18. Chapter 18

Untangling from the safety and warmth of Kara’s strong arms was tremendously difficult in the early hours of morning and went against all that Lena’s omega desired. She did it in increments, allowing Kara to nuzzle under her jaw and place a soft kiss to her shoulder as she pulled back the sheets with a sigh.

“I know I shouldn’t complain, but I don’t really want to start the day yet.”

Kara hummed in agreement and coiled her arm around Lena’s waist as if prepared to keep her in bed. She placed her chin on the crook of Lena’s shoulder and peered up at her innocently to suggest, “Let’s just cuddle for a few minutes and then we’ll get ready.”

“You’re not supposed to tempt me,” Lena pouted and scrunched her nose. “We have to be up before the girls so we can lovingly ambush them.”

The reminder of responsibilities didn’t deter Kara’s hand from seeking out Lena’s breast.

“To be fair, as your mate, it’s absolutely my right to tempt you, even when we have important stuff going on,” Kara insisted and gave a gentle tweak to Lena’s nipple in the hopes of delaying the rest of her protest.

When Lena gasped at the pleasurable throb it created between her thighs, Kara saw her chance and latched onto her claim in earnest.For four whole seconds, Lena forgot about their Andrea problem. She wove her fingers through Kara’s lustrous blonde hair with the ambition of climbing on top of her and Kara encouraged her to straddle her lap. Fortunately, Lena came to her senses while poised above Kara’s erection, the broad tip grazing her pussy lips.

“We’ll make this quick, and then we’ll talk to the girls,” Kara promised, using her pheromones to try and convince Lena to sink down on her length.

It was adorable, really – how eager and desperate Kara was for her even when she was barely awake, though that did make it easier for Lena to slip out of her grasp and off the bed. It pained her to stay out of Kara’s reach, especially when her omega demanded she return to the alpha’s side.

“Nice try, darling, but we promised one another we wouldn’t get side-tracked this morning. You’ll just have to wait to be inside my cunt.”

“Nooo,” Kara whined, her exaggerated pout bringing a smirk to Lena’s lips. She huffed dramatically, then took her time stretching while Lena admired her muscular back and physique.

“I guess I’ll survive, but you’re so hard to resist right now. I might have to get you suppressors,” Kara quipped, not the least bit serious as she swung her legs off the bed and immediately veered to Lena’s side to steal a kiss.

“You wouldn’t dare. You love that I’m in heat,” Lena retorted, sending a mischievous squint in Kara's direction as she kept a safe distance from her mate.

“What gave it away?” Kara asked rhetorically and posed so that Lena’s eyes were drawn straight to her erection that hung lower than usual due to its heft.

Lena swallowed back the urge to touch and strutted into the bathroom with a persuasive sway to her hips so that Kara would follow. They showered together, and all the while Lena stared at Kara’s erection, distracted by all the ways she would like to take care of that prominent problem.

While Kara tugged on jeans and a shirt, Lena took her time selecting a silk blouse to pair with a knee-high skirt that wasn’t as restrictive as the usual pencil ones she favored. The split up the thigh certainly captured Kara’s attention as she walked by to apply her make-up. If Lena lingered at the mirror and maintained eye-contact as she applied a thick layer of red to her open lips, Kara had brought it on herself by staring.

It pleased Lena to hear the tortured groan of her mate, even if it backfired and caused the lubricated muscles of her cunt to spasm in retaliation.

Sensing the perfect opportunity to test Kara’s reaction to seeing her touch her stomach, Lena methodically palmed across her middle. She watched while Kara became transfixed, her lips parting in a breathy growl at the reminder of her pregnancy.

Lena raised a dark brow in silent askance when Kara took two steps towards her like she had forgotten they made a game plan of how to tackle the difficult situation with Sophia. She waited for the firm grasp of Kara’s hands on her hips and the subtle poke of her dick that pressed into her thigh before placing her palm on Kara’s chest to stall her advances.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Lena uttered unfairly in a business-like tone that always received a particular reaction from Kara. She could feel the nudge of her cock, the way it jerked even beneath the fabric that tried to contain it.

“I was—” Kara faltered, her dazed expression of lust melting away. She motioned between them with both hands, indignant and faintly embarrassed as she blurted, “I mean you can’t do that and expect me to keep my hands to myself.”

“That’s exactly what I expect.” Lena countered with authority, trailing her fingers southward over Kara’s hard abs and then lower to cup the bulge of her erection. She palmed it carefully, squeezing only enough to make Kara’s gaze glassy with arousal.

“We have things we need to do, and your duty as my alpha is to ensure we do them,” Lena whispered, the motion of her hand against Kara’s pants anything but innocent.

“Oh, we’ll get everything done. I won’t let you down, Lena,” Kara asserted, the crack of her voice not exactly instilling confidence. She grimaced before stepping back to posture, hands on her hips and chin raised so high that Lena was forced to look up at her just to hold her eyes.

“I know you won’t,” Lena confided, sincere in her utterance, even though her mind was derailed by finding excuses to prolong her handling of Kara’s cock.

“I never did get the chance to find out if you’re okay after that accident with the rope swing.” Lena lilted with the coyest flutter of her lashes.

It didn’t matter that they had spent the night putting Kara’s cock to good use. Lena saw a reason to break their self-imposed rules, and by the looks of it, Kara could use the relief.

Kara blinked for a moment and then her eyes widened as she remembered the incident. She laughed bashfully, dimples forming on her cheeks as she bent her chin to her chest. “I think we both know everything is working just fine.”

“So, you don’t want me to play doctor for five minutes?” Lena inquired, the squint she offered filled with amusement. She let the suggestion sink in and pretended she was about to finish getting ready without giving Kara another glance.

“No—no-uh—wait,” Kara sputtered as if she truly thought Lena might deny her. She shadowed Lena with a delectable, pleading scent that was more befitting an omega than an alpha and earnestly babbled, “Now that you mention it, I do have some tenderness that should get checked out.”

“Why don’t you take off your pants, Miss Danvers, so I can inspect you thoroughly?” Lena directed flirtatiously, and bit at her lip when Kara nearly tore the button off her jeans in her enthusiasm to drop them around her ankles. The girthy length of her member stood proudly, and Lena eyed the purple hue of her tip with great interest.

“You do have some localized swelling, right here,” Lena commented, coiling her fingers loosely around the circumference of Kara’s glans. She took her time using the tips of her fingers to map the contour of the rim, delicately thumbing the soft ridges on the underside that never failed to make Kara gasp.

“Does it feel sensitive there, Kara?” Lena asked, deliberately keeping light pressure on the shaft as she began rubbing her thumb over the aperture where Kara’s arousal started to gather.

The sticky essence made it easier to play with her cock, and Lena smeared it across her palm to better jerk her mate.

“I’m not sure. Maybe you should do that again so I can be certain,” Kara exhaled hopefully, and angled her hips to try and persuade Lena’s fingers to find the right spot.

Sunday mornings were designed to be lazy and slow, and Lena wished she had time to draw out Kara’s torment by deliberately fondling the base of her shaft. She squeezed at it gently when Kara tried to force her length through her closed hand.

“Your mate tells me you plan to sire several pups, so it’s important that you stand still so I can test every inch of you,” Lena instructed.

Kara groaned at the implications of having more than one pup and Lena grinned at how the thickest veins throbbed in tandem with her strokes. She massaged from base to tip and then focused entirely on caressing the wide head. Twisting her hand and tugging only the first inch to stimulate Kara, her skillful technique brought Kara onto her tiptoes in startled pleasure.

Witnessing Kara so close to coming inspired Lena to ruck up her skirt and peel down her panties. Flashing her smooth cunt put an end to their roleplay and Lena moaned when Kara hooked her thumbs into the delicate fabric to see the translucent slick that coated them and clung to her pussy lips. “God I’m never going to tire of seeing you turned on, I want to feel you inside–”

“First you have to come in my panties, Kara. I want to see the evidence of how much you need me,” Lena commanded, spreading her legs into a better stance so that her cunt parted just enough to give Kara a glimpse of her soft pink clit.

Lena used a single finger to direct Kara’s attention to her entrance and whimpered when the alpha took over to stroke her cock.

Kara grabbed Lena’s hip and furiously stroked her fist over her length with the other. She groaned loudly, straining into her own hand with a sudden buck that spilled torrents of creamy seed over Lena’s cunt and panties.

Lena dripped from it, shimmering in Kara’s opalescent desires, and then made a show of pulling her panties back into place just to rub over the saturated material.The noise of her alarm marked an official end to their brief game, even though Lena’s heat pheromones begged to differ. She teased the fabric over her clit, touching herself to relieve the sexual tension from her heat.

“I may actually have to take suppressors today,” Lena sighed and returned her skirt to her hips before she inadvertently wrecked their plans for the morning. “Just as I predicted, my heat symptoms are worse during early pregnancy, and I’m not looking forward to the confrontation we may have with Sophia.”

Lena trusted Kara to take the smartest approach in speaking to their middle child, but she also sensed a major fight in her future – not with their kids, but with Andrea.

Years of experience taught Lena that outright conflict was never beneficial, even in circumstances when she had every right to be furious. Too often in the earlier years of their relationship, Andrea set her up to launch into a fit of rage and then pointed to those moments as evidence that she was the one at fault. After suffering through a lot of volatile arguments, Lena learned how to be level-headed as a defense mechanism. It kept her sanity intact to hold back her stronger emotions and speak in a quiet tone rather than a scream, but her intuitions warned that Andrea wanted an explosive reaction from her and was looking for ways to get it.

“If Sophia sent those pictures, Andrea must have put her up to it,” Lena concluded, pissed and upset that she needed to worry about her children getting tangled up in their adult disagreements. “After all of the shit Andrea pulled at our claim celebration, and the way she blindsided us and lied to her father, I’m fucking sick of her. I know I won’t be doing myself any favors by resorting to violence, but if she hurts you or the girls, I’m afraid of how I’ll retaliate.”

“Hey, I won’t let it come to that. We are never going to stoop to her level, and trust me, I can hold my own with Andrea.” Kara didn’t often brag about her brawn, but she definitely flexed and her biceps tested the integrity of her shirt. She settled her hands on Lena’s shoulders and rubbed her into a calmer state before turning her around to walk her out of the cabin.

Fresh air filled Lena’s lungs and she hesitated on the steps to the main cabin. Of all the ways they could have been spending this last morning together, this seemed like the worst. She spent so long working through Sophia’s moods when she first started dating Kara, and it drained her to think she might go through that again.

“You remember our plan?” Kara murmured into her ear and took Lena by the hand. She soaked up the sunshine with a warm smile that helped to convince Lena that they would have a peaceful morning after all.

“I’ll lure Andy over to my side of the kitchen with food and talk about her new school, and you corner Sophia at the table and gently needle her to find out what the hell is going on,” Lena rattled off their goals so matter of fact that it must have been obvious she had been replaying them in her mind.

She took Kara’s hand for self-comfort and tried to stop her brows from furrowing as she glanced up at her mate for reassurance.

“We’ve got this, Lena. Nothing is going to go wrong.” Kara’s sincerity went a long way in keeping Lena’s frayed nerves together. She brought their hands up to kiss the back of Lena’s knuckles and then led her up the steps with confidence.

“You better not have jinxed us, because Sophia is prone to screaming,” Lena warned under her breath.

Handling her thirteen-year-old was more daunting than standing up to the board of her company. Given the choice, Lena knew which she would have preferred facing, and it certainly wasn’t her daughter.

“Breathe, or she’ll smell your fear,” Kara teased, her jovial and easygoing nature balancing out Lena’s neuroses. She held the door open with a chivalrous motion of her hand and waited for Lena to slink inside first.

“She’s a teenager, not a raptor,” Lena muttered in amusement.

“Same thing,” Kara shrugged to reduce Lena’s stress with her quirky sense of humor.

Kara was so adept at it that Lena didn’t realize it was happening, and by the time that she did, Andy and Sophia were already in a race to get downstairs first.

“What’s for breakfast?” Andy asked in lieu of greeting anyone.

“It had better not be bacon again,” Sophia grunted, her irritable frown directed solely at her sister for her firm stance on remaining an omnivore.

“If it is, you can always forage in the woods for something else,” Andy replied with faux sweetness and pointed towards the door.

“There’s plenty here for everyone,” Lena intoned before a squabble woke up the rest of the cabin. She strolled over to the fridge as casually as she could manage and called over her shoulder, “Andy, come and help me prepare breakfast and we discuss your new school.”

Lena took out a cutting board and started to slice potatoes for a hash brown recipe that her whole family loved. She placed a pan on the stove to get the dish underway and cracked a few eggs while splitting her attention between Andy and the conversation taking place across the room.

“So, I think we need to decide on a school pretty fast, that way we can make sure you’re enrolled before the end of the year and you can transfer in the fall,” Lena intoned and rinsed off her chopping board before moving on to preparing a fruit platter.

“I would have been good with the local public school, but you know mom.” Andy shrugged and picked at the fruit, biting into a slice of juicy apple. “Let’s just make everything ten times easier and let her choose.”

Lena chopped diagonally and nearly cut her finger. “That’s how I ended up in this position in the first place — by letting her make all of the choices. I’m done with that. Tell me which school you want to attend.”

Andy resembled her as she raised one of her eyebrows and smiled. “Well, there’s a special academy for music that’s less than a thirty-minute drive from our house. Templeton.”

“Perfect,” Lena whispered, her heart lighter already due to how close her eldest child would be to home. Though it would take some adjusting to having her under their roof every day instead of every other holiday, Lena couldn’t have been happier.

Andy puffed herself up in excitement at having her own dreams realized instead of squashed, and Lena cupped her cheek to impart softly, “Finding your passion is one of the greatest things you can do in life. If music is yours, I will support you every step of the way.”

The sweet moment between them lasted until Andy blinked back her emotion and shifted to grab a carton of orange juice. “Cool, but remember you said that when I form my own band.”

Lena swatted at her daughter's arm affectionately and Andy returned her grin instead of trying to hide it.

“You can spend every weekend listening to us rehearse. I bet the neighbors will loveit,” Andy drawled to get a rise out of Lena.

The threat was idle, and Andy looked ready to make another when she noticed Kara and Sophia sitting at the table shoulder to shoulder.

“What’s going on over there?” Andy asked with a frown of concern, her gaze never leaving her sister's slumped frame.

“Your mother called me last night. Someone immediately informed her that Kara plans to legally become your step-parent,” Lena murmured, her hushed words low enough to bring a somber tension to Andy’s shoulders.

“Well, it wasn’t me,” Andy blurted, jerking the carton of juice so roughly that it spilled down the sides and over the counter.

“I know,” Lena whispered and then helped Andy wipe up the mess without elaborating on the issue.

She quietly carried on with the breakfast preparation, acutely aware of the way they were both trying to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place.

Kara sat with her elbow on the table and her head tilted to the side like she was trying to meet Sophia’s eyes. Her posture reflected friendliness, in spite of the guarded way Sophia side-eyed her like she sensed Kara was up to something.

“So, I just wanted to check in with you. I know a lot of changes are taking place–”

“Oh god, are you trying to talk to me about presenting as an omega?” Sophia groaned, her instantaneous misery all the more dramatic when she tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling.

“Whuh-uhhh—no,” Kara sputtered, her face a faint, though telling shade of embarrassment that reflected Sophia’s as she shifted uncomfortably on her seat.

“No,” Kara asserted confidently and took charge of the conversation so that Sophia couldn’t derail it again. “I’m talking about Andy transferring schools and Ruby joining you at the academy. I wanted to make sure you’re okay with that.”

“Doesn’t matter if I’m not, because it’s happening,” Sophia succinctly stated. The pucker of her lips was a sign of obvious discontent while she picked at her nails and refused to look up.

“That doesn’t make your feelings any less valid. You’re allowed to be upset, or even happy that you’ll see your friend more often,” Kara tactfully pointed out, though Sophia seemed intent on ignoring her attempt to talk about it.

Lena wouldn’t interfere in their discussion, even though it pained her to see how difficult Sophia was being. This was a pivotal moment for Kara, and she knew that her mate could handle it because she had done nothing but prove how invested she was in her girls’ lives, but there was still no telling if this would end well.

“I didn’t mean to add to any stress or overwhelm you yesterday when I spoke about becoming your guardian,” Kara explained, her honesty breaking through some of Sophia’s posturing.

Sophia turned to regard Kara with a look of expectancy for her to say more, and Lena silently encouraged her alpha to continue with her pheromones.

“If there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m always happy to listen, and you can also talk to your mom,” Kara intoned, subtly slipping Andrea into the conversation to see how Sophia would respond.

“I don’t want to talk to any of you about it. I mean, shouldn’t that be what you do?” Sophia pushed back, her confrontational attitude clearly more borne of panic than a desire to attack.

Kara took it in stride and slung her arm over the back of her chair as she nodded in agreement.  “Yeah, that’s definitely a conversation we all need to have, and we’re going to do that soon. Are you worried about that?”

“I don’t know.” Sophia shrugged, her bravado suddenly escaping her as she sank in her seat, wringing her hands out of anxiety. “I don’t think she needs to know. You didn’t tell her that I’m an omega, right?”

“We promised you that we wouldn’t. You get to decide when you tell people, not us.” Kara’s reinforcement of that seemed to lessen the worry that weighed Sophia’s shoulders down, though it didn’t vanish entirely.

Sophia chewed at her lips before finally mumbling under her breath, “Do you think that she’ll be mad at me when she finds out?”

“For being an omega?” Kara asked in surprise, her own features scrunched in concern as she took in Sophia’s fidgeting.

“For saying yes about the whole step-parent thing. She might hate me for wanting it.” Sophia’s words warbled with emotion and Lena clutched herself when Kara went in for a hug.

The embrace was one sided, but Sophia curled into Kara’s arms as the alpha cooed, “No, honey, no, she loves you and your sisters. We all do and that isn’t going to change.”

The sound of sniffling was all the warning Kara got before Sophia broke free and bounded out of the kitchen. “Sophia–”

“I’m not hungry,” Sophia yelled, her voice high pitched and strained.

“I’ll go get her,” Andy sighed and didn’t wait for anyone’s approval as she hurried after her sister to make sure she was okay.

“Well, I guess that could have gone better,” Kara sighed, her distraught face reminiscent of Lena's whenever she tried to tackle difficult subjects with her daughters.

Lena coiled her arms around Kara’s waist and pulled her mate close to nuzzle alongside her jaw. She used the loving scents of her omega to soothe Kara and waited for the alpha to exhale and relax in her arms.

“Not from where I was standing,” Lena insisted. “You got her to open up and she listened to you. I’d say that’s a pretty big parenting win.”

“Lena, I don’t think she told Andrea. Sophia is afraid of the backlash it might cause, and honestly screw Andrea for leaving that kind of fear in her kid. The girls should be able to tell her anything without worrying if she’ll stop loving them. I never want them to feel that way with me.”

Lena registered just a small degree of relief from Kara’s conclusion that her middle child wasn’t acting as a double agent for her ex. She knew Kara was right about how her daughters perceived Andrea and how little they trusted her.

Processing the whole conversation with a weak nod, Lena took a few staggering steps over to a chair to sit down. Her body prickled with heat fever, and with all of the events of the morning providing distraction, she hadn’t noticed the onset of her symptoms.

“At least Andy knows she can tell us anything that’s on her mind,” Lena whispered as she rubbed at the perspiration along the nape of her neck. “Sophia will learn in time. She’s just seen how Andrea reacts to me when I’ve done something she doesn’t like. My policy has always been to placate Andrea, but I can’t do that anymore. I need to protect our kids, and I’m not going to tolerate her constant attempts to tear you down, either. I should have told Andrea that I just wanted the girls to come home for your party in the first place. You deserve a better, stronger partner who can stand up to her toxic ex.”

Without their usual time for connecting at the start of the day, Lena entered an emotional and sensitive state. She hung her head forward and hot shivers ran down her spine, leaving her in a cool sweat. Her tongue went dry, but between her legs was a puddle of her own slick, soft and silky, and ruining not just her panties but also her skirt.

“What drama is happening this early in the morning?” Sam asked, striding into the kitchen with mussed hair and an oversized sweater that clearly belonged to Alex. “Why are Andy and Ruby calming Sophia down for a third time since we got here?”

“Somehow Andrea found out that I want to adopt the kids,” Kara sighed and glanced towards Lena with undisguised worry. “We thought Sophia might have told her, but she didn’t. Andy swears she didn’t tell her, either.”

“That bitch just can’t take a day off, can she?” Sam commented, following Kara’s focus to Lena and pausing as she took in the rough state of her. “Honey, are you okay?”

Lena lifted her head to reassure Sam, but the corners of her vision darkened and she tucked a strand of her hair back against her ear as she came to terms with the fact that she was heat sick.

Kara was already stepping over to her side and touching her shoulder, and Lena breathed in too excitedly for her own good.

“It must be my heat. It started yesterday and I’m a bit more hormonal than usual, so I’m feeling it more acutely,” Lena muttered, reaching an awareness that the shifts in her eyesight had to do with dilating pupils and severe arousal.

She attempted to stand to prove she could endure it and her knees went out from under her instantly. Had Kara’s arms not slid under her, she would have hit the floor. The noise of her chair scraping and her near fainting spell seemed to summon Alex, her mother and Eliza into the kitchen, and Lena hated that she embarrassed herself in front of everyone.

“Lena, are you feeling unwell?” Eliza asked first and came over to check on her with the airs of a doctor.

“We were just coming in here to ask if we could take all of the girls out for breakfast,” Lillian explained, her hand outstretched towards the adjoining room. She peered over at Lena with the shrewd scrutiny of a parent and wandered closer with a curious squint at Kara.

“I have a mild case of heat fever, but it’s nothing to worry about,” Lena lied, visibly sweating and languishing in Kara’s arms as her eyes lidded from feelings of want that ran deep inside.

“I’m taking the girls back to school anyway, so why don’t you let me take them for the day and we’ll have a little impromptu fun beforehand?” Lillian proposed, clasping her hands together and glancing around at the others for input. “You can go home and get some — uh — rest.”

The glimmer of a smirk was short lived on her mother’s lips, but Lena spotted it and rolled her eyes.

“We’ll take Natty with us,” Sam jumped in and glanced around to the sunny porch room where the kids had all retreated. Natty was sitting in Sophia’s lap, still wearing her footie pajamas with a crayon in her hand and her coloring book draped over her legs.

“I remember she got pretty freaked out the last time you were sick,” Sam reminisced, frowning at that unpleasant recollection. “Kara should take you straight home so you can focus on getting better. We’ve got you covered.”

“Thank you. I promise I’ll get her home safe,” Kara assured their family and helped Lena onto her feet with a guiding hand of support on her lower back. The gentle touch transformed into a light push to encourage Lena forward and towards the kids.

“I’ll pack up our stuff and get the truck ready while you tell the girls about their plans for the day,” Kara suggested and lovingly brushed her fingers over Lena’s feverish brow, wiping away the beads of sweat that gathered.

The physical affection stirred Lena’s omega in a myriad of inappropriate ways, and she gasped at how close she had come to moaning. If she couldn’t control her reactions to the barest touch, she would never make it out of the cabin without humiliating herself in front of everyone.“I’ll just be a moment,” Lena relented and leaned heavily into Kara’s sturdy arms a moment longer to compose herself before wandering over to the kids.

Natty was still half asleep, but eager to show off her butterfly that had large looping wings.

“She’s getting better at staying inside the lines. Look at how good she’s doing,” Sophia pointed out, showing true pride in her little sister’s work. They were adorable together, and Natty’s soft content humming seemed to settle Sophia’s mood.

“It’s beautiful, darling,” Lena complimented in a whisper as Natty blinked up at her with expectant eyes. She knelt to better admire the swirl of colors that filled the page and pressed a kiss to her youngest’s cheek.

“It’s for my new grandma,” Natty explained, her tongue poking out between her lips in concentration as she finished coloring in the blank spots.

“She’ll love it, and you can give it to her now, because your grandmothers want to spend the whole day having fun with you.” Lena worried that her daughters might protest, but Sophia surprised her with excitement.

“Are you coming, too?” Natty squinted up at Lena, her little face screwed up shrewdly as if she could sense she was leaving without them.

“If mom comes, then we can’t eat sugar all day,” Andy stated, appearing beside them like Sam had filled her in on the day’s events. She hoisted Natty into her arms while Sophia gathered up her crayons and distracted Natty by swinging her around like she was flying.

“I love each of you so much,” Lena warbled, her pregnancy hormones making it difficult to resist squeezing them all in a hug.

Fortunately, Lillian appeared to usher the children upstairs to get dressed, and Lena lingered to watch them go before turning to find Sam waiting on her.

“Hey mama bear, it’s time for you to leave so you can have your own fun,” Sam teased, pulling Lena into an embrace before she shooed her out of the cabin and towards Kara who waited with the passenger door already open.

“Your carriage awaits,” Kara beckoned and held out her hand to help Lena into the seat.

The chivalry amused and aroused Lena, and she buckled herself in while Kara hopped into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“You know, when you said your heat would get worse my mind bypassed the side effects of heat sickness and went straight to the fun stuff,” Kara disclosed with the slightest bit of concern in her voice. She settled her hand on Lena’s thigh and used her pheromones to fill Lena’s lungs with her alpha musk.

It worked wonders, and Lena relaxed into the seat with a seductive and slow blink. “In all fairness, that’s precisely where I hoped your mind would go. I didn’t expect this to happen given how active our sex life is, but I’m lucky to have an alpha so willing to drop everything just to take care of me.”

Kara snorted at her optimistic views and kept her eyes on the dirt road that led them through the forest. “Yeah, on that note, I want to circle back to what you said earlier. All that stuff about not being strong enough or what I deserve is crap, Lena. I’m not sure why you would ever think that, but it’s not true. You’re an incredible mom to the kids and a fantastic partner. You have to start believing it, because I do.”

“You’re sexy when you talk with authority,” Lena commented, not to ignore all that Kara said, but to highlight the fact that she rather enjoyed the lecture. A little tough love could go a long way and Lena’s omega responded to how passionately her alpha defended her, even against herself.

“Good, then maybe you’ll take what I say to heart.” Kara’s cocky attitude resulted in the faint notes of alpha arrogance, and she looked completely in charge behind the wheel.

“My heart trusts and believes you, but facts are facts: you’re the best partner and there have been too many incidents lately that I could have handled better.” Lena’s bitterness coated her tongue and she sank lower in the seat when she considered how poorly she acted when faced with Andrea’s scheming. All of Kara’s kindness and patience had blinded Lena to the hurt she had been causing her alpha, but she could see it now in the clench of her jaw.

“You did what you thought was best at the time,” Kara uttered, so ready to sweep it away with an easy excuse that Lena normally would have welcomed.

“I was cowardly, and you stood by me regardless of the toll it was taking on you. That’s not the mate I want to be, Kara. You bring such strength to this relationship, and not just physically. It’s because you love me so much that I’m finally realizing that I should have been loving you better instead of being caught up in Andrea’s asinine behavior,” Lena supplied with clarity, and laced her fingers through Kara’s to bring her hand up for a kiss. She pressed her lips to each of Kara’s knuckles and felt the atmosphere shift between them, heavy and loaded with things she hoped wouldn't be left unsaid.

She fell silent to allow Kara the opportunity to gather her thoughts and waited for her sweet alpha to finally let out everything she had been bottling up over the months.

“There’s certain boundaries I try really hard not to overstep, especially when it comes to Andrea, but she’s not a good parent, Lena. She’s hardly present for anything that’s important to the girls, and when she is, all she does is find fault with things,” Kara expressed, twisting her fingers tighter around the wheel until the leather squeaked from her grip.

“I’ve tried to keep my mouth shut, but seeing the lasting damage she’s done to all of you tears me apart. I don’t want you, or any of us, playing into her games anymore. It ends today, and if she does something else out of line, then I’m going to handle her how I see fit, and I need you to be okay with that.” Kara’s domineering scent filled the truck and she spared Lena a glance that all but begged for her approval.

“Going forward, you have the freedom to handle Andrea however you please. You’re a permanent part of this family, Kara, and you don’t need my permission to act like it.” Lena lilted, simultaneously proud and enamored with the assertive way Kara was taking control as alpha of the household. It stimulated her heat stricken omega to be in the presence of her mate when she was so raw and unguarded with her emotions, and if she whined, she didn’t regret it.

“That’s the last we’re going to talk about her today. Andrea has taken up enough of our time and I want to make sure you're completely relaxed and stress free by the time we get home,” Kara sighed, heavy and cathartic, like she was relieved to have gotten all of that off her chest.

Lena shared a smile with Kara, and for a few quiet minutes, they traveled in peaceful silence.

Lena’s attention had drifted to the tree line, her mind wandering to all the things she wanted to do with Kara when she got home. She contented herself with sordid fantasies until her amorous perfume became unbearable and Kara cracked open a window.

The fresh breeze snapped her out of her daydreaming and Lena realized there was plenty of wood inside the truck that she could admire, too. Kara’s pants were tightly formed around the bulge of her cock and Lena flirtatiously stroked her hand along Kara’s thigh. She remembered the fantasy of the hitchhiker she brought to life during another ride and decided to initiate a little roleplay.

“I appreciate you taking me home,” Lena intoned with a glint in her eye, sliding into character by lowering her voice and hooking Kara’s attention with a sexy pout. “I don’t have money to offer you for gas, but I was hoping you would be open to a fair exchange of favors.”

She followed the shape of Kara’s shaft, then unzipped her mate’s jeans with ease. Based on the signs near the roadside, Lena knew they were approaching a truck stop and considered the option of pulling over. Her libido begged to be sated and she determined that Kara was into playing her little game by glancing down at the mauve head of her cock.

“For a pretty little thing like you, I’m sure we can work something out,” Kara rumbled, evidently embarrassed by her own attempt to play along judging by the bashful way she avoided Lena’s raised brow.

“I’ll give you whatever you want in return.” Lena whispered thickly and took hold of Kara’s erection without moving her hand over it.

The open ended invitation would have appealed to any alpha, and Lena smirked at the throb that lifted Kara’s cock higher.

“Then we’ll start with your mouth until I can pull over,” Kara murmured, her hand already settling on the back of Lena’s head to urge her down. She wasn’t entirely gentle in her demand, and the slight roughness gave Lena a genuine thrill of how eager Kara was to be sucked off in her new truck.

Lena chose to keep her lips closed at first, deliberately rubbing her soft pout over the glans to gather up the sticky traces of her arousal and build Kara’s frustration. She enjoyed the soft huffing grunts as Kara’s cock poked at her lips and got nowhere fast, and she moaned when her teasing culminated in the alpha gripping her hair tighter and growling.

“Unless you want to walk all the way back to town, you better open up,” Kara stressed, the spice of her lust not nearly strong enough to hide the loving scent of her alpha. She pitched her hips up, the engine roaring at the slight increase of speed, and guided Lena onto her cock like it was her right to use her mouth.

Kara was playing into the more aggressive stereotypes of alphas, and Lena knew it was all for her. She parted her lips and took Kara deep into the back of her throat in one go, reveling in the surprised groan of her mate. She bobbed her head with quick slurping action and jerked the rest of Kara’s length in a firm grip. Lena didn’t go easy on her, and really worked her tongue and lips around the thick brim on every upward suck.

“Holy fu-uhnnf–” Kara gasped, her head hitting the back of her seat as she tried to focus on the road and not on the onslaught of pleasure Lena was delivering.

It was an opportunity to be reckless and messy, and Lena went at it like she had been starved for affection. She loosened her lips to lavish the rod and lapped at the sensitive base whenever she forced Kara’s tip into the hot restriction of her throat. Lena timed her breaths around it, gagging and moaning as saliva dripped from her lips and chin, and she took immense delight in stopping when Kara’s length stiffened even more.

Kara’s impending release was stalled and she gaped at Lena indignantly before she noticed the truck stop. She pulled over and barely put the vehicle in park as she unbuckled herself and lowered her seat all the way back. “You won’t be needing that skirt for a while, go ahead and take it off.”

Lena undid the clasp and opened the zipper on her skirt, sliding it down her thighs and off her legs. She removed her top and bra to lie against the inclined seat in nothing but her panties. With a hot blush, she placed her arms over her breasts and decided to play coy.

“Will seeing me naked satisfy my debt to you?” Lena pouted and put her hands at her sides, offering Kara the full visual of her nude and prone in the new truck. Her nipples had tinged a darkish red from her heat and revealing herself caused another reaction from Kara’s cock. The longest vein became more solid and the head of her erection spurted shiny clear arousal.

Kara rubbed the tip of her cock and moved that same hand onto Lena’s breasts, massaging each of them with the hot glaze. She pinched at her rosy buds, tugging lightly as she drawled, “You’ll have to give me something else to cover the cost of the ride. Hop onto my lap and let me look at you.”

Lena whimpered when Kara showed off her strength by lifting her up without waiting for her to move. She straddled Kara’s thighs scant inches from where her cock jutted from her jeans and marvelled at the massive breadth of it between her legs.

Without asking for permission, Kara pushed her thumb under the slick fabric and pulled it aside to glimpse at the glossy folds of Lena’s pussy. She was soaked in her own arousal and the creamy remnants of Kara’s seed still clung to her cunt from earlier.

“What’s this?” Kara demanded, all fake offense as she ran her thumb between Lena’s pussy lips to rub the come into her clit. “Is this what you do out here? Use your cunt to get what you want?”

“I know what alphas value, and it isn’t what’s in my wallet,” Lena whispered, rocking her hips to glide herself over Kara’s thumb so that she could feel the hot contractions of her entrance.

“You’re right about that,” Kara groaned, grabbing fistfuls of Lena’s ass to bring her straight down onto her cock.

The colossal head pumped deep through the cushy heat inside of Lena and she sank onto more of it with moan of submission. Her pussy stretched around the base of Kara’s erection, her labia held open by the thickset beginnings of a knot. She let out a quiet hiss of satisfaction as Kara picked up speed and slammed into her. Lena bounced from the force of it with her teeth tight together and her hair loose and in her face.

“What can I say, I’m good at taking cock,” Lena breathed and reached behind her to grip the steering wheel during a faster round of Kara’s thrusts.

Kara smoothed her hands up and over Lena’s back, caressing her through the rougher sex, her touch expressing love that was out of place in their roleplay. She switched back into character by grabbing Lena’s hair near the roots and pulling her back down with her breasts positioned over Kara’s mouth.

Kara kissed at her nipples, taking one into her mouth and flicking her tongue over it. Lena steadied herself on Kara’s shoulders, whining at the soft locking of Kara’s teeth and lips around her bud and areola.

The voracity of Kara’s sucking sent tingles of pleasure straight to Lena’s clit, and she whined at the loss when Kara released her nipple with a wet pop. “You better be ready to take all of mine, because I’m not pulling out.”

The selfishness of that statement was less of a warning and more of a brag and Lena moaned at the audacity of her mate’s character. She dug her nails into the alpha’s shoulders when Kara bucked roughly and whimpered when a heavy hand landed on her backside to guide her quickened undulations.

“That’s right, work your cunt to get my knot. You can clench tighter than that,” Kara instructed, her ragged breaths cooling Lena’s sweat slicked skin. She anchored Lena’s hips to push her length deeper and silenced her own groans by latching onto Lena’s nipple to tease vigorously with her tongue.

Overstimulated and unable to articulate how incredible it felt, Lena spoke in broken moans and trembled at the increased friction of Kara’s cock rutting her open. The rigid heat forced its way through the spasm of her muscles, and Lena tried valiantly to close around Kara to make her charge her hips harder.

They heightened one another's experience by putting everything into their performance, oblivious to how the windows steamed and the truck bounced with their passion. The heady musk of sex sank into the leather upholstery and Kara acted every bit like an arrogant alpha by taking her pleasure at the expense of Lena’s tender cunt.

“Grind into me, keep me deep so you know what a real alpha feels like,” Kara directed, taking liberties that Lena was happy to give her anyway. She bottomed out on every upward thrust and the staccato slap of her pelvis was too much for Lena’s aching clit.

The throb it created sparked Lena’s bliss and the raunchy sound of being pounded mingled with the cadence of her moans. Kara’s thunderous growl was filled with approval and Lena’s omega reacted with stronger contractions. The intensity of Lena’s orgasm spurred Kara’s own, and she jerked as the first jet of creamy seed splashed against Lena’s inner lips.

Kara pumped into her like she had been holding out for days, and when the pleasurable clamp of Lena’s cunt slackened off, she slid out of her before the knot could take.

“I thought you weren’t going to pull out?” Lena teased breathlessly and wiped the sweat from Kara’s face adoringly before pulling her in for a kiss. The lazy meeting of their mouths turned heated when Kara parted her lips with her tongue, and Lena shivered when her mate whispered into her mouth, “You can’t drive us home if you can’t see where we’re going.”

If Lena had any questions, they were answered a split second later when Kara repositioned her. Suddenly Lena was facing the windshield, and her hands naturally clasped the wheel while Kara raised her seat up and gradually eased Lena onto her cock. It took minimal effort to persuade her cunt to accept the swollen knot and she whined at the fullness it provided.

“Let’s see how many times you can come before we get home,” Kara suggested, looping her fingers over the sensitive peak of Lena’s clit. She rubbed into her reddened labia and played with her spread pussy while Lena caught her breath and slipped her blouse back on. It was one thing to sit on her mate’s cock and another to flash oncoming traffic.

Almost an hour later and lethargic from the continuous petting, Lena discovered the answer was five. The symptoms of her heat sickness had thoroughly abated, in no small part because Kara had spent the duration of their drive lovingly whispering into her ear and kissing at her throat as she got her off.

“I hate to say it, but you had better put your skirt on, because I have a surprise waiting for you inside,” Kara murmured when Lena parked safely in their garage. She seemed reluctant to pull out, even though her knot had softened twenty minutes ago.

“What kind of surprise?” Lena huffed and pushed a wisp of hair behind her ear that curled up from the heat of sex.

Kara supported her in moving back to her seat and came around to open the door. “While you were saying goodbye to everyone, I asked Nia to set something up for us, since she headed home early this morning.”

Lena shimmied her skirt back into place and took Kara’s hand to exit the truck. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and walked through the door and into the mud room before entering the kitchen. Their house looked just the same as it had prior to leaving for the cabin until she reached the living room, where a massage table waited along with flowers and chocolate dipped fruits.

“The massage therapist should be here any second,” Kara called from the foyer and carried in a terry cloth body wrap that she handed to Lena. “You should get changed and make yourself comfortable.”

“It’s your birthday weekend and you planned this for me,” Lena uttered in confusion and continued to hold the massage wrap without rushing to change.

“It’s just one of many ways I intend to pamper you,” Kara boasted and dropped her hands to her hips to posture. “You’ve been too stressed out lately and I’m going to fix that. It’s important for you to relax, especially now that you’re pregnant with my pup.”

Lena admired the sight of her alpha for a second as Kara closed the curtains to make the room dark and peaceful.

Kara set up her phone with calming spa music and exited the room before Lena could express her gratitude physically.

With no option but to shed her clothes and tie herself into the terry wrap, Lena followed her mate’s instructions and settled onto the massage table. She listened for a car with her eyes closed, expecting the masseuse to arrive just as Kara had said, but she realized what was happening when her mate came back into the living room dressed in a pair of tight white shorts and a sports bra.

Lena smirked and stared in hunger at the attire and Kara’s hard, tan abs. “So, you’re my masseuse?”

“Well, for the next nine months at least,” Kara teased, her grin proud if not a little smug as she peeled back the towel to admire Lena’s supple body. Her gaze was heavier than her hand, and she traced the curve of Lena’s spine with a thoughtful hum and laid out a towel she had wrapped her supplies in.

Lena couldn’t quite see everything with how she was positioned, but she noted the bottles of scented oils and the way Kara scrunched her nose up when she sniffed one.“Hey, I let you put a baby in me, surely I’m entitled to longer than that?” Lena challenged.

Kara made the sort of noncommittal noise that the kids used whenever Lena asked if they had cleaned their rooms and tried not to laugh when Lena shot her a look. “Ten months, then. Maybe eleven if you’re really good.”

Their playful banter kept a smile on Lena’s lips and she spread out for her mate with a saucy little wiggle of her backside.“We’re talking a mandatory two years minimum, or your privilege to knock me up will be revoked,” Lena stipulated like they were drafting some kind of contract, and not just messing with each other for the hell of it.

“I want it in writing that I get to rub you whenever I want,” Kara demanded and poured a liberal amount of oil into her palm. The sweet notes of coconut and almond infused the air and Kara rubbed her hands together to warm her palms before smoothing over Lena’s shoulders. She started slowly with the gentlest of pressures, covering Lena’s skin with the oil so that her hands could glide over her curves without any resistance.

“I hope you’re not disappointed that it’s actually me and not a professional, I just really wanted to be the one to pamper you,” Kara whispered, hooking her fingers over Lena’s shoulders to work the tense muscles loose before following the contours of her shoulder blades.

“I love that you thought of this, because the only hands I ever want on my body are yours, Kara. I doubt I’d be relaxed if a stranger was touching me,” Lena uttered honestly, falling into a natural and content silence while Kara sensually stroked all of the hidden aches and pains out of her neck and shoulders. She felt weighted and warm on the massage table, her eyes closed and mind free of worry, safe to bask in her mate’s attention.

Kara was thorough in her technique, using the pads of her thumbs along Lena’s spine so that every inch of her back was knot free. Whenever Lena moaned or sighed out something encouraging, Kara made sure to go over the area again. Her large hands were perfect for gripping Lena’s shapely hips, and it was simultaneously relaxing and arousing to feel Kara’s confident hands roaming over her backside before moving on to her thighs.

By a slow and methodical practice, Kara oiled the sensitive skin along the partition of her cunt. The barest caress over her clit was a tantalizing contrast to the firm touch elsewhere. Lena gasped at the gentle fondling and Kara spread her inner lips to rub them slippery and wet.

“I didn’t know this was going to be an extra part of the service.” Lena moaned at the sensual contact and spied the bottle of lubrication that Kara mixed in with the scented others.

“Maybe we should roleplay again, and you can be my very satisfied customer,” Kara suggested and continued her precise and pleasurable hand motions. She curved her palm over the crest between Lena’s thighs, cajoling her cunt to relax with her forefinger and thumb.

“You actually do make an incredible masseuse,” Lena acknowledged and folded her arms in front of her to cradle her head as she positioned her hips to present for Kara. “You’ve given me back rubs before, but this takes it to a whole new level. I’m learning you have many secret skills.”

The sound of Kara’s laughter inspired a lazy grin to curl Lena’s lips, and she rocked into her mate’s palm. Her lethargic glide was stimulating, and her clit caught in between Kara’s fingers, which rubbed into her until she groaned.

“Would it really count as a full massage if I skipped this part of you?” Kara mused, her hushed words adding to the tranquil ambience that she created. She didn’t require an answer to proceed and Lena whimpered when she heard the noise of a vibrator being switched on.

Kara brought it to her cunt and used it between her pussy lips, and Lena moaned at how easily her mate coaxed her hips back down to the table. It pinned the toy in place, and Kara nestled the wand right against her clit and left it on the lowest setting to keep her perpetually excited without numbing her.

“Right now, all I want you to do is relax and focus on your own pleasure, feel the warmth of my hands as I touch you,” Kara instructed, her hands stroking the inside of Lena’s thighs, massaging all the way down to the back of her knees before returning to her backside.

The intermittent squeeze of Kara’s palms coincided with the flutter of Lena’s inner walls. She moaned, low and long when Kara slipped two fingers into her entrance to rub at the delicate ridges inside.

The more she gripped around Kara’s fingers, the deeper they pushed and soon the faint sound of her slick accompanied the hum of the wand. Kara sped up, slamming into Lena harder and loosening the clench of her inner muscles. Lena hiss-moaned at the change of pace that hitched her breath and cleared her head of any romantic notions of letting this continue.

“I want your cock to rub me now,” Lena declared with a sulky pout and swiveled around on the table to open up Kara’s pants and look at the straining long shaft inside them. “This is the cure for my stress, Kara. Any time someone shakes up our day, just know that you can take me home and give me this.”

Lena took Kara’s cock in hand and gave it a good tug to make sure her alpha got the message. From the half lidded and lustful way Kara stared down at her eager stroking, Lena was sure she would find herself bent over her desk for the mildest of inconveniences.

Kara cupped the side of her face and stroked into her hair, gripping near the roots to tilt her chin up for a kiss that surprised her with more teeth than tongue. After all the gentle touching, Lena was ready for something rougher and Kara seemed intent to give it to her.

Without waiting to lift Lena from the table, Kara snared her by the hip as they shared breath and confessed, “I wanted this to be special for you, but damn was it hard to keep it in my pants when you were lyingthere naked and moaning.”

The entire massage had been foreplay enough and neither of them could wait any longer. Lena grunted at the sudden intrusion of Kara’s stiff cock and locked her thighs around her mate’s hips. She blazed trails over Kara’s shoulders with her nails and whimpered at the power behind Kara’s thrusts. The table would never last through their mating and Lena gasped when Kara hoisted her off it.

Kara rammed into her, and Lena was torn between the real need to wrap her legs tighter around her mate and the lustful instinct to ride her cock.

“You should never hold back, Kara. I want to breed — to do nothing for the next few years but take your cock, raise your children and be your wife—”

Lena could feel her own eyes widen at that declaration and she closed her mouth before she blurted any other insane statements that she hadn’t even consciously thought through. She could feel the effect it had on Kara, in her mate’s muscular hips that worked harder to thrust and pleasure her. Their bodies synchronized, Lena bouncing onto the alpha’s stiffened cock with a desperation to contract around it for Kara’s seed.

“Maybe by this time next year you’ll have a ring on that finger, another symbol that you’re mine,” Kara groaned, and sank her teeth into the claim by Lena’s freckle, her alpha feral and frenzied with excitement due to Lena’s slip. Impassioned growls broke free as she sucked and her possessive musk engulfed Lena as she took command of her hips by grabbing her ass.

“Another pup on the way,” Lena embellished the fantasy for them both between airy whines that begged for a knot to split her cunt open. She bore down on Kara’s length, her fingers restlessly weaving into her mate’s blonde hair to guide her mouth onto an aching nipple.

The hot flick of Kara’s tongue sent trembles through Lena, and she whined at the way her mate pulled on the little bud with her lips. It amazed her that they had any coordination at all, and yet every undulation caused friction against her clit that had her crying for more. The wet slap of Kara stuffing her was a sound that Lena relished, and she exhaled the raunchiest of moans into her mate’s ear in encouragement.

She reached the summit of sexual gratification with her head thrown back and her body shaking in a spine-bending convulsion. It topped all other pleasure and she moaned out her mate’s name as a punctuated and rough, “Kahhra.”

Her pussy constrained Kara’s cock, stroking the pleasure out of it in silken and long pulsations. Kara roared half formed words into her neck and kissed her through ongoing expulsions of seed. Lena dripped between the thighs with a good lather of Kara’s essence, thick and trickling faster as she leaned back to rest her weight on the edge of the massage table.

Kara picked her up before she could get too comfortable and slipped back inside to join their bodies with a knot. They ended up in bed, Lena resting against Kara’s chest and looking into her eyes the same way she often stargazed at night, searching in them for all the wonders of the universe.

Kara’s hand drifted below the covers to rub at her lower back and bottom, and Lena smiled at the frisky way her mate continued to touch and kiss her.

“There’s no better feeling than being in your arms after we’ve made love,” Lena whispered, delicate in touching Kara’s skin and tracing along defined muscle.

“Except for actually making love and growing our family,” Kara countered with her palm sliding into place over Lena’s stomach. “How soon would be too soon to schedule an ultrasound?”

“I must be at least five weeks along.” Lena glanced down at the blankets where Kara caressed her out of sight. “I’ll schedule an appointment in another week or so, but it won’t be that exciting. All you’re going to see is something the size of a jellybean.”

“Hey, I will settle for a jellybean, a skittle, an M&M, whatever we’re having,” Kara teased and kissed her again, this time pushing the curls away from Lena’s face.

Lena chuckled at her mate’s enthusiasm and settled in to think about the day and the weeks ahead, already making a mental note to book an appointment.