Page 9 of Claiming Xan (Shifters of Greymercy #7)

XAN

Over the next couple of weeks, I slowly picked away at the craggy rock wall River had erected around his stone heart. Of course I’d seen the warning looks Mom had been shooting me, but it’s not like I was doing anything wrong.

I was just being friendly.

She didn’t trust River. We’d had conversations about it, even though River had been working for her in the veterinary office since he’d first arrived in Greymercy.

He’d been doing a good job too. Even Mom agreed that River was a good employee who worked hard and didn’t skimp on the details, but she still didn’t trust him.

Not around me, anyway.

She’d have to get over it eventually, though. River wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was I. Besides, I was enjoying getting to know the growly, grumpy Alpha.

Even if he was kind of a hot mess.

I swung into the kitchen Saturday morning, the scent of coffee strong in the air. “Mmm, come to Papi,” I half-moaned as I poured myself a big mug and doctored it up, nice and sweet.

Mom sat at the table, reading something on her phone. Her reading glasses had slipped down her nose, and the dishes in front of her—presumably from breakfast—were empty.

I slid into the chair across from her and took a noisy slurp. Thankfully, the coffee wasn’t too hot. Scalding my tongue was never fun, but I always liked to annoy her a little.

It got her attention, though. Her gaze flicked up to pin me with a stare. She hated it when I chewed with my mouth open or slurped drinks or soups. It drove her crazy. That’s why I did it.

I grinned at her from behind my mug. “Morning, Mom,” I said cheerily. “How are you this fine Saturday?”

“I was just peachy until someone rudely interrupted me,” she retorted dryly, and I laughed. She rolled her eyes. “I’d offer to make you breakfast, but you’re capable of frying up a pan of eggs.”

I pouted at her. “So mean.”

“That’s me. Mama Mean.”

“Speaking of…” I waved a hand in the direction of River’s bedroom. His door was closed, and I assumed he was still asleep—that, or he just didn’t feel like socializing. I couldn’t really blame him. We’d set up a TV in there, so maybe he was watching Saturday morning cartoons? “River needs clothes.”

“He has clothes,” Mom replied curtly.

I held up my hand. “Actual clothes, ones that fit him, not the pack’s hand-me-downs. I’m off today. I can take him to the mall, and we can do a little shopping.”

“Xan—”

“Mom. Stop,” I said, my voice sharper than I’d intended it to be.

“He’s not going to hurt me. When are you going to trust me to take care of myself?

” I frowned. “Believe it or not, I’m a careful person.

I carry mace everywhere I go. If he freaks out, I’ll mace him and drag him home by the collar, and then you can tell me how stupid I am, but not before then.

I’m almost twenty-one. I’m an adult. I think I can handle taking a single Alpha to the mall and back. ”

She stared at me, long and hard, before relenting with a sigh. “Be careful? Please?”

“I’m always careful.” I flashed a bright smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.”

Later, on the drive to the mall with River in the passenger seat of my Chevy, he turned to me and casually said, “So, you’re gonna mace me, huh?”

I grimaced. Shit. “Oh, you heard all that?”

River shrugged. “I have exceptional senses.”

“I mean, technically, yeah. If you wolf out and go rogue, I’ll mace you and drag you home before you hurt anyone,” I told him. “Do I think you’re going to do that? No. You’re not a monster, River.”

River stared at me, those bi-colored eyes strikingly eerie, but they weren’t as hard as usual. Not the cut-glass sharpness I was becoming accustomed to, but…gentler, somehow. “You sure about that?”

I just smiled. “Pretty sure, yeah. I mean, you already told me you aren’t a serial killer, so…” That earned me a chuckle. “Mom’s a worry-wart, that’s all. I’m the baby of the family. The only pup who hasn’t left the nest to start a family of his own. She’s protective of me.”

I flipped my turn signal on and turned into the lot, perusing for a parking spot before picking one pretty close to the entrance, near the food court. I put the car in park and killed the engine, then turned to him.

“Now, let’s shop till we drop.”

River groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Great.”

“Not excited?” I asked.

“Not exactly. It’s just that I…” He seemed to struggle to find the words. “I haven’t been in a crowd of people since high school.”

I smiled at him. “I’ll hold your hand, if you want.” I paired it with a wink, and to my utmost pleasure, River actually blushed.

“I think I can handle it,” he muttered before exiting the car.

My heart did a couple of jumping jacks and I resisted the urge to do a fist-pump. It felt like a breakthrough, but I needed to play it cool. The grumpy Alpha was so easily riled up, so I needed to let it drop and pretend it never existed.

Easier said than done.

We went inside. River balked a bit when he saw just how many humans and shifters were wandering the mall, but I looped my arm in his and led him towards one of the stores I thought he might like. A store that wasn’t my type at all.

“Alright. Start trying on clothes,” I instructed. “We have a budget, but there’s wiggle room, so get what you need. Shirts, pants, blah-de-blah. I’d be happy to help you try them on, but…” I blinked innocently up at him, but my smile was anything but.

River snorted, but the corner of his lip twitched. I saw it. “I think I got it.”

“I’ll wait here then.”

I loitered near the checkout, watching River sort through racks of clothes, holding them up to himself.

And it made me wonder, what kind of a teenager had he been?

Was he a jock? Did he play football? Did he run track and field?

He kind of gave off those vibes sometimes, had life been a little easier on him.

Forty-five minutes later, River came back out with an armful of stuff. I brightened. “Got everything you need?”

“Pretty much. Jeans, shirts, boxers, socks. Didn’t see any shoes,” he said.

“We’ll hit the shoe store next, then.”

We checked out and I swiped Mom’s credit card. I couldn’t help but notice the way the blonde twenty-something girl at the checkout ogled River—or the way that River completely ignored her. It made me smile.

We stopped at the shoe place and River picked out a pair of nice Nike sneakers, and it seemed like our little shopping spree was over. I wasn’t ready for it to end quite yet, though.

So, “Are you hungry?” I asked, tipping my head to one side.

River huffed a laugh. “Starving, honestly.”

“We could grab lunch at the food court?” I offered. “I didn’t eat breakfast, so I’m pretty famished myself, and they have the best Japanese food here.”

“Sounds amazing. Lead the way.”

As we headed for the food court, I caught a whiff of something familiar, a certain spiced cologne, and my stomach sank.

“Shit,” I mumbled.

“What?” He looked down at me.

“Play along,” I hissed, then grabbed River’s hand, leaning closer to him as we walked so that our arms were brushing. He seemed a little confused, but I hoped to play it off—and right in time too.

TJ spotted me from where he stood in line at Saucy’s Pizza, his face lighting up. I had to admit, I felt kind of bad?

Abandoning his post at the pizza place, he jogged over. “Xan! Hey!” And then realization dawned on him as he spotted my hand knotted in River’s. His expression fell. “Oh. Who’s this?”

I forced a smile, noting his name badge. “Oh, hi TJ. You working today?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t sound too pleased.

I glanced up at River, then back at the human Alpha. “This is River. He’s new to Greymercy. Just joined my pack a few weeks ago, actually.”

TJ’s expression turned frosty. “You didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone,” he bit out. “That’s kind of shitty.”

“Sorry?” I tried, and failed, to sound genuine. Because I wasn’t sorry. Right now, the way TJ was acting? I was glad to have River at my side. At least I knew I was safe.

“I would’ve liked to have had a head’s up,” TJ continued, his tone sharp. “I’ve only been asking you out for weeks, but whatever. Seems I’m not your type.” He sized River up, then snorted.

“TJ—”

“Shut up, Xan. I don’t want to hear your excuses,” he snapped. “Whatever. Have a nice date.” He spun on his heel and stormed off, and whatever wind was left in my sails fluttered away.

I sagged against River’s arm, my heart pounding hard in my chest. “Sorry about that,” I mumbled.

River growled. The sound reverberated through me, low enough to send a shiver down my spine. “Who was that?” he demanded, like it suddenly mattered to him.

“My coworker. He’s been obsessed with me for months,” I explained. “I thought maybe if he saw me with another guy, he’d get the hint, but…” I grimaced. “I think I might’ve just made it worse. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

I dropped River’s hand and took a step away, giving us both space. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to breathe until I was calm once more, then looked at River. “Do you still wanna get food?”

He stared at me, studying me. “Do you still want to get food?”

“Um, yeah. I’m still hungry,” I said with a soft but humorless laugh. “Not gonna let that asshole ruin a good day. This might not be a date, but I’m having fun. So let’s forget about it and go eat.”

I smiled up at him. “Food court teriyaki chicken, here we come!”