Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

“Now, as you can see from these numbers, our progress hasn’t been matched by anyone else in our sector. We are heads and tails above any other competitor you might find.” I could tell I really had their CEO on the hook and slid right into the projected numbers.

But then my pants buzzed, and I realized that I was getting notifications. Normally, I knew to put all my phones on do not disturb, but I’d clearly I’d forgotten, resulting in it buzzing in my pocket every two seconds like there was a barrel of bees in it. I tried to ignore it at first, but it was getting distracting, with several of the board looking at my trousers, no doubt trying to identify which pocket the sound was coming from.

“Pardon me,” I said with a wry grin. “Let me just shut that off.” I reached in my pocket and flicked the messages open, about to tell the guys to chill before they set my phone on fire. But when I opened the group chat and started to read, my heart sank down through the very crust of the earth.

Something was going on with Emma. Obviously nothing too serious, otherwise we’d be on high alert. But enough for Mahlan to send a witch and Kaleb to keep her company.

Guilt flooded me that I couldn’t be there for her. I was probably the farthest away out of anyone, which really gnawed at me.

Even if Emma wasn’t my mate, and never would be my mate, I still wanted her to be safe and secure. My caring about her wasn’t conditional on her being in a relationship with me.

But hey, if something was going on, certainly more hands would be better, wouldn’t it?

Clearing my throat, I met the gazes of the board, who were looking at me expectantly. “Apologies, but there’s an urgent matter I have to take care of. I’ll have my assistant call yours and we can reschedule. Thank you for your understanding.”

And with that, I walked out, intent on making sure that Emma was safe. Notes could be sent, meetings could be held again, but Emma…she was irreplaceable.

I rushed to my car and hopped in, driving well above the speed limit as I rushed to her shop. If Kaleb wasn’t already there when I arrived, I was going to kick his a*s. He was the closest, and if he didn’t get a move on…well, it showed that he really didn’t deserve any of Emma’s affections. I wasn’t normally one for inner-pack beatdowns, but every man has his limit.

When I arrived, I parked right outside and practically vaulted out of the car, rushing inside. Or at least, I tried to. The door was locked when I arrived, and when I peered through the window, there wasn’t a soul within sight.

Huh.

But then I spotted other signs things were not good. There were things knocked over and definite damage inside. Emma would never let her shop look like that, not even if a mob came through it, so I knew something was very, very wrong.

I tried pulling the door again, but it was stuck fast. With no other option, I curled my fist and punched it as hard as I could.

I probably didn’t need to use that much force, because the glass went flying everywhere inside the shop. But that was the last of my concerns as I raced inside, taking in everything I could.

The whole place smelled of Emmaline, but there was something else under it that made me either want to heave or rip a man’s throat out with my teeth. Because underneath all those lovely scents she liked to wear was a smell that was unmistakably her b***d.

Someone had hurt Emmaline.

I could feel my teeth lengthen inside my mouth and claws sprout along my fingertips, fur just beginning to try to poke out of my skin in itchy waves. Well, if my inner wolf was going to burst its way out, I might as well make use of it for a fight. And since Emma’s scent was coming from the back, I headed in that direction.

But there was something else there beside the b***d, panic, and flowery notes. A scent I couldn’t place. I didn’t have the most sensitive nose—that feature seemed to belong to Kaleb, Emma, Ellibie, and Lyssa—but I’d never much minded. I minded now, however, wanting more than anything to identify any potential threat to Emma.

“Emmaline!” I called out, ignoring how strange my voice sounded around my canine teeth. If she was around to hear, at least she would take comfort in knowing I was already halfway shifted and ready to save her.

Nothing. Just silence.

Bristling, I stalked to the back more quickly. Kicking open the door and snarling, I braced myself for a fight. Except there were none.

But there was Emma, lying unconscious on the floor.

“Emmaline!” I said, rushing forward and kneeling beside her prone form. She was breathing, which was a huge relief, but before I could examine her, a noise sounded from behind me.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw a woman bolt out of Emma’s office and take off through the door.

Oh no, I wasn’t having any of that. People needed to learn that there were consequences for attacking one of Mahlan’s pack. Consequences that couldn’t be escaped or weaseled out of.

I raced off after her, teeth bared and legs lengthening. I knew I couldn’t be seen in public in my current form, but I also didn’t care. The woman in front of me had hurt Emma and she had to pay!

Yet I knew I could reach her, I did. I lunged for her, but right when my claws were about to hook into her shoulder, she turned around and blasted me with…something.

I couldn’t say what it was, but one moment, I was flying through the air at her, and the next moment, I was flying in the opposite direction, tons of products and shelves also sailing with me.

Ouch.

I landed hard in a flurry of papers, my vision dazed. I tried to get to my feet, but I couldn’t in time, and the woman vanished out the door.

Well, I could revert to my human form and go after her, but that would require leaving Emma alone, and I just wasn’t willing to do that. Instead, I raced back to my packmate, cradling her head in my hands.

Phone in hand, I called Savannah, our Alma.

“Theo?” she answered, her voice sleepy. I’d probably caught her during one of her afternoon naps. Considering that most of our emergencies happened at night, Savannah was a fairly nocturnal person so she could always be on call whenever she was needed.

“Yeah, I’m here with Emma right now and I need your help!”

Savannah’s tone lost all hints of slumber to it. “Tell me what is happening, now.”

“It’s Emma. She’s unconscious with some minor wounds, but she’s not waking up. It’s like…like I can feel her energy draining by the second!”

Emma always had such a bright spark of energy to her wolf, a shining wellspring in a world that could be oh so dull. But now I could barely feel that wolf, all her inner self reduced to barely a flicker of illumination in my lupine senses.

“Emmaline, wake up! Come on, you need to open your eyes!”

“I’m on my way, but I don’t know if I’ll make it in time,” Savannah said, making my b***d turn to ice. “This sounds like a lethal curse. Those require strong magic and healing to counter.”

“What do I do? She can’t die!” No, that was impossible. Losing Mahlan’s sister would destroy our pack, and honestly, I didn’t think I could come back from it.

“Then either you must have her swear a b***d oath or give her a mate mark to save her.”

“She…she’s not conscious enough to do a b***d oath, and I don’t have the right ingredients.” Sure, it could be done in a pinch with just my b***d and hers, but it required her to be conscious.

Which left my mate mark as my only option.

“Emma, wake up Emma. I need your permission, okay? I can’t do this without your permission. I just can’t.” Sure, Mahlan and Lyssa had worked their way through it, but it had caused a lot of issues between them.

Besides, I just couldn’t do that to Emma. She was such a strong, independent woman, full of ambition and vigor. How could I take her choice away like that? It went against everything I believed about respecting her and loving her as a fully fledged fellow being.

“I’m sorry, Theo, but if her condition is worsening, you need to bite her before she hits the point of no return.”

I had no idea how Savannah sounded relatively calm when I was losing my mind. I couldn’t take that choice away from Emma. It was more than my worst nightmare—it was a nightmare I never dared to even have, and I was stuck in it.

“Goddammit! Wake up, Emma! Do you hear me!? Wake up!”

But she didn’t, and she was growing paler and paler by the second. If it came down to Emma hating me or Emma dying, I knew what choice I would make.

So I bit her.