Page 43 of Possessive Alpha

After we put the mostly unneeded groceries away, Jackson called Ty into his office while I spoke with Regan about the garden.

That was a couple of hours ago, and I’ve been sitting at the kitchen island with Regan since then.

It’s worrying how I’ve gotten so used to Ty always being around. I expect him to appear, and when he doesn’t, I start thinking something is wrong.

When Elin and Mia stick their heads into the kitchen to find out if I’m up to watching a movie later, I agree. The thought of snuggling up on a couch with a big bowl of popcorn will always appeal to me.

“Who else will be there?” I ask as subtly as I can.

Regan snorts. If Clara had been here instead of playing a game with a couple of others in the lounge, she absolutely would have made some comment about Ty.

Elin shrugs, her white-blonde braid bouncing. “Everyone we’ve asked so far. We were going to ask Ty, but he looked busy.”

Instantly, she has my full attention.

I’d thought Ty was still having his meeting with Jackson, but it sounds like it’s over. So what is he busy with?

“Oh?” My fingers tighten around the pencil in my hand.

Mia, a curvy brunette with a southern twang, takes one look into my face and grins. “He’s in the backyard. Maybe you could ask him if he wants to come.”

I seriously need to work on learning how to hide my expressions. I’m far too easy to read.

Elin and Mia leave to gather more people for the movie, and Regan plucks the pencil from my hand. “Go. We’ll talk about the garden another time.”

I chew my lip. “But we’ve barely even started.”

Regan wanted to talk through my plans for the garden. I know I shouldn’t have agreed since I’m not staying, but I couldn’t help myself. Between one minute and the next, I had the pencil in hand and was busy sketching out where we would build a greenhouse and maybe even a trellis so we could grow grapes or green beans. Maybe even both?

Regan picks up the rough drawings we have spread over the kitchen island and gets up to tuck the papers on a shelf beside the microwave. “There’s no rush. We can talk about it whenever. Go find Ty and I’ll get started on popcorn and see if my workaholic mate wants to set work aside for a movie.”

And because I’m itching to see Ty, it doesn’t take much prodding to convince me to head outside. I emerge onto the porch as a cool breeze whips through the trees, blowing the fresh scent of pine, grass, and earth toward the house. My wolf wants to go for a run and explore a faint, wild scent that could be a rabbit.

Not now, I tell her.

I jog down the back porch steps as the sun is setting in the distance, following Ty’s scent until I come to a screaming halt.

Ty is standing at the edge of the forest, powerful arms folded across an equally muscled chest. A frown furrows his brow as he talks to a brunette. I can’t see her face, only her profile, but she’s lean, pretty, I think in a pair of black skinny jeans and a long sleeve tee.

As I watch, Ty’s face loses its frown, and he snorts a laugh.

Immediately, I swing around and walk away, back to the porch steps so I can pretend I didn’t see what I think I saw.

Only to take two steps and stop.

My wolf snarls at me to go back and ravage the woman, whoever she is. The human me reminds me that we’re not staying, so if Ty wants to laugh with a pretty brunette, then I should let him.

Maybe it’s better he moves on.

I take another step and I stop.

No. It’s not better that he moves on. He’s mine. Whoever that woman is, she can have someone else. Someone not my mate.

I swing around.

I have a split second to note a familiar scent before I slam into a familiar, muscled chest.

A hand cups my hip. “Careful, sweetheart.”

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