Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

I panted as I stood in the entryway of my house, dripping b***d from a battle I had with another pack member. One of my men had come home from a shifter fighting ring tweaking out on something completely out of control.

I’d been summoned there to help him calm down and maybe figure out what he was high on, but instead, the guy had shifted and gone ballistic. We’d tried to contain him without injuring him, but once he practically chewed through a wall to escape, it became much more dire.

We couldn’t afford anyone in public seeing a feral wolf like that. In his half-shifted state, he looked like what laypeople would call a werewolf, and my clan wasn’t going to be the one who exposed our kind to humans.

So there had been a fight, and while we’d managed to subdue him, I’d taken some significant hits. I knew my ribs were fractured, making my walk back home slow, but they were healing quickly.

“Oh my God, Mahlan!” Lyssa gasped, and I blearily realized that she was in the kitchen. Rushing towards me, she pulled off her shirt from my sister’s boutique. I watched, confused, until she pushed the wad of fabric to the wound on my side, covering the bleeding.

“What happened?”

I knew I should probably answer quickly, but all I could do was lift my hand and stroke her cheek. She cared for me. I could see it written all over her face and how she tended to my wound. With the way she’d reacted to my invitation to dinner, I had worried that we were starting at square one all over again. But no, I could see with my own two eyes that it bothered her how hurt I was.

Huh, it could almost convince a man to get wounded more often.

“Mahlan, can you hear me?”

I knew I should probably answer her, but then my gaze drifted down to my mate in just her bra, and all of my sensible thoughts fell out of my head. Yup, it was just like being in high school again.

Somehow, I got my brain together before Lyssa had to ask a third time, and I tried to give her an easygoing smile. Not sure it worked while I was covered in b***d.

“A rogue wolf had to be put down. I wanted to save him, but… he was too far gone.”

It always hurt to lose a pack member. I felt like I had failed even though my entire inner circle and I, minus Ellibie, had tried to save him without it coming to that. But in the end, we couldn’t risk him finding a human and ripping them limb from limb.

But Lyssa didn’t look comforted by that, her eyes growing even more panicked. Exhausted, I rested my hand over hers and tried to put some humor into the situation. “Sorry I ruined your shirt.”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Lyssa snapped. “We should be going to a hospital!”

It probably wasn’t a normal reaction, but I laughed, feeling much happier than I should have about the entire night’s events. “We can’t. Shifter, remember? But you can stitch me up if you want.”

“What? I have no idea how to do that! I never so much as put a Band-Aid on another person!”

I didn’t mean to panic her. I needed to remember that she wasn’t used to the accelerated healing of shifters or the kind of scraps we got into. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’ll walk you through it. But before I sit anywhere, I need a shower.”

“How can you be so casual about all of this?” Lyssa said, still pressing her shirt into my side. Gently, I took over holding my wound, even though I wanted nothing more than to have her touch me forever.

“It’s okay, I’ve got this. Just run and get the water going for me, would you? Nice and hot.”

“O-okay. But I remember hearing once that running water into a wound can cause shock. Does that happen to you?”

I trailed after her slowly, keeping her shirt pressed to me. I could smell how worried she was drifting through the air, which made me feel so incredibly valued.

“I’ll be fine. It’s not that serious. We’re just tending to this so I don’t bleed all over my furniture.”

“I…” Lyssa looked like she was going to say something else but just shook her head and disappeared into my room. I caught up to her right about when she realized my b***d was all over her hands, and she stared at them in shock before hurriedly washing them in the sink.

Guilt welled up in me because I kept just throwing her into the deep end without regard, but I had to admire how well she was handling it. Steam was already filling the room, and I longed to get under the water.

“All right, what’s next?” Lyssa asked, turning back to me with a resolute expression across her lovely features.

“The suture kit is under the kitchen sink; would you grab that and bring it here?”

“Yeah. Be right back.”

She hurried off, and I took the time to strip from my ruined clothes — except for my boxers. I had a feeling that while Lyssa wouldn’t say anything, seeing me in the buff so soon would probably throw her through a loop that she didn’t need to be tossed through.

So instead, I rinsed off in just my underwear, getting my felled packmate’s b***d off my skin. The heat of the shower was soothing, coursing down my body in a burning sort of purge.

Once I was sure I wouldn’t leave a lake of crimson on my floor, I shut off the water and grabbed a towel. Carefully making my way into the bedroom, I saw Lyssa sitting on the bed, staring at the suture kit and looking incredibly nervous.

“You’re gonna do fine,” I murmured, sitting beside her. “It’s as easy as sewing up a tear in your pants. You took home ec, right?”

“Yeah, I did,” she answered, chewing her l!p. I wanted more than anything to reach over and pull her plump lower l!p out of the punishment of her teeth. But I knew better, even in my injured state. “But this is different.”

“How so?”

“Because it’s you.”

Well, if that wasn’t just the right thing to say to flood my system with dopamine. “It’ll be all right. I promise. First, you just want to take out the alcohol pads.”

I walked her through it step by step, and although her hands were shaking, she never faltered. I couldn’t help but admire her as she concentrated, her brow scrunched from her efforts. My inner wolf was howling in pure glee at the development, feeling triumphant at having defended the pack but also cared for and cherished.

That was the thing some people didn’t get about alphas. Sure, we enjoyed our gifts plenty, but we felt certain things so much more acutely than betas, thetas, and even some omegas. There was nothing like a mate taking care of us after a battle, assuring us that we’d done well and were loved how we needed to be. Not feared. Loved.

“There, I think we’re done,” Lyssa breathed, her voice tremulous as she set the bloody needle to the side. We’d made a real mess, and I chuckled at how much we were covered in it. At least it was my b***d this time and not a feral wolf’s.

“We should probably wash off before my inner circle comes for dinner.”

“What? You’re having guests over now? You almost bled out in the entryway.”

“It was hardly that serious,” I assured her, pulling her into the bathroom and then the shower. Sure, her shorts were going to be soaked along with her bra, but I’d just throw them in the wash.

“It sure seemed that way to me,” she grumbled, grabbing my body wash and starting to clean me like it was nothing.

Except it wasn’t nothing and my brain was acutely aware of several things at once. One, was that for my body wash to be out already, she had to have used it earlier. It did a lot for my ego that she wanted to smell like me, and my inner wolf preened without remorse. Secondly, her hands sliding down my frame was somewhere between heaven and the most tempting sin. If I wasn’t still a bit hazy from post-battle fatigue, I might have grabbed her right then and there to k!ss her until we both forgot the rest of the world.

But she wasn’t ready, so I just stood there, letting her explore me.

And explore she did. Her slick, slippery hands slid over my chest, along my shoulders, and down my waist. She stopped at my h!ps, although I wanted nothing more than for her to grip my aching length, which was already standing at full attention.

Did she notice? She had to. I wasn’t exactly small and could feel it twitching as it stood for her against the fabric of my boxers. It was the world’s most perfect torture, her touching me, smelling like me, looking at me like I was so important to her that she could cry.

Beautiful. She was just beautiful.

Eventually, her hand went to my side where my injury was, and my breath caught in my throat. But she was so incredibly gentle as she washed it, trying her best not to cause me a lick of pain.

And that tenderness, the incredibly careful way she tended to it, just about made my heart grow within my chest three sizes and nearly crack in two. Had she had anyone to care for her like that since she was sixteen? How could someone who had been abandoned by everyone they loved be so kind? So caring? My mate was an amazing person, and although I was sure I didn’t deserve her, I was going to do my best to get myself to that level.

“There we are,” she said, wringing the now bloodied washcloth out. “All clean.”

“What about you?” I asked, voice rough. Surely, she had to be as affected as I was, right? Because I was so attracted to her, drawn to her, that I felt like my bones might just up and walk out of my body if we weren’t touching again.

“What about me?”

I took a step closer until our bodies were almost touching, and it was like electricity crackled between us — which may not have been the best thing to happen in the water, but I was beyond caring.

“Don’t you wanna… get clean?”

She looked up at me a moment, her face flushed, her eyes wide, and clad in nothing but her bra and shorts. She was a vision, for sure, and I wanted to do nothing more than worship her.

“Yeah, I should, um, probably get clean too.”

If I found a genie at that moment, I would simply wish to hear her say that three times and be perfectly content. Grabbing a different washcloth, I lathered it up and then proceeded to stroke along her body.

“Oh!”

I didn’t know if her little gasp was a reward or punishment, but it drove everything up to the next level. I wanted to ravish her right then and there, to pick her up, press her into the wall, and drive into her until we were both sated.

But I didn’t do any of that, so I dutifully scrubbed across every part of her that was bare to me.

By the moon, she was gorgeous. The most beautiful woman that I’d ever seen. I could barely resist her most of the time, but with her standing there, all half-lidded, pink-cheeked, and covered in slippery suds? Impossible. I didn’t know if I wanted to devour her or bow in worship.

Could I do both? Maybe once my side healed.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I growled, dipping my head, so I was closer to her ear.

She gasped again and the sound went straight to my d**k, making it ache something fierce. It wasn’t fair, any of it, and yet I loved it and didn’t want it to stop.

But then, in a move I never could have predicted, she tentatively reached out and gripped my length. The touch was light, barely there, but it was still enough for my soul to ricochet out of my body, take a euphoric trip around the sun, then come crashing back into me.

“I have an idea,” she said, voice shaky but a hint of that sass I loved so much.

It took every ounce of will I had in my body not to let my wolf take over. It wanted to feel, bite, and claim until she never thought of another again. But I knew that wasn’t an option. Lyssa needed time. After so many years of fighting for everything she had, she needed tenderness. Consideration. And I would sooner throw myself off a cliff than purposefully hurt her again.

“Careful how you play, Lyssa. This wolf can bite.”

“Oh, I know,” she said, tilting her neck so I could see the fading bruise. “Rather intimately.”

That was the last straw. She was teasing me, and she knew it. Leaning forward, I pressed my l!ps to the bite until she gasped again, and then my tongue came out to gently lave at it.

“Oh my God!”

That exclamation coursed through me like fire, and I put more pressure on the bite, letting my teeth ever so gently graze over it. Lyssa was practically panting in an instant, and her hold on me grew even tighter.

It was amazing. Every cell of my body was drenched in pleasure as I made my way to her l!ps. Her mouth was already open, making it easy to claim, my hand sliding up to gently massage her mark as I devoured her.

Maybe I had lost the fight, died, and somehow wound up in heaven. Well, if my afterlife consisted of k!ssing my mate in a heated shower, I wasn’t mad about it. Not even in the slightest.

Every touch, breath, or sigh was a jolt to my system, and I could feel the moment building between us. Once Lyssa started trembling, I moved my thigh forward so she could grind against it. Watching the pleasure drenching her features when I broke our k!ss was exquisite. But I couldn’t stay away for long, feeling my peak rapidly approaching.

Time slipped away in the ecstasy, and not for the first time was I incredibly grateful for my excellent hot water supply. The temperature never dipped as we k!ssed and found joy in each other, letting the sensations build higher and higher until Lyssa tipped her head back and let out an ardent keen.

That was all I needed to set myself off, and I lost myself to my o****m, biting into the other side of her neck. Not enough to break the skin, but she would have a light mark there in an hour or so.

God, she looked so good with my marks on her. The thought made my climax last longer than it normally would, and when I finally came down, I was absolutely breathless.

I’m definitely gonna need to wash these boxers ASAP.

We both stood there a moment, and I got the feeling that we were a bit in shock, but before either of us could say something lucid, a knock sounded at the door.

“Oh my God! I forgot that you were having people over!”

“Don’t worry. You finish rinsing off, and I’ll text them real fast.”

Stepping out of the shower, I dried my face and hands while trying not to look like the cat that ate the cream — which was pretty hard considering how damn satisfied I felt. Despite the unfortunate circumstances of our meeting, it was clear to me that Lyssa and I were meant to be together. And although she was resistant to the idea, she was slowly beginning to see it too.

Grabbing my phone, I opened the group chat and told them to let themselves in, as I’d be a couple of minutes. None of them questioned it, no doubt thinking that I was still bandaging myself up.

Except I didn’t have to bandage myself up anymore. I had Lyssa waiting and willing to help me. I didn’t think I would ever grow tired of that fact.

Maybe that was why Alpha Sawyer became so bitter. His wife had passed fifteen years before he did due to complications in birth, and his eldest son had died in a fight with a loose pack of exiles who illegally crossed into our territory and tried to cause trouble. I didn’t even want to imagine what it would be like to lose Lyssa. Not since I found her against all odds.

“Here, let me dry you off,” I said, returning my attention to my mate. I didn’t hide how I looked over her naked body, appreciating the shape and power of it as I gently enveloped her with a towel.

I couldn’t help but notice that she looked troubled, and my alpha instincts began to rise.

“What’s wrong?”

“I left all my new clothes in the living room,” she murmured, worry etched into her lovely features. “What should I do?”

“Oh, did you leave them out there for a reason?” Was she planning to run again? Objecting to ever being in my room?

“I didn’t know where you wanted me to sleep and I was afraid I’d take a closet or dresser I wasn’t supposed to.”

I had to resist chuckling, as I was sure she’d take it the wrong way. “You can put them wherever you want in my room. Provided you want to, of course. But for now, I’ll go grab some of them for you.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, clearly relieved. Which naturally filled me with all sorts of satisfied and protective instincts.

“I’ll be right back.”

I headed to the living room, giving my guests an absent salute before swiping up five or so of Lyssa’s bags. My inner wolf liked seeing all the nice things for his mate, although I could feel my instincts urging me to feed her more and maybe even purchase a bigger mattress for her to nest in.

Oh. That was a thought.

It flashed before my mind while I was in mid-step, nearly knocking me off balance. But I could see it clear as day, her belly swollen with pups as she arranged the sheets and pillows on our bed just so, carefully scent marking our entire bedroom so it would become a birthing den.

Except I didn’t want to get an e******n in front of my friends, so I cut off that fantasy and hurried down the hall. Not that I wouldn’t revisit it later at a more… appropriate time.

When I finally returned to my room, Lyssa was pacing slightly, no doubt anxious to get dressed and be less vulnerable. But when I handed her the bags, and she began to paw through them, she didn’t look any happier. If anything, she looked even more troubled.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I am,” she murmured uncertainly. “It’s just…”

“Yeah?”

“I, uh, I…” she took a deep breath. “This is gonna sound dumb, but I don’t know what to wear! I’ve never had options like this before.”

Goodness, that was cuter than it had any right to be, but it also made me want to go buy out an entire outlet mall to rain over her head. My inner wolf needed to cool it, or every dresser, closet, and other storage space in my house would be full to bursting.

“Do you have some favorites you picked out?” I pointed to a bag that seemed much fuller and heavier than the others. “What about in there?”

At that, she blushed a vibrant pink, and I didn’t quite understand why. “Uh, that’s not a clothing bag. Not really.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I, um, I made a go bag. You know, in case I needed to run.”

Pain lanced through me, wounding my pride with the idea that she thought she’d need to flee from me after all.

“It’s not specifically because of you, FYI. It’s just if something goes wrong, it’s always better to have all your absolute essentials nearby so you can beat it in a hurry.”

My heart ached for her. What kind of life had she lived where her first thought in a new home was to make sure she had an escape kit? But I wasn’t gonna shame her for it. I recognized that I was coming from a much more advantageous position, and I needed to be understanding.

“You won’t ever need to run from me or from here,” I promised gently. “Go ahead and finish off your bag whenever you like. And maybe we can make one for me. Together.”

“Really? You don’t think I’m stupid? You’re not insulted?”

My beautiful, wonderful Lyssa. So brave, so strong, and yet I could still hear the slightest tremble of insecurity in her voice. It made my chest swell with pride that she cared what I thought. It didn’t take a genius to tell that Lyssa was headstrong, so it meant a lot that I mattered.

Sure, we hadn’t exactly fallen into each other’s arms in a fairy tale romance, but I could feel us rapidly growing closer.

“Not at all. Preparedness is next to godliness, I hear. Or something like that.”

Her sharp laugh bubbled out, and I was about drunk just on the sound. Or maybe it was the b***d loss. Hard to tell.

“What, you gonna take me to church now?”

“Sure, I’m sure we’d fit right in on the pews.”

“Wouldn’t you burst into flames or something?”

I chuckled at her quip. “I’m a werewolf, not a vampire.”

At that, her eyes went wide, color draining from her cheeks. “Wait, are vampires real?”

I chuckled yet again. Except by chuckled, it was more a booming bark of laughter that startled even myself. It was just that her expression was so priceless!

“What? What’s so funny?”

“If you could only see your face right now,” I said, struggling to compose myself. “You are just too cute, you know that?”

She flushed a truly brilliant red. “What? No, I’m not!”

“You absolutely are, and I’d be happy to debate you until the next full moon. But, for the moment, you should get dressed for our guests.”

“Oh, right.”

“And you can be comfy, but the way. This is just a family dinner.”

“O-oh…”

Her response was interesting, but I didn’t press it. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d put my money on it being her just thinking about her own family. Or lack thereof.

I waited by the door as Lyssa picked out a pair of jeans and a simple, fitted t-shirt. It was a relatively plain outfit, yet it looked plenty good on her.

“Ready?” I asked once she was all done.

“As ready as I’m ever gonna be.”

“All right, let’s head out.”

She followed me to the living room, where Theo, Kaleb, Jacobian, Parker, and my assistant, Taylor, waited. Quickly, I reintroduced Lyssa in case she forgot their names before I realized one other person was present.

She was slightly familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her name. She wasn’t Addison, judging by her lack of cane, and she was plus-sized with long, emerald green hair instead of waifish with a mousey brown bun.

“This is Hannah, one of my interns,” Jacobian said flatly, no doubt noticing my look of curiosity. “She’s been working on a new portfolio for you, focusing on sustainable companies and shares.”

“Ah, nice to meet you,” I said, offering her my hand. “You’re fairly young for a financial genius, though.” I gave her a wink and she let out a soft, polite giggle. Maybe it was my imagination, but I swore Lyssa stiffened beside me.

Interesting.

“Oh, I’m still in my final year of college, but I’m excited to apply once I pass my finals.”

“Wait, we’ve met before, haven’t we?” I blurted as her face clicked into place.

“Yes, sir. But I did grow my hair out and got new contacts. Thought it would be cool to have green eyes for a bit.”

“Well, you look great,” more stiffness from Lyssa, and this time I was sure I didn’t imagine it. Now that my memory was rolling, I remembered more of the woman. “Hannah here has a strong affinity for numbers,” I told Lyssa, hoping it would ease her. “Maybe someday she’ll work on your portfolio.”

“That would be an honor!” Hannah said, grinning from ear to ear. “And you are?”

“Where are my manners? This is my mate, Lyssa.”

“Lovely to meet you then! I would count myself lucky to work with you in the future.”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Lyssa said, trying to smile, but her gaze kept flicking to me uncertainly. Was she looking to me for assurance? If that were the case, I was more than happy to be whatever support she needed.

“Are we eating here tonight or going out?” Theo asked, clearly bored with the pleasantries. I loved him, but sometimes he was a bit too brusque.

“I was cooking before Mahlan stumbled in here like a zombie,” Lyssa said, gently elbowing me in the ribs. I couldn’t help but notice that she purposefully went a little higher to avoid any injured area. She really was a considerate mate — more than I could ever hope for.

“Thank you, Lyssa. But you don’t have to. If you want, you can sit and talk with everyone else. I’ll take care of it.”

What I wanted to say was I’ll take care of you, but I knew that would be too much in front of an audience of strangers to her.

“Could… could I help?”

Goodness, it was probably a health concern how much my heart swelled in my chest, but I was too happy to care. Making a meal together was so domestic, so cozy. I’d never really thought much about it, but with the option in front of me, I suddenly wanted it very much. Besides, having a simple task would probably help Lyssa with any anxiety she had about being around so many pack members at once.

“Sure, of course you can.”

The soft smile she sent me was priceless, and the two of us walked into the kitchen while the rest of my inner circle, plus Taylor and Hannah, set themselves up at the edge of the living room or the kitchen island.

They were patient as I walked Lyssa through what I could use help with, not a snicker or divisive comment among them. I was more than grateful, and once Lyssa seemed settled, I turned to them.

“We need to figure out how to get the device we need plugged into the CEO’s computer. Or a computer that has backdoor access to his,” I said as I started pulling more things from the fridge.

“According to Addison, the meeting rooms are on the same floor as the CEO’s office,” Theo supplied. “As long as we keep him and the other two of his men in the meeting busy, someone should be able to slip in there.”

“I can get in and out, that’s no problem,” Lyssa said, brow furrowed as she concentrated on cutting the potatoes.

“There’s a lot of room for error,” I gently reminded her. Not because I didn’t believe in her, but because I wanted her to know the gravity of the situation. “Someone could lock a door, or a single assistant could say back.”

“Don’t worry, I think quickly on my feet. I know I can figure it out should the situation arise.”

“What about their security?” Parker asked.

“I can hack into their camera feeds and put it on a loop, thanks to Addison. Somehow, she managed to get a splicer in there without anyone knowing.”

“That’s Addison for you. She may not be a pickpocketing wizard, but she is good at being unnoticed.”

“Great. You’ll have to be careful about who’s still on the floor and what they’re doing.”

“Are you sure she’s ready for this?” Theo asked, staring at me like Lyssa wasn’t there. Now, I didn’t approve of that at all. “Every new person we bring in is an additional risk. And how is she even getting in? Bringing her with us is sure to raise suspicion.”

“Why not have you guys go in early and demand a tour? That way, you can scope things out, get a read on people, then relay that info to me when I come in?”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Parker added, as enthusiastic as ever. “We go in with our dicks swinging, so they think we’re just there to be posturing alpha and co. Their attention will be so locked on us ‘boneheads’ that they won’t even think we’re there for corporate sabotage.”

“I like it.”

We continued to go over details while Lyssa and I cooked. Even though we’d just met, and she hadn’t even begun to integrate into the pack, it felt so natural to be making a meal together. Just two mates looking out for each other.

A wolf could get used to that sort of thing.