Chapter 134

By the time I got home, I had a few appointments for interviews. And I had tried some of the best food I’d ever eaten for lunch and some absolutely amazing ice cream for an afternoon snack, thanks to recommendations of the individuals that I had interviewed.

At dinner, Charles kept squirming like a squirrel who sees a cat. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“What is wrong with you?” I asked. “You’re acting like you’ve got prickles in your pants.”

He laughed. “No prickles, just news.”

“News?” I asked.

“My mother is coming out to visit us.”

“Well, that’s great. Wait. Why do you look so nervous?”

“Because she’s not particularly happy with me. She wanted us to come back to Brindle Cove to spend the moon goddess festival with her. But I told her that with the bodyguards and everything, there was probably no way to make that happen.”

He let out a sigh. “That’s when we decided that she would come out here. She’s going to try and get my sister and her family to come out as well.”

“And you’re thinking they’ll all stay here?”

He nodded. “There are no hotels nearby. It’ll be tight, but we’ll find a spot for them. We have an extra bedroom, and worse comes the worst: the kids can sleep on the couch or the floor. We’ll call it camping. Make it an adventure.”

“Well, the kids might fall for that, but the rest of the adults are barely going to fit.”

“Then we’ll make David or Theo give up their room and make them share the extra space in their apartment. After all, it’s because of those two that we’re not going back for one of the biggest family holidays of the year. It’s not like we can just celebrate the autumn moon festival without family around.”

How lucky Charles was to think that was the case. Because I had been celebrating all holidays and festivals on my own over my whole life. Okay, that wasn’t really fair. People around the orphanage did a pretty good job of doing some sort of celebration. But it wasn’t the same thing as having a family.

I’d always listen to the kids at school talk about doing things with their families and felt left out. And I knew Charles was trying to include me and his family. But I just couldn’t pin down where all of the frustration was coming from.

My mood must have shown on my face because Charles ran a hand through his hair, dropping at his spot at the table. “There’s more to it than just them cramming in here,” he admitted. “But why don’t we clean up and then discuss that in the other room?”

I knew what that was man code for. I couldn’t give him what I really wanted, and so he was hoping for a consolation prize.

But I love him, and providing such a service for him would definitely help make conversations go smoother. Charles and I cleaned up the dishes, and he still carried a certain tenseness about him. Sure enough, as soon as we got into the bedroom, he pulled me in and gave me a kiss full of longing and desperation.

Without breaking this, I undid his button and zipper, threading my fingers between the layers of fabric. I found him erect, and his penis pulsed in my hand, leaping with excitement at my touch.

Gripping gently, I started to work the length. At the same time, I used my other hand to run a fingertip around the sensitive edge, then gently up to the tip and back down.

He moaned and shuddered against my hips, gently pressing himself through my fingers in a light thrust to augment what I was doing with my hands. His tongue searched mine out, twisting around and coaxing mine to play with it.

At a slight press to my shoulder, I dropped down to my knees, taking him in my mouth. I switched from using my tongue to around his to curling my tongue around the tip, teasing as I let him slide in and out of my mouth.

I moved my hands to cup his balls while I slowly worked with my lips. He kept a hand on top of my head, guiding me along. Until finally, he shuddered and pulled out, flopping onto the bed.

I waited for him to catch his breath and come down the backside of his pleasure. After taking a few moments to steady his breathing, he tipped his head back and smiled up at me.

“Between your smell and your other talents, I’m much more relaxed now. Thank you.”

I sat beside him and poked his shoulder. “So what had you so distressed at dinner? What couldn’t you tell me out there?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the other alphas or any of that mess. It has to do with my mother.”

“Oh,” I said.

Charles twitched his hands beside him in irritation. “She wants to start talking about a wedding.”

“A wedding?” I yelped. I looked down at him, pretending to scowl. “I thought there was supposed to be a proposal first.”

“There is.” He made a face at me and then rubbed a hand across his face. “Mother doesn’t seem to care about the natural order. She’s just assumed that we’re a done deal, and she wants to make it official.”

“What’s the rush?” I asked. “I know I met her that weekend at the beach, but she didn’t seem that pushy.”

His lips moved as he tried to form words. “I think it probably has to do with the fact that neither of us is getting any younger. And I’m sure she’s hoping for grandchildren.”

“What is it with everybody and kids lately?” I snapped, then drew back. He didn’t deserve to take my frustrations. But seriously. The universe needed to cut me a break.

“I know exactly what you mean about the kids,” Charles agreed. “Everywhere I go at work, somebody just had one, or they just found out they’re having another, or they’re sending one off to school for the first time. It’s crazy. I don’t remember this many people having children back in Lustrum.”

“I don’t either,” I said. “It’s like they’re obsessed here like there’s something in the water. Although if there was, I’d know.”

He made a face at me. “Anyway, I just thought you should know. I tried to explain to Mother that there are conversations that even you and I haven’t had yet. And that now wasn’t the appropriate time to deep dive into our future family. And she said the autumn moon is all about harvest and fertility. The only holiday that has more appeal with the goddess for blessing families and children is spring.”

He pulled me over and kissed me deeply. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t need an abundance of children to be perfectly happy with what I have. At least not right now.”

“I fully agree.”

He poked my nose with his finger in a boop. “Not too much longer, though. I definitely want kids. What’s the point of being an alpha without having an heir?” He tucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. “But you already know what’s expected of you.”

I bristled at that. Yeah, it seems like everybody knows what’s expected of me. I’m supposed to drop everything and have a bunch of kids for you and then be grateful that I got to bear some alpha’s offspring.

Those are the words that ran through my head, but they were as rude as the unwanted expectations everyone kept dumping on me. I opened my mouth to say something a little bit milder but to the same effect. I tried several times unsuccessfully, and then Charles let out a snore.

This time, I was so frustrated that I got up and left, taking my shoes. I went and tapped on the door between my apartment and Theo’s. It was David who answered the door.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

“Yeah. Would one of the two of you be kind enough to come down to the moon garden with me? I need to get outside and think.”

“I’d be happy to,” David said. “Theo didn’t want to admit it, but I think today wore him out. He was just in the hospital yesterday. He fell asleep on the sofa a while ago.”

“Alright. I’ll take your company. Thanks.”