His Forgotten Mate

by Giovanna Reaves

  "I'm happy to know you're upset on my behalf, little brother. Alexis and I have talked about it, and we’ve both agreed we could have done things differently. What matters is we're together now and we're taking things one day at a time."

  Matthus sighed. "You sound like you're in love already."

  "Not already. I fell in love with him that night. Our mating wasn't a fluke. It was supposed to happen."

  "Maybe I'm a bit jealous." Matthus sighed.

  "Your mate is out there," Maverick soothed. "There is a man out there who can put up with your sarcastic ass."

  "We’ll see," Matthus said. Maverick heard the smile in his voice. "Go take care of your beautiful mate while I take care of business on my end."

  "Are you checking out my mate?"

  "Before I knew he was your mate, I thought he was hot. And even though I'm a bit peeved with him—he's family, and that’s all I see when I look at him."

  "Good, because I really didn't want to kick your ass for checking out my mate," Maverick joked.

  "You're an idiot. I'll see you for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow,” Matthus said before he hung up.

  Maverick chuckled. His brothers were the best, always standing with and by him in everything. He was the same with them. Setting his phone down on his desk, he leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a second.

  The memory of the night Alexis had walked into his life came to him. He'd just taken the last sip of his drink but had wanted more. He’d wondered about getting a few bottles for his personal stock. He’d asked the bartender who was their supplier. Instead of answering him, the bartender had gone and gotten his manager.

  "James said you wanted to know the name of our supplier."

  Maverick looked up and his mind went blank staring at the beautiful man standing in front of him with long, black hair and liquid ink black eyes.

  The smile on his face made Maverick's heart skip a couple of beats, and he had to bite his lips to make sure he was still alive and not in heaven. But he wouldn't mind being dead if he got to spend eternity with the angel standing in front of him.

  "Are you okay?" His angel asked in a soft, sensual voice that had his cock growing hard.

  Maverick wasn't sure what the hell was happening to him, but he didn't care.

  ”Yes," he answered. "You must hear this a lot, but you're beautiful." His angel blushed, and he found it adorable.

  "I have. But coming from you it sounds genuine." He brushed a lock of his hair back with his fingers.

  "Have a drink with me?" Maverick asked.

  "I'm sure that's not the question I came out here to answer."

  Maverick smiled. "It's not, but I'd rather sit and talk to you instead. If you're not busy."

  His angel gazed at him before responding. "I guess I can spare a few minutes with a customer." He reached for another glass and the bottle of whiskey Maverick had been drinking all night.

  "How about we change that?"

  "Change what?"

  "Me being a customer," Maverick answered.

  "And what do you want to be?" He asked, pouring the dark brown liquid into their glasses.

  "Do I need to answer that?" Maverick reached for his drink and lifted it part way. "Maverick.”

  His angel didn't move right away and kept staring at him as if waiting for something to reveal itself.

  "Alexis." He picked up his glass and brought it next to Maverick's.

  "Here's to what I hope to be an exciting night," Maverick said, tapping his glass against Alexis's.

  "That all depends on you, Maverick. If you're good company, I'll let you fuck me all night long."

  Maverick almost choked on his drink. He definitely wanted their night to end with him fucking his angel, but he didn't expect the good-looking man with a gentle face to be so direct.

  "What if I'm bad company?"

  "Then it will be your loss." He took a sip of his drink, not taking his eyes off Maverick.

  "Then I better do a good job entertaining you."

  Alexis set his glass down and leaned over the bar top and claimed his lips, sharing his drink with him. The whiskey had tasted good all night, he couldn't deny tasting it on Alexis's tongue and lips were more pleasurable. For the remainder of the night, they talked, danced, and kissed—never looking away from each other.

  Their night together was magical. He didn't think twice about knotting and biting Alexis during their lovemaking. Once his head cleared, he knew Alexis was his mate, and he had no plans of letting the man leave his side. Once they were mated, Alexis would be his forever. Everything else would work itself out. That night he fell asleep knowing his life was getting ready to change, and he didn't mind at all.

  Light kisses on his face pulled him back to the present, and he slowly opened his eyes looking at the face of an angel. "Hello, my angel."

  "Angel. I'm not sure I'm that good." He sat on Maverick's lap, looking up at him.

  "You’re good where it counts. I remembered how you resembled a beautiful angel when I saw you that night."

  "Really?"

  "Yes." Maverick smiled then rested a hand on his stomach. "And before you say something sarcastic, you still look like a beautiful angel. I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you."

  Alexis's eyes widened, hearing his confession...or so he thought, when he felt the quickening under his palm.

  "Did you feel that?" Alexis looked down at his stomach. "I've been waiting for them to move around in there for days and nothing. You say you love me, and they do something. Maybe they think you're telling them you love them?" He raised his head slowly, and their eyes connected.

  "They know I love them," Maverick said. "I say it every night before I fall asleep. The twins are not the ones I'm saying it to right now. I love you, my sweet angel."

  Tears welled in Alexis's eyes, and he hid his face in Maverick's chest. "Why are you doing this to me?"

  "What's wrong with telling you how I feel?"

  "Because you're making me all sappy and shit."

  Maverick smiled and kissed him on the crown of his head. Gods, he's so adorable.

  "Iloveyoutoo," he mumbled into Maverick's T-shirt.

  "What was that?"

  "I said. I love you, too." He leaned back scowling at Maverick.

  "You know, I get turned on when you pout. Are you trying to get fucked on my office desk?"

  Alexis knocked on the desk and shook it a bit, but nothing moved. "It's steady enough."

  Maverick chuckled as he took his mate's mouth in a sweet but quick kiss. "You're tempting. How about we put that off for tonight? I have to get some work done and send it back to Bailey."

  "What happened to ‘I own the company, and I can do whatever the hell I want’?” Alexis asked, raising a brow.

  "I knew that comment was going to come back to bite me in the ass."

  Alexis smiled then kissed him on his right cheek before getting up. "I'm giving you one more hour before I come back in here and drag you to the bedroom to corrupt your sweet angel. Or you can—"

  Maverick didn't let him finish, he was out of his chair with his mate in his arms and heading to the bedroom to turn his angel into a devil.

  Chapter Nine

  Alexis

  Alexis leaned on the doorframe with a bright smile on his face as he watched his family open their Christmas presents.

  He looked around his new home and felt giddy. Although he’d loved his little house, he liked the Knox pack home much more. It had a large family room with a wood burning fireplace, which currently was lit and giving off warmth and a beautiful golden glow, and a dining hall for large dinner parties.

  The three floors included five bedrooms, six bathrooms, and Maverick's office. The kitchen was a professional chef's dream, with sizeable open space and expensive cookware.

  Decorating for Christmas had been a blast, a few of the pack members had come over to help him put stuff up since Maverick had spread the word he was on bed rest. The member
s fussed over him the same way everyone else in the family did.

  The twinkling colored lights and decorations brought out his festive mood. Alexis was so full, he felt like he might burst from the lavish dinner both Viktoria and Neptune had made and brought over to his and Maverick's home.

  He was also a bit tired, but he could not stop smiling. He and Maverick had been a bit busy over the past couple of weeks. Two weeks earlier, they’d had Knox Corps Christmas party, which went smoothly. Alexis was introduced as Alexis Knox, which kept him smiling during the entire affair.

  Then a couple of days earlier, they’d had a catered affair for the pack and the extended Silver clan, bringing their personal lives together. He hadn't expected so many changes to take place in his life so quickly, but he was happy for them.

  At their joint family Thanksgiving, Alexis and Cassandra had convinced their parents it was better to wait until the weather changed in order for him and Maverick to have their bonding ceremony.

  “Seriously, Mom. It's too damn cold for them to be out in the woods having sex. Think of the babies," Cassandra said.

  "I know that, dear. But it's a tradition that the bonding ceremony happens before the first child is born," Neptune explained.

  "By whose standards?” Alexis snapped. "Plus, it's an old ass tradition anyway. Is it so hard to believe I don't want to freeze my fucking balls off?"

  Everyone at the table started snickering. His parents never shied away from talking about certain subjects, no matter where they were. The Silver clan was considered too open when it came to conversations that should be done in private.

  "He does have a point, dear," Lysander added. "Sex should be enjoyed without worrying about being cold. I certainly enjoyed our first official night together and the others that followed. I think we should wait until the weather warms up. The significance will not be lost on their love and commitment.”

  "But the joining of two bodies create heat. You should know that, my love. Since we've done it outdoors many times and in the cold, I might add," Neptune countered.

  "For fuck sake, Mom." Cullen placed his drink down. "I get that you love having sex outside and in the cold. But not everyone is as kinky as you and Dad."

  "You poor dear. It's been a while since you got laid, hasn’t it?" Neptune turned and caressed his cheeks. "Not to worry, my little one. You will find your witch or warlock to pull you out of your dry spell."

  Alexis chuckled when his brother rolled his eyes.

  "You're missing the point, woman," Cullen said.

  "Is that why he's been so cranky lately?" Cassandra asked. "I thought he got dumped."

  "I've never been dumped in my life, little sister. It's the other way around. I'm the dumper."

  "I must admit it's a thrill to make love in my wolf form. Isn't it the same for you, dear?" Viktoria exclaimed, joining in on the conversation. "Rolling around in the dewy grass and chasing each other, before your mate tackles you to the ground and mount—"

  "Mama," Matthus said in surprise as his brothers groaned covering their faces.

  "I have to say, my love. You are more demanding when we make love in our shifted form." Maximillian growled. "It fucking turns me on. And I do love chasing that gorgeous ass of yours."

  "I can't believe we're having this conversation at the dinner table," Marcus added.

  "I like to be watched," Misha spoke up, and everyone slowly panned to him. Alexis had to admit he hadn't seen that coming.

  Misha seemed like a ball of energy and at times a kid, even though he was an adult. But to enjoy being watched while having sex—he definitely had not seen that coming.

  "It's hot when you know someone is watching you..."

  "What were you trying to accomplish when you started in on this topic?" Maverick whispered in his ear.

  "I wasn't expecting confessions of their secret kinks," he said, waving his hand as everyone else added their own kink. "I just wanted to get my mother to agree it's too damn cold to have our bonding ceremony outside."

  "Yeah, that didn't work out so well." Maverick chuckled.

  "Not in the fucking least."

  It was a while before they got off the conversation, but in the end his mother agreed to wait until the weather changed. He rubbed his stomach, which had grown a lot more in the past couple of months. According to Doctor Williamson, he was doing better health-wise and gaining weight. He was anemic and was on bi-weekly IV drips that sometimes left him nauseated after a session.

  He was growing closer to his babies and found himself talking to the twins while he rubbed his stomach. They would respond to any silly question he asked with a slight kick. It made him happy that, although they had no idea what he was talking about, they knew and heard his voice. The same went with Maverick. The twins became more active whenever they knew he was near. He'd rest his hands on Alexis's stomach, and it seemed to calm them down.

  He still wasn't allowed back to work but was permitted to be a bit more active. He was told to rest whenever he felt tired and not feel guilty for wanting to sit around all day doing nothing. Truthfully, the first couple of days after Doctor Williamson had put him on bed rest were hard. Maverick had to literally tire him out with sex to keep him in bed.

  I guess it wasn't so bad.

  Even though they didn't know what he and Maverick were having, they’d started thinking of names for boys and girls and putting their nursery together. They went with a light beige color for the walls and mahogany brown for the furniture. Alexis was happy and couldn't wait to meet his twins. He grew more excited with each doctor's appointment, wanting to see the sweet little beings he was caring for. He’d even surprised Doctor Williamson the last two times they’d gone to see him.

  "Your iron has gotten better, but I still want you to continue with your bi-weekly IV drips," Williamson said.

  "Can we see the babies now?" Alexis asked excitedly.

  Williamson and Maverick chuckled at his question.

  "Sure," Williamson smiled. He set the clipboard down on the table and went to wash his hands.

  Maverick took Alexis’s hand as they both stared at the screen, wanting to see their little ones. He gasped the second he saw two tiny hearts ticking away. They were side by side, their hands reaching for each other, and their legs crossed. One had their fingers in their mouth, which Alexis found adorable. He couldn't look away from the screen. He wanted to watch them all day as they continued to grow inside of him. Then the screen shifted, and he started to panic.

  "What just happened?" he asked.

  Williamson started to chuckle before he outright laughed. Alexis couldn't figure out what was so damn funny.

  "You're going to have to watch that one," he said between chuckles. "The little brat is mooning you both."

  Maverick burst out in laughter, causing Alexis to do the same.

  What a little brat indeed. He asked for the picture to use as blackmail for when his little brat got older and got mouthy or better yet, when they found their mate.

  "Did you like your gift from Maverick?" Cassandra asked, coming to stand beside him and pulling him from his thoughts.

  "I did," he answered.

  On Christmas Eve, they’d exchanged one gift with each other, continuing a private tradition Alexis knew his parents did every year. Maverick had given him a coupon booklet with a year filled with sexual favors along with a platinum and diamond watch. Alexis gave him sapphire blue and diamond cufflinks with his initials on them and a tie clip to match. They’d gone with simple gifts for the family, as well. The scent of fine whiskey wafted under his nose, and Alexis groaned.

  "Fuck, that smells good," he said to Cassandra. "Let me smell it."

  "You're kidding me, right?" She looked at him dubiously.

  "Hell, no. I like being pregnant, but I do miss having a glass of whiskey every now and then."

  "You can drink a glass of wine once in a while. I'm sure your doctor told you that."

  "I don't want wine, dammit." He crossed
his arms, resting them on his belly.

  "Fine, you don't have to pout like a child," she said, then brought her glass to his face. Alexis took a long sniff and moaned.

  So damn good.

  The first thing he was drinking after giving birth was a glass of Noxious Seventeenth whiskey that was made only by his kind.

  "Tell me you're not trying to get my pregnant mate drunk?"

  "Hardly, brother-in-law," Cassandra said to Maverick. "He's doing some weird pregnant people shit by smelling things."

  Alexis was about to yell when his treat was taken away from him. He looked up, words failing him as he watched Maverick take a sip of the dark brown liquid, gazing at him. Alexis sucked in a breath when Maverick licked his lips then grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him close. He could smell the whiskey on his mate's breath, and he wanted to devour the man's mouth.

  "I'd rather he not smell anything but me. Better yet, how about he tastes me instead?"

  Maverick took his lips before he could object, drawing a hungry, lustful moan from him. The last traces of the whiskey on Maverick’s lips had him feeling drunk. To think, a few months ago he’d wanted nothing to do with a mate or children, and now he couldn't see his life without them. He carded his fingers through Maverick's hair, grabbing the base of his neck and deepening their kiss.

  "Gods, you two are going to fuck while we're still here,” he heard his sister say.

  Then leave, dammit.

  Maverick's hand slid down his back, grabbing his ass and pushing their bodies together. His alpha wolf's low growl vibrated through him, and all he wanted was to be taken upstairs and let Maverick have his way with him. They separated only for the need to breathe. Alexis opened his eyes slowly and stared up at his mate.

  "Thank gods," Cullen said. "I can see Misha isn't the only one who likes to be watched."

  Alexis felt heat rush from his neck to his cheeks as everyone else, including Maverick, laughed.