My Alpha's Wolfless Daughter
My Alpha’s Wolfless Daughter – Chapter 41

Future Beta Nate

Ayla quickly stripped before jumping into the pool on the balcony. I watched from the balcony door as she transformed. Her beautiful scales shimmered under the morning sun. The pool was deep but there was a wide shallow step on one of the sides.

Ayla swam over to the shallow end. Instead of turning back, she climbed onto the step and curled her tail underneath her. She then crossed her arms and rested her head on the side of the pool.

I didn’t have to see her face to know she was hurting. I could feel every single one of her emotions through our bond. It was an overwhelming feeling of sadness that was even trying to consume me. I’ve never felt this kind of sadness before and my heart aches for my mate.

I stripped down to my boxers before walking over to her. The morning air was crisp and cool. Being here reminded me of home but with the added scent of the sea. This is what home is supposed to smell like, I thought as I sat on the edge of the pool beside my mate. The water was warm on my legs.

She had her eyes closed and I ran my fingers through her hair. With her eyes still closed, she moved her body between my legs and rested her head on my thigh.

“Nate?” She asked, kissing my thigh.

“Yes, baby?” I replied, still running my fingers through her hair. I was trying to keep myself calm so my d**k wouldn’t poke her in the face.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“What?” I chuckled, not expecting that question. I don’t think I’ve been asked that since elementary school.

“I just want to get to know you and you me. I know it bothers you that Xander knows more about me than you do. But to be fair, he’s been in my life for the past year. He was my best friend.” She shrugged and I sighed.

“Is he no longer your best friend?” I asked her and she shrugged.

“I was an assignment.” She whispered, but I could hear the pain in her words.

“As much as I wish Xander was a girlfriend and not a guy friend. I know he cares about you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be here. He would have signed another warrior to protect you.” I reassured her.

“I’m sorry that it bothers you.” She said, looking up at me.

“And I’m sorry you feel the need to apologize. I just don’t want to have to share you. As irrational as that sounds, wolves are very protective of their mates,” I explained to her. She leaned back on her tail, her hands on my thighs.

“How many have you been with?” She breathed out. I could feel her nervousness.

“I had a couple of girlfriends in high school. They moved on to replace their mates.”

“Oh, so a couple?”

“What? No, I’ve been with you. The others weren’t serious, and we fooled around, but not intercourse.” I explained. Her nervousness turned to guilt.

“Ayla, stop. I know you have a past and it’s okay. I waited because the thought of anyone but you having my pups, stopped me. And you didn’t know about mates.” I told her, taking her cheeks in my hands.

“I’m sorry, Nate. I would have waited if I had known about mates and your world. I didn’t expect any of this.” She sniffled.

“And how would you have known? You don’t need to feel guilty about your past. I may not have been your first, but I’m your forever,” I said. She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine.

“Thank you, Nate. I don’t deserve you.” She mumbled against my lips and I wrapped my arms around her. Tingles shot up my arms where my skin came in contact with her scales.

“Ayla, I wish you could see you the way I do. You are perfect, even with all the flaws you think you have.” She smiled before pecking my lips, her arms wrapped around my neck.

“I love you, Nate. And I’m so thankful for you. I would hate to be on this ride without you.” She said, snuggling her face into my neck.

“I’ll always be here baby, and it’s blue,” I said, kissing her forehead.

“I knew it!” She exclaimed. And I chuckled.

“Let me guess, purple?” I laughed and she pulled away.

“How did you know?” She gasped. I looked her up and down, her purple and black scales glimmered in the sunshine.

“Lucky guess,” I shrugged and she laughed.

“Now food?”

“Steak,” I replied.

“Oh, that’s good. Yummy.” She m****d and I laughed.

“Is that your favorite?” I chuckled.

“It’s a close second, but I love breakfast. Pancakes, waffles, French toast, bacon.” She was dreamily listing off food when her tummy growled. She grabbed her stomach before she burst into laughter. Her laughter was music to my ears and it warmed my heart to see a smile on her face after the morning she had.

“Come on my starving princess. Let’s get you fed and then we can meet up with the queen.”

Queen Laura

I could feel my king’s confusion and then anger through our bond. It had never been as strong as a bond should be because of his love for Melody. But after seeing her today, I pray he can move on. I knew what I was getting into when I claimed him. Samual has never lied to me about his relationship with Melody. I just didn’t think it would take eighteen years for him to move on from her.

Samual stormed out of the dining room when Melody left with her claim. King Xander followed Melody out, probably to discuss where she was going to go.

“Well, that was a s**t show,” Silas exclaimed.

“Son, watch your mouth. But yes, it was.” I breathed out.

“Mom, what do you know about being a black pearl?” My son asked me.

“I’ll explain everything to all of you. But I think it would be best for King Kaden and you two to learn everything about the black pearl. It will make keeping her safe easier.” I said, pointing at my son and Prince Chase.

“Queen Laura, as the lead warrior in charge of Ayla’s safety, I’d like to be present,” Xander announced to me.

“It would seem you and Ayla are more like friends,” I pointed out, and he shifted on his feet.

“You and the princess?” Silas accused the warrior.

“Of course not. My orders were to protect her,” Xander retorted.

“Just because it started as an order, doesn’t mean that’s how it ended. Clearly, Ayla has faith in you.” I told him and he sighed. He didn’t get a chance to say anything because King Kaden came back into the dining room.

“King Kaden, when Ayla is ready, I’d like you all to accompany us. I think it would be best for all of you to learn what the black pearl is. But all of you need to swear your loyalty to Ayla. This information can not get out. It would put her and her mate at risk,” I explained and he scoffed.

“I will swear my loyalty to both of them,” Prince Chase informed us.

“Mom, I will as well. I’ve seen firsthand what she is capable of,” Silas answered, and I smiled at him. We all looked at King Kaden.

“I will, but if he hurts her, I’ll kill him. My loyalty is to Ayla, not that wolf.” He growled.

“I guess that will do for now,” I said.

“Nate isn’t going to hurt Ayla. So there’s no point in you pouting.” Xander commented, and I noticed King Kaden ball up his fists.

“Okay, there has been a lot of tension in here already this morning. Silas, honey, can you show King Kaden a room, please? I need to go replace your father,” I said.

“I’ll get everyone organized, go make sure dad is okay. That couldn’t have been easy.” He said and I smiled at him. I gave him a side hug and a k**s on the cheek before I left to go replace my king.

I knew he would probably be in his office, so that was the first place I checked. I knocked before I entered to replace him sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. Closing the door, I walked over to him, leaning my bum up against the desk beside him.

“I’m such a fucken i***t. I wasted so much time loving someone who didn’t even love me back. And who just abandoned their daughter. I wasted so much time stuck in my grief, a time I could have been happy with you. A time I could have been loving you. And you wasted so much time loving a fucken idiot.” He ranted and I let him go on, to get out all his frustrations.

And it’s not like he hasn’t loved me. Some days were better than others. I knew I shared his heart with another. He was honest with me and I chose to be here with him.

“f**k!” He roared. He threw his chair back against the wall as he stood up. He started to pace the room.

I watched my claim and I felt his pain. I love Samual. I didn’t want to see him in any pain. I know I should be like ‘I told you so’ but it hurts me to see him like that. I took his hand and led him over to the couch in his office. He took a seat and I took a seat in his lap, straddling him.

“You must hate me.” I took his cheeks in my hands so he would look at me.

“I don’t hate you, my love. I love you so much and seeing you like this hurts me.” I told him before I pecked his lips.

“I don’t deserve you.” He said, squeezing my a*s.

“Maybe so, but I believe our relationship is worth it.” He crushed his lips to mine, and I’ve never felt so much love and passion from him. I licked the seam of his lips and he thrusts his tongue, tasting every inch of my mouth. I was left breathless as he kissed down my neck, undoing the buttons on my blouse as he went.

“f**k, Sam.” I m****d as he kissed the top of my breast. My fingertips dug into his shoulders as I rolled my h**s down into him.

Nothing could ruin this moment, even when the door was thrown open, we didn’t stop.

“Close the fucken door!” Samual yelled out, still kissing and sucking my chest.

“Mhm, sorry, sir.” I think I heard our son before the door slammed shut.

“We may need to start locking the door.”

Ayla

I felt better after eating and getting to know Nate more. Not only is he incredibly sexy, but he’s funny and a big goofball. It’s nice to be able to laugh after having to deal with my mother this morning. And the only good thing that came from all of it, is that, hopefully, my grandmother and I will have a better relationship. I do really want to get to know her.

Now, Nate and I are walking hand in hand as we stroll through the palace. It amazes me that he knows where he is going and soon we run into Xander, the princes, and Kaden. Prince Silas looked white as a ghost and the others were smirking and chuckling.

“Oh no, what happened?” I exclaimed, worriedly.

“It’s fine Ayla, he just walked in on his parents, ‘doing the deed’. “ Xander laughed. And I squealed, scaring all of them.

“Oh my god, this is so exciting!” I squealed, hugging Prince Silas.

“Ayla, what the hell?” Xander scoffed and I looked at him.

“What? This is a good thing. Right? Prince Silas was saying he believed his parents didn’t love each other, but this is good. Now that he has seen my mother for who she truly is, he no longer loves her and is working things out with his claim. Which, to be fair, is a knockout,” I pointed out.

“Stop, talking! That’s my mom!” Prince Silas whined.

“I know! I still can’t believe you came out of her.” I retorted and he gagged while the others laughed.

“He could have just been stressed.” Xander shrugged and I smacked his arm.

“Don’t you dare ruin this? This is a win.” I scolded him and he rubbed his arm.

“So we should probably give them a few minutes, then?” Prince Chase shrugged.

“No, we should probably give them at least an hour. I’m sure he has a lot to make up for.” I chuckled, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Stop!” Prince Silas exclaimed.

“For all the crap you’ve given me and now you are being such a baby.” I rolled my eyes.

“What crap?” Kaden growled and I pushed my lips in a line.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I told him, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

“Okay, that was different. They’re my parents and I didn’t need to see them.” He huffed.

“You may get a sibling? Oh my god, you’d be the best big brother.” I cooed.

“Someone is cheery?” Xander eyed me.

“I ate.” I shrugged and he blew out a breath.

“That explains so much.”

“And I’m going to go stab something sharp into my eye.” Prince Silas announced, being dramatic.

“Oh, stop being so dramatic. Besides, you need to show us around your kingdom and you can’t do that with no eyes.” I bopped him on the nose.

“How?” He asked Xander and I chuckled.

“I’m adorable.” I smiled.

“I think she means to say a cute pain in the a*s.” Xander corrected and Nate growled.

“Yeah, I agree.” Kaden chimes in and Nate pulled me back against his chest.

“All of you are ridiculous!” I huffed, throwing up my hands.

“You’re the one excited about my parent’s s*x life!” Prince Silas retorted.

“Because it means they love each other! f**k, no wonder you guys are single. Dumbasses,” I exclaimed.

“I think you mean to say, hopeless romantic.” Queen Laura said, walking up behind her son. She had a smile on her beautiful face and she was glowing. Her son let out a g***n.

“It could have been worse, she could have walked in on you,” I told him and he gagged again.

“Do you just not like me?”

“I’m mean because I like you,” I told him, and his mother laughed.

“It’s not being mean, it’s being comfortable. And all of you are going to be working together, so you had better get comfortable. Now, all of you should go get ready for a hike.” The Queen said.

“Really?” I questioned.

“Yes, I’ll explain everything on the way. I’ll have packs ready for all of you and I’ll meet you on the back veranda. I’ll ask one of the staff to meet you at the bottom of the stairs to point you in the right direction. Now, go get ready.” She finished. I nodded before taking Nate’s hand and rushing back to our room.

I was so excited to get back into nature. I’ve been in the ocean, but it’s not the same as walking through a thick forest with critters all around you. The sounds of the forest and the smells. Like the ocean, it feels like home but in a different way. I could spend forever in just a cabin in a forest by the ocean.

As soon as Nate opened the door to our room, I rushed into the closet to get changed. I pulled on a pair of tight-fitting jeans and then I layered on some shirts before I pulled a sweatshirt over my head. I found some warm fluffy socks and a pair of boots. Queen Laura knew what she was planning when she stocked the closet.

“Baby, what’s the rush?” Nate asked. He was leaning against the door frame of the closet.

“I’m just excited about getting outside and exploring. And you should let Duke out for a run. I’m sure he’d enjoy that.” I told him as I tied up the boots.

“We’ll see about me letting Duke out. He doesn’t like the other not-mated males around you.” He explained as he got himself dressed.

I sat there and watched as he pulled on a pair of jeans that fit him just right. And when he took off the shirt he was wearing, I flushed as I watched his muscles flex with each movement he made.

“Baby, what are you doing?” He chuckled as I played with my bottom l*p.

“Just admiring what’s mine,” I told him, running my tongue along my bottom l*p. He pulled on his shirt before he came over to me. I was sitting on a bench. Nate slapped his hands down on my thighs before leaning over and crushing his lips into mine. Before I could deepen the k**s, he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

“If we didn’t have people waiting, I’d rip all the clothes you just put on and take you right against the wall.” He purred and I was dripping just thinking about it.

“Then you better put more clothes on, Beta Nate, or I might be tempted to rip yours off instead,” I said before I licked his lips. He shivered before slapping my thighs again and I gasped.

He pecked my lips before pushing back up. He pulled on a sweatshirt and after replaceing some boots, he came to sit beside me.

“f**k, I love your cheekiness.” He g*****d and I chuckled.

“It will be so much better when we are home,” I told him, and he turned to look at me.

“I mean, if you are staying with me in the house my grandmother just gave me. You don’t have to. And I guess we should have talked about it before I said anything and just assumed you’d be staying with me.” I rambled until Nate kissed me quiet.

“Of course, I’m staying with you, baby.” He mumbled against my lips and I smiled.

“Now are you ready to replace out what being a black pearl means, so we can head home?” He rubbed his nose against mine.

“Absolutely.”