Page 26 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

No wonder my wolf reacted. It always does to her.

She’s crying. I can smell the salt of her tears all the way from here.

For a moment, I stand there and watch her, even as the cat wriggles in my arms.

Her whole body is shaking as she sobs out the cat’s name again and again.

I don’t like it.

I don’t like the sound of those broken sobs.

“Charlotte.”

She turns around, and those pretty green eyes are red-rimmed, devastation evident in them. Her face is wet with tears, and I hold out the cat who is desperately meowing now. “I found your cat on the main street.”

“Mano,” she mumbles before darting toward me and snatching the one-eyed tabby from my hands. “I thought I’d lost you!”

The cat doesn’t shy away from her hold, and I watch Charlotte’s fingers dig into its fur. She’s trying to control her tears, and it’s hard to resist the urge to comfort her.

I give her a couple of minutes and study her in the meantime. There’s nothing cold or manipulative about this woman. She wears her heart on her sleeve. The way she’s bawling over her missing cat affects me. I know those are relieved tears, but there is something incredibly innocent about Charlotte that tugs at my heart strings.

When she looks up, she wipes her eyes with one hand. “Thank you for finding her and bringing her back.”

“Of course.” I smile at her warmly. My eyes are drawn to her clothes once again. They’re childishly endearing, and I grin. “I like the pajamas.”

She looks down, and her cheeks flush instantly. Seeing the color spread across her pale skin makes me want to tease her more. From our first meeting, I have found her beautiful. The fact that she’s one of those bloodsuckers hasn’t done anything to diminish that attraction. Even when I grew suspicious of her, I couldn’t deny how her presence made me want to admire her beauty. And now, as she looks at me, sniffling, the red coloring her cheeks in embarrassment and mortification, I find my gaze drawn to those pouty lips. There is nothing elegant or sophisticated about her at this moment, and yet all I can think about is how pretty she looks.

“I—I didn’t think I’d run into anybody.” She holds the cat closer to her chest. “Especially not you.”

“You don’t live here.” I look around, my hunch confirmed now.

She gives me a cautious look. “I could.”

“I already know your address, little vampire.”

When she stiffens, I raise a brow. “Don’t you remember I did a background search on you?”

Her shoulders fall in defeat. “Look, I’m going to find another job, okay? I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

It would be ideal if she did. Just because it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, doesn’t always mean it is a duck. Charlotte might not seem to be a threat but if she left, even the tiniest chance of it would disappear.

“You don’t have to leave your job.” I tuck my hands in my pockets, knowing I shouldn’t be saying this. “You can work in my territory and live here. It’s fine.”

She eyes me. “Can I get that in writing?”

A bark of laughter leaves my mouth. “Sure.”

Her nod is jerky, but I can see the relief in her eyes. “I—Thanks. For finding Mano. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“How about buying me dinner?”

Her lips part, and she struggles to say something before glancing to the side at the animal shelter. “I’m on duty tonight. I can’t leave.”

“Then we can order in.”

She can’t seem to think up a reasonable excuse to say no and finally says, “I guess. Sure.”

She really doesn’t want me around, and the more she resists, the more I want to invade her space. I follow her inside. Just standing in the small lobby, I can tell that this is an expensive place. Odd for a shelter.

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