Page 6

It had been three days since I brought Kiera and Kit home, and it was going as well as could be expected with a new wife who longed to rip out my throat.

After the initial celebration, which I'd done my best to make welcoming for my mate and son, everyone was going about their usual routine. My pack members were, in general, accepting of Kiera. Of course, I expected nothing less as their leader, but I wasn't blind to how Kiera had been treated before she left town.

Her parents were average shifters, neither of them very dominant, but Kiera showed absolutely no shifting ability during her entire time with the Saltfangs. There had been talk that the Langley's only daughter had been born human, and it had been a source of ridicule towards her.

For my own part, I didn't go out of my way to treat her poorly, but I also wasn't interested in wasting my time at all with a weak, no-name pack member. Was I cold to her? Sure. But it was the same with everyone who didn't benefit me either personally or as a pack leader.

It was a shock when she presented as an Omega and went into heat, and even more of a shock when I found myself unable to stay away from her. Even now, when she isn't in heat, her scent is driving me up and down the walls of my own home. My mate smelled like sweet lemon candy, and my mouth literally watered for her.

As soon as I woke up, I searched for any excuse to get some fresh air, which was how I'd ended up outside on a warm spring morning washing my Jeep.

The sun was warm on my bare shoulders, and for the moment, everything felt calm. The pack was safe, and my Omega and son were under my roof. For the first time since I discovered that Kiera had fled with my heir, I felt a measure of peace.

I was still trying to wrap my head around the change in Kiera, and her newfound stubbornness pissed me off at times, but it was also good to see her not cowering or afraid.

And then there was Kit. The boy was interested in everything I did, and took all sorts of chances to escape from Kiera to act as my shadow no matter what I was doing. He asked a ton of questions about being a shifter, the pack, Crystal Creek, and anything else that came to his mind. He was so innocent and curious that it shook something loose inside of me. I should still be furious that Kiera kept him from me—hell, a large part of me still was—but the primal, possessive, Alpha part was simply glad I had them both now. Right where they belonged.

"Still brooding, boss?"

I didn't flinch when Nayeli's voice rang out behind me, but it was a close thing. My cousin was impossible to miss on that bright morning—short and softly built, dressed in a neon blue hoodie sporting some anime character on the front, with her blond curls piled in a messy bun on top of her head, Nayeli was the most unwerewolf-looking wolf I'd ever met. She came bearing gifts to make up for scaring the shit out of me—a stack of papers and a drink carrier with two cups of coffee.

Taking the coffee first, I took a long swig before speaking, "You're supposed to call before coming over."

"And you're supposed to answer when I do," she countered, shoving the stack of papers into my hands, not even waiting for me to dry them off. "Pack finances, border patrols, and an update on those rogue shifter sightings. Besides forgetting your phone, you're doing a decent job, big guy."

"I don't pay you to sass me, Naye."

"Yeah, yeah," she waved a hand at me dismissively and picked up a car wash wand, getting to work on my jeep. I shook my head but couldn't stop a small grin from forming.

Nayeli might have been weird and mouthy, but she was one hell of an assistant, and there was nobody I trusted more with my money. When my great-grandfather had founded the pack in Crystal Creek, he’d bought a ton of land. The houses that he built on those pieces of land brought in enough rent money to keep my family comfortable for generations. It was still pouring in at a steady pace, but I was the only member of my family left, and I definitely needed helped organizing it all. Combinedwith the pack politics, an assistant like Nayeli was a lifesaver.

"So," she started, scrubbing vigorously at a stubborn spot on my Jeep's hood. "What's the plan for the Ome——Kiera? How do we know we can trust her?"

"She was a pack member for two decades before she ran," I reminded her, "She has no reason to betray us."

"I suppose not," Nayeli pushed up her sleeves and kept washing. "Good to see that she's putting roots down in town. I guess that means she knows you aren't going to let her leave anything soon."

I froze. "What do you mean by putting down roots?"

Nayeli shrugged. "I stopped into that new coffee shop downtown, and she was working. Kit was tucked into a corner booth, reading. Don't worry. Both of them looked pretty content."

She continued to ramble on, but I stopped listening. Instead, I could only hear a low buzz in my ears. Kiera had a job. My mate was out in town working at some little café I had never seen in my whole life. It was all fine and well that she was taking care of our son and helping around the house, but the idea that she would think about going into town and finding some job like I would allow her to have a life outside the pack, let alone one without me, filled me with fury.

How dare she? I wasn't about to be humiliated by my own mate and be the laughingstock of my pack because I couldn't keep her in line. That kind of disobedience would not be tolerated. She had already gotten away from me once, and that wouldn't happen again.

Nayeli finally shut up as she noticed the expression on my face. "Uhhh, what did I say?"

"Stay here. Don't move."

Did Kiera really think I wouldn't care about her being away from home with our son? What if there had been threats against them in town? Did she care about anything beyond her own selfish desires?

No, clearly not. That would explain why she felt that she could work in a fucking cafe without talking to me about it first. I grabbed my t-shirt from where I'd thrown it over a lawn chair, climbing into the Jeep without even putting the bucket and brushes away.

Nayeli scrambled to get in the other side, despite me telling her to stay put. She had never been good at taking orders, which was both frustrating and convenient.

"It's really no big deal," Nayeli spoke quickly, sounding anxious. "It's probably good for her to have a part-time job and for both of them to get out of the house, you know, and—"

"Enough," I growled, but my cousin wasn't intimidated. Instead, it was clear she was more worried that she'd potentially started something between me and my mate. “She shouldn't have just left without asking."

Nayeli wrinkled her nose. "You know how I feel about all that macho man pack bullshit."

"And you also know that's just how packs work, so knock it off."

"You don't treat me like an object, though. Why her?"

"Because you're family. She's....she's...." I dragged a hand down my face, trying to come up with the right explanation. "Kiera is a flight risk. A liability. And she's been away from pack life too long to understand her place in this world."

"Wow, that sounds really convincing and totally not like an asshole at all," she said, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"She needs a firm hand. That’s all."

Nayeli shrugged one shoulder. "Whatever you say. I don't see why it matters to you either way. The point is, Kiera is working and seems pretty content at the coffee shop. Kit was playing and reading, so no harm done, and now you're driving out to the shop to... Alpha out on everyone. Just turn around and go home, Sam, please."

"No. Hell no."

She huffed. "Then what exactly is the point?"

I gritted my teeth. "Kiera cannot just run off with our son and not talk to me about anything that involves my heir. If she had asked me, it would be different, but…”

"Why don't you tell her that and just not come down to the cafe and act like a maniac?"

I didn't answer her. She wouldn't understand, and I didn't have to defend myself or my decisions as an Alpha to anyone, even my cousin. I drove a bit faster, and before long, we pulled up to a little parking lot across the street from a cafe I had never noticed before. The entire storefront was glass, and from inside the Jeep, I could see my Omega working, her dark hair reflecting the overhead lights like a raven's wing.

Unhurried after speeding to get there, I stepped out of the Jeep and crossed the street to get a closer look without entering the building, Nayeli hot on my heels.

My Omega was busy helping a few customers, but there were other employees, too. The other female, a pack member, seemed to be in charge, directing Kiera and a waitress on the other end of the counter. Nayeli leaned on my arm, her gaze sweeping the scene and the shop beyond it. I glanced over towards the back of the shop and saw my son reading in the booth Nayeli had mentioned, a small stack of books and a cardboard package of crayons next to him.

It looked like any other cafe in a small town. It smelled of coffee and the food in the display case, the soft sound of indie rock coming from speakers that hung overhead. It was innocent, quiet, and friendly, and the longer I stared through the windows at Kiera working behind the counter, the less angry I became.

Kiera was integrating herself into the town, which was a good sign that she understood what she meant to me and the pack. Maybe Nayeli had been right, and I was overreacting, seeing some ulterior motive where there wasn't one.

Kiera looked so beautiful standing there. It had only been a few days, and she was already looking less chronically angry. Her dark hair looked thick and healthy, and her eyes were bright, even from a distance. She was in the flow, serving drinks to the customers with ease, her lips curled into a friendly smile.

With a jolt, I realized how badly I wanted her. I wanted to bury my face in her neck and drink in her scent. I wanted to mark her so no other wolf would ever dream of touching what belonged to me. The memory of the single night we shared, how delicious she'd smelled and tasted, and the soft sounds she made came back to me in a flash. I had to force the images away before they could really take hold.

Nayeli was busy typing on her phone, but after a few minutes, she looked up at me. "I don't know if this will help with your Alpha-related stupidity, but from my quick bit of research, it looks like this place is legit and is in good standing with the community. It's safe, and people like it."

I gave her a long look, and she sighed, looking annoyed. "It doesn't matter how many times you try to scare me into being silent. I'll always be me, and I'll always do whatever the hell I want, even if you disapprove."

I huffed. "I'd never hurt you."

She gave a short bark of laughter. "Of course you wouldn't. You're not a psychopath or an idiot, Sam. But that doesn't mean I don't think your decisions suck sometimes. Let's go home before you get busted stalking your Omega."

"I don't give a damn if they see me," I growled, but caught myself. It was embarrassing enough, having Nayeli see how easily I could lose my cool when it came to Kiera. "All that matters is that she’s still in pack territory with my son. Come on, I've got shit to do.”

We turned away from the window, and Nayeli and I walked back to my car, both of us silent. When I'd buckled in and was turning out of the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of Kit waving at me, his little hand pressed up against the window of the shop. I froze for a moment before raising my hand in a brief wave.

Well, if I had to be caught, I'd rather it had been Kit than Kiera. At least he was happy to see me.