*****Edited by krisgee*****

 2011 © All Rights Reserved

Chapter 31 (Amy)

            Stevie held me as if I was the most precious thing to him.  We watched the sun come up and a peace settled over me.  Grandpop.  I knew that it had to be him coming to me and telling me that everything was going to be okay.

            “He’s here,” I whispered to Stevie.  I clutched at my heart where I would hold on to him forever.  “He is with me,” I repeated while we both stared out at the rising sun.  It was the most beautiful sight that I had ever seen.  

            I felt the kiss that Stevie pressed against my head and regretted my earlier childish outburst.  He was right, it was Grandpop’s time and no matter what, it was time for him to move on to a better place, a place of peace and serenity.

            “He will always watch over you, forever and always,” my mate whispered to me and the truth of his words was simply undeniable.  He would always watch over us, and over our family.

            As the warmth of the light bathed my face I felt Grandpop’s presence seep deep within my soul.  His strength surrounded me, giving me the power that I needed to move on.  Feeling much stronger now, I vowed that I would remember him for the life that he lived and not weep for the death that took him from me.  He would always be with me as long as I held onto him in my heart.

            I sat there nestled in my mate’s arms for an interminable amount of time as I let the peacefulness of the morning wash over me.  So much violence had happened in the last week, I needed this.  He needed this, this silent calm and tranquility that we had found in each others arms.

            Tilting my head I looked up at the strong jaw line of mate and admired how powerful he looked even just sitting here in the still quiet of the morning.  I couldn’t help myself; lifting my hand I traced that jaw line that held a dark shadow of the early morning growth of his whiskers.

            At my touch he looked down at me and cocked his head.  He took one of his hands and palmed my cheek and with those deep brown eyes of his he looked at me with nothing but concern.

            “Hey there Princess, how are you doing?” he asked in a softened tone.  I couldn’t help but smile at the gentleness this big strong man shared with me.

            “I’m doing better,” I told him sincerely.  It still hurt knowing that Grandpop was gone, but honestly I felt better knowing that I held him so close to my heart.

            Stevie searched my face and his careful tenderness touched me soul deep.  Without thinking I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.  He stilled at first not sure how to react to my attentions.

            “Princess,” he called out into my mind with some hesitancy.  “Are you sure that you want to do this?”

            I pulled back so that I could see him better.  His dark brown eyes, those eyes that pulled me to him the first time that I looked into them, called out to me.  This was my mate, my life partner.  I was ready for anything and everything when it came to him.  

            I didn’t answer him through the mental bond, instead I turned myself in his lap so that I was straddling him and pressed another more determined kiss on his firm strong lips.  This time I used purpose to answer his question and when he wrapped his muscled arms around my back I knew that he understood my answer.

            I opened my mouth to him and let him take over.  He slowly and tenderly explored my mouth and with every slide of his tongue I felt the obvious love that he had for me.  He was telling me with the actions of his mouth how much he wanted me, needed me and at that single moment I needed him like a crack addict needed their next fix.

            “Stevie, please,” I whispered out his name.

            “Ssh, Princess.  I know, I’m here.  I want to do this long and slow.  I want to show you exactly how much I love you, how much I need you, how much I want to worship you.  Damn baby, I need you so much,” he said as his mouth came back to mine and he began to sip greedily at my lips.

            No more words were spoken.  He used his sinful tongue and the magic of his skilled hands to do just that.  His body covered me as we joined as one and I felt more loved in that single hour than I had in my entire lifetime.  Something niggled at the back of my mind, that I was forgetting something important but the beauty of our lovemaking had me forgetting all other thoughts except Stevie, my mate, the wonderful man that I held in my arms.

            Afterwards, as we lay in my bed sated and happy with our limbs intertwined I suddenly remembered what I had forgotten.

            “Crap.”

            “What’s wrong Princess?” Stevie said lazily as his hand rubbed up and down my arms.  

            “We forgot,” I said quietly.  “We forgot the protection,” I repeated again.  I was still a little stunned by the revelation but surprisingly I wasn’t all that upset about it.  

            “Oh baby, I’m so sorry,” Stevie said rushed.  “Shit, I’m sorry Princess, that was so stupid of me to forget something like that,” he said sounding more panicked and turned me in his arms so that I was facing him.  He searched my face again looking for a reaction from me.  I smiled up at him. 

            “You know, if a pup comes from our coupling today, I can’t say that I would be sorry,” I told him honestly.  

            “Really?” he asked and the first signs of hope came across his face.

            “Yeah, really,” I replied to him.  “What just happened was the most beautiful thing that I had ever experienced and it only seems fitting that a pup should come from it.”

            His lips curled into a breathtaking smile and a feeling of happiness came over me knowing that I was the reason it was there.

            “Do you know how happy you just made me?” he asked as he leaned down and stole a kiss from my lips.

            All I could do was grin at him and look down at my belly.  There might be a baby in there, a baby born of an innocent love.  It would be several days before we were sure but just the idea that we may have created a life simply amazed me.

            We stayed locked to each other for quite some time before Stevie spoke, breaking the companionable silence that we had found in each other.

            “Princess, it’s time.  We need to go to the estate and see your family.  They were all so worried for you.”

            I knew that was true but I was so content to lay here in my mates arms that I hated to have to move.

            After a long minute, I finally said, “Okay,” but made no obvious move to get up.  His laughter rang out above my head.

            “Today Princess,” he said in that gentle tone that had me melting in his arms.

            With a loud sigh, I told him in a conceding tone, “Fine, I’m really getting up now,” but to his chagrin I still made no sudden moves to get up.

            Without any warning his fingers found my sides and he started to tickle me relentlessly.  I could barely catch my breath for the laughter that dispelled from my lips.

            “You going to get moving?” he called out into my mind in a teasing tone after I had lost all control.

            “Yes….Yes… Yes!” I called back frantically into his mind.  His hands stopped their torturous onslaught on my sides and before I could move his mouth crashed down on me.  After his delicious kiss he stood and sat me back from him.  

            “Do you have any idea what your laughter does to me?” he said with a wide grin plastered on his face.  

            All I could do was smile back at him because when Stevie was around me that was all I ever wanted to do.  He made me so happy, but in this particular case he was right.  It was time to go to the estate and see the rest of my family.  

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            An hour later we pulled up to my Grandpop’s estate and cars were lined up for miles.  "The entire pack must be here," I said in awe at the sheer number of vehicles lining the yard.

            “He was a great man, Princess.  It’s only fitting that they would want to honor him.”

            “Yeah, I guess so.”  Some of the earlier happiness that we had found began to slip away as the reality of Grandpop being gone sank in once again.

            Stevie parked the car and glanced over in my direction.  I was staring out into the distance when I felt his warm capable arms come around me.  

            “Remember, he’s with you here,” Stevie said as he pressed his hand against my chest.  “Always here, Princess.”

            Closing my eyes I felt the honesty of his words and calm came over me again.  He’s right, I thought as I covered his hand with my own.  Grandpop was in my heart and no one could take him away from me there.  Turning to my mate I gave him a tentative smile and steeled myself for what ever confrontation I was going to have to face with my family.

            “Come on,” I said to him.  It was time to get this over with.

            We walked hand in hand to the estate and when we reached the door Stevie opened and held it for me.

            “You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked in my mind.

            “Ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied back to him and with those words we walked on in.  I followed voices to the living room where my entire family sat.  Grandma, Mama, Daddy, Zach, Aunt Layla and Uncle Christopher, Uncle Matthew and Aunt Lina, Tabby and Liza, Jake and Leon, they were all there and as soon as I entered the door everyone’s eyes turned and were trained on me.

            “Amy,” Mama said and without hesitation I ran into her arms.  They surrounded me and feeling her love assured me that everything was really going to be okay.  

            After a long embrace with my mama I looked over at my daddy, and he looked sad and distraught.  Without saying a word I walked to him and wrapped my arms around him holding on to him as tight as I could.

            “I’m so sorry, baby,” he said to me and his voice came out hoarse.  Looking up at him, he looked hurt and torn.  A tear ran down his cheek and lifting my hand I wiped it away.

            “It’s okay Daddy,” I whispered to him.  “I love you,” I said and with those words more of his tears fell and his arms tightened around me.  I held him for a while as the tears continued.  This was my daddy and he needed me.  He needed to know that I was okay.  

            Finally releasing me he looked over at Stevie and held out his hand.   Hesitantly, Stevie took it and they shook.

            “Thank you,” Daddy said gruffly.  “Thank you for bringing me back my baby girl.  I understand that we have some issues to work out with you being Alpha now and I want to help you with that.”

            I stilled when he said that sentence.  Stevie was now an Alpha.  I should have thought about that but I had totally forgotten.  It was one of the oldest traditions of the wolf pack.  When a male wolf beats an Alpha, he is to assume the Alpha position of that certain pack.  Stevie beat the Alpha.

            What did that mean for us?  Would he leave me and possibly our new child?   Would I have to leave my family?  I watched on as my father and Stevie talked and felt numb.  People came up to me and spoke but all I could think about was my mate, he was an Alpha of a pack and with that there would be expectations.  So many questions and not enough answers.  What would come of us?