Page 4 of The Alpha’s Addiction (Night Grove Falls: The Alphas #1)

FOUR

Rhodes

The second she turns around and our eyes meet, the world stops spinning.

My wolf lets out a snarl of excitement inside me, the sound rolling through my head and bones like thunder. Mate. He’s known it for weeks. I’ve been walking around like a starving man without realizing what I was craving, but now I know.

It’s her.

She stands there, arms full of dessert boxes, lips parted in surprise, wide blue eyes blinking up at me like she’s not sure if I’m real.

She’s shorter than I expected, barely reaching my chest, but everything about her is soft, feminine, and.

.. perfect. Her curves have my mouth watering, and I lick my lips.

Her scent hits me like a tidal wave, all warm sugar, vanilla, and something uniquely hers.

“Um,” she croaks, shifting the box in her hands. “Can I help you?”

I blink, as if waking from a trance, taking a careful step closer. “You’re mine.”

It isn’t a question. It’s a fact.

“What?” she asks in shock.

I frown.

Can she not sense this between us?

“What’s your name, mate?” I ask gruffly.

“Um, it’s Adeline.”

“Adeline,” I growl, letting her name roll off my tongue.

My wolf howls, urging me to claim her. Mate. Mark her! he roars.

My teeth start to elongate.

And then I smell it.

Human.

She’s human. My mate is human.

Shit.

Her eyes narrow slightly, and she clutches the dessert boxes tighter against her chest.

“Um… Can I help you?”

Right. I’m coming on too strong. I rake a hand through my hair and try again.

“I’m sorry,” I say, voice lower now, trying to soothe her. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Rhodes.”

Her eyes flick to my outstretched hand like it’s dangerous. She hesitates before shifting the boxes in her arms and placing her much smaller hand in mine.

The second our skin touches, a jolt rockets through my system.

Her gasp matches mine, and my other arm instinctively wraps around her waist to steady her, jostling the dessert boxes between us.

She’s so soft and warm against me, and my wolf settles for the first time in weeks, humming in satisfaction.

I’d be more satisfied if you bit her already! my wolf chimes in.

Her blue eyes are wide. “What… was that?”

I clear my throat and gently ease back, though every cell in my body protests. “Just… chemistry.” I take the dessert boxes from her without asking as she sways slightly. “Let me carry these.”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” she argues.

“I want to.”

“Oh, o-okay,” she stammers, clearly still rattled.

“Are these for the diner?” I ask, already turning toward the entrance.

“Yeah.”

I open the door for her with my shoulder and lead her inside. My wolf is purring like a damn cat now, pleased to be near her. This woman is human, completely unaware of the world she’s stumbled into, but that doesn’t change a thing. She’s our mate, and I will do whatever it takes to make her mine.

Inside the diner, the usual clatter of plates and the murmur of conversation fill the air.

The scent of coffee and fried potatoes tries to compete with the sugary perfume radiating from Adeline—because that’s her name.

I heard her tell it to me, but even if I hadn’t, I would’ve known it.

Somehow, it fits her. Soft and sweet, just like she is.

I set the boxes on the counter as Sally, the owner, bustles over with her usual beaming smile. “Rhodes, twice in one morning? What’s the occasion?”

“Just helping with a delivery,” I say, stepping aside so she can get a look at Adeline.

Sally’s eyes brighten. “You must be the new baker I keep hearing about. These pies are magic.”

Adeline blushes, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you. I’m glad you like them.”

Like is an understatement. Sally’s been raving about these deliveries for weeks. Which now makes sense because they’re from my mate.

“I was about to head back,” Adeline says quickly, like she’s trying to put space between us.

“Let me walk you out,” I say before she can escape.

She blinks at me, clearly flustered. “Oh. Um. Okay.”

I nod at Sally and hold the door for Adeline, stepping back into the morning sun.

As we walk to her car, I take in every detail of her. The way her breath fogs in the crisp air. The pink on her cheeks from the cold—or maybe from me. Her cardigan is too thin for this weather.

“You should wear a jacket,” I say quietly.

She glances at me, surprised. “What?”

“It’s too cold for a sweater.”

She shifts the keys in her hand, frowning slightly. “I was rushing this morning. Didn’t realize it was so chilly.”

I slip out of my coat without a second thought and wrap it around my mate. It dwarves her, but at least she’s warm.

“Oh, it’s okay,” she says, trying to hand the jacket back to me.

“Put it on,” I order.

She blinks.

Bite her! my wolf shouts.

“Not yet!” I yell back.

Adeline flinches away from me, and I realize I said it out loud.

I see fear, nerves, and confusion swirling in my mate’s pretty blue eyes, and I know I’ve messed up.

Shit.