Page 19 of The Alpha's Runaway Bride

All heads turned toward Noah in unison.

“No. She stays. Jasmine and her mate, Dolph, are free to come and go in Silent Paw territory as they please so she can come back and see friends and family. You can either accept the fact that she is Dolph’s mate or you will end up losing your granddaughter and your great-grandchild.”

“But…” the elder started to say.

“I have given the order. Jasmine stays with her chosen mate, and they are free to come and go as they please. No arguments.”

Noah stared at the elder who looked down and nodded.

As he expected, Keith and Elijah followed him into his office.

“What did you find out?” Elijah asked. “You’ve been gone for more than a week. We expected you to come home with a mate.”

“We weren’t compatible,” Noah said.

“That’s a line of bullshit if I’ve ever heard one,” Keith said. “She turned you down before either of you knew each other.”

“Is her disease contagious?” Elijah asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

“No,” Noah said, grinning. “She has her life there. It’s all good.”

Neither of them looked like they believed him, but even his brother and best friend weren’t going to press it.

“I’m going for a run,” he said.

It really wasn’t a good day for a run. Dark clouds had gathered and the temperature had dropped. The air was damp and biting. Noah was sure that it was about to start sleeting but relished the thought of the hard ice pellets hitting him. It always made him feel alive.

As he ran, he thought about Jasmine and Dolph. It was a story straight out of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, although he hoped this would have a happier ending.

His mind shifted to Angie. It was true that she was human and no human had ever been a part of the pack before, let alone a luna. It wasn’t like he loved her, but he did like her and enjoyed her company. She was a great person and would make a positive difference for the pack. The only question was whether it would be worth the fight, even if she said yes.

7

Angie

“Betsy called me,” Flora said as she burst into Angie’s kitchen.

She had a box full of regular glazed and maple-glazed donuts, which she set down on the table with a flourish.

The older woman peeked in with a smile. “I figured that you could use some emotional support.”

“You are a great friend, Betsy,” Angie said. “You and Thomas do a great job taking care of me.”

“You know we think of you as our little girl, too, since we helped Naomi and Clarence raise you.” She looked over at Flora and said, “You, too, Little Girl.”

Betsy reached for a maple donut but was intercepted with a hug. Angie planted a big kiss on the woman’s cheek and said, “I love you, too.”

Grinning, the older woman grabbed her snack and said, “Thomas will likely be in soon for a couple of donuts. That man loves his sweets.”

“That’s why I bought enough for everyone.” Flora grinned.

Sure enough, Thomas popped in a few seconds later.

“I heard that my other favorite daughter dropped by with some sweets.” He laughed.

“I brought some just for you.”

Thomas grabbed a couple of donuts and then looked at Angie. “I heard you had a bit of trouble here this morning.”

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