Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

“We need to get you a little bit of everything, so the first store we go to will be a sort of trial run,” I said as we drove along. Lyssa hadn’t spoken much since we’d gotten in the car, and I got the impression her mind was full.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, clearly only half paying attention to me.

I didn’t answer entirely honestly, but that was only because I was pretty sure she didn’t want to hear about my temptation to pull her into my la*p and k!ss her senselessly on the side of the road. I felt like a teenage boy again, caught up in everything she was. The slight upturn of her l!ps whenever she thought she was saying something particularly clever. The way her brow furrowed when she thought hard. The slight cant to her h**s and the way she crossed her arms when she was presented with a challenge.

Perhaps it was just the chemicals of our bond, but I felt like she couldn’t have been more perfect for me if she was built to my specifications. And the fact that I was about to be able to provide for her in a way that she hadn’t been in so long pleased my inner wolf.

Yeah, she didn’t want to hear any of that.

“Some casual clothes would be a good start. I figure it wouldn’t hurt for you to have more stuff to lounge and hang out in.” I should have stopped it then and there, but my mouth kept moving without me. “Maybe on casual dates.”

I could tell I got her full attention at that, her face carefully blank. If there was any expression I hated seeing on her, it was that one because it meant she didn’t feel safe enough to show her true reaction.

Which I desperately wanted. I wanted — no, needed Lyssa to trust me. I could feel it writing itself into my bones. I would do whatever was required to prove to her that I was a safe haven. That I would take care of her to the ends of the earth.

“Too soon, I got it,” I muttered, trying not to sound petulant. I was a grown man. The least I could do was respect my mate’s emotional needs.

Thankfully, Lyssa seemed to let it go as she nodded.

It went quiet again as we pulled into one of the upscale parking garages. We were in the part of the city where there was almost no parking, and I couldn’t help but wonder if that would give Lyssa a harder time or not. Surely, if she could duck into a car right outside a store, it would be easier than schlepping all her stuff to a garage down the street.

Or maybe she was so good that it wouldn’t even matter. I was inclined to think the latter, considering how smooth she’d been with Alpha Cyprus. But hey, it was the only way I could think of her agreeing to let me take her shopping.

Which she desperately needed. When I realized that all her belongings in the world could be contained within two worn bags, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Sometimes I felt put out when I ran out of aftershave or if I forgot to put my sheets in the dryer and had to nap on the couch until the load finished. Meanwhile, Lyssa was living her whole life on pennies and garbage scraps.

Well, not anymore. When I decided I wanted to spoil her, I was dead serious. She would never have to want for material things ever again if I could help it.

“Have you ever been to this place before?” she asked as I parked, then circled the car to open her door.

“No, but Taylor has. She says it’s one of her favorite places to shop for loungewear.”

A strange expression crossed Lyssa’s face, and she eyed me like she thought I was lying. “I’m having a real hard time imagining you in loungewear.”

“You’ve seen me in my pajamas.”

“Once,” she countered, and I could tell some of her sass was coming back. I loved how fiery and witty she was. I always felt terrible for people whose partners had the personality of wet sponges. “And it was a rather traumatic time, so excuse me if I don’t remember it clearly. Besides, that was pajamas. That’s different.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Her beautiful eyes narrowed, but I could tell she was being playful instead of serious. “You callin’ me a liar?”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“Well, I might be implying that you’re embellishing the situation.”

We continued to banter back and forth, which pleased me to no end. Not for the first, or even tenth time, I wished we had met under other circumstances. I would love to take a couple of months for us to get to know each other, to slowly fall in love while becoming a part of each other’s worlds.

I could see it in my mind’s eye how courting Lyssa would go. It was an enticing, romantic picture in my head, leading me through a tale that would have been right at home in a romance novel. And then, when she trusted me and knew exactly how I felt about her, I could picture her in my bed, sighing sweetly for me until her mewls turned desperate.

The thought made my body respond in ways that weren’t exactly appropriate for public, so I quickly clamped that down. The unfulfilled bonding hormones were definitely getting to me.

“Round one, start,” Lyssa murmured, and I realized we’d entered the first store. However, we didn’t make it far, with my mate stilling just inside the doorway.

“Is something wrong?” I murmured, hand going to the small of her back. I knew she still needed a lot of space and wasn’t entirely comfortable with physical touch, but it was so easy to forget when my body called out for her, and my mind was determined to protect her from anything that might harm her.

“I just… I’ve never been in a place like this.”

“Never?” I murmured back. I knew she’d been homeless for nearly four years, but she’d had parents before that. Had they never taken her out someplace nice to shop? Not even for her birthday?

If that was so, I had even more lost time to make up for.

“Never,” she confirmed.

“Well, it’s mostly just like every store, except a lot have pushy sale people who are hunting for commissions.”

Lyssa frowned, her k!ssable l!ps pulling downward. “They get that here? It complicates things.”

“No, not at this place. I thought we should skip that for our test run.”

I wished I could take a picture of the look of relief on her face. “It’s much appreciated.”

“As are you.”

My compliment seemed to catch her off guard, but she shook her head and strode forward. She had a strange, sort of plastic smile on her face, and it took me a couple of beats to realize that she was pretending to be excited to shop like a regular patron would be.

Yeah, Lyssa definitely knew what she was doing. I was going to have to work hard to outpurchase her. But I liked the challenge. Especially if it meant she got a lot of new things in the process.

The only downside was that it quickly became evident that Lyssa was being incredibly careful about what she touched. At first, I thought that maybe she was just going to give me perhaps one item per display, but after a few minutes, she gave me a sheepish look.

“I don’t know my size…” she murmured, biting her l!p like she was expecting to be made fun of.

It probably shouldn’t have been such a cute expression to me, but it made me want to run around and grab everything she could possibly want until she was buried under a pile of newly purchased casualwear. Thankfully, at least one of my brain cells was still functioning with some logic, and I was able to tamp down that urge.

“I guess you’ll have to grab a couple of things to try them on.”

As I anticipated, she narrowed her eyes at me again. I was very quickly growing fond of that scathing expression of hers. “You’re enjoying this.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny.” Oh, I was definitely enjoying it, of that there was no doubt.

Huffing slightly, she grabbed a small and a medium of the shorts on display and moved on. My mind might have drifted to what she would look like with her athletic legs in those, and I quickly resolved to purchase them if she didn’t end up stealing them.

Yes, stealing was wrong, but I could always send money for our ill-gotten gains later, once my schedule cleared up. I knew I was fortunate never to need to shoplift, so it didn’t make much sense to gain from Lyssa’s skills. She needed to; I was using it as a cover so she would acquiesce to letting me buy things for her.

From there, she took a more leisurely pace, and I realized yet again it was another strategy to make it look like normal shopping. I felt more confident in her being our secret weapon by the second.

It wasn’t for another few minutes that I also realized she was purposefully only touching the cheapest things, so even if I bought it all, I couldn’t keep up with her. Sneaky, sneaky. But her first mistake came when she picked up a pair of coral capris, then put them back immediately.

“Didn’t see the price tag.”

Perhaps I was a bit too happy to pick them right back up and toss them to her. “You touched them, so it looks like you have to try them on so I can buy them.”

“Fine, whatever,” she said, rolling her eyes. But as we moved on, I could feel her getting more competitive about it, and it was turning into a game.

By the time we ended up near the dressing room, she had the maximum number of items, which pleased my inner wolf and me. There was no way she could lift that amount in her button-up and shorts.

“Do you need a booth?” the attendant asked, giving Lyssa a stellar customer service smile.

“Yes, please,” Lyssa answered in kind. I trailed behind her, but the attendant stopped me before I could enter the curtained booth with her.

“Sorry, just one person at a time. We’ve had… issues with couples together in our dressing rooms.”

“Oh, he wasn’t coming in,” Lyssa said firmly, which was a little disappointing but not entirely unexpected. “You can sit out there, and I’ll show you what outfits I like.”

Even though I wasn’t a thief, I knew that her time with no eyes on her would be key to her lifting. I wished I could see her whole process, but that wasn’t in the cards.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a wink, sitting in one of the several comfortable chairs outside the booths.

I knew that shopping sprees were a staple in cheesy romance movies, but I’d never really gotten it until I had to wait for Lyssa to come out in her first outfit. Anticipation and excitement laced through me, making my foot bounce on the floor and my inner wolf to pace.

My hindbrain was screaming to do something, to take her then and there and show her how virile her alpha was. Thankfully, I was evolved beyond that, although the temptation was utterly delicious.

I tried to be patient — I really did. Most of my pack would even call me the patient sort. But after maybe five minutes passed, I started to get antsy.

“How’s it going in there?”

“Uh, fine. Why?”

“Aren’t you going to show me anything?”

I could hear her snark even through the thick curtain. “Oh? I didn’t know I was putting on a fashion show.”

“Well, that is half the excitement, isn’t it?”

In response, she opened the curtain, looking less happy than I had hoped and much more stressed. Was my plan backfiring? I hoped not. Lyssa had already been through so much that I wanted to make things fun and easier for her.

“Did you not like anything?”

She shook her head, and my mood dipped until she held up a sturdy yet stylish denim jacket. “I’ve always wanted one of these, though. Is this okay?”

The vulnerability in her voice caught me off guard, and I automatically stepped forward to pull her into an embrace. But I caught myself just in time and instead gave her a nod. “That’s perfectly fine. Are you sure you don’t want more?”

She might have just been sabotaging our game, but I wasn’t going to take the chance and push her. A lot had been forced onto Lyssa or was entirely out of her hands over the past twenty-four hours, so if she wanted a jean jacket, I was going to get her one.

“Let’s go pay for it then.”

The woman at the register was quick, allowing us to go outside and head to the next store in just a few minutes.

Lyssa seemed almost dejected as we walked, so I racked my brain with how to comfort her. While I wasn’t emotionally constipated like some alphas, Lyssa was still so new and unknown to me. While I was quickly trying to devour every factoid I learned about her, there was still so much that made her, well… her.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll have better luck at the next store.”

Or at least I hoped so. Especially considering that Lorem Velour was a high-end boutique that catered to all sorts of underthings. They had everything from shapewear to lingerie, to the best sports bra that money could buy.

“That was just the test run, so it’s not a big deal if I won.”

“…Uh-huh,” was her only reply.

Huh, I never pegged her for a sore loser.

Nevertheless, she marched into the store, took one look around, then grabbed something from the closest rack. I had anticipated a little shock from her at the kind of things around us, but she didn’t even seem to care.

“This way,” she said, voice full of steely determination.

I followed her to the back where the changing rooms were, and it seemed we were quick enough that the attendants didn’t spot us heading there. Before I knew what was happening, Lyssa was pulling me into one of the changing rooms.

They weren’t booths like the other store, which made sense considering the nature of their clothing. Shutting the door, I watched with plenty of interest as Lyssa began to strip.

I hadn’t been prepared for anything of that nature, but I certainly wasn’t complaining. Although looking at Lyssa’s undoubtedly beautiful body without being able to touch it would be its own sweet torture.

“Watch this,” Lyssa said, suddenly sounding much happier.

“Oh, I am,” I said, setting down the bag with the jacket as I leaned against the wall.

Clearly confused, Lyssa turned her head towards me. When she saw my expression of interest and excitement, she just scoffed. “No, you perv. Look!”

With that, she pulled off the button-up to reveal an entirely different shirt.

“…you didn’t have that earlier,” I muttered, starting to put two and two together.

“Exactly,” she said, grinning like a goblin. The world’s most beautiful goblin, but a goblin nonetheless.

Suddenly, I wasn’t treated to a strip tease at all, but rather an impressive discarding of illegally gained clothing. Leggings. A couple blouses. Camisoles. A skirt. Even a pair of shorts I’d never noticed her pick up.

“You cheated!” I said, aiming to sound affronted, although I was really impressed as all get-out. I had no idea she had so much merchandise under her outfit. Incredible! “You told me you only wanted one thing.”

“Well, you never said I couldn’t tell you what to buy, and you are the one that listened.”

“I guess that makes me the loser then.”

“Sure does,” she said with a wink. God, I loved it when she got saucy. I couldn’t wait until we were so comfortable with each other that we could lie on my couch and watch a movie while snarking through the whole thing.

I’d never realized that was something I craved until she kicked me out with all of the stolen goods crammed into the same bag with the sole jacket I purchased. While she dressed, I was more than happy to leave and used the time to walk back to the previous location so I could pay them for their goods. Earlier I had planned to get to it later, but I realized that I would probably forget with everything going on in my life and with the pack.

And wasn’t I surprised when it came out to nearly a thousand dollars — five times more than the jacket I had bought her. If I wanted to catch up, I would have to be a lot more crafty.

Besides, the better I did at our little game, the more things Lyssa would try to steal. And the more she tried to steal, the more stuff she ended up having to call her own. It was a win-win situation in its purest form. I just hoped she didn’t wise up and end our little wager.

I was about to leave the casualwear store when I recalled something specific. Returning to the dressing rooms, I grabbed the original shorts Lyssa had grabbed and paid for those too. Hey, just because she hadn’t gotten them with her ruse didn’t mean they had to be left behind.

The whole affair took a bit longer than I thought, but probably because I stopped to buy a couple of other items she’d faked not wanting. By the time I returned, Lyssa was exiting the dressing room with an armful of rejects. Damn, she sure worked fast.

“Ah-ah-ah,” I said, rushing to take them from her. “I’m not falling for that again.”

She pouted, reaching out after me. “Hey, some of those legitimately don’t fit!”

I debated it for a long moment, the more competitive side of me wanting to tell her tough cookies, but that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me.

“All right, pull out the ones that don’t.”

She reached for a couple of bras that admittedly looked a little big and a pair of underwear that was less an actual garment made from fabric and more of a casual suggestion comprised of gossamer-like lace.

“Here, I’ll tell the cashier those were all the wrong size,” I said, offering my other arm. As we strolled, Lyssa noticed the other bag I’d gotten from the store.

“What’s all that?” she asked, scooting closer to me. While I appreciated the proximity, I wasn’t going to explain it there and ruin everything. “Something I purchased at the last store. I grabbed a little more.”

“What? That’s not fair!”

“Hey, I promise it’s not counting towards part of the bet. You’re just mad because I’m clearly winning this round unless you plan to Houdini more out of your undergarments.”

“No, there’s nothing in my undergarments this time,” she retorted with a shrug. “But here, you’re carrying too much. At least let me hold the jacket bag, so I don’t look like a completely spoiled, inconsiderate princess.”

The protector in me wanted to say no, but Lyssa was so used to providing for herself that I didn’t doubt she felt sheepish about not contributing. So, against my better judgment, I handed it over to her.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna get a receipt for my victory.”

“You do that,” Lyssa said. She sounded borderline nonchalant, which was worrying, but what else could I do? Pat her down in the middle of the store? That sounded like a good way to end our little game and possibly get the cops sent after us.

So instead, I approached the cashier and set down everything in the ‘yes’ pile. But it was only as the woman was scanning that I had an idea. A fairly brilliant one, too, if I did say so myself.

“Hey, these were in the wrong size. Could you grab two sizes down on the bra and one size up on the underwear?”

“Of course!”

“How did you know my size?” Lyssa asked suspiciously.

“Taylor made sure to inform me before she left. But not without lambasting me on my horrible description of you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Lyssa said amiably, hands in her pockets. “Men have practical sizes based around numbers that exist in the real world. Women’s clothing is based on unicorn farts, bigfoot’s diaries, and the exact length of the Loch Ness monster.”

“Is that why you don’t know your size then? Not enough cryptid knowledge?”

She huffed a small laugh, and goodness, if that wasn’t one of the most pleasing sounds I’d heard in a long while. “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

I wanted to keep the banter going because talking to Lyssa was one of the most fun activities of my day, but the salesclerk returned with the correct sizes, and Lyssa busied herself with tying her new shoes. Considering the state of her old, decrepit ones, I wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t used to how tightly one needed to tie new laces.

It was quite a haul and took a bit for the girl behind the register to check out. I could tell that Lyssa was getting bored, her foot tapping, so I decided it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit gracious.

“Hey, would you run across the street and grab me a bottle of water? Get yourself something too.”

Reaching into my wallet, I handed her a twenty and saw her face light up. “Sure. But I should leave the bag here with you then. I wouldn’t want them to think I was stealing.”

She certainly had a sense of humor, my Lyssa.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that.”

She hurried off with a little skip to her step, and if she was that pleased about a free drink, then maybe I should just line my entire place with all the cold sodas, energy drinks, and juices that she could want.

“Your total will be $1,263,” the sales clerk said, drawing my attention back to her. That would certainly help my total.

“Perfect, thank you.”

Feeling entirely bolstered as I checked out, I had just finished gathering our growing number of bags when Lyssa skipped back in.

“Oh, good, you’re still here!”

“There was a lot to buy and remove the ink tags from,” I said, gloating perhaps just a bit. But hey, I’d earned it. “You ready to go?”

“Yup, I am. Here’s your water.”

She slipped it into the jacket bag since my hands were full before opening her own and chugging some down. I watched the attractive column of her throat bob up and down as she swallowed, caught up in her natural beauty.

Thankfully, I managed to pull myself together before she caught me staring, and we exited. But we were only perhaps a half block away when Lyssa suddenly made a loud exclamation.

“Oh, I think I see a kitty!”

Pulling me along with her, she rushed into a small gap between two buildings, grinning gleefully. I didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that she was about to show me something, so I stayed quiet when she finally stopped.

“So, about that winning…”

Taking the jacket bag from me, she pulled the denim out only to reveal a plethora of colors below.

“Is that what I think it is?” I asked dully.

“Yup!” One by one, she pulled out underwear, bras, and even bodysuits that I’d never seen her grab. Just like the first time, it was impressive and I had to fight not to look thrilled at the development.

I also had to fight not to think about her dressed in some of the stuff she had lifted. It was all too easy to imagine her in something lacy and demure, sitting on her body like a ribbon on a gift that was all for me.

“You know, since I carried it out, does this even count? You didn’t steal it, I did.” I wasn’t going to begrudge her victory, but I wouldn’t miss out on a chance for more banter.

“Say what you want, but I’ve managed to outsmart you in both stores. I think I’ve more than proven myself.” She beamed at me, and I fervently wished I could bottle how I felt so that I could pull it out whenever I felt stressed or overwhelmed.

“Right, well, you know it’s not absolutely certain you won. I could do the math to see who actually came out on top.”

I was bluffing hard, as I was fairly certain she’d pulled plenty from the jacket bag. But Lyssa was entirely nonplussed by me.

“If you want to waste your time doing the obvious, be my guest.”

She had me there. I didn’t really want to calculate everything, so I resolved to send a check later to the lingerie store. They probably wouldn’t even notice a single dent in their profits, considering the pricing of their items.

“All right, fine. You win. But I want to visit one more store before we head home and catch up on work.”

“Can’t we go home now?”

Perhaps the natural response to that question would have been to firmly tell her no, but her choice of words struck me. Home. If she already saw my place as a haven for her, we were further along than I thought.

I was smart enough to hide my reaction, however. Even with all our banter, I could tell that Lyssa’s walls were still high. If I said too much of the wrong thing or crossed her boundaries, she would close up and become more standoffish.

“How about we go to the car, drop all these bags off, then I’ll drive us to the last store?”

“I suppose if it’s that important I can be patient.”

“Your martyrdom knows no bounds.”

“As long as my sacrifice is recognized,” she said primly, nose pointed comically high in the air as she began to daintily walk towards the garage. I laughed, and that seemed to be the response she was looking for because she sent me one of those devastating grins again.

Was it possible for a smile to be a drug? Because I’d only seen her look at me that way twice and yet I was already desperately hooked.

We made it to the car without any cops chasing us down, so I definitely considered that a success. Putting our bags into the trunk, I opened Lyssa’s door for her before getting in on the other side.

I was incredibly proud and impressed by her, but I knew that saying something that strong to her wasn’t the best course of action. “You’re being a good sport about this.”

Her half-smile response was more dry than anything else, very different from the beaming grin she’d given me before. “Obviously, I’m capable of all this, but the amount you’re spending is super stressful to me.”

Poor thing. She deserved so much, but it was obvious that her life had accustomed her to having nothing. I wanted to change that so desperately, but I knew that silly wagers would only take us so far. It was going to take time and trust.

“I can appreciate where you’re coming from, but I promise that it’s really nothing. Hardly more than a percent or two from my free spending account.” Besides, I would happily spend every dime in my possession on her if she asked.

“But still, it’s too much.”

“Nothing is ever too much for a mate.”

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as I started to navigate our way out of the garage, and I worried that I had said something wrong again.

“I’m still trying to grasp the idea of mates and what it’s all about. It’s so… odd.”

“I know, and I have to say, you are doing amazing.”

“You say that, but it doesn’t feel like it. It’s like my brain has all these world-altering situations queued up in it, and I’m still dealing with the whole wolves bursting out of human men. It’s just not possible, you know?”

My heart felt for her, it really did. I knew some would be frustrated with her constant denial, but I understood that it was all a part of her process. It would be easy to become frustrated with her, but as her alpha and her mate, I needed to be empathetic and supportive to her.

“Have you ever had any temper problems? Like, have you ever blacked out or had things go red? Or would you say that you have control over your emotions in general?”

“Kinda out of left field, but I’ve worked hard to control my emotions.” She bit her l!p, and it seemed like she was going to shut down, but after a few seconds she continued. “I used to think that was why I was kicked out. Or that I was crazy and my parents were afraid of me or something.”

“You’re not crazy. But things like that are symptoms of your inner wolf wanting out. We live in symbiosis with the shifter spirit within us and neglecting it has devastating consequences.”

Lyssa looked like she was considering what I was saying, so I pressed further.

“Your wolf is angry, I can feel it. Wolves are not meant to be contained creatures, which is why most of us have to learn to function with it in a way that lets us blend in with human society but also not smother our own nature.”

I could tell that the conversation was growing too serious for me to split my attention between driving and talking to Lyssa, so I pulled over and parallel parked.

“A wolf’s first shift is at sixteen. I think that your family was scared of it, and that’s why they suddenly booked it right before your birthday.”

Lyssa’s l!ps trembled, and I wanted more than anything to still them with my thumb and k!ss away all her worries. I resisted, barely.

“But wouldn’t they be wolves too? Why would they be scared of my shift?”

“That’s what’s not adding up to me. I would like to research your family, and see if I can find any answers, but I want to give you time to come to terms with everything first.”

I’d half expected some resistance, but suddenly Lyssa was practically in my face, gripping my hands like I was her last lifeline.

“You’d do that for me? You’d find things out about my family?”

“Of course. I’d do that and more for you.”

“Please,” Lyssa said, sounding more earnest than I had ever heard her. “I’ve wanted answers for years. I would give anything to know what happened.”

I couldn’t resist any longer; I reached out ever so slowly, cautiously, and gently stroked her cheek. “You don’t have to do anything. I just want you to be happy.”

She closed her eyes as if fighting something internally before letting out a heady sigh. “I’m trying to believe that.”

Well, at least she was trying.

“That’s all I can ask for. Do you think you’re ready for me to drive again?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m good.”

She slowly slid back into her seat, and I pulled onto the road. It wasn’t a long distance to our next location, and this time there was parking behind the building. I pulled into my usual spot, eager to change the mood.

“Uh, is it just me, or does this spot literally have your name on it?” Lyssa asked, pointing to the small sign attached to the wall.

“This is my sister Emmaline’s store. So, it’s fine if you do your thing, but we’re not walking out the door without paying.”

“So you own like a bajillion buildings, and your sister runs a successful high-end boutique?”

“I wouldn’t say a bajillion, but yes, for the most part.”

Lyssa just shook her head. “Rich people are crazy.”

I wouldn’t consider myself ‘rich,’ just comfortable, but I didn’t argue with her as I went around to open her door. I was happy at how quickly that was becoming a habit between us. Hopefully, just the first of many.

We walked in beside each other, and I quickly scanned the store for my sister. I spotted her by the register, speaking to one of her workers.

“Hey, Emmaline!” I called. Her head practically whipped up, her face cracking into a broad grin.

“Mahlan!” She bounced over, smacking me in the arm as she arrived.

“What was that for?”

“For getting sworn in as an alpha without inviting our parents or me! Rude!”

“It was an emergency meeting, I didn’t have the chance.”

“Pffft, I know you invited your inner circle, what, you couldn’t add on one more?”

“Technically, Lyssa was the one more,” I said, gesturing to her.

“And who the hell is this?”

“This is my mate,” I answered, trying not to grin. My sister and I had always gotten along, but we loved ribbing each other, as all siblings did. “Lyssa, this is my sister.”

“Oh my God, your mate? You’re mated?” Emmaline took a moment to take Lyssa in, and I could feel the tension building within my mate. Thankfully, Emmaline snapped herself out of it relatively quickly, offering a hand to Lyssa.

“So lovely to meet you. Just so you know, I have nothing against you.” But then her eyes were on me again. “Just my jerk of a brother who couldn’t call any of us to say that he’d found his mate. What the heck, Mahlan?”

“A lot has been on my plate.”

“Excuse you, finding a true mate is so rare. I don’t care if you had the leaning tower of Pisa on your plate!”

Lambasting paused, she turned her attention back to Lyssa. See her switch between the two modes was amusing, and I didn’t take her scolding that seriously. “Welcome to my shop, by the way. You’re so gorgeous. I can’t wait to dress you up!”

But even though I found it funny, that didn’t mean that Lyssa did, and I could tell she was starting to get both agitated and overwhelmed. Putting my arm around her waist, I pulled her in close.

“Lyssa has had a rough couple of days. She needs a little space to acclimate to new places and people.”

“Crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come on too strong,” my sister said, taking a couple steps back. “I just got so excited.”

“I know, but this is part of why I didn’t tell you yet. I wanted to let Lyssa settle in a little.”

“Totally get it, like totally.” Bringing her energy down a notch, my little sister sent a softer smile Lyssa’s way. “What pack are you from?”

Of course she would ask that.

“We’re working on figuring that out.”

“What do you mean ‘working on figuring that out?’”

“She doesn’t have a brand.”

I could see the look of concern and confusion on Emmaline’s face. Yeah, I wasn’t getting away without an explanation, was I?

“Lyssa, why don’t you go ahead and start shopping? I need to talk to my sister about some stuff.”

“Yes, please. Help yourself to whatever you want, and maybe later, if you’re feeling up to it, we can shop a little together.”

Lyssa hurried off with a nod, leaving just us Reese siblings. Withholding a sigh, I gestured towards Emmaline’s office. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.”

I made sure to close the door once we were inside and was hit with about a dozen questions at once. It was impressive that my sister could say so much in a single breath.

“She doesn’t have a brand? What’s going on, Mahlan? Is she not a wolf shifter? Or is she one of those batty rovers from Europe who don’t believe in formal packs? And why does she seem terrified out of her mind? I can smell her ketones all over her. Oh my God, you didn’t force her, did you? Mahlan, in the name of the moon and all of our ancestors, I will dropkick you if you took a captive bride!”

“Whoa, whoa, Emmaline! Would you breathe and let me try to answer you?”

My sister simmered down, but she didn’t look much happier. “Fine! Talk. But you better make it good.”

“The situation is… complicated. As far as I can tell, she is a wolf shifter, but something is blocking her connection to her wolf.”

“What could possibly do that without her knowing?”

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it happened before her first shift.”

“Was she adopted or something? Like by humans who had no idea and then someone else interfered?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any way of knowing because her parents are MIA.”

“Not to repeat myself, but what the hell do you mean, MIA?”

“They bounced right before she turned sixteen. Lyssa has been homeless since and living as an exile, which you know isn’t good for a wolf. Perhaps she was punishing herself because she thought they kicked her out due to her temper issues, but I know it was something else entirely.”

“Temper issues, huh? Yeah, that sounds like someone with an angry wolf trapped inside them.”

“Exactly,” I agreed. “So yeah, Lyssa doesn’t really know anything about wolves. She’s adapting as well as could be expected, but there’s just so much to learn, you know?”

“Poor thing,” Emmaline murmured, sinking into the chair behind her desk. “I can’t imagine being cut off from my entire culture and people. How awful.”

If there was one thing that I’d always loved about my little sister, it was that she was incredibly empathetic.

“I wouldn’t wish it on any shifter.”

Emmaline nodded, seeming to think for a minute, when an abrupt expression of horror crossed her features. “Wait, if she knows nothing of wolves, how did you end up mated to her? You bit her! That requires at least a little knowledge of our kind!”

“Yeah… that wasn’t the most fortunate of situations.”

Emmaline was on her feet instantly, which I wasn’t surprised by. She had just as strong a moral compass as me, and I knew what it sounded like.

“Did you force her?” she asked softly. But not in a kind way. No, I could see my sister’s eyes began to glow golden as they did right before she was about to lose control, and her teeth were growing ever sharper.

While my little sister was plenty safe to be around humans, she’d always felt things so intensely. Hearing that her big brother had potentially assaulted someone was sure to trigger a strong reaction within her.

“I saved her life, Emmaline. She picked Alpha Cyprus’ pocket, and he was going to hurt her. It was the only way I could get her out of his clutches.”

“Oh.” Her eyes stopped glowing and she settled, but she still looked none too happy. “But was that the only thing you could think of?”

“At the time, yes.” She looked skeptical, so I continued. “I think she might be a true mate. Like the kind fate is supposed to set up.”

“Really? That’s so rare! Why do you think that?”

“The first time I met her, we just happened to walk into the same room, and I was riveted. I couldn’t even move. It was like she took up my entire mind.” Even thinking about that fleeting moment had my b***d starting to rush within my veins. “And when I bit her? It was more than anyone had ever described before. The world cracked in two and she filled all of it.”

“Oh, shit, that does sound serious. I… wow, I can’t believe that happened.”

I nodded. “I know none of this is ideal, but I believe we were fated to be mates. And since what’s done is done, I’m going to work as hard as possible to ensure that she’s protected and happy. She’s never going to have to be alone again, sleep on an air mattress or eat garbage scraps!”

I might have finished that last part a bit passionately, but Emmaline nodded along as if my impassioned speech was completely normal for me.

“Okay, I can get behind that. I’m still pissed about you swearing in without telling us, but I get this takes precedent.”

“As an alpha, I’m not going to have time to consult with my family before making decisions. More often than not, I will have to react within the moment.”

“I suppose I always knew that but knowing and experiencing are two different things.”

“They certainly are.”

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’m glad you told me all this, though. I don’t want you having so much burden on yourself. But for the meantime, let’s go help your new mate get situated. She’s the first sister-in-law I’ve ever had and I fully intend to spoil her.”

I chuckled, pulling my sister into a side hug. “We definitely are siblings, through and through.”