Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

“Look, Jakko-boy, I don’t know why you’re being so difficult with this. Hannah is an incredibly bright woman and if she believes she can handle this, then she can.”

I rubbed one of my temples with my free hand as I argued with Jacobian over the phone. While he’d always been a strong-willed man, he was being exceptionally difficult, which was exactly what I didn’t have time for.

“It doesn’t matter if she’s bright or not. You’re putting her into a situation that’s incredibly dangerous!”

“Yes, a situation that she asked to be in and believes she is fully capable of executing safely. You helped pick her for this position, Jacobian. Has she given you any reason to distrust her as you are now?”

“No… I guess not.” I could tell that Jacobian was saying it begrudgingly like I was pulling his teeth through the telephone. “It’s just…”

“It’s just what, Jakko-boy?”

“Nothing. You’re right. I’m probably just being paranoid.” I could have sworn I heard him growl, but instead of focusing on it, I just sipped my drink.

I was alone in my apartment, having dodged hosting family dinner in my personal space by using the restaurant I’d bought the year previous. I was grateful that the graduation party that had reserved the largest area at my restaurant had called to cancel. If it weren’t for that, I’d have been forced to fit the entire inner circle plus peripherals in my home.

“But I’m telling her she needs a bug before she goes on her date tonight. You can never be too careful.”

“Whatever floats your boat.”

Normally, I would never be so lackadaisical, but Jacobian really was being silly. It was just a date with a mid-level office manager, not a deep dive with sharks that were out for b***d.

Thankfully, Jakko-boy didn’t feel the need to draw out the argument anymore and I was finally left to my lonesome.

But since I’d just spent the last twenty minutes arguing with our resident cybernetic expert, my mind couldn’t help but drift toward Hannah. Hopefully her date would prove to get her some insider secrets and not just pointlessly put her in danger.

Secrets that could potentially corroborate Sarah’s story, or perhaps even identify any of the other witches involved. Or maybe even the brothers who had started this whole thing. Wouldn’t that be something?

Then again, I supposed there was always the risk that Hannah was a double agent or had converted. It seemed crazy to me that anybody would turn their back on their own kind to align with murderous non-shifters, but my mother had raised me to acknowledge every possibility and have a backup plan just in case. Some people called that paranoia. I just called it being prepared.

It was a risk well worth taking, in my opinion, especially since Jacobian, Hannah, and I had all been tirelessly trying to suss out a connection to the brothers, or even our moonstones, in Bronson’s company and databases.

Perhaps there were other avenues we were neglecting. We had another plant, didn’t we? That uppity witch who helped us find the treacherous Sarah.

Downing my drink, I called up Mahlan, hoping I wasn’t interrupting anything.

“Hey Theo, something wrong?”

“No, I just had a thought. Am I interrupting?”

“Nah, Lyssa’s working on homework right now and I was just lifting some weights. What do you need?”

“I was thinking it’s time for another visit down to the docks. See what that plant we put there has found out.”

“What, Samson? Oh, he left his position there after we captured Sarah. Technically, he did fulfill his promise to us.”

I cursed inside my head before my brain automatically rerouted to a different path. Problem-solving had always been one of my most valued skills.

“We need to get a new plant in there then. Someone who’s not as valuable in other aspects.” Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the iced-coffee-sipping witch, I had to admit he had some pretty remarkable talents.

“Okay, put Jacobian on that. I’m sure he has an intern or a connection that could be our eyes and ears.”

I nodded, even though I knew Mahlan couldn’t see me. “Understood. And have we been in contact with Samson lately? Has his scrying uncovered anything?”

“I need to touch base with him. I know he was helping some of our searchers try to find out which other pack’s moonstones we have since no one else in the area has reported missing any, but I’ve been, uh, occupied.”

Right. Occupied. Which was code for most likely f*****g his mate on every available surface of his expensive apartment. Not that I was jealous—because I wasn’t—but I could see the appeal in making hot, amorous memories to pepper my own den. I’d had hookups there, sure, but that was different from what Mahlan and Lyssa had.

“Perhaps we should reach out to the council?”

At that, Mahlan paused and I could almost hear how wide his eyes were on the other side of the phone. Not that I could blame him. The council was a serious deal, not an entity to get into contact with on a whim.

“No, not yet. I don’t want them involved until we know way more about what we’re dealing with. This isn’t like when Sawyer was killed.”

I nodded, my mind thinking back to our previous alpha and his grisly demise. I had thought that was the end of our pack as we knew it, but Mahlan had really stepped up. We weren’t living in easy times, that was for sure.

While the council hadn’t shown up in person to Sawyer’s funeral, they had sent flowers and their condolences, along with a truck full of high-end meat cuts. While the pack could more than afford our own provisions, the thought was nice. Even if it had felt a little…phoned in.

“I understand, Alpha,” I said, taking mental notes and tucking them away in my brain’s vault. “But once we are ready, I’m more than willing to put together a packet to debrief them.”

“Of course you are. Hey, I have another favor to ask of you.”

“What’s that?”

“Can you handle another family dinner? I’m sorry, I just need another week.”

I wanted to refuse, I absolutely did. Mostly because I knew my restaurant was fully booked out for the rest of the month, and also because I knew family dinner was meant to be a homey thing. Not a go-out-to-eat thing.

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Thank God, really. I know it’s a lot to ask, but Emma offered to help, so there’s always that.”

Emma? Her plate was overflowing as it was, but it figured she would be the one to help. “Sounds good.”

“You’re the best. Really. I owe you so much.” He was silly, that Mahlan. He didn’t owe me anything. I was just doing my duty as his right-hand man and future head beta. “Anything else you need tonight, Theo?”

“No, that should be it. Have a good night, Mahlan.”

“You too.”

We hung up, leaving me feeling more anxious than I would like. I could feel the restless energy crackling within me, and that just wouldn’t do.

Crossing my living room to my personal bar, I was about to pour my drink when I realized that being tipsy wasn’t really going to solve things. The issues with our pack were barely beginning to be uncovered and I knew things would keep growing bigger and bigger until we found the root of it.

Normally, I liked puzzles, but I just wanted things to be over and done with. I wasn’t really comfortable taking over as head beta while things were going on. We definitely needed John’s expertise, even if he was behind the scenes most of the time.

Tapping my fingers for a moment, I decided to work out in my own home gym. I did my standard warm-up, wondering if that would help settle my mind. But when that didn’t, I headed to my reinforced treadmill and got started.

I did a standard jog at first, but that wasn’t doing it for me, either, so I built it up and built it up until eventually, I was going at full blast.

Thank God for the soundproofed mat below my machinery. I hadn’t had that when I’d first set up my place, and that had led two different neighbors to pound on my door and complain about the conga lines I was having all over my apartment. I’d learned then that humans were not used to the sound of shifters running at maximum speed, so I made an effort from then on to ensure that no one would possibly show up at my door uninvited ever again.

I was really getting into the groove of it, my heart thundering in my chest and my breaths narrowing into sharp pants. But right before I hit the sweet zone, my phone buzzed.

Huh, nobody called me so late unless it was important. so I slowed just enough to pick up my phone and check it without risking dropping it into the ravenous tread of the equipment below me.

I was surprised to see a message from Emmaline. Out of all the pack, she was just about as busy as I was, mostly because she was very insistent on being an independent woman and running her own business. A very successful business, from what I heard, as she was going to need to hire more employees soon. Good for her.

Hey.

Right. A real Shakespeare there. Normally, I wouldn’t bother to reply to such a perfunctory statement, but the fact that she was messaging me at all was too interesting to ignore.

Getting off the treadmill, I quickly typed a hey right back. I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on my proper form when running while waiting for her to message back, so I went about setting up some weights to do a proper circuit.

I managed to get it all done before Emma messaged me back, and I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she was just drunk and had accidentally texted the wrong person. Although she didn’t drink often, it wouldn’t exactly be the first time.

Wiping my hands on my pants, I checked my phone again and saw the little typing bubbles just hanging there. My curiosity rose again, my mind rushing with what she could possibly say.

Did she need a ride? Was she in trouble? Had she finally gotten over her one-sided crush on Kaleb? What did that guy even have going for him? He had all the personality of a rock and spent most of his life going along with whatever whim Parker had. I wasn’t even sure if he was straight.

And then the bubble stopped.

“Come on, Emma,” I growled, growing frustrated.

The bubbles started again. Then stopped. Then started again. Then stopped.

I was done with the cycle so I quickly typed back.

Either you’re writing me a whole soliloquy or your thumbs have a severe tap dancing addiction.

That seemed to do the trick because finally, she answered back.

What time should I come over?

Wait,what was going on now?

I stared at my phone, trying to compute the meaning of her words, then stared some more. She wanted to come to my place?

I imagined the whole situation: her knocking at my door in one of those fashionable little outfits from her boutique, looking like a total smoke show. Meanwhile, I was shirtless, covered in sweat, and my inner wolf was amped all the way up.

It was impossible for my thoughts not to slide to grabbing her, and k!ssing her like she deserved to be k!ssed. Ravaging her mouth until she was breathless. Would she be a biter? A moaner? Or would she melt into me like I was what she needed all along?

I kept staring at my phone while my mind built up the fantasy. What she would feel like against me. Whether she would battle me for dominance or succumb to my desires. How her breasts would feel in my palms, soft and—

Whoops, she was still waiting for me to reply.

Tonight? Like, to work out?

I suppose we had talked about working out together a bit ago. While there were still self-defense lessons available to everyone in the pack who wanted some, Emma had mentioned that she wanted to push herself a bit more.

Feeling embarrassed for just a moment, I chided myself for getting carried away. But at the same time, that burning, rushing excitement was still simmering through my veins. Surely there wasn’t a crime in a little harmless flirting.

I’m already at it,I sent before turning to my mirror and snapping a pic. I knew I looked good, my muscles all puffed up from my efforts and my skin shining with sweat.

Once more, that little chat bubble popped in and out of existence like a lanky man in a flying, blue police box. When she eventually answered, I felt my embarrassment increase about tenfold.

No, for Saturday. Mahlan said family dinner was supposed to be at your place? I offered to help.

Well, shit.

I had certainly misinterpreted things, which was fairly unusual for me. I liked to think I was pretty good at judging a situation. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, as the saying went.

Oh, yeah. It’s not like you could handle my workout anyway.

It that a challenge?

It’s whatever you want it to be.

I didn’t even botherto fight the smile spreading across my features. I liked flirting with Emma, even if she most likely couldn’t tell I was flirting.

My mind went back to how she’d looked at the last dinner at my restaurant. She’d been dressed up like a bombshell, her style impeccable as always. I had been honest with her that she cleaned up well, if only because I felt like it would have been inappropriate to say to my best friend’s sister that she looked hot as hell and better to eat than anything else on my menu.

Right, you’re hilarious. So what time?

6:30 on Saturday. Bring something edible.

Besides that deliciouspeach-shaped as*s of hers, of course. Naturally, I didn’t say that part. Mostly because I had a lick of sense and enjoyed my head being attached to my body.

While Mahlan wasn’t a caveman who would be overly protective of his sister’s chastity, he probably wouldn’t appreciate his best friend casually discussing Emma’s posterior.

And that was the crux of the issue, wasn’t it? My friendship with Mahlan. I wouldn’t give it up for the world. He was my platonic soulmate, my brother from another mother. I loved him deeply and trusted him to the ends of the earth. I would lay down my life to make sure he was safe and protected.

But I’d also been in love with his sister since before puberty.

I’d been angry at the emotions at first. Resenting how important it was to know the smell of her shampoo, or to make sure I always lapped her in gym. But as I got older and realized what an absolute knobhead I was being, I grew more civil.

Granted, that had been a struggle when one summer she went from being flat as a board to relatively stacked. I’d definitely avoided their house for a couple of months until I could stop teenage me from popping a hormone-fueled boner just from smelling the faintest echo of her scent.

And then there was the first time she’d ever shifted. It had happened two days before her birthday, which wasn’t supposed to happen, until everyone realized that the leap year had affected her transformation. It was rare, but not entirely unheard of, so no one realized what was happening until she suddenly burst into her wolf form and took off into the woods.

She’d been beautiful, really. Her color was a deep russet like Mahlan’s, but with more red. She’d been so powerful, even if she was terrified as she took off, and I found myself enraptured by her. Maybe it was fate that I was the one who ended up finding her and talking her down from the panic she was in.

Or maybe I was just desperate after carrying a torch for her over a decade.

Eh. There were worse things I could do in life. Besides, it was plenty apparent that she’d been doing the same thing with Kaleb. Which made about zero sense.

I liked Kaleb, I did. He was loyal. He was caring. And he defended Parker through a lot of bullshit all through our childhoods. But he was also withdrawn. Reticent, and borderline anti-social. He was never outright rude, but seeing Emma throw herself at a man who clearly had zero idea of her interest was painful.

I didn’t think Emma belonged to me. No, she was her own woman. But I did think that anyone who was lucky enough to have her affection should work their as*s off to earn it. That she should be wined, dined, and appreciated.

I would never try to sabotage her attempts with Kaleb, in fact I had tried to help at the restaurant, but the whole thing had been like watching her flirt with a brick wall.

I supposed we all had our personal trials to deal with.

Roger-Wilco. See you there.

Putting aside my phone,I decided that was enough working out for the night. Clearly my b***d was rushing to all the wrong places. Maybe a cold shower was in order.

---

The week flewby in an impossible blur, much like they often did. I worked late every night just to come home and begin to set up for the family dinner. Of course I wouldn’t ever let Mahlan on to how much the whole situation was stressing me out, but keeping all that bottled in was taking a toll on me.

And to make matters worse, absolutely zero progress had been made on finding information on the brothers and everything else, for that matter. Even Hannah’s date had been apparently dreadfully boring, with the guy quoting the office and practically roleplaying Jim Halpert, from what I heard. Jacobian did seem weirdly pleased by that information, but I had too much going on to care about why.

So when Saturday finally rolled around and I still had to spend four hours in the office, I absolutely had to shift.

Did I have time to drive an hour out of the city and go on a run? No. But I did it anyway. As dedicated as I was, I knew that there were times when I needed to take care of myself, otherwise I would be useless.

It was just that more and more kept falling onto my shoulders.

I felt like I should’ve been able to handle it. After all, it wasn’t like I was kidnapped, being hunted, or had my inner wolf locked away. I was just being asked to batten down the hatches while my alpha took care of important things. That was it.

But it was all too much. Far too much. I could feel myself falling apart at the seams if I didn’t let my wolf out. So I did. I ran, and ran, hunting other small prey animals until I finally felt less like I was going to combust.

Still, I didn’t get to stay out nearly as long as I wanted to, and when I shifted back to human, I was still simmering within my human husk. But I couldn’t risk getting to the family dinner late—not when I was hosting it—so I drove back home.

I made good time, the traffic-gods deciding to be nice to me for once, and when I got inside my apartment, I realized I still had a little time to work out before showering and the catered food arrived. I’d used a place that was fairly reputable, and maybe it was overkill to use professionals for a family dinner, but if I had to cook enough food for our inner circle, I might have actually screamed then sublimated into a banshee.

I let myself run again for about half an hour, then spent another half hour of really hitting the weights before popping into the shower and using my scent-neutralizing hygienic supplies. Although some people didn’t mind their personal scents and pheromones dripping all over the place, I preferred to be more discreet.

Once that was done, I decided I deserved a little me time to relax. Throwing on some jeans and grabbing a cigar, I headed out onto my balcony to enjoy my little rebellion, although most shifters never got cancer, either from not living long enough or because their accelerated healing took care of anything that tried to take root.

But I barely lit the cigar before there was a knock on the door. Figuring the caterers must be early, I strode over and opened it.

Except it wasn’t the caterers. Not at all. Instead, it was Emma standing there, her arms laden with a heavy covered platter.

Shit. I had invited her over early, hadn’t I?

“Uh, hello?” she remarked, her eyebrows going up to her hairline. “Didn’t realize the uniform was going to be so casual.”

“Har, har, you’re hilarious,” I countered, stepping aside to let her in. “I forgot about our texts.”

“Uh-huh, I’m sure you did. But where is everyone? And why don’t you ever have a shirt on?”

“It just seems like I never have a shirt on,” I countered, moving past her, “because you keep looking at the last pic I sent you.”

She laughed, then did just about the last thing I expected. She stepped forward to pluck my drink right out of my hand and take a sip.

It shouldn’t have been as hot as it was, but something about her perfectly manicured nails gently surrounding my glass and the look in her eyes as she imperiously sipped it really did it for me. Like, really.

But then she coughed, setting the platter down. “Damn, that’s straight whiskey, isn’t it?”

While I knew Emma wasn’t a lightweight, I also knew that most shifters didn’t like strong liquors, as both the smell and taste were burningly overpowering when it came to enhanced senses. Mahlan and I were perhaps just a little masochistic in our love of the stuff.

“It’s a rough dry,” I responded, stepping closer and gripping the glass. Well, it was more like I gripped the glass around her hand, our skin touching salaciously.

How was the back of her hand so soft? Just that tiny point of contact was like velvet, and twice as beguiling. I wanted to lick it, bite it, and find out if every part of her body was just as soft—or maybe, impossibly, softer.

And then the door opened behind us.

I dropped my hand and whirled to see Lyssa rounding the corner with her arms also full of platters. Naturally, Emma rushed over to help her, ruining the moment I never thought would happen.

Because that had been a moment…right?

“You guys know I got catering, don’t you?” I called in a half grumble as I went to help them. It turned out they definitely needed it, because there was a portable cart sitting in the hall that Mahlan had to have brought up.

“Uh, I don’t think you told us that,” Lyssa said, already setting food out on the dining table that I’d ordered and assembled in my empty dining room. “Unless you said it to Mahlan and he forgot to mention it.”

“No, he didn’t tell me,” Mahlan said, entering through my front door, too. Apparently, I didn’t need to actually greet anyone or invite them in—they would just waltz in on their own.

Still, I was grateful for their help, especially when the catering arrived and I suddenly found myself a bit overwhelmed. But together, the four of us were able to get everything out and settled by the time everyone arrived.

Yeah, maybe I liked being in such close proximity to Emma while we got things set up, and maybe I took every chance I could to touch her without being a complete creep. Whether it was a hand on her back, or a supporting grip on her elbow, or our fingers brushing together when she passed me things, I cherished every little point of contact.

And yeah, maybe I also thought of what it would be like to f**k her on that very counter, what sounds she might make, how she’d take it. But I managed to force my body not to respond, as that would have made pretty much everyone uncomfortable.

But even though I was certainly feeling the moment, Emma was clearly having a different experience. She didn’t so much as give me a glance over her shoulder before she maneuvered herself to sit next to Kaleb.

F**k.

I would never get in her way. I wouldn’t. But it was increasingly frustrating how oblivious Kaleb was. Emmaline was an intelligent, graceful, and ambitious woman who deserved the world.

Too bad my relationship with Mahlan wouldn’t let me give that to her.