Her Broken Alpha - Isoellen Page 0,96

Naya found herself as the woman everyone in her family would now defer to.

If it hadn't been an inborn instinct, the change might have gone differently. But when greeting her father and her mother, a natural transition took place. They submitted respectfully to their daughter in the presence of her alpha. Later, without their presence, this effect would wear off. Naya could just imagine mother's outraged tirade.

But now the woman was soft with welcoming smiles, unable to meet her youngest daughter's eyes.

Naya wanted to hug her.

But she didn’t.

Her father took her hand. "You have done well, girl,” he said with a squeeze. She saw something in his eyes that made her think again of how he’d tried to manipulate her choice by bringing around stronger alphas. Maybe he had also known she hadn't really wanted Crispin.

The entire party eventually went into the house. Naya would have time with her family tonight and tomorrow, but the next day the king, Constantine Kane, and Monster's father Rhineholth would be arriving for a meeting with Monster.

She showed him her room. Untouched, the nest practiced in preparation for Crispin gave her odd feelings of relief. She could almost see her fear in the way she had arranged the bedding.

Monster studied everything, discovering Naya bit by bit in the room. "Your private space is like you. These colors are bold compared to the rest of this home,” he mused.

"Mother thinks bright colors are vulgar and pretentious."

He made her space feel even smaller, his big presence filling it up, dark and hard in the small, colorful, comfortable room.

"We could take some of your things with us, if you wish, treasure. I don't know when we will return here.”

At her nest he found the stuffy dressed in one of Crispin's shirts. It had been months, but this was the mad monster that now made an appearance. His territorial instincts knew no bounds.

He ripped the thing off her bed like it was rancid, opened the door, and threw it into the hall.

She giggled at him.

"Invite me into your nest, mate,” he said as he prowled toward her.

Naya took a step back. "This is my parents' house,” she cried, trying to hide her smile. Their desire for each other could barely withstand a few hours of separation.

Her vulva was always a little swollen because of the weight of her pregnancy, always a little wet, but his growl caused a spasm of slick to leak into her thick, padded underwear. The bulky stuff was ugly, but Naya had realized her mother was right—it was handy. The drones had helped her make her own.

Darre’s growl lowered as he called to her again. Naya went to her bed, to the nest she had built for another. It would be too small for this beastly man, but it didn't matter; she'd found he could make anything work when it came to pleasure.

She sat down and held up her hands for him. "Monster."

It was hard not to smirk at his “what took you so long” expression.

*

Her husband stayed at her side at all times. Her parents could not draw him into any kind of conversation. Instead he pulled her in to his lap and fed her, acting like her chair and ignoring everyone.

He thawed a bit with the boys, though, especially when Finnor took issue with his manhandling.

"Should you be touching her so much? There's a baby in there. You're so big. You could hurt the baby, picking her up and setting her down. What kind of mate are you? Are you a bully-mate?"

She felt his amusement, and a mild respect at the challenge.

"Bully-mate?"

"You know, one of those controlling, demoralizing alphas who pick on their weaker mates. I thought you had a bond? It looks like you never let her do anything, like you take all her rights away, control everything. She looks happy, but I don't think what you are doin' is right. And there's a baby in there. You could hurt it. Mother and Father never—"

"That's enough." Monster commanded, silencing her brother's tirade. "I do not care what your mother and father do or do not do. But I will answer your question because you braved asking.

“We do share a bond, and I do care for all her needs, pleasures, and the safety of our child. We are connected heart to heart. I do not do anything she does not like unless she has broken a rule. Rules are important so that we both fulfill our expectations to each other. A good