Return Of The Bad Boy Alpha

Naomi

Morning comes, and I open my eyes at the same time I have always woken up in the morning. I am lying against a snoring Magnus. His chest is bare, and it pains me to see the wires and bandages marring his chest. I trace my hand around his bare skin. His snoring stops, and his eyes open.

"That tickles," He mumbles.

I stop and pull my hand away. "Sorry," I sit up on the bed and start to get up.

Magnus grabs my hand and pulls me back. "Where are you going?"

"It's morning," I tell him. "I have to shower and get dressed."

He sighs. "Okay," Magnus closes his eyes again. "I'll be right here."

I lean down and kiss his forehead. "I won't be long," I whisper, and a soft smile forms on his face. I grab my bag and take it into the small bathroom. I take a shower and relish the hot water. When I am done with my shower, I stand at the mirror to dry and brush my hair. I hear two unfamiliar female voices talking to Magnus. Ruby growls in my head. I don't know why I feel jealous about other women talking to Magnus.

'Because he is our mate,' Ruby adds.

'He is allowed to talk to other females, Ruby,' I mumble as I snag my brush on my hair. I growl with frustration until I get my hair brushed and put into a messy ponytail. I then throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I step out of the bathroom, and there is a short Latina female sitting next to the bed talking to Magnus and another taller, thinner woman with brown hair standing up.

They all turn to me as I walk out. Magnus reaches his free hand out to me. The Latina woman looks me up and down with a harsh glare. "You must be the mate," She sneers. "Dulce," Magnus drawls. "Be nice."

The one called Dulce gets up and walks over to me. I am surprised at how short she is. I can smell that she is a wolf and a strong one. "You nearly got Magnus killed," She spats at me.

I pause and flick my eyes to Magnus. He huffs. "Dulce, she did not almost get me killed." He beckons me to the other side of the bed. I run over and sit on the other chair. The brown-haired woman grabs Dulce's shoulders. "Calm down, Babe," She pulls Dulce to the chair.

"Naomi, this is my best friend and second in command, Dulce," Magnus gestures to the fierce woman. "She is a bit, well, she is Dulce."

Dulce narrows her eyes at him. "I'm a bit what, Mag?"

The other woman smiles at me and reaches her hand out. "Hi, Naomi, I am Joanna, Dulce's mate."

"Hi," I reply quietly. I stare at my hands and sigh.

"Naomi, it's not your fault that I got hurt," Magnus touches my hand.

"Dude, you were all hella depressed when you got here," Dulce nearly yells.

"I was ambushed, Dulce. It had nothing to do with Naomi," Magnus growls. "And I don't appreciate you insinuating that it did. I am a soldier. I can detach my personal life from the job." Dulce folds her arms. "Whatever, Mag. I have been taking care of the squad while you are recovering. Brutus was supposed to help, but he met his mate, I guess."

Magnus snorts. "Yeah, my little sister."

"Really?" Dulce laughs.

Magnus's parents walk in with Phoebe and Brutus trailing them a moment later. Phoebe and Brutus are holding hands and stealing lovey-dovey looks with each other. "Good morning, Magnus," Darryl greets his son. He eyes Dulce and Joanna.

Janice leans down to kiss Magnus on the forehead. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I am doing good, Mom," Magnus smiles at me. "Having my mate nearby is certainly helping a lot." He squeezes my hand and kisses it.

"I am so glad to hear that," Janice smiles at me.

Magnus looks at Brutus and Phoebe. "I see you two have accepted each other."

"And then some," Darryl mumbles.

Phoebe giggles. "Yeah, Mag, it seems I'll be moving here to be with your third."

Brutus blushes. "That's if it's okay with you, Major."

"Why wouldn't it be okay with me, Brutus? I would love to have my little sister close by," Magnus chuckles.

"Whoa, there are a lot of bodies in here," The doctor exclaims. "Good morning, Major," The doctor greets my mate. "How are you feeling?"

"I am doing good, Dr. Roth," Magnus replies.

"I need everyone but the major's mate to leave while I do the exam, please." The doctor orders.

"We'll be in the waiting room," Darryl says to his son.

"I'll get back to work, Mag," Dulce says to Magnus. "I could use some help," She snarls at Brutus.

"I'll be right there, Lieutenant," Brutus says to her.

Once everyone leaves, the doctor commences his exam and makes satisfied murmurs. "Wow, the healing power of our mates is amazing," He whistles while looking at the wounds. "I may even release you later today, Major." "Does that mean I can go back to work?" Magnus asks.

"No," Dr. Roth chuckles. "You still have to stay home and recover." He finishes the exam. "Okay, all good. The nurses will be in to remove your bandages. Then your family can come back to visit but only a few at a time." "Okay," Magnus sighs.

After the bandages are removed, I help Magnus into the bathroom so he can take a shower. I help him wash his hair and body. I can't believe how satisfying it is to help my mate. He seems to be enjoying it as I massage my hands through his long hair. "Too bad we aren't allowed to have sex yet," He moans.

"Oh, Magnus," I laugh.

After his shower, I help him get dressed and back into the bed. One of the nurses is in the room with a food cart. "I brought you two some breakfast," She explains. "Thank you, Shelly," I tell her.

"I see you got Mr. Bowie nice and clean," She smirks at Magnus. "You clean up nice," She inhales his scent, and Ruby is in my head growling.

'Mine!' My wolf barks.

Shelly seems to sense my wolf's anger and nods. "Sorry, I was caught up in the moment. I don't have a mate yet," She mumbles and hurries from the room.

I set up the food on the wheeled tray and look at Magnus, who smirks at me. "What?"

"Was that jealousy I sensed?"

I roll my eyes as I sip my coffee. "No, it was Ruby. She didn't like the nurse sniffing you."

Magnus chuckles. "I see." We eat a few bites of our breakfast. "So, are you going to move here?"

I pause in mid-bite and drop my fork. "I don't know, Magnus."

"Kerry's offer for you to work at the Royal Archive is still open," He mentions.

"I know, but I put in so much work at the one back home. I hate to just leave," I sigh.

"You aren't just leaving. You are moving in with your mate." Magnus explains.

"I still have to think about it, Magnus," I respond and stuff my mouth with food. I am done talking about it for now. We finish our breakfast in silence.

'Of course, we are moving here to be close to mate,' Ruby says to me.

'I don't know, Ruby.' I argue.

'You know you want to. You just won't admit it,' She snarls.

After breakfast, Magnus's parents come back into the room to visit. "Brutus took Phoebe to see his house," Janice mentions. "Are you going to be moving in with Magnus?"

I shrug. "I don't know, Janice."

"The Archive will be fine without you," Darryl adds. "We have others lined up that can work there."

"I just hate the thought of leaving," I felt tears well up in my eyes, and I got up. "I have to get some air," I say and rush out of the room. I run out of the hospital and sit on a bench out in front. I bury my face in my hands. Visit Job nib.co= m to read the complete chapters for free. I start to cry. I know deep in my heart I want to move in with Magnus and start a life with him. But I just can't stand the thought of moving and the anxiety of leaving everything I worked for. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump. I look up to see Moira standing over me. She is wearing a grey pantsuit and has her red hair braided and lying on her shoulder.

"Hello, Naomi, is everything alright?" The beautiful Queen sits beside me on the bench. I see King Kerry standing nearby with a young boy beside him. "Go on in, Kerry. I'll be right in."

I sniffle and wipe tears from my eyes. "I-I'm fine, your majesty. I just needed some air."

"Mommy, are you coming?" The little boy asks.

"Go with Daddy, Emery. Go see Uncle Magnus," Moira tells her son. The King ushers their son towards the hospital. "You can call me Moira."

"Everyone is pushing me to move here to be with Magnus, and I'm just not sure. I am not good with change," I sniffle again, and the Queen hands me a tissue.

"I know it's hard, sweetie. Change is never easy. But we do have an opening at the Royal Archive. It's an important role too. You'll be helping the King and me with important information. It's not far from the Elite Force Compound. Would you like to see it? I can take you there if you would like." I shake my head. "I don't want to bother you," I tell her.

"It won't be a bother. I don't' have much to do today," She touches my arm. "I'll introduce you to Lars. He is the head of the Archive and is looking to retire in a few years."

"I guess we can do that," I mumble.

Moira stands up. "Great," She reaches for me. "Let's go back inside."

I clasp her warm hand, and she leads me back into the hospital. We get to Magnus's room, and I hear laughter. Emery is sitting on the bed talking to Magnus.

"You got all A's in school?" Magnus says to the little boy.

"I got A's and the honor roll," Emery proclaims.

Magnus's parents are on the other side of the bed. Janice offers me a small smile. I flick my eyes to Magnus, and his green eyes look back at me. "I'm sorry, I freaked out," I tell him. He just smiles and turns his attention back to Emery. "Emery, this is my beautiful mate, Naomi."

Emery turns to me. "Hi, Naomi."

I step towards the bed. "It's nice to meet you, Emery," I shake his little hand.

"Naomi here likes history too," Magnus tells the little boy. "Emery is a history buff also. He especially likes learning about the Great Vampire Battle, don't you?"

Emery gets shy and giggles. "We beat all of those mean vampires. They went BOOM!" He yells and giggles.

"That's right, Emery," Magnus laughs.

"Magnus, I told Naomi that I would take her to tour the Royal Archive," Moira interjects.

Magnus nods. "That would be great," He smiles. "I think you'll like it."

I shrug. "I guess," I step back.

"I want to go too, Mommy," Emery squeals.

"Lars would love to see you," The Queen laughs. "Is it okay if my son accompanies us?"

"Yes, of course," I tell her.

"Emery loves it there," King Kerry adds. "He'll show you the best parts. Won't you, son?"

"Yes, Daddy." Emery claps. "Lars lets me help him sometimes."

"I have to get back to work. I'll see you all later," King Kerry says to the room.

"We can go on over to the archive now?" Moira says to me with a warm smile.

"Okay," I mumble.

"I'll wait in the waiting room," The Queen touches my arm and then walks out with Emery.

I step towards Magnus. "I'm sorry I got upset."

He reaches for my hand. "I'm sorry that I upset you. I have to learn to take things slowly with you."

"I'm sorry too," Janice interjects. I had forgotten that she and Darryl were still in the room. "I know you aren't like others."

"Have fun at the archive with Moira," Magnus squeezes my hand. "I'll get released when you get back."

I lean down and kiss him. The tingles from our bond spread through my body, and I hold the kiss until Darryl clears his throat.

"It's bad enough I had to hear Phoebe getting to know her mate last night, Darryl grumbles.

I pull away from Magnus, who whimpers. "It was just a kiss, Pops."

"Yeah, Darryl," Janice smacks her mate.

"Bye, Magnus," I kiss him one more time before leaving the room. I walk to the waiting room where Moira is waiting with Emery.

"Are you ready to go?" She smiles. I nod and follow her out of the hospital. Everyone we pass bows to her. In front of the hospital is a fancy looking golf cart. "Hop in." She climbs in while Emery hops onto the back seat. We take off, and the cart is faster than I expected. "We could walk, but I prefer driving my little buddy here."

A large Victorian-looking build looms in front of us. It reminds me of a haunted mansion or something like that. Moira stops in front of it, and Emery hops out of the golf cart and runs up the steps.

"Slow down, Emery," The Queen calls to her son.

I don't see how this building could possibly hold the Royal Archive. "This isn't what I expected."

"No one expects it," The Queen chuckles.

The front door opens, and an older man with white hair and a long beard steps out. "Is that my little buddy, Emers?" He says as the Prince bounces into his arms. "Good morning, Moira. You are looking lovely today."

"Thank you, Lars. You are always one with the kind words," Moira touches the man's arm.

Lars looks past the Queen at me. "And who have you brought with you?"

The Queen grabs my hand and pulls me towards them. "This is the lady I told you about, Naomi Monroe. She is the current archive keeper for Ghost River Pack."

"Ah, yes," Lars sets Emery down. "Welcome to the Royal Archive, Ms. Monroe. I am Lars Andersen. Come on in," He opens the door, and we step in.

I gasp at the large expansive room. Rows and rows of books and scrolls line the walls. "Wow," I whisper.

"Not what you expected, huh?" The queen chuckles.

Emery runs up and down the aisle, giggling and grabbing a few books. He runs over to me. "This is my favorite." He hands me a book on the vampire war. "My great Grandpa fought the vampire king and beheaded him with a silver sword, whoosh," Emery slashes an invisible sword.

"I believe I have read about that," I laugh.

Emery grabs my hand. "Come on," He pulls on me.

"I was going to conduct the tour, but it seems our young prince here will do it," Lars laughs.

I silently follow as Lars and Emery take us all over the extensive Archive. Lars tells me what he does and how he helps the King. Emery points out his favorite books and records.

"This one is about the witch who turned my great uncle into a toad," Emery laughs. "Uncle Toad Sprocket," He giggles.

"He is still a toad," Moira adds.

I have to admit that I like the tour and the building. The rich history of the entire kingdom is intriguing to me.

"I am looking into retiring in a few years. I would like to travel with my mate and spend time with our seven grandpups," Lars tells me. "The hours are reasonable, and I think you'll be a good match."

"It's very lovely," I mention. "I'm just not sure about moving here yet."

Moira touches my shoulder. "Ghost River's Archive will be fine, Naomi. This is a great opportunity for you."

"Hey, Emery want to help me put some books back," Lars says to the Prince.

Emery nods. "Yes," He claps and runs off while Lars jogs after him.

"I guess I sound ungrateful," I say to the Queen.

"No," Moira says. She leads me over to a table, and we sit down in some wooden chairs. "I had a hard time wanting to move here to be with Kerry. I was set in my ways and where I lived. And the thought of being the Queen," She huffs. "I was scared. Why did I have to leave everything to be with my mate? Why couldn't he leave?" She snorts. "But Kerry was so loving and patient. He showed me how much he loved me." She explains. "Magnus loves you and wants to give you everything, but his role here is important to the kingdom." "Did my anger almost get him killed?" I ask quietly.

"I don't know the full details. But I did hear Magnus was rather sullen when he arrived home," Moira mentions.

"I kicked him out of my apartment right after sex. He told me about calling the King about this job, and I flipped out. I just hate the idea of other people deciding on my life. I have everything right where I want it. I have worked so hard to learn the history of Ghost River. I just feel guilty for leaving."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

"No one but you can make the choice, Naomi. But ask yourself, do you really think you want to be alone the rest of your life?" Moira asks. "We are a species that is meant to be with our fated mates. I hear Magnus is your second chance mate." I nod. "Second chances are very rare. The Goddess must have thought you deserved to be happy."

"I do love Magnus."

"See? Look at this place," She gestures to the Archive. "Can't you see yourself here learning the history of the entire kingdom and imparting that knowledge to others? I think you'll be great here. Lars is fun to work with."

I sigh heavily. "I still have to think about it."

"Understandable." The Queen pats my arm.

Emery runs back to us with a big cookie in his hand. "Look, Mommy. I got a cookie."

"Sorry, Moira, I couldn't resist giving him a cookie," Lars walks up to us.

"You never do, Lars." Moira stands up.

"So, Naomi, will you be joining me here?" Lars claps his hand.

"I have to think about it," I tell him.

He shrugs. "Well, the door is always open. I have some paperwork I need to finish."

"Thank you, Lars," Moira squeezes his arm. "Come on, Emery, Lars has to work."

"Aww, Mommy," The Prince whines with a mouth full of cookie.

We leave the Archive and head back to the hospital. Moira drops me off, and I thank her for her time and the tour. I wave at Emery as they drive off. I go inside Magnus's room, and he is sitting in a wheelchair. His mother sits on the bed, and his father is not in the

room.

"Hi, Naomi," He smiles at me. "How was the tour?"

I lean down and kiss him. "It was great."

"Magnus is being released," Janice chimed in. "Are you ready to see his apartment?"

I look at Magnus, and he is looking at me with those green eyes. My heart pounds against my chest. This beautiful man is mine, and at that moment, I know I have to spend the rest of my life with him. "Magnus, I am ready to move in with you."