The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

I could tell he was getting ready to leave, but Susan was almost shaking; could he be? I looked at Amy. “I think he’s Mom’s second chance,” she told me.

“I know you’re busy, but we girls are making a big dinner tonight now that our families are here. Would you like to join us? I’m sure the guys would like to meet you.” I prayed he would say yes, or Susan might take it as a rejection, like when Leo dismissed Adrienne after they first met.

“It won’t be a problem?”

“Are you kidding? We’ll have more than enough,” I promised. “It would mean a lot to us if you came. Six o’clock?”

He looked at his calendar. “Man, I’ll have to give up take-out chicken and baseball on television,” he complained.

“We’re having pulled pork, ribs, cornbread, waffle fries, and coleslaw,” I countered. “Plus, you can see the television from the hot tub if you bring your suit.”

He turned back to Susan, reaching out his hand for hers. “If you don’t mind? I don’t want to take away from your family time.”

She smiled widely at him. “I’d like to talk to you about your experiences in the SEALs, it’s fascinating,” she said.

“Fine. I’ll see you there, and I’ll bring some local beer for the adults,” he said. “Gotta go.” He walked back towards the office as Susan watched his every move.

“We should get home,” I said as I pulled my gi off and folded it up, pulling the T-shirt over my head. “We have a LOT to talk about.”

No one said anything until we left the parking lot. “Is Hammer?”

“My mate?” Susan asked. “My wolf said so.”

“WOOHOO,” Amy said as she pulled her tight. “It’s about time!”

“I’m forty-four years old, baby, and widowed for thirteen years,” Susan said dejectedly. “Hell, I stopped going to the Summits when I turned forty because I didn’t think Luna would give me another. I’ve not given a man a second glance since Todd died, and I don’t know what to think now. I wasn’t expecting a human male.”

“He’s pretty hot, isn’t he,” Mom teased. “I bet you could still bounce a quarter on that ass of his.”This material belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

It was funny watching Susan get all flustered about it. “Did you pack a swimsuit,” I asked her.

“The green one-piece,” she said.

“Oh, HELL no,” Amy said. “No granny suits for you! Vicki, you’ve got to help pick out a nice bikini for Mom’s hot tub time. Something guaranteed to get a strike when it goes in the water.”

I laughed at that. “Susan still has the body of a much younger woman. Put those curves into the yellow bikini? Hammer will bite into that, develop lockjaw, and get dragged to death.” I snuck a glance at Susan and saw her jaw drop.

“She’s right,” Mom said. “You are only here for a week, and the mate bond doesn’t work with him the way it does for our kind. Trust me, I know. It took a lot of persistence for Brent to get me to fall in love with him.” She leaned forward and put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “We all want you to be happy, Susan. If you don’t want him, just say so.”

“I want him,” she whispered.

Amy smiled and turned around. “Good. Makani, I need you to take my Mom to the spa this afternoon. The rest of us will get everything ready for dinner.” She turned back towards her mom. “Operation Hunky Stepdad has begun.”

************

I looked approvingly at Susan as she and Makani came back from the spa. Hammer was a warrior; he’d want a strong woman, not some ditzy, heavily-made-up, desperate divorcee. Susan’s hair laid in gentle waves down her head to her shoulders. Her face glowed with health, and her fingers and toes had been manicured and coated with clear polish. She looked naturally beautiful.

We switched places, and I took Susan into her daughter’s room to look through her suitcase. She’d brought sensible clothing for summer, but we didn’t want to blend in now. I found the yellow Bodyglove bikini and handed it to her. “Put this on while I look for a dress,” I said.

She looked at the pieces of neon-yellow fabric connected by thin straps like I was nuts. “I haven’t worn a suit this revealing since before my first child,” she objected.

“Put it on, trust me,” I said.

She went into the bathroom, coming out like her suit was on fire. “I can’t wear this! You can see my stretch marks!”

I had her turn around. “You look hot,” I said. “Hammer’s only going to get a glimpse before you get in the tub, so don’t worry so much.” I handed her a colorful, light silk dress with Hawaiian flowers on the print. She pulled it over her head and smoothed it out. “See? Perfect.”

“It’s thin enough to see the suit under it!”

“I know. That will tease Hammer’s eyes while you remain covered. The poor guy is not going to know what hit him,” I said excitedly.

“I don’t know why I’m trusting you with this,” she said.

“Because you haven’t had a date since the Obama administration?” Susan let out a breath. “Hammer is a great guy. We’ve told you how he came to our aid at the beach, and how good a trainer he is. Hammer retired to take care of his wife, and then he lost her anyway. He’s lonely, but he felt something today. We can all see it.”

“I’m so nervous!”

I grabbed Susan’s hands so she wouldn’t damage her makeup. “Just relax. The bond is going to help you. Treat it like an ember; protect it from the winds, feed it tinder, and turn it into a roaring fire.”

We walked back into the living room, where Brent and Luke were watching a baseball game. “Wow, Mom,” Luke said as he saw her. “You’re beautiful.”

“It feels weird to be romancing a male with my son and daughter in the room,” Susan said.

“He’s your mate, Mom,” Amy said. “I’m excited, and he’s a strong male. We’ll get him comfortable and disappear when it is time.”

The cornbread was coming out of the oven when there was a knock on the door. “Come on, Mom,” Amy said. The two opened the door to Hammer, who was nervously standing with two six-packs of beer in his hands. “Welcome to our home, Hammer,” Amy said.

Susan held the door open as he walked in, kicking his shoes off and leaving them by the door with the others. “Thank you for inviting me. That smells great,” he said. “Can I put these somewhere?”

“I’ll take them,” Susan said. He almost dropped one of them as her hand touched his, but they completed the handoff.

Amy reached for his arm, and he offered it. She led him into the living room, confident in her steps in her home. “You met Luke this morning. This man is Vicki’s father, Brent Lawrence,” she said.