Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter Five-His

I couldn't take my eyes off the woman. I stood frozen on the sidewalk in front of my favorite Italian place, Pauli's Pizza Pizzazz. I stared at her through the storefront window. My entire body hummed with excitement when our eyes locked. With my excellent vision, the deep teal hue of her eyes captivated me. Her head tilted slightly, causing something to snap in my brain. An uncomfortable pull on my heart began, and I rubbed the ache with my fingertips. I remembered the night before when the rain had calmed the world. I trotted around my territory in my wolf form, mentally noting everything that needed tending to. A golden lab puppy had discovered me in the alleyway, giving away my hiding place. The confused owner had made me chuckle. I loved that the goddess had made our wolf forms invisible to human eyes. I had looked back out onto the street, and the woman, whose eyes currently held mine, stared at me with a panicked expression. I had bobbed my head to test the direction of her squinting, wondering if she could see me. As her eyes followed my movements I knew she had been looking directly at me. Once she lifted her phone, I knew for sure she could see me.

I ducked into the shadows before she could capture my image. That was the last thing I needed to deal with that night. The woman shook her head and turned away from me, leaving me with so many questions.

"Mr. Conri?" My second-in-command, Neal, grunted next to me. I turned my attention back to the task at hand, guiding the businessmen to the private room in the back.

Once, we were all seated. I studied each man's face. I was proud of my people skills as they had taken years of watching my pack repeatedly swindled to hone them. I loved my father, but he was never cut out to lead so many packs. His abilities needed to be keener and perfected to sort through the deceptions that came with politics. The first time my father had lost a third of his territory to another Alpha, I watched it all. The second time he lost our family's fortune and my sister's life. I didn't allow a third time.

My abilities, on the other hand, were earned from years of trail-by-fire. Neal sorted out drinks for everyone with the waitstaff, and I sat back, satisfied that I read the room as much as possible for the moment. Each Alpha here had an ulterior motive to win my favor somehow. Politics was my least favorite of my kingly duties.

"Alphas! Welcome to our dinner! It has been one full moon cycle since we were last together. So let us conduct business first, then merriment after!" I opened my arms in a broad, welcoming gesture, then took the shot of whiskey placed before us. The other Alphas grunted in agreement and did their shots before them. I looked toward Neal to begin going over all the necessary updates we needed for our territory.

——————-

For the second night in a row, I found myself lying in the alleyway observing her shop and watching as she went about helping customers, running the cash register, and other tasks. Her laidback outfit and bare minimum make-up suited her more than the other day. She seemed more relaxed and happy this way. The other one made her look like a doll, beautiful yet lifeless somehow.

It was almost closing time for her little bookshop, and I couldn't help the anxious feeling that came over me—last night, a man had entered right before closing, waited until the shop was almost empty, and flirted with the woman. I usually wouldn't have minded it, but her body language revealed her distaste for the man. It made the hairs on the nape of my neck stick up. I had such a strong urge to protect her from him.

As if on cue, the man strutted up the street and checked his reflection in a car's side mirror before heading inside. I could feel my hackles rise yet remain rooted in my hiding spot. Every one of my senses told me to keep this pest away from MY woman. I halted my thoughts there, since when did I think of her as MY woman? I had only been watching her for a few minutes every night, yet my wolf screamed his possessive thoughts. A noise behind me caught my attention. I turned, baring my teeth to give a warning growl to the intruder.

"Whoa there, Alpha, it's me." Neal held up both hands in surrender. I grunted toward him and turned back to the store. I watched as the woman gestured for a customer and that man to leave out the door so she could close up. The clock in her shop showed she was closing ten minutes early, smart girl. That protective urge roared in my chest when the man leaned toward the woman with both arms on the doorframe. It essentially prevented her from shutting the door. Her whole body shrank away from him, and I snarled loudly.

Neal put his hand on my back, our eyes still at the same level. His touch did nothing to calm the fire growing inside me. The man stepped back, looking around the quiet street with furrowed brows. Had he heard me? If that was the case, was he part of our shadowy world? Taking advantage of distraction; the woman quickly shut and locked the door, her eyes never leaving his face. Frustration flared his nostrils for a moment before he said something. The woman shook her head tightly. The man turned and walked away with a smirk.

I quickly shifted into my human form, and Neal handed me some clothes. As I got dressed, I heard Neal sigh. I snapped," What is it, Neal?"

He bounced his weight from foot to foot, a nervous habit he's had since we were kids. "What are you doing here, Alpha?"

I shrugged into my shirt, buttoning the fabric with shaky fingers. Possessive adrenaline coursed through me, and it was taking all my willpower not to hunt down that scum." The woman is fascinating. I just wanted to make sure she was safe."

In frustration, Neal ran his hand down his face, "Do you want me to look into her?"

I paused on the last button for a moment. I went through the pros and cons of having information on her. Then I decided, "Yes, but leave me out of it for now. I don't want to know anything about her from you. Focus on that guy first, though."

Instead of commenting on the situation, Neal chuckled and patted my back. We both stood there staring at the dark storefront. I wondered if Neal thought I was losing it. I'd never acted like this before, and even I knew how creepy I seemed. "You sticking around, boss-man?"

Without waiting for my response, Neal began to walk down the street in the same direction as the scumbag. I leaned against the wall and stared at her apartment above the shop. The lights were on, but her curtains were all drawn closed, blocking any direct view of her. Neal stopped a few feet away and glanced over his shoulder, "Don't be creepy, Alpha."

He continued laughing down the street when I flipped him off. I ran my hand through my hair, knowing that this was creepy as fuck, but for some reason, I couldn't leave her unprotected.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter