Page 6 of Alpha Hunt

“Hah!” I snort. “Him?Have my back? He’ll probably be sticking a knife into it.”

“For fuck’s sake, Stone!” Jagger snaps, then stops himself. “Listen,” he pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, “I respect the fact that you’re cautious. I know where you come from, and I understand why you’re paranoid about these things—”

“I’m not paranoid; I’m realistic. Strangers can’t be trusted.” I’ve learned that the hard way.

“Yes. But he’s not a stranger anymore. He’s been here for months. He’s pulled his weight. Just like Savannah and Sierra.”

“They’re different.” I feel a swirl of protectiveness at the thought of the females who arrived here so traumatized. “They were…broken.”

“So was he, remember? He nearly died, Casey. There was no way he could have faked that. Since then, he’s given us absolutely no reason to suspect him of anything. And most importantly…” Jagger pauses. “I trust him.”

“Why?” My question is blunt. “Because he seems like a good guy? Just because he helped Gage out of that hellhole doesn’t mean that he’s not working with them. They could have planned that whole thing, for all we know. They could have made it look like he was helping, but—”

“I’ve been tracking him.” Jagger gives me a level look. I stop talking. “His comms device has a transponder in it – he never takes a step without me knowing. When he’s here at Steel Lakes, we have eyes on him. There’s even a device in his quarters.”

“You… I…” I’m not sure what to say.

“I’m not an idiot, Stone. My gut may tell me he’s okay, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do the homework to back it up.” He heaves a sigh, his expression softening. “I know what you’re afraid of, Casey. The wolves who came into your pack didn’t look like killers. They seemed trustworthy, behaved like friends…and yet they wiped out your entire clan. I hate that the world is so fucked up that we can’t take people at face value, but it’s a hard reality that we all have to swallow.”

“So you’ve kept tabs on him.” I steer the topic back to the male in question. I don’t want to delve into the life I left behind me. It’s not a secret, but that doesn’t mean I want to think about it.

“Every minute since he got here. Do you want to know about his bathroom habits?”

I pull a face. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“So, will you trust that I know what I’m doing?”

I feel my shoulders slump. I can see I’m not going to win this one. And maybe he’s right. “I really hate this.” It’s all I can say.

“I know. But you’ll grow to accept it. We’ve given you space to get used to him, and you’re not making any progress on your own. If I have to step in to make this transition smoother, then I’ll do it.”

I can’t argue his reasoning. And I guess I’m being stubborn about this. He’s right. The man hasn’t done anything to make us suspicious of him. Maybe he just makes me edgy because he’s so damn arrogant. Strutting around with that air of being untouchable. Too damn good-looking for his own fucking good.

Not that I’ve paid any attention to that.

“Fine. I’ll do it,” I grumble. “But don’t think I’m happy about this.”

“You’ll get used to it in time.” He smiles. I’d swear there was a smug edge to it, but he’s too smooth to let it show. Probably because he knows it would annoy me. And right now, he’s playing me like a pro. He’s turning into a really skillful Alpha – just the right combination of force and empathy.

Dammit.

“God, you’re good at this,” I mutter. “Smart and full of sage advice. What’s got you so responsible and mature all of a sudden?” I’m getting out of line again, but old habits die hard. “Apart from being our elected leader, I mean.”

“Yeah…a fact you keep forgetting, Stone.” He runs a hand through his hair again, looking as if there’s something he needs to get off his chest. “Sierra’s with pup.” The words come out quickly. His grin is sheepish but radiant all the same.

My eyes fly wide, and my mouth drops open. “She’s pregnant?”

“Yep.” His grin broadens.

“But- but I thought she couldn’t… That she wouldn’t… You know.” I fumble awkwardly. Dr. Bea had been convinced that the nightmare Sierra had lived through at Rack’s hands had left her infertile. Something to do with a device that screwed with her hormones.

“Seems that she can. And she did.” He looks like the cat that got the canary. “I have strong seed.”

I pull a face at his macho posturing. “A baby.” I shake my head. “You’re going to have a baby.” If anyone had told me a year ago that I’d be having this conversation with Jagger fucking Law, I’d have told them to get their head read.

“Two. They’re always twins in Sierra’s pack.” If his smile was radiant before, it’s reaching supernova status now. “I’m gonna have a little girl. A daughter…or two, if we don’t get a pigeon pair.”

“Maybe two boys.” I’m still reeling at the thought of Jagger being a father.

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