The Hybrid's Hope

Chapter 6: A Perfect Night

Levi

My life is perfect. The only thing that would make it more perfect is if Hope would have agreed to let me mark her. But I know my mate. She never expected to be worthy of a mate, even if I knew she was.

I carry her out into the water, partly because I want to feel how Qadira responds in the water and partly because we’re both covered in gritty sand.

I’m happy, content, and loving life when I feel Hope tense in my arms.

“What? What is it?”

If she says she regrets our time together, I’ll hate it, but I’ll deal with it.

She shakes her head, not wanting to tell me.

I growl, reaching up to pull her face to mine so she’s forced to look at me.

“Hope.”

She huffs out a sigh and if I’m not mistaken, she’s fighting tears.

“Was it terrible? I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll get better. It was my first time too. I read a lot of books and magazines to be ready for tonight, but … nothing could prepare me for how good it felt being inside you. I’m so sorry if I hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” she says, trying to push me away.

“Stop! Tell me what’s wrong. If you’re not hurt, what did I do wrong?” I ask her.

“Levi, you came inside me. We’re mates. What if …”

Oh s**t! I did come inside her. I didn’t even think about it. I was so lost in how good she felt, how happy I was, that I didn’t think.

I close my eyes, thinking fast. “Okay, listen to me. Your body can’t support a child when you shift back and forth into your two different forms, right?”

“I don’t know, is that true?” she asks.

“Ask Qadira, but we know that once a woman is far enough along, she can’t shift. So, it makes sense that if you shift, before the fetus takes hold in your uterus, that your body won’t accept it.”

A part of me, a very LARGE part of me, hates telling her this. I want Hope to carry my pup or cub. I want to see her stomach growing large with my child. I want to come home at night and kiss my mate as I scoop up our son or daughter, kissing them too. It’s part of the dream that I’ve had for years, even since I realized that I was in love with Hope.

But I know that Hope is terrified of having a child. She’s worried that any child she has will be a hybrid as well and, therefore, be tormented like she was in school.

“So, tonight, we’ll shift back and forth. Qadira wants to swim anyway, right?” I ask.

“Yeah, but Malcolm won’t want to swim,” she says.

“Malcolm will do whatever his mate wants to do because he loves you both with every part of his being, just like I do,” I tell her.

“Give me my mate,” Malcolm growls.

Qadira shifts, right there in the ocean, looking like the goddess she is. Her bear isn't white, which is another reason we didn't know right away that her bear was a polar bear. Her fur, like the rest of her, is a blend of bear and wolf. Unlike most wolves whose fur is the same color as their human's hair, Qadira's fur is a lighter brown that Hope's hair, a cross between the white of her bear and the brown of her wolf.

“Mine!” Malcolm snarls, then shifts. He’s not as adept in the water as Qadira, but he forces himself to swim, proving that he’s worthy of being her mate.

Qadira, being the loving mate that she is, swims out of the water and begins running over the sand. Malcolm follows her and the two of them begin playing and nipping at each other in the light of the moon.

Hours and multiple shifts later, as the sun begins to rise, we both shift into our human forms. I sit Hope in front of me as we watch the sky begin to lighten, turning yellow, then orange, then red, then finally turning blue.

“I love you, Hope,” I say, lifting her into my lap so she’s over my hard length, then I slowly slide inside her. “I love you so much,” I say as she leans against me, her head falling back onto my shoulder.

“That’s right my beautiful mate. Let me make you feel good,” I say, as I begin moving her hips over mine as I suck on her neck. “Don’t think for a minute that I’ll change my mind just because it’s a new day. I want you. I want you now and forever. I want you always. You are mine,” I growl. “Say it, Hope. Tell me you’re mine.”

“Levi …”

“Say it!” I demand as I move her hips faster.

“Yes! Yes, I’m yours.”

“You’re damn right you are. And today we’re getting some condoms and next week, you’re going to go see Sirona and get on birth control because it feels so f*****g good to be inside you that I understand now why Alpha Liam and Luna Angel have so many pups,” I growl. “I don’t know how werewolves haven’t taken over the population of the world. You feel so good.”

“You don’t have to go through the pregnancy,” she murmurs, her head still on my shoulder.

“You’re right.”

I’m on the verge of saying that she can decide how many pups and cubs we’re going to have, but I know that will destroy this moment. So instead, I begin teasing her n*****s. Her body responds instantly and very quickly she’s coming for me. Her body contracts around me so hard that I struggle not to come myself, but I want more. I want to feel more. I want her to feel all the pleasure that I can give her.

I force her to ride out her orgasm, watching as her claws extend and dig into the sand beside us.

“Levi,” she moans. My name has never sounded so good.

This time when she comes, I lift her off me, holding her against me as I come, my sperm spraying over her back as I jerk through my orgasm.

I press a kiss to the curve in her neck where it meets her shoulder, panting as we both come down.

“We need to shift again, but we need to do it quickly before people start waking up and see us down here,” she says.

“Yes. And we need to get you some clothes. Then we could both use a shower and we need some sleep birthday girl.”

She quickly shifts again, before rushing into the water and diving under. I watch her, marveling as I always do at her beauty, before going to pick up our clothes that we discarded hours ago. I pull my pants on and hold hers out for her as she shifts in the water and walks out to take them.

Then, I pull her to me, kissing her once more. “I meant what I said, Hope. You’re mine. I love you. I want you. I’ve always wanted you. That will never change.”

I can see the doubt in her eyes, but she didn’t reject me last night. I’ll take that as a win.

When we get back to the hotel, the smell of breakfast makes both of our stomachs growl.

“Let’s add breakfast to that list of things we need to do this morning,” I say, leaning over her as I push the button on the elevator for her floor. “I worked up quite an appetite last night.”

I run my nose over her jaw, taking in her scent of white spruce mixed with the ocean. Her body shivers as I press a kiss to the sensitive area under her ear.

“I love you,” I whisper before pulling back. When the elevator doors start to open, she tentatively reaches up, pressing a kiss to my lips.

“I love you too, Levi. Thank you for last night.”

I take her hand and lead her out of the elevator.

“We have a whole life of wonderful nights ahead of us, Hope. All you have to do is say yes to wearing my mark and make me the happiest man alive.”

“Levi …”

“I know you’re not there yet, Hope. I’m willing to wait until you realize that you and I are perfect together.”

Rather than start an argument on her birthday, I take her key and unlock the door to the suite.

“Well, it’s about time. I was about to send out a search party for the two of you,” Beta Carlos says as we walk in.

He stops, looking from Hope to me, his nose lifting in the air, then his eyes go to her neck, finding no mark.

“Something you want to tell me?”