Page 50 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

I’m the Alpha of a pack. My friends would be telling me to think with my head. But logic goes out the window where this woman is concerned.

“Why do you think there would be something for you to judge?” I give Aisha a half-smile.

She doesn’t waver, folding her arms across her chest. “Because if there weren’t, you would be talking to Morris. Clearly this is something you don’t want him knowing, or it’s something delicate. Something to do with a woman?”

I can hear the teasing edge to her words, but when I don’t laugh or shrug it off, her smile fades. She leans forward, her arms dropping to the table. “Robert, are you serious?” She’s both shocked and excited. “You found someone?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?” I give her an irritable look. “Just because I look like a monster doesn’t mean—”

I don’t get to finish the sentence because I’m slapped upside my head. “Excuse you? You’re the only one who thinks you look like a monster. Don’t bunch me into your idiot category.”

I rub my head where she smacked me, wincing. “Why are you so strong? And stop hitting me. You’re a married woman. If you want to beat someone, you’ve got a husband for that.”

“My husband isn’t the one spouting garbage from his mouth right now, is he?” Aisha scowls. “Who’s the girl? Do I know her?”

“Slow down.” I lift both my hands. “Before I say anything, I’m talking to you as my sister, not Morris’s mate or the Alpha Female. So, whatever we discuss here stays between us.”

Aisha grows serious at my words. “Of course. But is it really something that needs to be kept secret?”

“For now, yes,” I say slowly. “You know the coffee shop across the road from our office?”

“Yeah?”

“She works there.” I study Aisha’s face. “She’s also the one who rescued me from the attack a couple weeks back.”

Aisha blinks. “What? But Harry said the woman he met was a vampire.”

When I don’t say anything, realization dawns on her, and she goes still. “Robert, the woman you like…she’s a vampire?”

I nod.

This is the point I expect her to say something harsh or negative, but Aisha just sits there, trying to absorb this information. After a moment, she asks, “What is she like?”

I close my eyes briefly, relief filling me. “I was sure this would go a different way.”

Feeling her hand on my knee, I open my eyes. She’s smiling at me. “I know you, Robert. If you like this woman, there has to be a reason.”

I let out a puff of air. “She’s not part of any clan. Her family not only kicked her out, they also deregistered her. She’s been living without a clan since she was fourteen. She volunteers at an animal shelter and has a cat. She’s not like her kind. Her abilities are practically non-existent. She gets drunk very easily on human alcohol. She’s got a soft spot for animals, and she’s trying to put herself through school to become a vet. She’s very beautiful: red hair, green eyes. She’s also got a sweet smile…”

Aisha’s grin grows broader with each sentence, and when I finish, she murmurs, “You’re well on your way to falling in love with her, Robert.”

I want to deny it, but my wolf rumbles in approval at her assessment, and I fall silent.

“She sounds very special.” Aisha takes her hand in mine. “I’m happy for you.”

I try to smile, but those muscles are stiff. “But it’s not going to work, is it?”

My sister gives me a serious look. “Because of the different species?”

“Vampires and wolf shifters don’t marry or mate. It’s impossible.” I get to my feet, agitated.

“Why are you thinking so far down the line?” Aisha demands, watching me pace.

“Because she is the first woman that my wolf has become interested in, Aisha!” I burst out. “He wants her. He’s extremely possessive about her. It feels like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. On one hand, I’m responsible for this pack, and on the other, my wolf is falling all over himself wanting to be around this female vampire who will never be accepted into my pack or even my life.”

“It’s not just your wolf,” Aisha points out. “You want her as well. You describe her like a man in love would, Robert.”

“I can’t be with a vampire,” I say, my heart aching. “I can’t even consider being with one, not if I want to hold on to this pack. So, I thought I’d just be friends with her. Have her in my life in another form. But it was childish of me. Everything about her drives me crazy, Aisha. Things didn’t go the way I planned, and one thing led to another.”

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