Page 22 of The Alpha and the Baker

“Arietty. That was it, right? Where are your owners? I don’t see a leash.” She crouched down to pet the wolf, who immediately flopped onto her side and let out a happy sound that wasn’t quite a bark, but was about as close as us wolves could get.

I was definitely getting played, wasn’t I?

If I was, Arietty was showing more control over her inner wolf than some shifters I knew who were several years into their new lives.

However, as much as I would have liked to see if Arietty kept up her antics, I figured it was my cue to intervene.

I shifted as quietly as I could behind the bushes.

Once I stepped out, the two other youngsters turned their heads back to look at me, tongues lolling out like they were pleased with themselves.

“Don’t grin at me like that,” I murmured, striding forward. “All of us are going to have a talk later.” The warning had no effect on their mood at all.

“Sorry about that,” I said, putting a bit of breathlessness in my voice.

“We were working on some voice commands, and—Oh, Felicia? ” I probably laid it on a little thick, but whatever, I wasn’t an actor.

“Holy shit, didn’t expect to see you here.

” Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part, but I swore I smelled a sharp upswing of surprise and happiness in her scent.

“And I didn’t expect to see you. What are you doing all the way out in the city?”

“I ran behind on chores today, and I was supposed to help desensitize some of our dogs. This park is closest to our property and far enough away from the center of the city, so I don’t have to worry if the training goes south.”

“Haha, you really are a jack of all trades, aren’t you?”

I gave a little shrug, my eyes landing on Arietty. I swore she winked at me. “I get by.”

“I’m sure you do.”

Arietty rolled from her side onto her back, showing her belly and letting out a whine for attention.

“Oh goodness,” Felicia crooned, caught hook, line, and sinker. “You want some belly rubs, you beautiful girl?”

While I was still a bit latently irritated at Arietty for nearly giving me a heart attack and drawing us to the edge of the city, it was hard to be upset at the sight of Felicia using both hands to give the young wolf an ardent scratching.

A lot of people might have thought that belly rubs were a dog-only thing, but nope, wolves loved cuddling and had high needs for inter-pack, platonic touch.

Arietty’s head turned toward me and again, I could have sworn she was trying to goad me to do something. That feeling was confirmed when Declan and James trotted up behind me and nudged me forward with their cold noses on the back of my thighs.

“Come… on…” I heard a tiny, weak voice in my head. Not sure which of the trio’s it was, but I knew it was one of them.

Did… did these three teenagers just play matchmaker?

And was I actually contemplating going along with it?

“Goodness, you are such a sweetie,” Felicia continued to coo.

I wasn’t going to lie, it was doing things to my wolf. He loved seeing her being so kind and maternal with a young one, loved the way she smelled of all sorts of happy and kind things.

She’d make a good mother.

I dismissed that thought quickly. It wasn’t often that my wolf communicated with the echo of words in my mind. He usually relied on feelings and echoes of ancient instincts, but there was a time and place for such things.

If everyone but me was on the same page, however, maybe I was the one who needed an attitude adjustment.

“Are you my best friend now?” Felicia continued. “Huh, huh? The doggy I never had?”

“I wouldn’t recommend her for a beginner dog,” I said, giving Arietty one last meaningful look that she did not care about at all. “Hey, since it seems like we can’t stay away from each other, why don’t we, uh, go to dinner sometime?”

Not the smoothest I’d ever been, but then again, I hadn’t asked someone out in about five years.

“Dinner?” Felicia stood up suddenly, abandoning Arietty. The young wolf didn’t whine. No, in fact, her subharmonics switched over to something quite satisfied actually, like a Bond villain whose master plan had just come to fruition.

“Yeah. Couple new restaurants opened this past year that I’ve been wanting to try. I’d like to take you, get a professional’s opinion.”

“Professional? I’m just a baker.” The pink on her cheeks was visible even in the dark, and that bolstered my confidence.

“More qualified than I am.”

“I… All right. Yeah, I’d like that. You wanna try for this Friday? Saturday is usually my slowest day, so I have the least prep that afternoon.”

Friday? That was four full days away. It seemed like an eternity. But I would go along with her schedule.

“I’ll pick you up around five?” It was a touch early for a dinner date, but Felicia probably got up real early even on a slow day.

“See you then.” She bent and petted Arietty one last time. “Anyway, I gotta finish up the last bit of my run, then get to bed. I’m up way too late, but like you, got a bit behind today.”

“Have a good night, Felicia.”

“You too, Cas.”

I swore there was the tiniest pause, like she wanted to linger, but then she nodded and jogged off. And maybe… maybe I watched a little more intently than I should, but it wasn’t my fault she was stunningly gorgeous with an ass that wouldn’t quit.

However, I didn’t wanna be a creep, so I pulled my gaze away after a somewhat appropriate hesitation—appreciation?—and turned to the three.

“Don’t. You. Move.” I said before heading over to the same bushes I used to transform.

I smelled a couple of other humans and their own dogs approaching, so I waited.

I acted as naturally as I could, and apparently, I did a halfway decent job because they walked by with only a wave to me and my trio.

Once they were far enough away, I shifted.

“Back home. Now. I’m very disappointed in how the three of you have conducted yourselves. You selfishly derailed this run for everyone else and put yourselves in danger! ”

I didn’t like to play hardball, but I did tell it how it was.

I went on quite a bit of a diatribe, going into personal responsibility and thinking of others, as well as the threats of navigating a human space when still so young and not in control of their instincts.

And to the young ones’ credit, they let me go on as we placidly plodded along, not interrupting until we nearly reached where I’d left the other wolves.

Of course, it was Arietty who spoke right before we met up with the others, her voice quiet, shaky and hesitant like someone who couldn’t get all the words out—shifter-speak was difficult when you were new to it.

“Got date. ”

I sighed, something strange to do in my wolf form. The whole thing had indeed been planned. That was incredible, and I was torn between being flabbergasted, impressed, and a little concerned.

“ How did you even know where to find her? ”

“ Googled name I saw on van. Planned to go all the way there. Lucky seeing her at park.”

I shook my head, still in wonderment at just how together these kids were compared to when I was their age. The kids may have been all right, but they were also diabolical.

“ Just… don’t do it again. I don’t need y’all trying to wingman for me.”

“Don’t mess up an’ won’t have to.”

Did I just get told off by a teenager? I was pretty sure I had.

Once they were all together, I would see just how long they could run for. Maybe if everyone was utterly exhausted, they wouldn’t have the energy for more shenanigans.

Unlikely, but an alpha had to try.