Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

Several hours later, after everyone was gone, Elias finally had his mate right where he wanted her, relaxing in the tub, her back leaning against his front.

He’d scrubbed both of them from head to toe in the shower first and then filled the tub with warm water so they could relax. He was playing with her fingers against his knee, staring at them absently, reminding himself how lucky he was to have her.

“Is Felix a good man?” she asked quietly.

“The best, Little one. I promise.”

“He seems…older.”

Elias chuckled. “He is. He was stunned when your sister was born with his mark. He’d believed for many years that he’d been skipped. I think he was in shock after her birth and didn’t allow himself to fully process until recently. Unlike me, he has his house ready way in advance. He’s excited.”

Leah turned her head to look at Elias, smiling. “Thank you. That makes me feel better.”

Elias slid his hands down to wrap them around his Little mate’s body and hold her tighter. He kissed her neck.

“Do you think the bears are really gone for good?”

Surge had returned after a few hours, shifted into human form, and told them all that his brother and the other bear were once again in custody. They’d been in custody before, though. Elias wasn’t sure how secure the bears kept their rogue members. “I hope so, Little one.”

“Can we have Olivia over for a playdate soon? I didn’t get to spend any time with her.”

“Of course. In a few weeks. I need to have you all to myself for a while longer before we interact with anyone again. I hated sharing you.”

“I hated sharing you, too, Daddy. You scared me to death when you jumped off the porch to join the fight.”

“I’m sorry, Little one. I promise we don’t usually encounter so much danger. Normally when I patrol with the other Alphas, it’s boring and uneventful.”

“Good.” She turned around in his embrace and climbed onto his lap, straddling him. “My butt hurts.” Her cheeks turned pink as she spoke.

He chuckled. “You wanted me to spank you. That was blatantly obvious. How did it make you feel?”

She shrugged and looked away.

He gripped her chin and turned her gaze back to his. “Answer my question.”

She sighed. “It was weird. I don’t understand why I pushed you to spank me. I’m kind of embarrassed.”

“It’s not weird, Baby girl. Some Littles like to get into trouble in front of people. You might be one of them, or maybe you just wanted to experience it once so you’d know.”

She blew out a long breath. “Maybe I was just horny, and I wanted your hands on me. Sex wasn’t an option, so I got the next best thing.”

He chuckled. “That’s possible. I’m not complaining. If you need me to spank you in front of people in the future, I’ll be happy to oblige.” He gripped her bottom and pulled her closer. “How about you kiss me and then lift up and ride my cock.”

She giggled. “We’ll get water all over the bathroom.”

“So? We have towels.”

She stared at him, smiling. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, Little firecracker.” He drew her lips to his and claimed her mouth. He needed to be inside her. It had been too long since he’d last claimed her this morning.

Damn, he was a lucky man. It still stunned him how solid their bond was after years of believing it couldn’t possibly be this strong.

Fate did not make mistakes. She was always right.