Rey's words barely left his mouth before he hastily tried to cover them he knew Elliot's temper would flare at even the slightest hint of gossip. And Elliot didn't disappoint. A cold snort escaped him, sharp as a wolf's growl. Nigel really has nothing better to do than chase after females, his mind seethed, instincts alert.
He narrowed his eyes, predatory focus sharpening, and reached for the internal line.
"Hello, who is it?" I answered on the other end, my voice carrying that light, steady confidence I always tried to maintain.
"I warned you not to get too close to my cousin. Are you taking that seriously?" Elliot's tone was ice over fire, Alpha dominance radiating from every word.
"Why are you such a busybody, Elliot?" I shot back, stubborn as always. "You're the Alpha of the pack at work, but outside this den, you're nobody to me."
The shift in his expression was immediate dark, unreadable, dangerous. His presence pressed against me through the line, and I could feel the edge of his instinctual displeasure.
"If you dare to play with his heart "
"We're just hanging out as friends. None of your business," I interrupted, slamming the line shut.
Even through the silence that followed, I knew his eyes would be on me, Alpha instincts flaring, protective and territorial. Why would Grandma want him to bind himself to someone like me? I could almost hear the growl of irritation in his chest.
The workday dragged on, but I didn't linger. I was the first to break free, rushing from the office with my mind on what truly mattered. Nigel's off-road vehicle gleamed in the sunlight, parked right at the company's entrance, a sentinel waiting for me.
Sliding into the passenger seat, I said, "Let's go pick up Jared."
Nigel's gaze lingered on me, admiration and desire flickering through his amber eyes like a wolf sensing a mate. "You are the most beautiful she-wolf I've ever seen in a uniform," he said, voice low, carrying that raw, magnetic devotion only a packmate could summon.
I couldn't help but smile. It's nice to feel seen, I thought. "I like to hear comments like that."
When we arrived at Jared's school, the boy's excitement lit up the air. He climbed into his safety seat, singing the song he had just learned, his tiny wolf-heart bursting with pride and energy.
"Mom and Dad are going to work… and I'm going to school. I mustn't cry or make trouble, but be good and greet my teacher good morning…" His voice rang out, bright and full, a pulse of life and innocence that made my chest ache with warmth.
I clapped along, feeling the rhythm of his joy ripple through me, and he sang louder, every note a tiny spark of pure happiness. Even Nigel hummed along, deep and resonant, his Alpha energy anchoring the three of us in a bubble of contentment and belonging.
By the time we arrived at the high-end restaurant, the table was already laid out like a small feast for the pack. Nigel's eyes softened as he looked at Jared's face, and I could feel the shift in his pack instincts protective, nurturing, magnetic.
He might not share Jared's blood, but his bond with the boy was instinctual, undeniable. I could see it in the way his Alpha heart swelled with care, his hands unconsciously twitching to shield and provide, his gaze claiming the child as if he were his own.
And I… I felt it too. That pull of pack, bond, and mate the stirrings of instinct I tried to resist but couldn't deny. With Nigel here, with the warmth of our makeshift pack in the car and now at the table, I could almost forget about Elliot's ever-watchful eyes, his controlling Alpha dominance, and simply breathe in this rare, fragile peace.
Jared laughed, I smiled, and Nigel's presence hummed in my chest like a heartbeat I wanted to sync with forever. In that moment, the world narrowed to the pack we had formed me, my son, and the man whose bond was fierce, unyielding, and impossibly real.
After dinner, we wandered through the mall, the air buzzing with the low hum of other packs moving around us. Nigel's hand rested lightly on the small of Jared's back, guiding him between stores as the boy picked out a few more gifts. My gaze followed them, protective and wary I didn't entirely approve of Nigel's way of lavishing my son with presents. But Jared was no spoiled wolf pup; he didn't expect everything to be handed to him, and that was a relief.
All the while, Nigel's amber eyes kept drifting to me. There was a quiet intensity there, the kind that comes from an Alpha scanning his mate, measuring, deciding, claiming without a word. Every glance was heavy with unspoken promise. I could feel the pull of his instincts, the desire to protect and bond, and even though I tried to push it aside, it made my pulse quicken.
By 9:30 PM, his car was parked outside my apartment building. The place was modest, rented by my company, and Nigel's wolf instincts bristled at the idea of me living somewhere so exposed. This isn't enough, his gaze seemed to say. I could sense the planning in his mind tomorrow, he would find a way to stake a claim, to give us a proper den in the city's safest enclave. His protective Alpha nature didn't allow for compromise.
He crouched to hug Jared before we parted, and the boy pressed his small lips to Nigel's cheek. Then Nigel glanced at me, hesitating, caught in that delicate balance of Alpha desire and patience. He wanted a kiss from me too, but he restrained himself, instincts warning him not to push too hard, not yet.
I waved goodbye, clutching Jared close, and started up to my apartment. But Nigel lingered outside, silent, watchful, almost unwilling to leave. Once we were inside, Jared, ever curious and perceptive in his own small way, piped up.
"Mommy, do you think Uncle Nigel is a nice man?"
"Yes, he is," I answered, my voice gentle.
"Do you like him?"
"I like him," I admitted, while neatly putting away the scattered toys, careful not to show the conflict brewing in my chest.
"In that case, do you want to marry him?" Jared asked again, his childlike logic slicing straight through the defenses I had so carefully maintained.
My hands froze. I looked down at him, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the storm of feelings inside me. "Jared, I only think of him as a friend," I said softly.
He frowned, confused. His young wolf-heart didn't yet understand the complicated bonds of adults. If you like each other, why can't you be together? his expression seemed to say.
"Mommy, I think Uncle Nigel likes you very much," he added.
A pang of helplessness cut through me. I knew Nigel's amber eyes were full of more than friendship that he had an instinctual, Alpha-level desire to protect me, claim me as his mate. I could feel it even now, lingering in the space between us. But I couldn't shake the thought that I wasn't enough for him. He deserved someone stronger, someone worthy of his fierce loyalty and his unyielding heart.
I looked down at Jared, packing away the last of the toys, and whispered to myself, He's a good man… and I'm afraid I'm not the mate he deserves.
Yet even as I told myself that, a small, unbidden heat in my chest reminded me that part of me the wolf in me recognized the pull of his bond, the draw of his Alpha instincts, and the undeniable truth that part of this pack had already staked its claim on me, whether I was ready or not.