Page 38 of Possessive Alpha

“Jesus, Clara,” I interrupt scanning the store. It’s mostly empty, but I have a feeling that even if it had been full, that wouldn’t have silenced my little sister. “We’re in public.”

She blinks innocent eyes at me and our fellow shopper. “What? Everyone knows most guys are tools, so I’m staying single forever. If a nice one comes along, maybe. But I’m not holding my breath.”

Shopping for underthings—or just plain shopping—never takes long when you’re on a budget, and Clara and I are on a constant budget, so we’re in and out within ten minutes. Yes, I could use the card Jackson gave me, but I only accepted it to get things for the pack. Not to splurge on lingerie.

After I’ve paid with our precious few remaining dollars, we leave the store. The moment we take a step out on the street, my wolf growls a warning.

“Stop,” I hiss at Clara.

I needn’t have bothered. Her wolf must have been snarling its own warning, because she halts as her hand grips my arm.

There’s a reason we were in a rush to leave Minnesota. It’s the same reason we took the long way around to get to Colorado. Have the people we ran from tracked us here?

“Do you see anything?” I whisper as we linger outside the store. A woman behind me clears a throat and I side-step the front door to let her out. I don’t even think of looking back. I’ve focused all my attention outward at the first sign we might need to run.

Clara is subtly sniffing as her eyes sweep the streets, much as I’m doing. “Nothing. You?”

I keep looking. If trouble has followed us here, it might not be safe to return to the packhouse. It would mean leaving everything we own behind, but if it’s a choice between Clara’s life and stuff, there’s no question what I’d do. Clothes are replaceable. A little sister is not.

Car horns blare and music drifts from the vehicles passing down the main road. Tourists and hikers here to visit Dawley’s National Forest pop in and out of the town’s stores. And just because I can’t see anything that would make my wolf snarl a warning doesn’t mean a threat isn’t lurking out of sight.

Then I see something I hadn’t been expecting. Given what I know, maybe I should have seen this coming.

A dark gray Toyota parked on the other side of the road.

I sigh when the owner of said vehicle pushes open the door and steps out.

Ty.

Clara nudges her shoulder with mine. “Do you think he needed makeup and vegetables as well?”

I glare at her.

“What?” she snorts. “As if he bought the shit you were shoveling. Give me the keys.”

I frown. “What for?”

She fishes the keys from my pocket and snatches the bag of new socks from me. “I’m going back to the house. And don’t worry. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.”

My frown deepens. “But I?—”

“Sounds like a great idea. I’ll drive Martha back,” Ty says from my left.

As I turn to tell him no, Clara waves and takes off. She doesn’t hesitate in climbing into the car and pulling away.

I watch her go, wanting to make sure she’s safely away before I swing to face my persistent mate.

CHAPTER 12

“You followed me,” I bite out.

His eyes are on me, but his pose is nothing less than protective. “To keep you safe. You looked worried just now. What is it?”

It is very, very difficult to stay angry at a man who followed you to keep you and your sister safe. But I try. Really, I do.

My anger fizzles away completely when he glares at a man who comes dangerously close to bumping me with his rucksack. The man does the smart thing when faced with a big, glaring alpha. He veers away.

“No need to glare. He’s gone.”

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