45

“Things, stranger things, have been happening here as well, babe,” she said, grabbing hold of my hand and pulling me inside the house. “My dad is back!”

“Mr. Hawkins? When did he come?”

“It’s a long story,” she said. “But I gotta warn you. He’s a wolf.”

“I kind of figured that out,” I said. There was no one inside the living room.

Alice brought me a cup of coffee and placed it on the dinner table. “Tell me what’s been happening, then I’ll give you the highlights of the craziness that’s been happening here.”

I told her how I went down to the facility and what happened there. I told her everything about how they elected me as their alpha and how all the packs had miraculously come together as one.

“Holy shit,” Alice whispered. “That is a huge responsibility.”

“Father Ernest was saying the same,” I said. “I’m beginning to think that I made a huge mistake.”

“Are you kidding me?” Alice glared at me fiercely. “You just did something impossible. United the packs! You made that happen. Don’t go thinking that it’s been a mistake or something. You should be proud. And for what it is worth, you won’t be alone in this. I’m going to be by your side.”

That’s exactly what I needed to hear. I could not help but kiss her. I hugged her gently and kissed her on her lips, relieved beyond words.

“Ehm-ehm,” a deep male voice coughed behind me.

I saw Alice’s face blush red as she looked at the person standing behind me.

“Father, I would like you to meet my mate,” she said awkwardly.

I did not want to turn around. I was too petrified. But it would be bad manners. I reminded myself that I’d just taken down a military chopper. Meeting my mate’s father should not be this frightening.

I turned around and stood up, facing the man in the bathrobe.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” I said, holding out my hands. “Brandon Caufield.”

“So that’s the boy you’ve been telling me about?” Alice’s dad asked, shaking my hands. “Firm grip, I like that in a man. Alice tells me you’re the alpha of the pack.”

“Yes, sir. Can I just say that I love your daughter very much?” My face was flushing hot, and I was running out of things to say. What did you say in situations such as this? Also, why was he dressed in nothing but bathrobes?

“Nice to meet you, too, Brandon. Briar Hawkins,” he said. “Lone wolf. Recently rejoined with his family. Now awkwardly meeting his daughter’s boyfriend.”

My mouth went dry. My heart began crawling up to my chest. I could not speak. I could not make sense of the name he had just told me. My brain had stopped computing.

“Are … are … you the one they call Briar Wolf?”

“In my defense, son, I didn’t even know people knew about me,” he said humbly, then sat down across from me.

“Are you kidding, sir? The tales of your courage are told every night. You’re a living legend! Did you really save a whole pack of Serbian werewolves from a vampire mafia?”

“To be honest, all I did was tear off the roof of their house. The sun did the rest,” he said.

“And please tell me if this one’s true. Did you battle ghouls in a haunted manor in England? Everyone’s always telling that story, but I have to hear it from the horse’s mouth. Well, wolf’s mouth in this case,” I said. My fear had long since ditched me. In its place, excitement was making me embarrass myself in front of Alice’s dad, the revered mythical wolf.

“I was just shacking up in the manor. I didn’t know it was haunted. The ghouls came and tried to kill me. Let’s just say I don’t take kindly to being attacked while I’m sleeping,” Briar said.

“Everyone at the reservation would go crazy if they knew that you were here,” I said.

“Well, let me get decent, put on some clothes, and we can head on down there,” he said and got up. “And I guess it’s customary to say for all fathers and father figures to the boyfriends of their daughters, if you hurt my girl, I will eat you.”

Mrs. Hawkins cackled loudly from behind. I looked at Alice, who was smirking and trying to hold back her laughter.

“I love her more than life itself,” I confessed.

“Good. Good. I’m still keeping an eye on you,” Briar said, winking at me.

My mind was completely blown at the realization that the great Briar Wolf was Alice’s father.

An hour later, me, Alice, and Mr. Hawkins went to the reservation. I introduced him to everyone there. They met him with reverence, some of them even kissing his hands as he greeted them.

Alice stood by my side, watching her father entertain the entire population of the reservation around the bonfire, telling them tales from his adventures in Chile, China, India, Africa—everywhere.

They were enthralled by his presence, holding on to every single word with utter reverence.

“Hey, you wanna get out of here?” Alice whispered in my ear.

“I kinda really want to,” I said.

Both of us escaped from the reservation, leaving Alice’s father in good company.

 

   

Alice moaned as I kissed her body, taking off her shirt and admiring the view underneath. I gently held her breasts, kissing them tenderly as I removed her bra. She returned the favor by taking off my shirt. We lay in each other’s arms in the ruins of the cabin where we had made love last night.

I could feel her tongue working its way into my mouth, cradling my cheeks, slurping my lips. I brushed aside her hair and kissed the nape of her neck, relishing the sound of her soft moans as I moved further down, feeling her body with my lips and my hands.

I took off her jeans and kissed her between her legs. She was warm down there. Warm and moist. Alice grabbed my hair and panted as I pleased her with my mouth. All I wanted to do was to please her in this magical moment.

“Oh, baby,” Alice moaned as her thighs quivered around my face. I climbed up and kissed her lips one more time. “I want you inside me,” she whispered.

I obliged, gently sliding inside her and thrusting slowly. We made love in the evening, moving against each other’s warm, comforting bodies, feeling each other with our bare skins, and kissing each other.

Alice lay me down and sat atop me, moving lithely as she rode me. My hands wrapped around her tender breasts, touching her smooth belly. I moved my hips, letting her feel a deeper level of pleasure. She lay on top of me, her breasts flattening against my chest, her hair covering my face as she serenaded me with kisses.

I grabbed her by her waist and released myself inside her, brimming with unhindered pleasure. As she came, she moaned loudly, gyrating, digging her nails into my chest.