walking up behind her, he slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin in the crook of her neck. “Beer? Water? Soda? Coffee?”
“A beer would be good.”
He kissed her temple and then retrieved two beers from the fridge. After passing her one bottle, he took her hand, led her to the sofa, and sank onto the soft leather. His beer in one hand, he patted his thigh with the other. “Sit with me.”
Careful not to spill her own drink, she straddled him and rested one hand on his chest.
He hummed, content that he had her right where he wanted her. He sipped from her mouth. Soft. Slow. Lazy. A deep, raw need stirred to life inside him and tightened his body, but he kept his hunger for her in check. Later. He’d fuck her into oblivion later.
Despite being hard as a rock, he felt … at ease. Everything about her both incited and settled him. Her incredibly soft skin, her luscious scent, her addictive taste, the way her body seemed to fit against his just right. She pleased every single one of his senses in the best way.
He tossed back a mouthful of beer and smoothed his hand up her back. “How was your day?” Watching her throat work as she took a swig of beer, he felt his gut clench.
“Good. Yours?”
“Fine. It’s always destined to be a good day when you get to tell your family you’ve found your mate. Mine are very happy for us. They’re confident you’ll make a good Alpha female.”
She tensed, her eyes widening.
He felt his mouth quirk. “When you accepted that we’re mates, you hadn’t considered that you’d naturally run the pride alongside me at some point.”
“It all got a bit lost under the wave of info that’s drifting around my brain,” she admitted.
“It’s not like being an Alpha will be new to you. You might not have an official clan, but it’s close enough to count.”
“Being the Alpha of three is a lot different from being the Alpha of a full-on pride.”
“You can handle it.” He rubbed her thigh. “Aspen and Bailey are of course welcome to join the pride. I know you’d never want to leave them behind, and I would never ask it of you. Do you think they will join?”
“Yes, though they might be a little leery. We’ve been loners a long time. They’re not used to answering to anyone other than me.”
“Camden is welcome to join as well, by the way.” He tilted his head. “I’ve got to say, you don’t look so enthusiastic about being part of my pride.”
“It’s nothing personal. It’s just …” She trailed off, sighing. “People assume that being a loner is terrible. For me, life was better after I became one.”
“You had a bad experience with your childhood clan?”
“You could say that. The members didn’t really support each other or work together. We weren’t a unit. There were divides. There was no sense of belonging or kinship. Every family was out for themselves. And looking back, I can see that the Alpha male liked it that way. People are easier to control if they’re not united.”
Tate squeezed her hip. “I’m sorry you were born into such a shitty excuse for a clan, baby. My pride is nothing like that.”