Mated to Her Alpha Instructor Chapter 114

Regis

Eileen emerged from the medical station after finishing her work, a small pack slung over her shoulder. She'd changed into a simpler dress, practical and warm, and her hair was tied back in a loose braid. When she saw me waiting beside my horse, her entire face lit up—a smile so genuine it sent a fierce surge of protectiveness through my chest.

I dismounted and took the pack from her, securing it to the saddle. "Ready?"

"Yes." She hesitated, then added softly, "I missed you."

The words were simple, but they hit me harder than I'd expected. I cupped her face in one hand, tilting her chin up so I could see her eyes properly. "I missed you too. Every damn hour."

Her breath caught, and through the bond I felt the echo of her longing—the nights she'd spent thinking of me, the way she'd touched herself and felt me respond across the distance. Heat flared low in my belly at the memory, but I pushed it down.

*Not yet. Soon.*

I helped her onto the horse, then swung up behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist to hold her steady. She leaned back into me with a soft sigh, and I buried my face briefly in her hair, breathing in the scent of lavender and warmth.

The cabin sat nestled among white birch trees, their pale trunks glowing in the slanted afternoon light. Smoke curled from the stone chimney—I'd paid the landlord extra to keep the fire going—and the windows reflected the forest like dark mirrors.

I dismounted first and lifted Eileen down, keeping my hands on her waist longer than strictly necessary. She didn't pull away. Instead, she turned in a slow circle, taking in the clearing and the trees and the small, solid house that would be ours for the next few weeks.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. "When did you arrange all this?"

"After I settled down at the camp." I retrieved her pack and unlocked the door, pushing it open.

The interior was simple but warm—a sofa facing the hearth, a small table with two chairs, a ladder leading up to a loft bedroom. The fire crackled cheerfully, and the air smelled of pine and woodsmoke.

Eileen stepped inside, her fingers trailing over the back of the sofa. "You did all this… for me?"

"For us," I corrected, setting her pack down and closing the door behind us. "This is our space, Eileen. No observers, no council representatives. Just you and me."

She turned to face me, and I saw the shine of unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

The whispered words tore at something deep inside my chest. I crossed the room in two strides and pulled her into my arms, burying my face in the curve of her neck. "You didn't have to do anything. You're mine. That's all that matters."

She trembled against me, her hands fisting in my shirt. "I thought about you every night," she admitted, her voice muffled against my chest. "I couldn't stop."

"I know." I pulled back just enough to tilt her face up, brushing my thumb over her cheek. "I felt you that night, remember? When you touched yourself…"

Her cheeks flamed red and she tried to look away, but I caught her chin gently, forcing her to meet my eyes.

"Don't be embarrassed," I said, my voice dropping to a rough murmur. "Do you have any idea what it did to me? Feeling you like that, knowing you were thinking of me? I nearly abandoned the entire camp just to get to you."

"Regis…" Her voice came out breathy and uncertain, but through the bond I felt the answering heat rising in her—desire, longing, need.

I leaned down and kissed her, slow and deep, pouring everything I couldn't say into the press of my mouth against hers. She melted into me with a soft moan, her arms winding around my neck, and the bond between us flared hot and bright.

When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard. Her lips were swollen and dark, her eyes glazed with want, and Valdor was growling his approval deep in my mind.

"I need you," I said hoarsely. "I've needed you for days."

"Then take me," she whispered.

The words shattered the last of my restraint.

---

I backed her against the door, my hands already working at the laces of her dress. She gasped as the fabric loosened and slipped down her shoulders, pooling at her feet, and I paused just long enough to drink in the sight of her—soft curves, pale skin, the slight swell of her belly where our child grew.

"You're so beautiful," I breathed, and then I was kissing her again, harder this time, my tongue sliding against hers as my hands roamed over her body.

She tugged at my shirt, fumbling with the buttons, and I pulled back just long enough to yank it over my head and toss it aside. Her hands splayed across my chest, her touch sending sparks of heat racing through me.

"I want you," she said, her voice trembling but certain. "Now. Please."

I growled low in my throat and lifted her, carrying her to the sofa. She clung to me, her legs wrapping around my waist, and I could feel the heat of her even through the thin fabric of her undergarments. I set her down on the cushions and knelt before her, my hands sliding up her thighs.

"Regis—"

Her protest turned into a moan as I hooked my fingers into her underwear and pulled it aside, pressing my mouth to her center. She arched against me, her fingers tangling in my hair, and I groaned at the taste of her—sweet and slick and perfect.

I worked her with my tongue and fingers until she was trembling and gasping my name, her thighs quivering on either side of my head. Only when I felt her teetering on the edge did I pull back, standing to shed the rest of my clothes.

Her eyes were glazed with pleasure as she watched me, her chest rising and falling rapidly. I climbed onto the sofa, caging her beneath me, and she reached up to pull me down into a kiss.

"I love you," she whispered against my lips.

"I love you too," I said, and then I was sliding into her—slow and deep, feeling the tight wet heat of her body welcome me home.

---

We moved together with desperate urgency, the bond between us singing with shared pleasure. I buried my face in her neck, breathing in her scent, and felt Valdor rising to the surface—demanding, possessive, needing to claim what was ours.

"Mark me," Eileen gasped suddenly, turning her head to bare her throat. "Please, Regis. I need your mark again—"

I didn't let her finish. My teeth sank into the soft skin where her shoulder met her neck, and she screamed—her body convulsing around me as she came. The bond exploded between us, bright and overwhelming, and I followed her over the edge, my release pouring into her as I held her close and safe.

For a long moment we simply breathed together, our hearts beating in sync. I licked the wound gently to seal it, tasting copper and salt, and felt her fingers stroke through my hair with trembling gentleness.

"I love you," she said again, softer this time.

"And I love you," I replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Always."

We stayed tangled together on the sofa as our breathing slowed, the fire crackling quietly in the hearth. Through the bond, I felt her contentment—deep and warm and utterly trusting.

*Mine*, Valdor rumbled with satisfaction.

*Ours*, I corrected silently, and held her closer.