Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

I chewed on my l!p as I stood in the kitchen, staring at my only slightly dirty floor as I wrestled with the urge to call Theo. I knew he was busy on pack business so I shouldn’t, and I also didn’t want to come across as dependent.

And yet…I still wanted to call him.

Sick of chasing my thoughts in circles, I grabbed my broom and dustpan, compulsively cleaning while I debated with myself. Why did I care if anyone thought I was dependent? Couldn’t I call my friend of decades to check that he was alright? Couldn’t I worry about the investigation that was affecting my entire pack?

Besides, it wasn’t like anyone would know I had called Theo. Only I would. So really, was I worried about thinking these things about myself? If so, I had some things I needed to address in my own mind, but because that wasn’t very girl-wolf boss of me.

I had only just finished sweeping when my phone started buzzing insistently from where I’d left it on the kitchen counter. I snatched it up like it was on fire and clicked the answer button faster than I had in my entire life.

“Hello? Did something happen!?”

“What? Uh, no. Everything’s alright,” Theo’s voice came over the line, sounding unpanicked but a bit surprised by my greeting. “We’re on our way back, I just wanted to ask how your day was going.”

Oh.

Well, I supposed that was a normal question to ask a mate. But then again, it wasn’t like Theo and my relationship was normal by any sense.

“Uh, it’s been good. Surprisingly low-key. Finally settled on some hires.”

“Oh really? I know that’s been stressing you out.”

He did? I didn’t realize he’d been paying that much attention to the relatively trivial issues of my shop. While I loved my little boutique, it was kind of low on the scale of importance compared to the safety and longevity of our entire pack.

“Yeah. But Lyssa was a huge help and I think we narrowed it down to a couple of really good selections. But you know how it is, only time will tell.”

He let out a soft chuckle that somehow managed to sound nice even over my phone’s speaker. “That is how it works, isn’t it?”

“You betcha. But don’t worry, I’m gonna have Sam come in for a day and give them a full-spectrum magical once-over. No spy witches here.”

“Good plan. I trust that you’ve given them all a good scenting?”

“Yeah, nothing I could pick up. Their energies seemed good, too.” I sat down at my tiny kitchen island, spinning on my stool as I talked to my mate. “If these hires go well, I’m thinking of trying to find a professional photographer I can book twice a month.”

“Wow, really? But you do such a good job with all of your shoots.”

He thought that my photography was good? And he’d noticed that I did 90% of the photos for my site? I hadn’t realized he paid so much attention to what I did for work. Even Mahlan hadn’t really been aware I did all that until Lyssa and I set up a temporary studio in his guest room after the young shifter they rescued had been settled into a safer location with an older pack member who was taking care of her.

More and more, his comments about being interested in me for years were making sense. It was strange to think that while I’d been wasting time on Kaleb, who barely noticed me, he’d been gone on me, who barely noticed him outside of our friendship. Strange how things worked out that way. Sometimes…sometimes it seemed almost…

Fated.

I swallowed the lump that rose in my throat and tried to quickly reply to Theo. “I do, but between the shooting itself and the editing I do on my laptop, it would free up several hours every day. And allow me to catch up on the backlog I still have from taking two weeks off work. I’m gonna need to start preparing for the winter season soon.”

“Winter season? It’s not gonna be fall for another month.”

“Welcome to fashion, baby.”

Another chuckle, but it wasn’t patronizing. I liked that he found me funny. My humor didn’t always land with people outside of Lyssa and my brother.

“I know it seems like a lot, but I feel like I’m at a huge crossroads in my business. I can go casual and everything will stay steady for a long while, or I can really buckle down and expand my clientele, our online reach, and fully utilize my increased store space that will double my profits.”

“Sounds ambitious. But if anyone can do it, it’s you. You’re one of the most unstoppable wolves I know.”

My cheeks colored at that, a gentle warmth spreading through me. “Pshawww, you don’t need to butter me up.”

“Just being honest. Always have been.”

That’s true. Theo had always been honest to a fault, often bluntly so. But could he really think that way about me? The thought was flattering, that was for certain. Theo was discerning, intelligent, and logged away valuable information about people like a machine. While I’d never much cared what he thought about me before, it certainly seemed important now.

“You know, I worked with a couple of photographers on some pitches I did last year. I could send you their work, and if either of them clicks with your brand, I’ll check if they’re free?”

“Oh my God, would you really do that?” I wasn’t a fool. I knew Theo’s plate was overflowing with tasks, between Mahlan’s surprise mating, his own surprise mating, and someone systematically hunting down our pack members on top of all his business obligations.

“Yeah, I don’t mind. It wouldn’t take very long and if it would help you, I’m all for it.”

It would have been cheesy from anybody else, but I knew Theo so well that it just came across as wonderfully genuine. Which naturally made my toes curl within my shoes. While I’d known him plenty long enough to be able to read all his little tells that other people missed, I wasn’t used to him being so open and talkative with me. It was nice, if I was being honest.

“Well, thank you. I hope you know that it’s plenty appreciated.”

“I do. You’re not the type to take such things lightly.” I cleared my throat, not sure what to say, but thankfully Theo kept on going. “Hey, there was something I’ve been meaning to mention for a while, but I kept getting distracted.”

“Oh?” For some reason, I was nervous, like he was going to tell me that we needed to go through the painful process of trying to break our bond, or that he’d discovered he was wrong about how he felt about me.

“Yeah. I know your boutique is centered around women, but I think you should have a few men’s accessories and small items here.” Oh no, was he about to go into some sort of men’s right’s equality thing? I couldn’t imagine anything more boring. “You know, little gifts that women can buy for any males in their life. I think I read a while back that women are the most frequent gift givers and are especially prone to spontaneous purchases if they see something that reminds them of someone they love.”

Oh.

Oh.

That was actually quite thoughtful.

“Huh. I’ll need to talk to my supplier, but that’s certainly an idea, Theo. You know, you have more of a head for fashion that I would have assumed.”

“Considering the impeccably tailored suits I wear most business days, I think I’m insulted.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “Okay, I do admit to admiring several of your ‘fits.”

“Fits? What are you, Gen Z now?”

“Hey, just keeping up with the times. Don’t hate me because you ain’t me.”

“Ah, I see. And now we’re in the nineties.”

We both shared another laugh and I was taken aback of just how easy it all was. I wasn’t big on phone conversations, preferring in person or texting. But I didn’t mind just spinning around on my stool while Theo and I chatted.

“The thing is, if I do this men’s gifts thing, I’ll need to hire a male model. Can’t exactly do that myself.”

“Well, I can offer the occasional weekend.”

I froze mid-spin, although my center of gravity kept going. I had to swallow hard yet again as my mind easily pictured Theo and I modeling together, decked out in stylish outfits that I’d ordered, posing like a couple who wasn’t forced together, but had chosen to be.

Goodness, that was certainly something to think about. And why were my cheeks coloring again? It wasn’t like I was imagining something explicit. And yet, something seemed so intimate about it.

“That would be amazing,” I said in what I hoped was a normal tone. Why did I feel like I was back in high school again? All twitterpated about a boy and being seen together. Maybe I needed a change of pace. Quickly, I changed the subject.

“Hey, as fun as talking about my future business empire is, any updates on your end? Did you find Lyssa’s family?”

“What’s left of them,” Theo answered, his tone turning somewhat melancholy. My stomach dropped and I began to worry about Lyssa. She held it together well, but I knew she was anxious about her biological family.

“Okay, dish. If you can, that is.”

I almost expected him to say he couldn’t share anything yet and we’d have to have a whole argument, but thankfully he just went into a full explanation. I wasn’t sure what to think about that alpha or the aunt, but all in all, it wasn’t exactly the worst outcome.

“Isn’t it strange that the council knows but isn’t doing anything?”

“Well, they supposedly sent one of their most powerful priestesses,” Theo said. “But I’m with the grandparents on that.”

“As in, you’re not sure she actually did anything?”

“Yeah. The whole thing just seems…off. Like everything’s one step out of sync with each other.”

“Did Sam have any observations?”

“Sam’s on the same page that I am. Hold on, let me put him on. I have you on my earbuds.”

“Okay.”

A moment later, I heard the familiar, jovial tone of our resident green witch. “Hey there Emmie-femmie? Anything exciting going down around you?”

“Nope, just having a normal day. But please never call me that again.”

“Got it, Emma-Gemma.”

“Nope, not that, either.”

“Emily-Bemily?”

“Emma will do.”

“Boo, you’re no fun.”

“I’m incredibly fun to people with a sense of humor that passed high school,” I shot back, trying not to grin into the phone. Although the witch was younger than me, I did appreciate his energy. He seemed pretty earnest and he had Lyssa’s trust, so I didn’t see why I wouldn’t give him mine.

“Ouch, okay, see if I invite you to my next party.”

“You live in a studio in the city and every flat surface in your home is covered in either plants or dried plants. You have no room for a party.”

“First of all, ouch. Second of all, damn, call me out, why don’t you. And thirdly, because Theo is glaring at me…about that priestess.”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t say one hundo percent for certain, but I couldn’t sense even the tiniest dregs of that kind of magical signature around the place. Like, it was over a decade ago, so there’s a chance it’s faded significantly. But like, not that significantly.”

“Hmm, what would you need to know for certain?”

“A week, some tuning forks, and a whole lot of caffeine.”

“Right, so not something immediate.”

“No, unfortunately. Maybe if I was older and wiser, but like I’ve repeatedly reminded y’all, I’m a self-taught, covenless green witch. Not exactly a savant when it comes to magical aptitude.”

“Hey, you’re plenty talented. And you’ve helped us plenty.”

“Well, the money helps. Anyway, your hubbo is glaring at me again so I’m gonna hand you over.”

There was the sound of shuffling, then Theo was back on the line again. “The whole thing is a clusterfuck, isn’t it?” he said with a sigh.

“Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty apt way to describe it.” I chewed my l!p, pondering the mess of it all. “Do you think they’re using the human brothers for a front?”

“Pardon?”

“The witches. What if they’re using these brothers as some sort of red herring to throw us off?”

“You think the revenge was part of some grand witch plot?”

“No, I think that was genuinely the brothers, but with one in a coma and one being, like, pretty old now, I think it’s a little unlikely that they’re running around commanding multiple witches, stealing moonstones, and cooking up some plot that involves kidnapping multiple shifters.”

“That’s a good point, but it’s the best lead we have right now. So far, everything, including Sarah, is pointing to them.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just something to keep in mind.”

“I most certainly will. I promise.” He let out a heady sigh that I couldn’t exactly blame him for. “But since, as far as we know, everything started with Lyssa’s family, that’s where we’re gonna focus. We’ll start pouring most of our energy into tracking those brothers and anyone else adjacent to them.”

“Makes sense to me,” I said, debating my next question. But I decided to be brave and just blurt it out. “So, when can I expect you to be home?”

I could tell his expression went smug even over the phone. Handsome bastard.

“Why? Do you miss me?”

“Stop trying to be cute and answer the question.”

“Oh, I’m cute, am I? I always thought of myself as more the devilishly handsome type, but I’ll take cute.”

“You’re the devil alright.”

“Aw, are you pouting, princess?”

That pet name shouldn’t have made my toes curl in my shoes, but it did, and an uncontrollable flush raced through my body. Whoa. New kink unlocked? Well, if it was, I could worry about it later.

“Theodore, if you don’t tell me when you’ll be home, I’ll lock all the doors and spread wolfsbane oil on all my windowsills.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me. I’m savage.”

“Yeah, I’m finding that out.”

“I dunno. We just left a bit ago, so late tonight, I think. Maybe early tomorrow depending on Sam’s ridiculously small bladder.”

“Don’t blame me, blame the iced coffee!” I heard the witch faintly call in the background.

“You are an adult and you chose to ingest that much sugary liquid,” Theo retorted calmly.

“Okay, mom.”

“Usually people call me daddy.”

Oh. Oh God. That flush increased ten-fold and I nearly fell off my stool. I’d never been so turned on by an offhand comment, and Theo didn’t even know.

But it was so easy to imagine us under the stars, him rutting into me in the center of a quiet forest, demanding that I be good for daddy. Oof, I was most definitely soaking my underwear. I was surprised that Theo couldn’t smell it even from where he was.

“Emma,” he murmured suddenly, and ooooooh, if the low timber of his voice wasn’t just right.

“Yeah?”

“Are you behaving yourself?”

He couldn’t know, could he?

But then I remembered our bond, the mating gland on my neck throbbing with every word out of his honeyed mouth. “For now,” I murmured, electricity crackling along my skin. “But maybe you’re the one who should be worried, considering you’re in a van with a bunch of other shifters who can smell you right now.”

Theo cleared his throat, and I would have laughed if I didn’t feel like I was at risk of turning to a gooey puddle on the floor. “Right. Well, we’ve got to stop to break into a human school, but I’ll hurry back as fast as I can.”

“Wait, you’re breaking into a school? Why?”

“We figure it’s the best way to find out more info about the brothers. You’d be amazed how far back those records go.”

“Huh, you really think you’ll find their family info or something? Or are you just checking their attendance record?”

“Pfft, yeah. Need to know if they were punctual, of course.”

“Naturally, naturally,” I agreed. “But back to the real world—the pack really didn’t have any of that info about them?”

“Nope, couldn’t even tell us their names or anything else.”

“Yikes, who are these guys?”

“Hopefully we’ll find out soon. And then…” his voice dropped low again. “I can come home and make sure you have company.”

Why did I get the feeling that his company wasn’t the kind I had after church with my parents? Although there might be a few cries out to God. My mind flashed to the first time we slept together, how sensual it had been. How wanted I’d felt.

Whew, I needed to stop getting distracted.

“Alright, but you’re coming home right after the school then?”

“Well…”

“Well? Well what?”

“Depending on how we’re feeling, we might go interview families of other shifters that went missing here.”

“Right. Is there anything else you wanna add? Maybe a trip to the moon?”

“You know, now that you mention it…”

“Hah. You’re hilarious. But if you guys don’t do that now, are you planning on a return trip later?”

“Yeah, actually. Lyssa’s family is pretty keen to meet her, and considering they thought she was dead for over a decade, I don’t think we should make them wait overly long.”

“Okay, just be careful on that front. Lyssa is still real uncertain on how to feel about the lot of them, and I think that she’s kinda sealed herself off emotionally for her own protection. You get it.”

“Yeah, I do,” Theo said with a heady sigh. Goodness, I didn’t think I’d ever heard him do that so many times in one conversation. But we were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. “But I think it’ll do everyone well. Eventually.”

“Yeah. Eventually.”

“Alright, I really have to go now, but you be safe, alright?”

“I always am,” I replied automatically.

“You and I both know that’s a lie.”

“Yeah, yeah we do.”

“Goodbye, Emma. See you soon.”

“Goodbye, Theo. And I’ll hold you to that.”

With that, he went to hang up, with only one last sentence drifting through the line before it disconnected.

“You know that’s my sister, right?”

I couldn’t help it, I burst into laughter at my brother’s exhausted tone, filling my empty kitchen with loud, raucous peels. I knew I was probably going to be alone for a bit longer, but at least I had so much to look forward to.