13. Chapter 13

The nausea hit Lena in waves, and whether it stemmed from the oysters she had eaten last night or Andrea’s penchant for disgusting her at all the wrong moments, right then she couldn’t have been sure.

What she did know was that she wretched as quietly as possible, and even with the door closed and the delicious scent of whatever Kara was cooking in the kitchen, her alpha had still sniffed out her distress.

Lena discovered just how fast she could move when Kara knocked on the door. She splashed her mouth with cold water seconds before her mate poked her head in with a very serious and concerned expression on her face.

“Lena what’s wrong? Are you in pain? Is my rut too much? I can take suppressors.”

The questions came out faster than Lena could answer them and Kara was by her side before she could blink. Fortunately, the evidence of her sickness was already flushed away and Lena wiped her chin as casually as someone being observed possibly could.

“Kara, if you so much as mention suppressors again, I’ll punish you with latex,” Lena threatened with a sly smile that hid the quiver of her lip.

Breathing in the scent of her mate helped to settle her stomach and she naturally leaned into Kara’s strong frame as the alpha stepped closer to wrap an arm around her waist.

“Sounds kind of kinky,” Kara remarked in flirtation, her delectable rut scents potent in the enclosed space. She moved as if to nuzzle into Lena’s claim and rumbled at the sensation of Lena’s fingers stroking through her messy blonde hair.

“The kind that comes in foil squares,” Lena elaborated as she fisted the golden locks to prohibit Kara from getting any further.

Between the denial and the talk of condoms, Kara’s alpha released a frustrated musk that Lena had no right enjoying so thoroughly.

“Ooh, then, no, I don’t want that.” Kara’s slight whine was endearing and she turned her earnest face on Lena with a pout so adorable she must have known exactly how it would sway her mate.

“Me either, and to add to the list of things I don’t want, we have to change our morning plans. Andrea texted,” Lena supplied with bitterness.

The taste of bile still lingered on the back of her tongue and she reached for the mouthwash to give herself a brief respite from explaining further.

“Is Natty okay?” Kara asked, her concern palpable as she shadowed Lena at the sink with a look of pure parental worry. She relaxed when Lena nodded in affirmation, and restrained her sigh of disappointment at having their unofficial Honeymoon interrupted.

In spite of how eager and rigid her cock was for attention, Kara showed patience and gave Lena the thirty seconds to swish minty liquid around her mouth without a word of protest. In that time, Lena planned a way to fill Kara in without the need to show her the actual texts that still played in a loop through her mind.

I’m sure you’ll say no, but I have a favor to ask you. There’s something important my father wants to discuss in person and I can’t face him alone. You were always my rock during his visits. Be my rock again for old time’s sake?

I can’t do this without you, mi luz, mi vida.

I need you, Lena, I always have.

I told Natty you’d be stopping by and it made her so happy.

The manipulation tactic of using their own daughter to rope her into being the mediator pissed Lena off, but she always had a soft spot for Bernardo Rojas.

Lena frowned at her own conflicted feelings and peered at Kara in the mirror as she confided, “Andrea’s father is visiting to discuss something important. She didn’t disclose what it was and to be honest, he probably hasn’t told her what it is yet. Bernardo is rather eccentric and prefers to do things face-to-face, especially when it comes to business. They clash like hell, and every time he’s visited, I’ve stood at her side to keep their interactions from getting volatile. I know this isn’t how we planned our day to go—”

“True, but what’s a couple hours out of a lifetime together anyway?” Kara cut in with a mischievous, albeit small smile. She raised her shoulders in a shrug and looped her arms around Lena’s waist, her eyes piercing yet kind. “I can play nice as long as Andrea can. If not for you, then for Natty. I’m sure even she can agree with that.”

The intimate scent of love and support choked Lena up, and she swallowed twice before the lump in her throat finally lessened. “You’re sexy as hell when you’re so level headed and self-assured.”

Kara laughed as her cheeks reflected the faintest glow of embarrassment, and she ducked her head and stepped back after pressing a kiss to Lena’s forehead. “I’ll make our breakfast to go, and we can swing by the house to get fresh clothes, since ours—”

“Are all crumpled and smell distinctly of rut sex?” Lena lilted helpfully with raised brows and wide eyes.

She knew just the reminder of getting naked yesterday would be enough to excite Kara’s alpha and she decided to idly pet her erection through her boxers just to feel it strain forward.

“Yeah, that might make a bad first impression. If it was just Andrea, I’d be tempted to throw on what we flung off yesterday,” Kara remarked in a hushed voice and her eyelids lowered with lust to hide how her pupils blew wide with desire. She didn’t put the moves on Lena so much as casually ghost her palms down her sides to clasp at her shapely hips and then she huffed the aroma of her omega.

“For someone with such an innocent face, you have quite a wicked streak,” Lena commented as she grabbed Kara’s chin and brought their lips together in a kiss far too chaste to be satisfactory for either of them.

“Only when provoked,” Kara murmured against her mouth, the tip of her tongue seductively tracing Lena’s lower lip, which she nipped when the kiss didn’t deepen.

“Well, I love it,” Lena confessed and stepped out of Kara’s reach before her pheromones convinced her they should stay and have sex instead.

If Natty hadn’t been at Andrea’s, Lena would have been amenable to that.

“Want me to take your towel so you can get dressed?” Kara offered much too suavely for it to be anything other than a ploy to get her naked.

“Nice try, darling, but if you behave, I’ll flash you while I’m getting dressed,” Lena promised and breezed out of the bathroom to clear her mind and ignore her omega, who hated the notion of being deprived of passionate rut sex.

“I’ll take it,” Kara intoned without missing a beat and hurried off to turn their plated breakfasts into convenient burritos they could eat in the car.

They were out the door in under ten minutes and back at their home within the hour to change out of their worn clothes.

Kara tidied herself up by tying up her hair and donning a crisp white button-down shirt, along with a casual pair of khakis she paired with a brown leather belt that Lena itched to rip off the second she saw it.

The feeling appeared mutual as Kara openly checked her out in her very sleek black dress and a pair of killer patent leather heels that made Lena feel like she could conquer the world.

“We need to leave immediately,” Kara demanded, and if not for the outline of her thick cock, Lena would have thought she was upset.

Kara tried to temper the stench of her rut by spritzing herself with a scent masker, and it didn’t help that Lena toyed with her by sashaying past as her omega called to Kara with sexual pheromones.

“Worried about your self-control lasting?” Lena teased, throwing a smirk over her shoulder as she swayed her hips provocatively all the way to the car.

“In my defense, it’s a very valid concern when you walk like that,” Kara groaned and paused to watch Lena’s ass move from side to side.

For the first twenty minutes of their drive, Lena was all smiles and flirtatious banter, sliding her hand up and down Kara’s leg and occasionally flicking at the zipper on the alpha’s pants.

It would have been cruel to initiate sexual contact when they would be indisposed due to her responsibilities, but Lena would have copped a feel if her stomach hadn’t started to turn like a washing machine ramping up to spin cycle.

She remembered that she experienced a similar sensation when dropping her girls off at boarding school the day before, and that ruled out the chance of food poisoning, but didn’t discount anxiety or pregnancy.

Had she been spending the day alone with Kara, Lena would have requested a pit stop at a pharmacy, but they were five minutes away from Andrea’s house.

“Hey don’t worry, everything’s going to go smoothly. No fighting, I promise,” Kara uttered as the silence dragged on and Lena chewed her lip.

Kara placed a hand on Lena’s knee to give her a reassuring squeeze, oblivious to the fact that Lena wasn’t even thinking about Andrea.

The subtlety of Lena’s hand resting on her abdomen was lost on Kara as she drove, but thegentle fragrance of hope and adoration tied in with what the alpha must have assumed. Lena slid her hand lower to clasp Kara’s and stroked her thumb over the back of her mate’s knuckles.

“I’m so grateful I have you as a mate,” Lena whispered with a burst of emotion, her heart already hammering faster in her chest as she considered how many times they had made love over the past few months without the hindrance of birth control.

There was a real chance that she might actually be carrying Kara’s pup, but she couldn’t tell Kara that, or anyone else until she was certain.

Lena tried to dial back the happiness it brought her to even consider the possibility that she was pregnant. She put all of her strength into calming her nerves as Kara pulled into Andrea’s driveway and parked behind a silver Benz.

“Brace yourself for what lies ahead. It’s likely going to be awkward and intense,” Lena warned under her breath, only to freeze in the car until Kara walked around and opened the door for her.

Kara helped her onto her feet and led her up the path and front steps. Lena didn’t bother knocking since she was expected. She entered the foyer, where Andrea and Bernardo were already waiting with a youthful-looking blonde omega.

“Lena! Eres tan hermosa,” Bernardo greeted her with open arms, which unfortunately pushed the blonde omega out of his path. He pulled Lena in for a hug and then turned to his daughter. “Andrea was just telling us how busy you’ve been.”

“I’m sure she has,” Lena muttered through a tense smile and held out her hand to motion for Kara to come closer. “Bernardo, I’d like you to meet Kara. She’s such a wonderful person, and my new m—”

“Maid!” Andrea stated so forcefully that Lena’s jaw dropped and Kara faltered mid step in confusion. “I mean, she’s more of a personal assistant and a nanny, but you get the point.”

“I’ve never known an alpha to be part of the help,” Bernardo muttered with clear and unfiltered judgment. He looked Kara over like she baffled and offended him at the same time.

Lena opened her mouth to put her lying ex in her place, but Natty cut off the sound of her voice with an excited squeal as she ran into Kara’s arms.

“Kara is wonderful with all three of the children,” Andrea intoned, smoothing over her lie with a compliment that she squandered as she took a private jab at Lena. “It helps that she’s so much younger than us. She’s in touch with all of the popular trends.”

Natty pressed her forehead against Kara’s and latched around her neck, and it was the presence of her daughter that prevented Lena from tearing Andrea down in front of everybody.

“Honey, you have about ten seconds to explain yourself,” Lena forewarned under breath with a passive aggressive pheromone that promised war if Andrea involved them in any more lies.

They had shortened their spontaneous vacation for this, and Lena wouldn’t allow Kara to be disrespected on top of doing favors for a person she didn’t even like.

The tension between the three of them was so thick it was a wonder Andrea didn’t choke on pheromones.

Lena was poised to make it happen manually and clenched her fists in silent rage that never got the chance to manifest further.

Kara refused to make a fuss in front of Natty, and turned to regard Bernardo with respect he hadn’t earned. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Rojas. I’ve heard wonderful things. And you, Miss—”

“Gayle.” The young omega stuck out her hand in introduction and seemed quite flattered that Kara shook it while she held Natty on her hip.

“Please excuse me while I take this little one out back to play.” Kara’s polite tone fooled everyone, except Lena who noticed the blaze of hostility in her mate’s gaze when it landed on Andrea. Her insufferable ex smirked as Kara walked off and Gayle chuckled at Natty’s excited rambling.

“You can help me catch fairies. I have a net!”

“Let’s take this to the lounge,” Bernardo requested and led Gayle down the hall with all the confidence and ease of an alpha that owned the place.

Andrea watched her father in shrewd silence until Lena grabbed her by the wrist and demanded an explanation.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Lena seethed in a whisper with one eye on Bernardo. Her stomach twisted at the thought of Kara being subjected to such a screwed up game and she backed Andrea into the coat rack with the good idea of impaling her on it.

“I didn’t know you would bring her,” Andrea spat like it was Lena’s fault they were in this mess. “You know how my father acts. He adores you, and I couldn’t bring myself to break the old man's heart by telling him we got divorced.”

“He still thinks we’re married?” Lena hysterically screeched, lifting her hands to grab onto the front of Andrea’s suit in distress. She would have shaken the living hell out of her if Andrea hadn’t swiftly caught her and shoved her off.

“Please, Lena, if you tell him now, he’ll never forgive me,” Andrea bemoaned, and for the first time in years, she sounded close to begging. “I’ll owe you one.”

The chance to cash in on some later favor pushed at Lena to compromise. She suspected she would need this trade-off for other reasons in the future — for Kara’s benefit, as a bargaining chip to use for their girls, or to circumvent drama if she was in fact pregnant. After so much animosity, it was empowering to know that she could hold this situation over Andrea’s head and use it for peacekeeping purposes.

“I have conditions,” Lena intoned with belligerence and a tight hold on Andrea’s arm. “You have to treat Kara with respect, and if she decides she doesn’t want to be involved in this arrangement for whatever reason, you need to tell your father the truth.”

“Why is it all up to Kara?” Andrea complained and peered outside to where Natty ran around swinging her net and Kara pointed out pretend fairies.

“Because you interrupted a very special get-away that she planned, and because you’re regularly horrible to both of us, but we still came to your rescue today.” Lena dropped the hold she had on her ex and looked towards Kara with the hope of excusing herself and spending some time with her mate and daughter.

It would be time well spent if she was able to entertain Natty for a short while, and Andrea could bear the full burden of communicating with her father alone.

Lena smiled at her kind and selfless mate, falling into distraction and missing the fact that Bernardo had crept up behind them.

“Have we decided to sit outside?” Bernardo asked and pulled a cigar out of the pocket of his suit jacket before glancing back at his granddaughter and thinking better of it. He tucked the cigar away and stepped out onto the brick patio to find a seat.

Andrea’s staff noticed the shift in arrangements and hurried to catch up. They set the outdoor table for four people and then added one place for Natty with more child-friendly cutlery.

Gayle took in the garden with admiration and chuckled at Natty’s antics and Kara’s gift for imaginative play.

“I see why you hired Kara,” Gayle complimented as she sidled into her spot beside Bernardo and tucked a napkin into her lap. “She’s so good with Natty. She must have a lot of younger siblings, or maybe children of her own.”

“Lots of siblings,” Lena lied, pinching her lips together and clutching at her stomach inconspicuously.

She claimed a seat nearest to the lawn and continued to observe Natty with the thrilling thought that she might have a sister or brother to run after her soon.

Bernardo called Lena back to the present by coughing and smiling in her direction. He placed his large hand over Lena’s and gave her an affectionate squeeze.

“Speaking of the children, that’s why I’m here today,” Bernardo confided and eyed his own daughter with cursory interest. “I’ve made up my will, and it is very important to me that my assets go to my grandchildren. Andy has a good head on her shoulders and I would like to put my factories in her name, with you as the co-inheritor, Lena.”

Andrea recoiled at the announcement, but didn’t ask questions or so much as move.

“Me?” Lena croaked in shock, and delivered a kick to Andrea’s shin beneath the table. “I think Andrea would do a much better job of guiding Andy with all of that.”

Gayle appeared to be uncomfortable that she was included in the conversation and she made much ado about drinking from her champagne glass and looking away.

“All of us know how hot-tempered my Andrea can be,” Bernardo sighed, discussing the matter like his daughter wasn’t involved in the current conversation. “Her acumen is suited to American business, but the international market requires a bit more finesse and delicacy.”

“I operate a very successful global company,” Andrea whispered, too airless and distraught to challenge her father’s views or advocate for herself in the face of such criticism.

“You have the fiery traits of your mother,” Bernardo remarked, comfortable enough to give his assessment of Andrea in front of all her staff as they bustled around putting food on the table. “You’ve made a beautiful life for yourself here with Lena and she has raised your children well. I am proud of our bloodline, and Andy will be the perfect successor with her omega mother to assist her.”

For as sincere as he was being, Bernardo failed to pick up on Andrea’s feelings. He dug in to the meat platter in front of him like he was celebrating his decisions and Andrea sulked without presenting a case as to why she should be co-inheritor of her father’s businesses.

“I appreciate how much trust you’ve put in me, but I do think Andrea’s guidance will be invaluable when it comes to running the family companies,” Lena pressed and grabbed her ex’s hand to drive home the message that Andrea was indispensable to Bernardo’s plans.

Bernardo paused to take in the sight of them together and seemed like he was open to being swayed by such displays.

“I’ll take your wishes under advisement and I will keep you updated when next I meet with my solicitor,” Bernardo at last determined with a nod and leaned forward to select meats from the nearest platter.

“Natalia, you had better come join us for lunch,” Andrea called out and emitted the softest pheromone of affection towards Lena as their youngest child raced over to eat.

Natty stopped short of her chair and pouted at the seating arrangements. “I want Kara to sit by me.”

“Of course.”

Lena hedged off a tantrum by pulling her daughter onto her lap and beckoning Kara over to join them.

The atmosphere became more awkward when Kara sat down at Natty’s place between Lena and Gayle and spotted Andrea’s hand clasping Lena’s for all to see. The kid friendly cutlery and little princess plate only added to the glaring fact that Kara didn’t belong at the table, and a lesser alpha would have caused a scene.

“Champagne?” Kara offered without any hesitation, slipping right into her fabricated role to lift the bottle and absently top up everyone’s glass while her gaze lingered on Lena. For a passing second, heat radiated between them, and Kara had the grace to look away before anyone noticed.

Lena was infatuated with how Kara adjusted to an impossibly difficult situation and how she handled herself with integrity by devoting all of her attention to Natty. The little one squirmed out of Lena’s grasp to sit herself on Kara’s knee and pointed at all the things she wanted on her plate, proclaiming that they could share.

Bernardo appeared to tolerate Lena’s decision in inviting Kara, as it brought a smile to his granddaughter’s face, and since Kara was simply the help in his eyes, he paid her no mind even though she became the next topic of discussion.

“I’m surprised by your choices, Andrea,” Bernardo stated, his words careful in front of Natty as he flicked his gaze to Kara.

“We needed someone strong and fit who was capable of doing hands-on work,” Lena supplied to save Andrea from herself and her ridiculous lies. “Not to mention, an authority figure that the girls would respect when we’re busy.”

She smiled at her ex-wife in a way that dared her to contradict a single syllable she uttered and squeezed her hand in silent threat.

“Precisely,” Andrea gritted out through clenched teeth, and then made an active effort to dominate the conversation. “Andy and Sophia are both very strong, and I have no doubt they’re going to excel as business women one day, but I personally feel it’s important for them to see that alphas are also capable of filling the role of nurturer. It will teach them how to be respectful of their future partners.”

Lena laughed at that with perverse enjoyment on her face and an insane glint in her eye. “I couldn’t agree more.”

It made her lightheaded to chuckle with maniacal glee, but it was unavoidable when she reflected that Andrea was right on a several accounts, even if she was also telling boldfaced lies about Kara.

Their daughters would benefit from being around an alpha who was loving and knew how to take care of children, and it was important that Andrea knew that.

“I need to use the bathroom,” Lena blurted at the end of her long laugh and escaped before she drew attention to herself. She brushed against Kara as she exited her seat and wished that her mate could sneak off to join her.

After putting up with so much, Kara deserved a lot of thanks and Lena wanted her praise to be physical.

The idle thought of being naughty in Andrea’s home entertained Lena after her ex-wife’s audacity, and she had to stop herself from texting Kara something wildly inappropriate. There was no doubt in Lena’s mind that her mate would be receptive, but she couldn’t risk Gayle or Bernardo glimpsing a message while Kara was stuck at the table without her.

That realization put an end to Lena’s playful mood, and she washed her hands and quickened her steps.

How could she have been so stupid as to leave Kara alone with them? She envisioned Bernardo needling Kara at the table and Andrea encouraging it with backhanded utterances, and Lena almost broke a heel in her rush onto the patio. Kara wasn’t there, and Natty was absently picking at the food on her plate with far less enthusiasm.

“What did I miss?” Lena asked with a pointed glare at Andrea and sat down before her behavior seemed suspicious.

It was then that she noticed Kara at the side of the lawn with a rake in her hands. She had rolled her shirt sleeves up to the elbows and was diligently gathering the sparse amount of leaves that had blown over the well trimmed grass. The sight of Kara’s muscular forearms was a distraction to her omega, and Lena admired them before she came to her senses and the warm heat of arousal changed to rage.

“My father was reminiscing about the time we celebrated Andy’s tenth birthday on his boat. Do you remember when Sophia kept stealing his hat because she wanted to be the captain?” Andrea asked through a smile, ignoring Lena’s real question by posing one of her own. She slipped her hand onto Lena’s knee like it belonged there and scooped some pasta salad onto Natty’s plate.

Lena tensed at the familiar touch and tried to pull away as subtly as she could, but judging from the increasingly forceful way Kara raked at the leaves, her mate was aware of where Andrea’s hand resided.

“She has the intensity of my Andrea, that one,” Bernardo confided to Gayle with a faint trace of pride in his tone.

Lena smiled at him as she tried to act natural, and tensed when she noticed his hand rested on Gayle’s thigh. Andrea’s penchant for seeking her father’s approval obviously coincided with her bolder displays of affection and Lena shamefully used her daughter as an excuse to avoid it altogether by scooping her back onto her lap.

“You should see her now,” Andrea bragged and scooted her chair closer so that the expensive perfume she wore infused the air around Lena. “Sophia is exactly like me. Smart, driven and focused. She knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already set her sights on a future mate.”

“She’s barely a teenager. Finding a mate should be the last thing on her mind,” Lena argued, her clutch on Natty tightening as she thought of Sophia and how upset she had been at presenting as an omega.

“Oh, come on, I know it’s been a while since we were that age, but that’s when everyone started to notice each other.” Andrea shrugged like it was no big deal to speculate and popped a grape into her mouth to chew.

“The only thing I noticed at thirteen was how stupid alphas acted,” Lena retorted and lifted her champagne before thinking better of it. She set it aside in favor of drinking sparkling water and almost bit through the glass when Andrea’s flirtatious pheromones curled around her.

“Well, you still caught my eye, and by the end of high school, I’d made you mine,” Andrea reminded her with a raspy and smug lilt.

A loud snap startled everyone at the table and Lena gawked at the sight of Kara, red faced and muscles straining beneath her shirt as she stared at Andrea.

When she realized all eyes were on her, Kara held up the broken pieces in both hands with a total lack of remorse and yelled, “The wood must have been old.”

“There should be another rake out in the shed,” Andrea shouted back, more amused than angry about the destruction of her personal property.

Kara clutched at the pieces of the rake like they were weapons and stood her ground like she planned to expose Andrea. Lena would have approved of the decision and she waited on her mate to signal that she was done pretending.

Much to Lena’s disappointment, Kara took two long strides towards the patio and paused to look at Lena holding little Natty, whose eyes were lidded like she needed a post-lunch nap.

Natty twirled a piece of her hair and pressed herself into Lena’s shoulder, and Kara hooked her thumb in the direction of the shed.

“I’ll get that other rake,” Kara gruffly announced and removed herself from Andrea’s vicinity, no doubt before the temptation to drag her across in the lawn in her immaculate white business suit became too great.

“I’m just going to put Natalia down for a nap,” Lena whispered and left the table with regret ripping through her.

She should have denied Andrea help at the start of the day, except making that choice would have meant hurting Natty. Her youngest still didn’t understand their custody arrangement the same way the older girls did, and Lena had always been willing to show up if Natty requested that of her.

“Is it my turn to go home with you?” Natty asked with a sleepy blink and clung to Lena with her tiny sandals digging into her side and back.

“Not yet, it’s nap time right now,” Lena replied and carried her little one into the bedroom that had changed a lot since the last time she saw it.

Andrea had replaced Natty’s toddler bed with a twin and it was a mermaid comforter she pulled up to her baby’s chin instead of a pastel pink bedspread.

“Can Kara read me a story?” Natty whimpered, barely hanging on with her eyelids mere slits, and her arms secure around a caticorn stuffed animal.

“Close your eyes for a while and Kara will read to you when you wake up,” Lena promised.

Her breathing relaxed along with Natty’s as she glanced around at the bedroom that had just recently been a nursery.

Sentimental tears came to Lena’s eyes and she exited before Natty stirred.

She calmed herself down in the hall and listened to some of the staff whispering in the next room, something about picking up a cake to celebrate her and Andrea’s upcoming wedding anniversary.

That was still a month away, and the mere suggestion of faking joy even for Bernardo’s sake was the last charade Lena thought she could endure.

Infuriated and determined to retaliate, she stormed back out onto the patio and walked right into an uncomfortable conversation.

“That is foolish thinking, mi hija, just listen to me for a change,” Bernardo berated, red in the face and holding the smoking cigar he had waited to light until after Natty was out of the way.

Lena hesitated at the downtrodden expression on Andrea’s face and gestured towards the shed. “I see Kara might need help locating some tools. I’ll be back in a second.”

She stalked off across the lawn, occasionally sinking a heel into it, but never stopping to glance back at the patio where Andrea and Bernardo’s argument continued without her mediation.

The shed was larger than most studio apartments in the city, with everything neatly stored and lined on the walls, never to be touched by Andrea’s own hands.

Lena approached quietly to find the door open and Kara pacing around in an irritable mood to work off some of her frustration.

She cleared her throat to make her presence known and saw firsthand how Kara’s alpha calmed at the sight of her.

“I’m sorry,” Kara blurted, the rich aroma of her rut at odds with her apologetic eyes. She stalked over with slumped shoulders and motioned to the broken rake with a grimace. “I didn’t mean to break it, but she’s so infuriating, with her hands all over you, I just—”

Kara’s explanation trailed off and she growled viciously. The guttural sound was fierce and laced with jealousy that did ridiculously thrilling things to Lena’s omega. She shuddered at the potency of Kara’s scent and cupped her cheeks between her delicate palms to whisper, “No Kara, I’m sorry, I had no idea she never informed Bernardo about the divorce. I would not have dragged you into this mess if I had known. I told her this stupid farce would be over the second you wanted it to end, but this can’t go on, and I won’t stand by while she mocks you.”

Lena was poised to make good on that promise and turned to stride out of the shed. She only got two steps before Kara caught her by the wrist and spun her around with curious blue eyes, “Wait, you gave me the power to end it?”

“It’s the one damn thing I did right this morning.” Lena announced and stroked the surprise from Kara’s brow with gentle fingers. She smoothed out Kara’s collar and trailed her palms down strong biceps to squeeze in reassurance. “You’re my mate, Kara, and regardless of what Andrea thinks, you come first for me. Not her.”

A flicker of understanding changed those pretty blue eyes to lustful dark pools, and Lena waited for Kara to make a choice on how the rest of their morning would play out. She wasn’t disappointed when the alpha grinned and pulled her closer to rumble flirtatiously, “So I come first, huh? I’d like to hear more about that.”

“How about I show rather than tell?” Lena husked, her fingers already working the belt free of its buckle with the kind of urgency that sparked anticipation and thickened the air with the promise of sexual gratification. She tore the zipper open on Kara’s pants with a noise of desire and shucked them down to mouth at the outline of her hard cock trapped by the designer rut boxers.

Even through the material, she could feel Kara’s responsive shaft sticking out at her and pushing against her lips. She drew the boxers down at her leisure and licked at the place where the tip jutted up from the fabric. The rest of Kara’s cock was still concealed and Lena took advantage by limiting her kisses to the glans.

“I’ll stay on my knees for as long as you want, even at the risk of someone seeing me here with your cock in my mouth,” Lena uttered, fearless and unafraid of any consequences they might have to face if Andrea walked in on them.

She sucked on Kara’s cock, letting her lips pucker and loosen to watch how it sprang back without the constraints of her mouth. The wide head stood upright with the entire rod still in Kara’s boxes and Lena tasted the drips of syrupy arousal that she stroked out onto her tongue.

“Do you want to fill my mouth, Kara?” Lena asked as she tugged the waistband of Kara’s boxers down to expose more of the erection that throbbed into the touch of her hand. “Give me a preview of what I can expect later when you make my pussy overflow with your seed.”

Kara moaned and gathered Lena’s hair back to aid her in accepting the first few inches into her mouth.

She slurped up and down on Kara with greediness and rubbed at the lowest part of the base at the bulge that never seemed to have diminished after having sex the previous night.

“This entire time I’ve been thinking about taking you upstairs to Andrea’s bed and pulling off your dress,” Kara slipped out and continued to share all of the dirty thoughts she must have conceived throughout the morning. “Just seeing you naked would be enough, but I can’t stop fantasizing about rubbing your pussy and eating you out in her bed.”

Lena gasped with her mouth full and pushed her lips down to engulf the rest of Kara’s incredible cock. Her lips locked at the base and she sucked hard to make Kara’s veins throb in pleasurable sync with her.

“I’d want you inside of me right afterwards,” Lena groaned and permitted herself to work out all of the logistics of taking an hour or more to themselves while everyone else was busy downstairs. “I happen to think it could be very therapeutic to have sex in the bed I once shared with her.”

Kara’s cock reacted that and slid with more force into Lena’s soft, warm mouth. “Anything you need, baby.”

Kara’s sincerity didn’t hinder her libido, and she kept a commanding grip tight on Lena’s hair. It wasn’t enough to hurt by any means, yet it tipped Lena’s chin up so that Kara could maintain eye contact as she rocked forward.

Lena popped her lips over the solid length in encouragement, bobbing her head as best she could to take Kara’s cock and she coughed from how she tried to swallow around the sensitive glans.

The breathy grunt of Kara’s appreciation evoked sultry moans from Lena and she hollowed her cheeks.

“I gotta be honest, knowing I hold all the cards makes me want to play nice just so I can fuck you all over her property,” Kara groaned, her eyes half lidded and lips parted. She looked so good with her sleeves rolled up, the veins in her forearm prominent as she guided Lena into accepting another few inches of dick.

Lena would be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying the sordid idea of playing a raunchy game of claiming spaces in her ex-wife’s house.

She whined at the thought of Kara pulling her into rooms just to do as she pleased and rubbed her thighs together in excitement as she deepthroated her mate.

Being on her knees with Kara regulating her breathing brought a heady flush to Lena’s cheeks and she used the tight constriction of her throat muscles to reward Kara for sharing.

“I think you like pretending I’m the gardener, getting paid to work my muscles and keep things in order,” Kara asserted, releasing Lena’s hair to clasp the nape of her neck in a firm grip that was both titillating and intimate. She pumped her hips, rubbing the wide tip of her cock over Lena’s tongue and then pushed deeper to relish the way Lena sucked with abandon. “Maybe I do so much around here I’ve decided I should be doing you, too.”

The scandalous suggestion turned Lena on and she fisted her hand in Kara’s belt in a silent plea as she gorged herself on the stiff shaft. She would never condone having an affair, and loathed how many Andrea managed to have during their marriage, but this little roleplay was a saucy attempt at revenge and Lena was desperate to enact it with the love of her life.

She puckered her lips and begged for Kara’s release with every warm pull, and whimpered at the sudden surge of hot seed in her mouth.

Lena didn’t swallow. Instead she parted her lips and stuck out her tongue with a provocative whine, and watched Kara’s full body shudder of delight as she fisted her alpha’s cock to get every last drop of her essence.

“Oh god, Lena, that’s so hot,” Kara breathlessly exhaled, so captivated by Lena’s open devotion that the barest flick of her tongue against the groove of her cock evoked another spurt of seed to splash into Lena’s waiting mouth.

Lena smirked up at Kara and made a show of swallowing, then kissed the swollen tip of her mate’s cock before she tucked it into her pants.

“I put Natty down for a nap, so be sure to take advantage of that and come and find me,” Lena lilted once Kara helped her onto her feet.

She rubbed her palm over Kara’s still throbbing cock and gasped as her mate pulled her into a kiss that was peppered with possessiveness.

“Before you go, let me see how wet you got from sucking my cock.” Kara’s instruction was part of the roleplay, or so Lena could tell just from the way her mate hesitated in hiking the front of her dress up.

It was frankly endearing to know her alpha was putting in extra effort to sell her the fantasy, and Lena appreciated the soft way Kara petted her cunt when she flashed her the soaked center of her panties.

“You better get back before they notice you’re missing,” Kara intoned with a smile and buckled her belt, then grabbed the rake that she had gone off to get in the first place.

Lena wiped at the corner of her lips in in case any traces of Kara lingered and then she rushed off to rejoin the others at the table.

Her mood was much improved, and her jaw dropped upon glimpsing Kara, who walked out of the shed wearing a ribbed white tank that must have been underneath her button down.

She heard an audible gasp and believed it came from her own mouth until Gayle started gulping down water.

“Pardon, I choked on a grape,” Gayle lied with an enamored blush that covered both of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. “Were you able to help Kara?”

“I did. I was very helpful,” Lena replied, careful with her intonation so as not to incite any suspicion. “What did I miss while I was gone?”

“Andrea and I were just discussing business,” Bernardo disclosed and stamped out his cigar in an ashtray. “I would much rather discuss more pleasant subjects, like when I might expect another grandchild.”

Lena jumped in before her ex had the chance to comment on her behalf. “Andrea and I are content with the size of our family.”

“That’s true,” Andrea agreed and scooped a heap of salad onto her plate with a shrug. “We might start trying again in the fall if we’re able to get Natty enrolled in kindergarten a year early.”

Lena glowered at her ex and chose not to contradict her.

In her head, she was keeping a mental tally of all the times Andrea exploited the situation and spoke out of turn or touched her on the knee.

Across the yard, Kara bagged up all of the leaves and went beyond expectation by performing other duties, like hauling over a wheel barrow with flowers in it and planting them in the ground. All of her lifting and bending was an adequate distraction from Andrea’s talk of more pups, and Lena blocked it out for self-preservation’s sake.

“I only brought it up because today you are reminding me of that summer when you were pregnant with Andy.” Bernardo commented, as if he had been making a careful observation of Lena’s tells of happiness for some time. “You look most joyous and at peace.”

Lena resisted the instinct to glance at Kara, who was responsible for the return of all of those good feelings that had been rare in her life for the past fifteen years. The emotional sap inside of her came to the surface and she smiled down at the brickwork in lieu of looking at her mate. “I’m honestly happier now than I’ve ever been.”

Her intention wasn’t to provoke Andrea, and yet she sensed the ire in how her ex put food onto her own plate and ate it all with a tight crinkle of jealousy between her brows.

After lunchtime, Andrea hooked her by the elbow and held her back from entering the lounge where they would continue to reminisce. “Do me a favor and don’t rub your new relationship in my face for the rest of the day. I know I acted in poor taste at your claiming party, but it was just cruel to brag to my father about how happy you are now. I never did that to you when I was seeing someone else.”

Lena snorted at the lecture and pulled her arm free. “Funny how you seem to think you have the moral high ground when you’re the one who manipulated me into lying to your father. At least I can be honest about one thing.”

If Andrea was tempted to grab her again, the sudden crack of Kara swinging an axe to break up logs for the wood burner put an end to it.

Her ex-wife snarled at the ease and repetition of Kara’s muscled arms raising the axe to cleave solid wood into chunks, and then she pushed by Lena to enter the lounge after her father.

Gayle wasn’t quite as quick to follow and lingered with a wistful sigh and a wave to Kara. The alpha waved back, and the young omega blushed furiously and confided under her breath, “If I wasn’t with Bernardo, I’d let her split me open like one of those logs.”

Lena was surprised to find she wasn’t jealous over Gayle’s comment and smirked at the thirst written all over her face. The younger omega didn’t seem to realize that Kara’s eyes were glued to Lena, and that this whole performance was all for her.

Lena’s omega called to her mate with private, enticing pheromones, and she shivered when Kara responded by flexing. Gayle wasn’t the only one blushing as they retreated into the kitchen, and it perversely aroused Lena to know that while Gayle lusted for her mate, she was the only one the alpha wanted to impress.

Kara wandered into the kitchen, bold as brass after all of her labor, and she stopped in front of the sink to pour herself a glass of water from the tap. She drank it so fast half of it spilled down her tank, and Lena bit her lip as it plastered to toned abs.

Andrea must have sensed the sexual tension brewing between them and urged everyone into the lounge. It was a pity Lena never managed to join them, on account of Kara sneaking her into the laundry room to lift her onto the washer mid-spin cycle.

The powerful vibrations sent tingles all through Lena’s body and she gasped at the confident way Kara worked her hand into her panties before she could even ask if she had locked the door.

By the time her mate was three fingers knuckle deep, Lena wouldn’t have cared if the door was open and everyone saw her giving her cunt to Kara.

She moaned lasciviously at the way Kara pulled her dress down to free her breasts, and snared the alpha’s ponytail to bring her mouth roughly to her nipples.

“Hiring you was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Lena exhaled in laughter, her grin lost in the way her mouth opened in pleasure.

The private joke brought mirth to their combined amorous scent and Kara curled her fingers to rub into the slick ridges of Lena’s passage. She sucked on Lena’s nipples like she had been starving for the chance to taste them.

The greed of her alpha pushed Lena to the brink of orgasm so fast that she jerked as the first contractions pulsed around Kara’s skillful fingers. The noise of the washing machine on its fastest spin drowned out her whine and Kara held her there in the powerful throes of release until the fluttering of her cunt slowed.

Lena wasn’t sure how she managed to walk out of the laundry room when her legs were weak and her pussy was still in spasm, but she figured it had something to do with the way Kara had sucked her fingers clean and then left her there with nothing but a wink and the promise of more.

For the next hour, Kara swept her into places she hadn’t stepped foot in for years.

Andrea’s home gym saw Lena getting the kind of work out she wished she had gotten a decade ago, and there was no way she could look at a yoga ball the same way after Kara had bent her over it to energetically fuck her from behind. The perpetual bounce drove Kara’s cock deeper and deeper, and they left more than sweat stains behind.

Their insatiable need to be with one another devolved into an excuse to see how fast they could get one another off, and so far, Kara was winning. Lena’s pussy remained soaked, in spite of the risk of being found out, and she spritzed herself frequently with a scent masker she kept in her purse.

She succumbed to the enchantment of every fantasy she had cultivated over the long years with Andrea and reveled that they were all taking place with Kara.

Lena was caught short on her way back from showing Gayle to the nearest bathroom, and she stifled her squeal of excitement when Kara clasped her around the waist and dragged her into the walk-in pantry.

“This hardly feels like work when all I get to do every day is appreciate how good this pussy is,” Kara teased, using the heady musk of her rut and sweat to bring Lena’s omega out to play. She backed her into one of the tall shelves and hoisted her up by the backside so that Lena’s legs naturally wrapped around her hips.

Lena obliged her by opening the fly of her pants and Kara reciprocated by tugging her soaked panties aside and entering her with one quick buck. The frenetic slam of Kara’s cock jostled boxes and cans and Lena mewled as her mate sucked on her claim. Kara bit down with light pressure so as not to leave a mark and Lena clung onto her strong shoulders and begged for it harder.

“You like taking my cock when she’s in another room, oblivious to how wet and tight you are?” Kara asked, upping the ante in the most unexpected and enthralling ways.

Lena whimpered at how her omega latched onto the scenario, and undulated to ride Kara with breathy little moans of affirmation.

“Yes. You never take me for granted,” Lena stressed, weaving truth and fantasy together so that her heart would never forget how Kara was healing her with these experiences.

Their positioning made it easier for all of Kara’s cock to slide into her slick cunt and she sat for a moment with the girth opening her.

Kara wrapped an arm around her back and they both exhaled moans as they began moving, Lena with her hips and Kara with loud thrusts that covered her length in intimate wet silk.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me how anyone could take you for granted.” Kara kissed and sucked at her shoulder and throat with care not to leave another mark. “Your pussy is so warm and incredible. It’s the best of my life and I would never pass up the chance to remind you of that. All I want to do is worship you.”

Lena bucked to grind her clit against Kara’s partial knot and whimpered from the alpha’s controlled but deeper thrusts that stretched her right to her cervix.

“Remind my pussy what it needs,” Lena groaned and let her legs loosen up for a sensational pounding that she radiated warmth all through her cunt.

Her abdomen bulged even though she was upright, and she slipped a hand over her womb to feel the full brunt of Kara’s cock hammering her in the most private and sheltered of places.

Kara’s ability to hold her weight while she slammed up into her sopping pussy was turning Lena on like nothing else, and she kissed over the defined and solid muscles of Kara’s shoulders and arms.

Even when she was younger, Andrea never could have done that, and Kara did it with such ease that Lena wanted to put out even more for her mate.

The filthier they were, the raunchier Lena’s moans became and the noise of her enjoyment caused Kara’s cock to thicken. Her alpha showed prowess by letting the knot swell halfway and taking pleasure in stuffing Lena’s full with it until her slit was red and gaping from the force.

“I’m going to give your cunt the pounding it deserves and you’re going to take my seed nice and deep,” Kara rasped into Lena’s jawline and then licked at her erratic and thumping pulse above her claim. She tongued at the sensitive indents of Lena’s mark and groaned at the constricting heat of her cunt as it fluttered in orgasm.

True to her word, Kara bucked and emptied hot ropes of seed right against Lena’s cervix, and then pulled out just to press the gusset of Lena’s panties over her cunt with a silent command to keep every drop inside.

“See you soon, beautiful,” Kara quipped once she tucked her cock away. She pressed a lingering kiss to Lena’s lips before she left with a pack of Andrea’s Poptarts in her hand and a confident swagger that Lena followed out of the pantry.

When she finally located Andrea and Bernardo, they were in the conservatory and Gayle was eyeing Kara in the garden as she nodded along to the conversation.

“Where did you disappear to?” Andrea asked with a touch of hostility in her tone. She stared at Lena’s flushed complexion and opened her mouth as if to accuse her of something when Lena replied sweetly, “I was just checking on Natty.”

In the back of her mind, she worried that she didn’t feel any guilt about lying, and then remembered why as Andrea slung her arm around her waist and forcibly pulled her closer on the couch.

Lena’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, which tracked Kara trimming back the rose bushes.

After ten minutes of chit-chatting, Lena had to stifle her amusement when she noted that every time Andrea touched her thigh or put her hands on her, Kara snipped the head off one of the flowers in petty revenge.

The conversation took a turn as Bernardo criticized Andrea’s marketing methods of catering to the younger crowd, and Gayle stepped in to try and smooth it over in a way that embittered Andrea.

The bickering was as good a distraction as any, and Lena excused herself before she became too involved.

“I think we could all use a drink. I’ll just tell the kitchen staff to prepare us something refreshing,” Lena muttered and made sure to catch Kara’s eye as she stood up to walk out of the sunlit room.

Lena did request that the staff prepare delicious cocktails, but then she took a detour towards the opposite end of the house and grinned when Kara appeared to steal her away into the game room.

Andrea’s tastes were more in line with business men than anyone else, and her lavish game room was a reflection of that. With a wet bar at the side and a poker table set up and ready to go, the rich musk of wealth and arrogance had seeped into the leather upholstery.

Kara wasted no time in selecting the sturdy and expensive pool table as her next place of conquest, and lifted Lena onto the red mahogany. “It’s time for me to taste that pretty cunt of yours. Lie back and show me where you want my mouth, Lena.”

In spite of Kara’s instructions, the alpha still eased Lena’s dress up and openly expressed her desire with an appreciative, lustful growl. Lena reclined back against the green felt table and Kara positioned her feet near two of the corner pockets.

For lack of a better place to put her hands, Lena found herself gripping onto the frame where the balls were encased, and Kara bent over her to drag her panties away. This time, Kara kept them and spread her labia to lick her clit. The gentle spiral of Kara’s tongue was invigorating and she shivered as her alpha finished undressing her.

Being naked and exposed in the middle of an area of Andrea’s home that hosted frequent guests was both exciting and scandalous, and Lena groaned from the knowledge that it was just Kara’s mouth protecting her modesty in those moments.

“Fuck, Kara, I feel like I’m going to come already,” Lena whined, her stomach rising and falling with her inner tension.

Kara enclosed her mouth over Lena’s parted cunt, kissing into her entrance and filing it with a slow stroke of her tongue. The tip caressed into Lena’s sensitive inner warmth in time with the sway of her pelvis.

It always amazed Lena when Kara tongued at her entrance, so ravenous to have her that she wasn’t bothered by the remnants of her own desire. The kinky behavior encouraged Lena’s movements and she rubbed her pussy into Kara’s wanting mouth.

The fluid undulations coated Kara’s lips and chin in fresh nectar, and Lena knew her mate loved it, loved her from the way she held her eyes and moaned for more.

Kara palmed her ass in restless desire and brought Lena closer as she swirled her tongue in quicker circuits around Lena’s aching bud.

The featherlight flicks and firmer strokes threatened to bring Lena’s knees together and Kara settled the tremor in Lena’s legs by pinning her thighs to the green felt.

“Keep them spread for me, a pussy this good needs to be eaten properly,” Kara intoned against Lena’s glossy folds and drew back just to exhale cooler breath against her clit.

The rush of their earlier lovemaking took a backseat as Kara commanded her pleasure like this was her only reason for being at Andrea’s that afternoon. She treated Lena to sensual whorls that dipped her tongue into her cunt as she laced their fingers together and the pleasurable pull of orgasm tightened Lena’s abdomen.

“You’d do this every day if I let you,” Lena moaned, as if she wasn’t already living that life with Kara worshipping her orally.

Her ragged breaths increased in pitch and Lena whimpered pitifully when Kara’s lips released her throbbing clit.

“Only an idiot wouldn’t,” Kara asserted, and reinforced their connection with claim pheromones, in spite of their little roleplay.

The powerful move raised Lena’s hips and she arched up with a whine as Kara’s tongue fluttered over her clit at a wonderful pace that seared heat through her cunt. Lena had no choice but to submit to all of the pleasure her mate wished to give her. She locked her thighs around Kara’s face as she rode out her bliss with jerky, uncontrollable gyrations.

She was still convulsing internally when Kara surprised her by climbing onto the pool table to kiss away her moans.

The risk of being caught slid out of Lena’s mind the moment she felt the turgid head of Kara’s cock push into her opening.

Lena had to grip onto Kara’s shoulders and hold onto her mate, scratching down her back as they moved in coordinated sync. Her pelvis rose to meet Kara’s every downward thrust and she exhaled soft noises of satisfaction.

“Had we met before the divorce, I know I wouldn’t have been able to stay away,” Lena husked with her lips latching around Kara’s earlobe to suck. “Make a baby with me. I want the world to see all of the evidence that I’m yours.”

Whether she was pregnant or not was beside the point when Kara’s hips charged against hers with the sexual drive to go all night. Lena knew her feelings about having Kara’s baby would change after they became mates, but she surprised even herself with how much she wanted to be able to fulfill Kara’s birthday wish. Their conversations about taking their time seemed to be part of a distant past, and Lena was entering a new phase where she wanted to lie with Kara in rut as often as possible if her pregnancy test turned out to be negative. She would even ask Kara to take a week off during her heat and free their lives from all distractions so they could concentrate on each other.

“I need you to spend the rest of your rut buried deep inside my cunt.” Lena bit at her mate’s lip and moved Kara’s palms over her breasts, giving her full handfuls to squeeze.

Kara groaned and bent her head to suck and massage at Lena’s sensitive nipples. She rested her weight on one arm to thrust into Lena at speed, getting her much slicker and pushing far back to her cervix.

“The second we get out of here, we’re heading back to our vacation rental and we’re not leaving for any reason until my rut is over,” Kara promised, the strain of her voice alluding to how she wanted to keep Lena in bed for the entire duration of their getaway.

Lena could feel the tension in Kara’s cock, and how impossibly rigid the base was from being denied the chance to fully form a knot. The thickened size slotted into her entrance and forced her walls apart, and yet there was still so much Kara would give her when they were finally alone.

Her omega tried to persuade Kara’s alpha into giving her an achingly full cunt, and she began pulsing inside in tight ripples to try and coax the knot to expand.

From the pained and gasping grunt Kara exhaled against her throat, Lena almost recklessly succeeded. She wasn’t the least bit ashamed of herself.

Kara bottomed out in strenuous glides, clattering the pool balls with the power of her lunges and stifling her own groans with open mouthed kisses across the set of Lena’s claims. She stiffened in pleasure, her hips colliding with Lena’s in an effort to push her seed into her womb.

The strong throb of Kara’s cock emptying into her cunt brought Lena the sweetest pleasure, and the spasm of her canal milked another release out of her alpha.

“There’s no way you’re not going to end up pregnant after this,” Kara bragged in a growl as the perpetual motion of her hips rubbed seed right into Lena’s cervix.

Their love for one another surrounded them in the sharing of their pheromones and Lena hoped the scent lingered for weeks as she stroked her fingers along the dip of Kara’s back and let the alpha catch her breath.

They stayed tangled for only a moment. The guilty blush climbing up Kara’s face said she couldn’t trust herself to be inside Lena any longer without giving her a knot.

“Wait, stay right there for me,” Kara requested once she pulled out and reverently smoothed her hands up Lena’s inner thighs to part her pussy lips.

Lena raised herself up on her elbows to see what captured all of her mate’s attention, and grinned at the guttural sound Kara made when rivulets of seed gathered in a shimmering pool inside her entrance.

“Where’s your phone?” Lena whispered and put herself into a provocative position that was ideal for a fast photoshoot. “I know how much you like to look, Kara. I want you to be able to look at me throughout the day. Take a picture.”

“Are you—are you sure?” Kara stuttered and scrambled to remove her phone from her pocket. She thumbed over the screen and Lena heard a few clicks that confirmed her mate was taking the intimate photos.

Kara hooked a hand behind Lena’s ear and kissed her afterwards like she had given her a far more sentimental gift than a couple of nude pictures.

They fixed their clothes back into place and Kara rushed off to complete the chore list Andrea had given her.

Lena returned to the lounge in a state of split attention, in part because she wanted to return to Kara’s vacation rental and in part because inhaling Andrea’s scent in closed quarters was making her queasy. If she was pregnant, one of her sickness triggers was the reek of Andrea’s arrogance.

The cure was to fool around in different parts of the house, and about an hour later she found herself standing in Andrea’s master bathroom to text Kara for another naughty rendezvous. She waited five minutes before a response came and frowned at the content of the message.

Can’t get away. Andrea is making me polish all of the silver. Claims it’s for Natty’s birthday party.

Natty’s birthday was still several months away, and Lena had to wonder if her ex was already aware of what she was doing whenever she snuck off.

Since she was alone, she began pulling open cabinet doors in search of a pregnancy test that one of Andrea’s many girlfriends might have left behind. She came up empty-handed, but she did encounter a box of thin condoms and pocketed a long strip of them with a vindictive plan forming in her head.

For the next half an hour, Lena sat at Andrea’s side and circumvented two arguments between her and Bernardo. She played her hand well, and talked Andrea up as a sophisticated entrepreneur that understood the growing market for technological advancements that wouldn’t just benefit society, but make engaging with others fun.

Bernardo still held the belief that ignoring the elder generation in favor of targeting youth could backfire. After all, who among them had the most money, if not for the ones who had spent a lifetime earning it?

Gayle tried not to get involved this time and set her smart phone aside in case Bernardo turned his ire onto her instead of his daughter.

The heated debate ended when Natty woke up and Kara ventured over with the little one, who demanded that her grandfather join in on a search of the garden for buried treasure.

Not one to be left out, Andrea volunteered to help them on the exciting endeavor, in spite of her resistance to ruining her flowerbeds and handling dirt.

Gayle seemed far less concerned with how she looked spreading out the leaves of plants and digging in the dirt, and Lena snuck off to give Andrea exactly what she needed, quality time with their youngest daughter.

It wouldn’t last long, and Lena planned to make every moment count as she took the lead to shove Kara into the home theater room. The low leather seats were perfect for straddling her mate and Kara looked enthused as Lena lowered herself provocatively onto her lap.

The lustful smile Kara gave her was short lived when Lena produced the condoms with a mischievous flourish.

“We don’t need those,” Kara immediately protested and Lena barely managed to hold them out of the alpha’s grasp as she tried to throw them away.

“Don’t think of this as punishment. Think of it as a way to let her know just how much fun we had while we were here.” Lena whispered, licking over Kara’s pouty lower lip to initiate a kiss with teeth and tongue.

Even though it was contrary to her hopes of getting pregnant, Lena wanted indisputable evidence of their promiscuous encounters to rub it in her ex’s smug face.

Fortunately, Kara seemed to be on board, even though she huffed at the latex when Lena sensually rolled it over her cock. It only sheathed half of Kara’s member and Lena massaged the base of her erection just to tantalize her mate with the knowledge that she would still feel how nice and warm her cunt was inside.

“If you ever wondered how you stacked up to her, this is a good indication.” Lena’s sultry comment brought a grin to Kara’s face and she caught her by the chin to offer incentive. “I’ll give you a blowjob for every one of these you fill once we’re back at our Air B&B.”

Apparently the excitement of getting to feel Lena’s hot mouth wrapped around her cock was all Kara needed to frantically comply, and her energetic performance culminated in four condoms in less than ten minutes. The rough ride was just as good for Lena, and she came undone with the skillful brush of Kara’s thumb strumming into her clit.

“I want you to get rid of these discreetly, and then head up to the master bedroom. I’ll join you as soon as I can,” Lena instructed with a soft crinkle of mirth, and tucked the empty condom wrappers into her purse while Kara fled with the used protection.

Dealing with Andrea’s bullshit was so much easier with all of the dopamine in her system, and Lena planned to use sex as a buffer from now on whenever she had to interact with her ex.

The enigmatic smile stayed on her face as she considered how pleased Kara would be to know their best defense against Andrea’s pettiness was to focus on each other.

By the time she stepped out into the fresh air, several of Natty’s “treasures” were lined up on the patio and Gayle was relaxing on a chaise lounge with a magazine.

“Natty felt that her grandfather deserved ice cream for all of his hard work,” Gayle remarked and flicked through a few pages like she was grateful to have some time to herself. “Andrea said they should be back soon.”

“That’s perfect. I’ll just go and talk to our chef about preparations for dinner.” Lena waved her hand in the wrong direction and Gayle’s attention never strayed from her reading as they both took full advantage of their free time.

Lena hurried to the master suite with anticipation of using each minute wisely. She pulled open the double doors and stared at the canopy bed that still looked light and airy with its fresh white drapes. The bed frame was one that she had chosen when Andy was a toddler, and over the long years of marriage, Lena walked in on several other omegas rolling around in the sheets.

Not a single affair inspired her to be unfaithful to Andrea, although she often curled up beneath the blankets at night and sobbed as she thought about someone who would love her enough to make that bed a sacred place just for the two of them.

She saw Kara waiting for her beside the bed, handsome and surreal in her loose casual pants and white tank top.

“Kara,” Lena whimpered and put out her hand, slipping it into her mate’s and weaving their fingers together. “God, I feel like some part of me has been trapped in this spot for years just waiting for you to come find me.”

Kara’s quiet understanding and soft protective pheromones were everything Lena could have hoped for and she tried to stifle the vulnerability that surged up within her chest and escaped in a shaky exhalation.

Even after all those years, the trauma of catching Andrea with other women still haunted her, and she hesitated about going further.

Irrational sadness coiled like shackles around Lena’s feet and Kara must have sensed it, because she brought their hands up to her mouth to kiss at Lena’s knuckles. “I think it’s time we set you free from all of the bad memories associated with this bed, don’t you?”

The question was an invitation to join Kara in undressing, and Lena accepted by turning her back to her mate. The silent request to unzip her dress was all Kara needed to treat her tenderly, and Lena envisioned all of the heartache Andrea had inflicted peeling away with the fabric.

Kara eased the material off of her with a loving caress, and took her time kissing along Lena’s shoulders until they relaxed. “I’m going to make love to you, Lena. I’m going to treat you exactly how you should have been when you slept here, and I promise the only thing you’ll ever associate with this bed from now on is how thoroughly loved you are.”

What started out as a diversion and retaliation was fast becoming a more romantic experience, and Lena turned and stepped into the shelter of Kara’s arms as she held them out. She leaned into the embrace and their mouths connected, tongues sliding together until breathless. Kara pulled down the straps of her bra and opened the back of it with a delicate tug.

In reciprocation, Lena removed her mate’s tank top and pants and she took a seat on the side of the bed. Kara wove her fingers into Lena’s hair, bending to kiss her and lay her down.

For all that belonged to her ex in the master bedroom, Lena was comforted by the fact that the only scent she breathed in was Kara’s pheromones.

All of their sneaking around ensured that her skin was covered in her mate’s natural musk and she inhaled it as Kara guided her into a prone position with her legs spread wide. In the strangest of ways, she felt shy at that moment, and buried her face into Kara’s neck to confess, “It’s absurd how bashful I feel after all we’ve done in the past few hours.”

“Maybe it’s because in a way, this is our first time all over again, and you know I’m going to make it special.” Kara’s voice was filled with emotion and she nuzzled into Lena’s claim with kisses. She waited for Lena to lift her hips, and slid the first few inches of her cock back into the warm clutch of her cunt.

The internal friction was what she needed to relax, and they moved into a position with Lena’s legs raised and Kara leaning over her on one side.

Kara pushed her whole length into Lena, and the sublime feeling of being so full started to eclipse all else. The raw slap between of their bodies and the noise of her own slick was louder in the high-ceiled room. Even the bed frame creaked more than the one in her own home and Lena contorted in pleasure as Kara rutted into her.

“If it’s our first time, you should pound me like an alpha who doesn’t know her own strength.” Lena’s words were airy from moaning and she dug her fingers into Kara’s muscled back, both to pull her closer and to grant leverage. She met each of Kara’s staccato thrusts by raising her ass, and grunted as her mate pinned her hips into the mattress with rougher strokes.

Kara couldn’t seem to get enough of her, and Lena clung onto her mate and nipped at the claim on Kara’s shoulder while the alpha kissed along her jaw. The provocative scent of her omega begging for a pup turned out to be more powerful than Kara’s restraint and Lena whimpered at the stretch of Kara giving her everything she needed.

The knot swelled faster than Lena’s pussy could take it, and she regretted nothing as Kara growled at the pressure of trying to make it fit.

Either it was all the talk of babies or Kara’s alpha wanted to prove it was worthy after enduring the sight of Andrea putting the moves on her all day. Those were the only explanations for a knot so vast and Lena wantonly ground into it with pleading whines that demanded Kara claim her cunt.

“All I’ve wanted was to be connected to you like this since we woke up this morning,” Kara moaned, driving her hips harder so Lena knew the only thing that mattered in the world right then was Kara’s desire to be sealed in her cunt.

“Do it now, Kara, please knot me.” Lena clamped around the massive intrusion and gasped from it pushing deeper and leaving her canal more open with Kara’s thrusts.

Their desperation to get as close as possible kept them in motion and Lena’s spine curved from the euphoric contraction of her walls accepting Kara’s extreme girth. They collapsed together, breathless and writhing in pleasure while Kara’s shaft throbbed in continuous release.

Lena’s gratitude took the form of gentle petting and she ran her palms over Kara’s strong shoulders and down to her backside to hold her in place. She brushed the sweetest of kisses against Kara’s cheeks and basked in the praise Kara murmured into her throat. For a few blissful minutes they forgot where they were and luxuriated in the overwhelming love they shared.

Ever so slowly the high of their coupling began to lessen along with Kara’s knot, and Lena whined when they finally had to separate.

“Let’s get out of here so we can do that again, only I’ll stay inside you for the rest of the night,” Kara vowed with all the confidence of an alpha who knew that she had superior stamina. She helped Lena onto her feet after she indulged in the sight of her overflowing cunt.

Lena allowed her to take one more picture, because this signified something more than just sex. She was shedding her past to grow into the future she wanted with Kara, and she never wanted to forget how incredible it had been.

Lena tidied her appearance, smoothing wrinkles out of her dress and stepping back into her heels, and Kara located her button down and put it back on after such a long day of not wearing it.

They looked almost as good as they did when they walked in that morning, but the hitch would be departing without trouble.

Natty, Bernardo and Andrea could detain them for a variety of reasons, and Lena was relieved as they descended the stairs to note that no one was around. She discerned a noise from the dining room and walked cautiously in that direction with a worry that Andrea would jump out at her.

Bernardo had a seat at the end of the table, and Natty was beside Andrea in her high chair, munching on the different options that were arranged for her on a Dora the Explorer plate.

“It’s been such a lovely day with you all, but I need to head into work unexpectedly,” Lena explained with faux concern and a glance towards Kara and the door. “There’s some kind of problem with the board and they’ve arranged a mid-week meeting.”

“Is Kara going with you?” Bernardo questioned with his bushy brows knitted together.

“I had a few drinks, so she’s going to act as my chauffeur,” Lena replied with a chuckle that became a breathier sound as she inhaled some of Kara’s private pheromones.

“Funny, I didn’t see you have one cocktail today,” Andrea cut in with the tone of a boss chastising an employee.

“Well, you don’t often pay attention to me,” Lena spat, undermining her determination to keep it civil between them to the very last. She leaned over to peck Natty on the cheek and ended up wiping her daughter’s face and hanging around for a few minutes longer than she wanted.

After an exchange of hugs with Bernardo and Gayle, and a fast though painful kiss to Andrea’s cheek, she retreated with Kara to the front door. She placed her hand on Kara’s leg throughout the drive and closed her eyes to rest her body after the craziness of their day.

“Not to bring up Andrea again, but I also noticed you weren’t drinking today,” Kara intoned with a comical tap of her chin, keen and observant of how Lena squinted back at her.

“Remember last night when you didn’t even want me to have one drink?” Lena mocked and smiled at Kara’s proud and excited pheromones. “I’m just going to be cautiously optimistic from now on and cut out the alcohol.”

She downplayed all of her own suspicions and laughed with Kara, not because she wanted to avoid telling her about her symptoms, but because he knew she would be beyond disappointed if her assumptions about her own body were false.

At a rest stop later that evening, Lena wandered through the rows to the find the area with over-the-counter medicine and discreetly grabbed two early pregnancy tests. She meant to take them both in the bathroom as Kara was re-fueling the car and tucked them into the bottom of her purse.

After she closed herself into a stall, she took the box out and clutched it, but didn’t open the cardboard and unwrap the test.

In a way, it was exciting not to confirm it, since that meant she could keep trying with Kara right up until her birthday. She plotted to take a test the day beforehand, and it brought a smile to her face to contemplate handing over a gift bag to her mate with a positive test result inside.